He alerts TNP to wedding planner's sacking
Reader learns about 3 customers allegedly cheated at wedding planning company, calls hotline
When a TNP reader heard that a wedding planning company had sacked an employee over allegedly cheating its customers, he realised that his relatives had gone to the same company.
As the company, Lagun Sari Wedding and Catering Services, was well known among the community, he called TNP with the news.
He alerted TNP to Mr Sunato Zaidi's termination from the company and shared his own family's experiences.
The reader, who declined to be named, said his in-laws had a tough time with the wedding planner, Mr Sunato, several years ago, when his brother-in-law's wedding was called off.
The deposit given to Lagun Sari was frozen.
Mr Sunato made headlines in TNP when three brides-to-be claimed they had been scammed by him.
They were allegedly cheated of sums amounting to $5,000 to $9,000 each.
The police are investigating.
When asked why he chose to call TNP, the reader said: "The thing that makes TNP different from other papers is that the stories are very human-centred and cover sharper angles. The stories speak to readers in a different manner."
The report about Lagun Sari was published on Aug 27.
TRAGIC
Another regular TNP reader heard about the death of an 11-year-old Maris Stella High School pupil last Tuesday through her friends, some of whom are parents of students there.
The reader, who wanted to be known as Madam Jenny, 37, was hesitant about calling in at first because it was a sensitive issue.
But her instincts told her to do so anyway.
Madam Jenny, who is self-employed, said: "When you're sick, anything can happen."
The story about the boy, who died after he was found unconscious on his school bus, was first published last Wednesday.
A follow-up report was published the next day, where it was confirmed that the boy had been ill with a fever the weekend before his death.
Another school made the news when a teacher employed there was found to have tuberculosis.
An anonymous caller, whose child attends Bridges Montessori pre-school in Punggol, tipped us off about the teacher's condition. The story was published last Tuesday.
The teacher, who withheld knowledge of her condition from the school, has been released from her contract.
A report published on Aug 27 was also the result of a reader's tip-off.
The reader, who declined to be named, was a dissatisfied user of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and contacted TNP about its glitches.
Other users also had bad experiences with it and posted them online.
The phone would freeze and reboot at the opening screen.
Another reader e-mailed TNP when she heard about an accident that had occurred at a childcare centre three weeks ago.
She told TNP that an acquaintance's child had been scalded by the carer at Learning Vision's Vista Point branch. The child had second-degree burns on the bum and thigh and may require plastic surgery.
The story was published on Friday.
For sharing these stories, each hotline caller will receive a $100 Texas Chicken voucher.
We value and appreciate your calls and e-mails, so keep them coming.
You can call us at 1800-733-4455, SMS or MMS 9477-8899 or e-mail us at tnp@sph.com.sg.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now