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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on May 27

aseanpr 27 5 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Thursday, May 27. MOH extends pre-departure Covid-19 testing requirement to S'pore citizens and PRs This updated measure will take effect from 11.59pm on May 29. READ MORE HERE 2 Concord Primary pupils, Grace Assembly of God pastor added to Jem and Westgate Covid-19 cluster The cluster now has 60 people and is the second-largest active cluster in Singapore. READ MORE HERE Women in S'pore less satisfied with their marriages during Covid-19 pandemic: Study It could be because women had to take on more than their fair share of housework, researchers say. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news In Pictures: Cloudy skies obscure super flower blood moon in Singapore Elsewhere, stargazers were treated to a rare cosmic show. READ MORE HERE S'pore-flagged container ship ablaze off Sri Lanka threatens chemical, oil spill Firefighters still trying to bring flames under control, after it intensified following large explosions. READ MORE HERE Dashed hopes for travellers after S'pore-HK travel bubble deferred again The travel bubble was deferred on May 17 for the second time. READ MORE...

53-year-old graduates from Temasek Poly as valedictorian

aseanpr 27 5 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Technician Kamaruddin Salleh, 53, was attending his eldest son's polytechnic graduation ceremony three years ago when he got the idea of going back to school. The same year, he decided to enrol in a part-time aerospace engineering course in Temasek Polytechnic. Mr Kamaruddin, who stopped his studies after secondary school, was partly inspired by his 49-year-old wife. She went back to school a few years earlier when she was in her 40s, and signed up for a part-time bachelor's degree in early childhood education at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. Mr Kamaruddin, who works as a technician at SIA Engineering, said: "At first, I was intimidated by the idea of going back to school. I had not touched school books for more than 30 years. "With the support of my family, I mustered the courage and gave it a shot." The 21/2-year course was tough and he said he broke down several times, but it was all worth it when he graduated as valedictorian two weeks ago. He said: "Being the oldest student in the class, I was worried I couldn't keep up with the other students, especially with modules like computer programming. I told myself I had to work doubly hard." He often woke ...

Private museums here struggle for visitors amid Covid-19 despite SingapoRediscovers voucher bookings

aseanpr 26 5 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - To keep all six of his full-time employees, Mr Takumi Minami has had to sell his shares in a restaurant and a gym. The owner of Singapore Musical Box Museum is Japanese, but passionately believes in his work of highlighting Singapore's important role in the development of music boxes in the region. In the absence of tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic, his small museum at the Thian Hock Keng temple in Telok Ayer Street has seen visitorship drop by more than half. Even with SingapoRediscovers voucher bookings by locals, his sales last year made a meagre $6,800, compared with $22,000 in 2019. "That is not enough to manage the place," he said. "We have made a drastic cost reduction, for example, by reducing unnecessary air conditioning. Private museums are either understaffed, underfunded or both. We are no exception." Mr Minami finds the going so tough that he sees the need to draw inspiration from history. "I have the experience of the Japanese people finding a way to be resurrected after the Fukushima earthquake. History and culture can give courage and dignity to people in difficult situations," he said. Singapore's heightened alert following the resurgence of commun...

Amid Covid-19, museums can find ways to help people imagine different futures

aseanpr 26 5 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - While Covid-19 has been a disaster for museum visitorship, curators have had a chance to hit pause and rethink how best to ride the storm. Last week, the National Heritage Board organised an International Museum Day symposium titled The Future of Museums: Recover and Re-Imagine. It was unsurprising that the most repeated term was Covid-19. Digitalisation was also a buzzword. But there was a segment of the symposium that focused on how museums can play a key role in conversations about climate and sustainability. Beyond finding a viable business model during and after the pandemic, stakeholders were interested in how museums can help a battered economy build back better. "As museums explore contemporary approaches to audience engagement and collecting, they have also sought to re-imagine their roles in promoting awareness and civic action around pressing global issues," the National Heritage Board said. During the panel discussion, the ArtScience Museum's executive director Honor Harger called on museums to operate with this goal in mind. "I believe we are in an imagination battle and museums can carry the day," she said. "We need to find the courage and the clarity to i...

Game that explores environmental footprint of food among projects aimed at tackling sustainability issues

aseanpr 26 5 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Concerned about the carbon footprint of your meals? A game being developed by a group of youths lets you plant and harvest crops, rear livestock, and learn more about the environmental cost of what you decide to include in your meal. Called FoodPrint, it features resource cards and recipes from all around the world, and aims to educate people about the environmental impacts and trade-offs of what they choose to eat. The game was one of the five shortlisted proposals presented at a webinar on Tuesday (May 25) by Sustainability Exchange, an initiative which was launched in January by non-profit group EB Impact, in partnership with Facebook and supported by the Climate Action SG Alliance. Sustainability Exchange matches mentors to youths to get them to better understand sustainability issues and apply them in business and policy settings. Mr Rayner Loi, 27, co-founder and chief executive officer of food waste tech company Lumitics who mentored the team behind FoodPrint, said: "Foodprint is a wordplay on the phrase 'environmental footprint', and refers to the environmental footprint of food." The team comprises environmental science undergraduate Ashley Yip, 21, from the Un...

25 S’pore massage establishments and 23 people caught flouting Covid-19 mask-on rules

aseanpr 26 5 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The police will take action against 25 massage establishments for not ensuring that staff and customers wear masks at all times. And 23 individuals will also be taken to task for not wearing a mask during their massage. This comes as checks at such establishments are stepped up to ensure that safe management measures are followed, the police said in a statement on Wednesday (May 26). Checks have been carried out at around 850 such establishments in the past two weeks. "Over the past few weeks, several clusters of infection have emerged alongside many unlinked community cases," it said. "These developments have demonstrated the need for continued vigilance in the practice of safe management measures by permitted enterprises like massage establishments, which are allowed to operate during the current Covid-19 pandemic." Depending on the severity of breaches found, massage establishments may be fined between $1,000 and $2,000, while individuals may be fined up to $1,000. Massage establishment operators may also be liable for prosecution under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, and first-time offenders can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both. Su...

HDB to release site locations of upcoming BTO projects three months before launch, instead of six

aseanpr 25 5 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - In a move that surprised some home seekers as it deviated from the norm, the Housing Board (HDB) did not release on Tuesday (May 25) the site locations of upcoming Build-To-Order (BTO) projects for the November launch. The Straits Times understands that for future BTO launches going forward, HDB will only indicate the estates of the upcoming projects and the type of flats available six months ahead. The exact site locations and the total number of flats will only be released three months ahead of the launch at the August BTO sales exercise. Since March 2019, the HDB had been releasing projects details, such as site locations and the total number of flats, six months in advance. On Tuesday, the HDB said it will launch about 3,100 to 3,600 units of BTO flats in Choa Chu Kang (two-room flexi), Hougang (four-room and five-room), Jurong West (three-room and four-room), Kallang/ Whampoa (two-room flexi and four-room), and Tengah (two-room flexi, three-room, four-room and five-room), with more details to come at the next BTO exercise slated for August. The site locations and the total number of flats for each estate were not released. It was announced together with the launch ...

7 new MOE kindergartens to open in primary schools in 2024 and 2025

aseanpr 25 5 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Seven new Ministry of Education (MOE) kindergartens will open across the island in 2024 and 2025. All of them will be located inside primary schools and offer about 100 to 120 Kindergarten 1 places each, said the MOE in a release on Tuesday (May 25). Registration for admission to these new kindergartens will start in February the year before they are set to open. Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning: "We will continue to expand our MOE kindergartens steadily... so that more Singaporeans can access good-quality and affordable pre-school education." When these seven new kindergartens have opened, there will be 57 MOE kindergartens in operation. These will provide about 7,900 K1 places in 2025, MOE said. The ministry said there are currently 36 MOE kindergartens in operation, with eight new ones opening next year and seven more opening in 2023. Of the eight opening next year, one – MOE Kindergarten @ Gongshang – is to replace MOE Kindergarten @ Tampines, which is among the 36 in operation. The MOE kindergarten programme started in 2014. MOE previously said it aims to operate at least 60 kindergartens by 2025. The kindergartens all of...

ICA foils bid to smuggle 110kg of goods including sex enhancement products and condoms

aseanpr 25 5 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - About 110kg of sex enhancement products and condoms were among various items that were attempted to be smuggled into Singapore. But the bid was foiled by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Pasir Panjang Scanning Station on May 15, said the agency in a Facebook post entitled "Better soft than sorry" on Tuesday (May 25). The items, which comprise sex enhancement products, condoms, 17 bottles of Chinese wine and counterfeit apparel, were declared as "Home Decoration", "Stationary Set" and "Plastic Bags". They were uncovered after ICA officers noticed anomalies in the scanned images of the container they were in. Officers then conducted unstuffing operations at the importer's premises. In its post, ICA said: "Those with ill intent could use similar methods of concealment to smuggle security items into Singapore." The case has been referred to the Health Sciences Authority and Singapore Customs for further investigation. More on this topic Related Story 4 arrested, over 9,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes seized in joint Customs-ICA operation Related Story Contraband cigarettes found hidden in God of Fortune figurines at Woodlands Checkpoint

HSA permits storing of Pfizer vaccine at standard fridge temperature for up to 31 days

aseanpr 25 5 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has given the green light for Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine to be stored at standard refrigerator temperatures of between 2 to 8 deg C for up to a month. The move, which will help facilitate Singapore's nationwide vaccine roll-out, follows a similar decision by the United States Food and Drug Administration last week. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was approved last December, subject to a strict set of storage conditions. These included long-term storage at minus 70 deg C, with temporary storage at refrigerator temperatures permitted for up to five days. In February, the HSA added that the vaccine can also be stored at a standard freezer temperature of minus 20 deg C for up to two weeks. Its latest decision to further revise storage conditions for the vaccine came "after a thorough review of the application and supplemental data submitted by Pfizer", HSA said in a statement on Tuesday (May 25). The thawed, undiluted vaccine remains stable when stored at refrigerator temperatures for 31 days, it added. "This will greatly facilitate the transportation and local distribution of this vaccine to vaccination centres, as well as their storage and u...

Singapore Red Cross calls for donations over Gaza conflict

aseanpr 25 5 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - In response to the conflict in Gaza, the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) has launched a public appeal for cash donations to support affected and vulnerable communities in the region. The aid will be channelled towards emergency medical equipment and supplies, as well as food and non-food relief items, that will be distributed in shelters for the displaced affected communities, said SRC in a press release on Tuesday (May 25). The organisation said it has also activated its Restoring Family Links service to help individuals locate their immediate family members who may have been affected by the conflict and whom they have difficulty contacting. Those in need of the service can contact SRC at rfl@redcross.sg The recent 11-day engagement between Israel and Hamas was triggered by clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem close to the end of Ramadan. Hamas, which controls Gaza, fired rockets at Israel and Israel conducted air strikes at Gaza. The conflict left more than 220 dead, including 12 Israelis, before both sides agreed to a truce last Friday (May 21). Mr Benjamin William, who is SRC's chief executive and secretary-general, ...

S’pore launch of McDonald’s BTS Meal delayed amid country’s return to phase 2

aseanpr 24 5 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Singapore launch of a celebrity meal by McDonald's in partnership with popular K-pop group BTS has been delayed amid the country's return to phase two after a spike in Covid-19 cases. The BTS Meal, which was scheduled to be sold from Thursday (May 27), will be launched on June 21 instead, said the fast-food chain said in a Facebook post on Monday. McDonald's had said last month Singapore was one of nearly 50 countries where its outlets would have the celebrity meal on the menu beginning this week till June 25. The earlier launch dates appear to be unaffected elsewhere, with countries such as Malaysia still promoting the event on social media. Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases specialist from Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, said the launch could attract large crowds of fans, some of whom may be unvaccinated. He added that the B1617 coronavirus strain could be a concern. "The B1617 strain is more infectious with kids than previous strains and the launch could encourage the gathering of people which may fuel the fire of Covid-19 transmission. Children may bring the virus home, spread it to their family and the chain goes on," he said. Last June, the authorities...

School bus driver jailed for 2 years for molesting autistic student

aseanpr 24 5 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A school bus driver was jailed for two years on Monday (May 24) for molesting an autistic student he was ferrying. Ang Boon Hock, 66, pleaded guilty to one count of molesting the victim who was 13 at the time. Another similar charge was taken into consideration for sentencing. The court heard that Ang would ask the victim to sit beside him in the bus because the boy always cried when he sat at the back. Sometime in July 2019, while on the bus, the victim wanted to urinate and clutched his private part to prevent himself from doing so. Ang slid his hand into the boy's underwear and molested him. The victim felt scared but did not say anything, making only a whimpering sound. Ang told him to keep quiet and not to tell his mother. The mother found out what had happened from the boy on Sept 23 that year and made a police report. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) James Chew told the court that the boy was a particularly vulnerable victim, since he was both young and had special needs. He said Ang had abused the trust placed in him as a bus driver responsible for ferrying students to and from school. More on this topic Related Story Cabby jailed for molesting 13-year-old boy in ...

Man arrested after crashing car in Punggol during attempt to evade Traffic Police

aseanpr 24 5 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - An 18-year-old man has been arrested after he tried to evade Traffic Police officers and led them on a high-speed chase on the expressway. He was caught when his vehicle eventually crashed into a road divider in Punggol. The incident happened in the early hours of Saturday (May 22). Traffic Police officers were patrolling Seletar Expressway towards Tampines Expressway (TPE) on that day when they signalled for a car to stop, said the police on Monday. But the driver sped off instead, and the officers gave chase. A video uploaded on YouTube by Facebook group SG Road Vigilante shows a blue car moving at high speed down the TPE near Punggol, with a Traffic Police motorcycle in pursuit. The police said the chase came to an end when the car crashed into a central divider in Punggol Way. A 21-year-old male passenger was taken to hospital, while the driver was arrested for careless driving causing grievous hurt. The driver is also under investigation for driving without a valid driving licence, using a motor vehicle without insurance coverage, driving without the vehicle owner's consent and other traffic-related offences, police said. A witness told Chinese-language daily Lianh...

Woman who spat at KFC employee in Nex outlet given 9 months’ probation

aseanpr 24 5 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A woman caught on video spitting at a KFC employee last year was sentenced to nine months' probation on Monday (May 24). Lin Si Ting, 43, pleaded guilty in January to one count each of harassment and using criminal force on the staff. A third charge for breaching Covid-19 regulations was taken into consideration for sentencing. At about 12.40pm on April 22 last year, Lin went to the KFC outlet at Nex shopping centre in Serangoon and placed her order at the counter. Six minutes later, she approached the counter again and shouted at a service manager, asking her why it was taking a long time to fulfil the order and demanding that the food be served to her immediately. The employee, 40, apologised and explained to Lin that there were orders ahead of hers. She told Lin to wait for about five more minutes. Lin became unhappy, and demanded a refund if she was not served her food right away. When the employee agreed to give a refund and asked for the receipt, Lin threw it at her. While the refund was being processed, Lin pulled down her mask and spewed a string of vulgarities at the employee. Lin also pointed at her and said: "Wait for you to die, wait for your whole family to...

Trial using new Covid-19 breathalysers at Tuas Checkpoint to start in a few days

aseanpr 24 5 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A breath test that can accurately detect Covid-19 within a minute will be rolled out in Singapore, with a trial slated to begin at Tuas Checkpoint in the next few days. Developed by Breathonix, a spin-off from the National University of Singapore, this breath test system has received provisional authorisation from Singapore's Health Sciences Authority (HSA), the first such system to receive it here. This was announced on Monday (May 24) in a joint statement by Breathonix and NUS. Using these breathalysers will enable Covid-19 testing to be done much faster and more efficiently, without the need for the samples to be processed elsewhere. Trained personnel will administer the test, with no need for medically trained staff. Breathonix is now working with the Ministry of Health for its deployment trial at Tuas Checkpoint, where incoming travellers will be screened. This breath analysis will be carried out alongside the current compulsory Covid-19 antigen rapid test. Antigen rapid tests produce results in around 30 minutes and can be done on site. Meanwhile, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, considered to be the gold standard for testing, take a few hours. Swabs for PCR...

10 Covid-19 cases identified at Hougang HDB block, including 1 new case detected from testing operation

aseanpr 23 5 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Health Ministry (MOH) has identified 10 Covid-19 cases from four different households living in Block 506 Hougang Avenue 8, including one individual who tested positive during a mandatory testing exercise for residents. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for 407 residents and visitors was conducted at the block last Friday and Saturday, said MOH and the National Development Ministry in a joint statement on Sunday (May 23). Another 126 test results are pending, the ministries added. More details on the new positive case will be given in MOH's update on the virus situation on Sunday. MOH said the cases detected are largely among people under quarantine who later tested positive for the virus. "This means that they have been isolated early and ring-fenced, and were not likely to be moving around while being infectious." Although the four units with confirmed cases are in the same stack, meaning they are directly above or below each other, MOH said its initial assessment is that airborne transmission along the stack is highly unlikely. "Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to determine linkages and the source of transmission," it added, noting that the Nation...

Residents of Block 559 in Pasir Ris go for swab test after 4 Covid-19 patients detected there

aseanpr 23 5 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - All 243 residents of a Housing Board block in Pasir Ris have been asked to undergo a swab test after four Covid-19 cases were detected in two different households there. Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Desmond Tan said in a Facebook post on Sunday (May 23) morning that this was a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents of Block 559 in Pasir Ris Street 51. He told The Straits Times there are 79 units in the affected block, comprising a mix of households from young couples to intergenerational families. In his Facebook post, he added that there was no need for residents living in the surrounding blocks to get tested unless they had visited households in the block from May 2. The swab tests will be administered at the regional screening centre at the site of the former Coral Primary School from 9am to 4pm on Sunday and Monday (May 24). More details are provided on a flyer from the Health Ministry (MOH) that was delivered door-to-door, said Mr Tan, who is Minister of State for Home Affairs and Sustainability and the Environment. Residents will also receive a text message notifying them about their appointment for the swab. Mr Tan said he had met ...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on May 23

aseanpr 23 5 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, May 23. S'pore's construction blues: Manpower shortage exacerbated by barring of South Asian workers Asking workers to also work on Sundays is not appropriate as it will cause fatigue and expose them to more worksite risks, said a Scal spokesman. READ MORE HERE Jem and Westgate to close for 2 weeks from May 23; 10 recent Covid-19 cases linked to both malls Three of the seven unlinked cases announced on Saturday had been to Westgate recently. READ MORE HERE E-scooter population in S'pore plunges 91.5% to 8,500 The use of PMDs is still allowed on cycling paths and park connector networks. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news MOM apologises to ex-DJ Jade Rasif for saying her account of maid's Covid-19 scare was 'inaccurate' Ministry retracts its point about her account and redacts the word 'inaccurate' from its post. READ MORE HERE Home buyers sad, disappointed over longer BTO delays due to Covid-19 Many BTO projects are expected to be behind schedule by a year or more. READ MORE HERE Business owners in S'pore asked to declare on-site manpower details: MTI This is...

Procedures in place to prevent misuse of NRIC data: Recruitment firms

aseanpr 23 5 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - There are proper procedures in place to ensure identity card details of job seekers here are not misused, recruitment firms said. Some said they seldom obtain scanned copies of the applicants' national registration identity cards (NRICs), and even then, only upon the hiring company's request. Misuse of such personal data made the headlines earlier this month, with the conviction of a former recruiter who used scanned copies of job seekers' NRICs to redeem face masks. Emerson Goh Shou En, 32, had received job applicants' CV or curriculum vitae, along with scanned copies of their NRICs. He kept such information of 384 individuals in his mobile phone, even after he left his job as a recruiter. He later used the NRIC copies to redeem 207 Government-issued face masks from the vending machines at Changi Simei Community Club on three occasions between May 26 and 27 last year. Goh pleaded guilty on May 10 this year to one count each of retaining illegally obtained personal information, cheating and breaching circuit breaker measures. He was sentenced to seven months and six weeks' jail, and fined $3,000. Recruitment firms that The Straits Times spoke to said they are mindful of...

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