aseanpr

4 key challenges ahead for Singapore’s next 4G leader

aseanpr 17 4 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A younger leader with a long enough runway to tackle the huge challenges of a post-pandemic world is what Singapore needs, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat when he stepped aside as the leader of the fourth-generation team. As the 4G political office-holders deliberate over their next leader, Insight looks at the main issues that lie ahead and the traits needed to handle them. Finding sweet spot amid volatile global landscape for next 4G leader 4G ministers (clockwise from top left) Chan Chun Sing, Ong Ye Kung, Lawrence Wong and Desmond Lee. PHOTOS: ST FILE Singapore's economy has just registered its first quarterly growth since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with gross domestic product growth this year likely to exceed the upper end of the official 4 per cent to 6 per cent forecast range. Some Covid-19 measures have lapsed in tandem with the recovery, and wage subsidies under the Jobs Support Scheme have tapered. But recovery is uneven. The export-oriented manufacturing sector has charged ahead, while the construction and services sectors are still affected by mobility curbs. Small and medium-sized enterprises which lack deep pockets and digital smarts ...

ST Webinar to discuss sea-level rise threat and solutions

aseanpr 17 4 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Globally, sea-level rise is increasing at a faster pace, threatening Asia's coastal megacities and low-lying island nations such as Singapore. Warming oceans and faster melting of ice caps are driving sea levels higher, but the severity of the problem depends on how much and how quickly we cut greenhouse gas emissions. Far from being a future problem, rising sea levels is a real threat today for many places around the globe. To discuss this urgent issue, The Straits Times is hosting a webinar on Wednesday (April 21) that will look at the latest science and projections of sea-level rise and solutions, including nature-based options, to hold back the seas. It promises to be a lively and insightful discussion featuring an expert panel comprising Professor Benjamin Horton, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore at Nanyang Technological University; Dr Zeng Yiwen, senior research fellow at the NUS Centre for Nature-Based Climate Solutions; and Ms Hazel Khoo, director, coastal protection department, at national water agency PUB. The discussion will be moderated by Mr David Fogarty, ST's climate change editor. The topic is especially pertinent to Asia, where sea-level r...

Thomson Road building to be demolished: Owners of residential units left stunned

aseanpr 17 4 月

6 minutes

SINGAPORE - News that a building in Thomson Road will be demolished to allow nearby excavation works to be carried out safely came as a shock to the owners of the 12 residential units there. For months, they and their tenants had engaged with the authorities about the need to vacate the building temporarily as its foundation had to be strengthened to withstand the impact from the construction of an underground tunnel for the upcoming North-South Corridor. All had moved out by February, but the expectation was that in two years, they would be able to return to their units or lease them out again. With the improved connectivity brought about by the transport corridor, which will have dedicated bus lanes, cycling trunk routes and pedestrian paths connecting towns in the north to the city, there were hopes of a collective sale in future. But any chance of a windfall was dashed by the sudden announcement on Friday (April 16) morning that the building at 68 to 74 Thomson Road and its 776 sq m site were being acquired for demolition. "I'm still in shock," said Mr Roger Ting, 63, who owns a unit in the building. "To us, this is a sudden U-turn by the Land Transport Authority and Singapore ...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on April 16

aseanpr 16 4 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Friday, April 16. Scoot flights from S'pore barred from landing in Hong Kong for 2 weeks after 2 Covid-19 cases detected Scoot's passenger service from Hong Kong to Singapore will not be affected. READ MORE HERE What are the safety concerns of vaccinating those under 16 and is it necessary to do so? It is unlikely that Singapore would reach herd immunity without vaccinating kids, said one expert. READ MORE HERE Uncertainty will be a bigger feature of Singapore's political successions Singaporeans should get used to not knowing who the next PM is going to be, says associate editor Chua Mui Hoong. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news US sanctions Russia over cyber attacks, Moscow calls actions 'hostile steps' The move is in retaliation for Kremlin's US election interference, a massive cyber attack and other hostile activity. READ MORE HERE Novena Global Healthcare's Terence Loh has two more weeks to stave off bankruptcy Maybank began bankruptcy proceedings against him in a bid to recover over $3 million in outstanding debts. READ MORE HERE S'pore's health insurance revie...

Covid-19 mixed-vaccine regimen requires studies to assess efficacy, safety: Experts

aseanpr 16 4 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Mixing Covid-19 vaccines is possible and could even be beneficial at inciting a more robust immune response to the coronavirus. But experts warn that more studies are needed to ascertain the effectiveness of such a regime, and to determine that doing so will not produce any side effects. The experts were responding to queries from The Straits Times, following news that other countries are considering a mixed-vaccine regimen. Earlier this week, for instance, local media in China reported that the country is considering the mixing of different Covid-19 vaccines for its inoculation programme. The BBC had reported last December that scientists in Britain and Russia were teaming up to trial a combination of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines to see if protection against Covid-19 could be improved. Dr Zenaida Reynoso Mojares, head of vaccine clinical development at the International Vaccine Institute, told ST that the idea of mixing vaccines is still being discussed and studies are under way, to meet emergency needs and possibly assist in the formulation of public health policies in the future. She added: "Since Covid- 19 vaccines are developed in various platforms...

Six men arrested for buying contraband cigarettes from online peddlers

aseanpr 16 4 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - He thought he was doing his colleagues a favour by consolidating orders and fulfilling them - except that the orders were for contraband cigarettes. He was among six men - five Chinese nationals and one Malaysian aged between 32 and 43 - arrested in an enforcement operation by Singapore Customs on Tuesday (April 13) which targeted those who bought duty-unpaid cigarettes from online peddlers. A total of 9.8kg - or 40 cartons, 85 packets and 116 sticks - of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized in the operation. The total duty and goods and services tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $4,500. Three of the men arrested have been charged in court while investigations are ongoing for the others. Another 11 men - six Chinese nationals and five Malaysians - were issued composition fines ranging from $500 to $5,000. Customs officers were able to track down the buyers from the digital footprint of peddlers who were arrested earlier this month. The Straits Times accompanied the enforcement officers on Tuesday afternoon. At an industrial building in Second Chin Bee Road, four men in blue-collared shirts were led out by Customs officers into vans, where they were informed about the off...

‘We are really unlucky’: Employee of moneylender robbed twice in five months

aseanpr 16 4 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - It was deja vu when staff at a Jurong East moneylender experienced the second robbery at their shop on Monday (April 12), just five months after the first. The November case involved a knife, with the culprit pulling the hair of an employee at OT Credit while holding the weapon. He fled with $48,000. The stakes were even higher in Monday's case - Aetos officer Mahadi Muhamad Mukhtar, 38, is said to have robbed OT Credit while armed with a revolver. He allegedly took $24,000. When The Straits Times visited the unit at Block 135 Jurong Gateway Road on Thursday, an employee, who declined to be named, told ST: "I just think we are very unlucky." The second robbery took place after tighter security measures were taken by the shop, including the installation of a new alarm system. The employee said the shop is working with the police to further increase security, but did not elaborate, citing safety reasons. The two cases have also caused concern to a neighbouring shop, NBL Money Transfer, whose staff on Thursday urged the authorities to step up patrols and checks in the area. "It has happened twice here within five months," Madam Lutfunnesa Shahanaz, 53, the money remittance...

ITE student made false report against ex-boyfriend after she breached curfew

aseanpr 15 4 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A 20-year-old student who did not want to get into trouble for breaching her curfew made a police report against her former boyfriend, falsely claiming that he had assaulted her and forced her into a van. Police later learnt the incident did not happen. Tharuna Thirunavukkarasu, a student with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College East, had made up the story because she was out drinking with friends on Jan 19 and did not want to end up in prison. On Thursday (April 15), Tharuna pleaded guilty to making the false report with the intent of causing the police to investigate her former boyfriend. At the time of the purported incident, Tharuna was supposed to comply with e-tagging and a curfew after being released under a reformative training (RT) supervision scheme. Details of the curfew were not mentioned in court documents. She was sentenced in September 2018 to time in an RT centre for offences that were not stated in court documents. Those in RT centres have to follow a strict regimen that includes foot drills as well as counselling. On Jan 19, she breached her curfew while out drinking with friends in Telok Blangah. Afraid it would mean she could end up in...

First 300,000 smart water meters in S’pore to be installed by SP Services from 2022

aseanpr 15 4 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - SP Services will install Singapore's first 300,000 smart water meters from early next year as part of the national plan to digitalise the water system. At no cost to customers, these meters that use digital technologies to monitor water usage and leaks will be rolled out to homes, commercial and industrial buildings at seven locations, said national water agency PUB on Thursday (April 15). The locations are the new housing estates of Tampines North and Tengah, as well as Bukit Batok, Hougang, Jurong West, Tampines and Tuas. The first phase of PUB's smart water meter programme is set to be completed by 2023. The award of the estimated $123.7 million project to the subsidiary of government-owned SP Group follows an open tender exercise which attracted seven local and foreign tenderers. PUB added that SP Services was selected as it demonstrated a strong track record and the necessary technical resource capability to undertake this project, alongside its network solutions provider Itron's experience in deploying nearly 800,000 smart water meters overseas. SP Services will be responsible for the supply and installation of the smart meters and supporting infrastructure, as we...

Goh Meng Seng’s FB posts and Singapore Uncensored site issued Pofma correction orders

aseanpr 15 4 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Republic's fake news law was invoked after unsubstantiated claims about adverse reactions to Covid-19 vaccines were posted on Facebook and published online by a website. In a statement on Thursday (April 15), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said the Health Minister had instructed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) Office to issue the correction directions. They were directed at the Facebook pages of Goh Meng Seng People's Power Party and Goh Meng Seng (Satu Singapura), as well as at the Singapore Uncensored website. Posts published on April 2 on the Facebook pages of Goh Meng Seng People's Power Party and Goh Meng Seng (Satu Singapura) implied that the Covid-19 vaccination had caused or substantially contributed to a doctor in Singapore suffering a stroke. The same Facebook accounts also published posts on April 7 implying that Covid-19 vaccination had caused or substantially contributed to the death of an 81-year-old man here. MOH said that same day Singapore Uncensored published an article on its website stating that an 81-year-old man had died from alleged vaccination complications. The article was also shared on the website's Faceboo...

Ambulance with automatic decontamination system among new vehicles unveiled by SCDF

aseanpr 15 4 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Paramedics will soon be better equipped to handle future pandemics, when a new ambulance model that has its own automatic decontamination system begins operation later this year. The Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) seventh-generation ambulance was among the new vehicles unveiled at the SCDF workplan seminar on Thursday (April 15). The others include new models of the Forward Command Vehicle (FCV) and Command Vehicle (CV), which are mobile command posts used in incidents, such as major fires and plane crashes, that require manpower and equipment from multiple fire stations. These vehicles - which are the result of a collaboration between the SCDF, the Defence Science and Technology Agency, and Singapore Technologies Engineering - will progressively replace the existing eight FCVs and five CVs in the fleet from July this year. The new ambulance is equipped with an in-built system which sprays a mist of disinfectant, allowing paramedics to decontaminate the vehicle within 20 minutes. Presently, the decontamination process for ambulances take about an hour and requires an external device. The ambulance also boasts a solar panel and an intelligent charging system whic...

S’pore retailer Naiise to wind up, founder Dennis Tay filing for personal bankruptcy

aseanpr 15 4 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Multi-label retailer Naiise, once the biggest platform for local designers, is winding up. It stopped operations late Wednesday night (April 14), after years of payment delays to its vendors. In a Facebook post early Thursday morning, Naiise founder Dennis Tay announced the decision to liquidate the firm. "It has been an extremely difficult two years, and the last few weeks have been the darkest of my life," he wrote. "I cannot apologise enough to the brand partners whose trust I've misplaced, and to whom monies are still due. I assure you all that the situation remains so because of an inability to pay, and not unwillingness." Explaining, he said he had exhausted his savings and had also borrowed heavily from banks to keep the business afloat. "I also signed personal guarantees for these loans, because as long as Naiise was still an ongoing concern, there was a chance that Naiise would be able to repay, however slowly." But he ran out of time and options. Besides putting Naiise in liquidation, he will also be filing for personal bankruptcy. Among the creditors are hundreds of vendors owed sums from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands, banks and former employees....

S’pore and Hong Kong ‘finalising details’ of air travel bubble, hope to announce plans soon: Ong Ye Kung

aseanpr 14 4 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Details of an arrangement to restart all forms of travel between Singapore and Hong Kong without quarantine are being finalised, said Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung on Wednesday (April 14). Mr Ong said the two cities have been actively discussing plans to start the air travel bubble, which was initially slated to take off in November last year. "We are finalising the details of our revised agreement and hope to announce our plans soon," he said in a statement issued by the Ministry of Transport. The much-delayed travel bubble, which is the first of its kind for both cities, was postponed late last year after a spike in Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong. But talks on belatedly starting the arrangement have progressed as the coronavirus situation in Hong Kong has improved in recent months. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam had said on Tuesday (April 13) that she expects "an early indication of agreement between the two sides" on the travel bubble. She also said that it will be mandatory for travellers from Hong Kong heading to Singapore to be vaccinated, even though this is not a requirement imposed by Singapore. "The basis for discussion with Singapore is that people leavin...

Aetos officer charged with robbing Jurong East shop of over $24,000 with a gun

aseanpr 14 4 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - An Aetos auxiliary police officer has been charged with armed robbery with a firearm, the first such offence in 15 years. The 38-year-old man had allegedly robbed a money-lending company in Jurong Gateway Road before fleeing with more than $24,000 in cash at about 3.55pm on Monday (April 12), the police said. Preliminary investigations revealed that staff at the unit were shown a handwritten note that said: "This is a robbery, don't shout. I got a gun in my pocket. Put all the money in the bag." The staff purportedly handed him the cash before he fled. The suspect was allegedly carrying a firearm during the robbery but did not reveal it to the staff. He is believed to have acted alone, said the police in a statement. Police added that the last armed robbery involving a firearm happened in 2006 at a 4-D outlet at Sun Plaza Shopping Centre. Through extensive investigations and aided by images from police cameras and shop closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Police Intelligence Department and Clementi Police Division, with the help of Aetos staff, established the identity of the man, who was an on-duty Aetos a...

Former counsellor at Changi Prison sentenced to 7 months’ jail for maid abuse

aseanpr 14 4 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A woman who slapped her maid so hard that the domestic worker suffered a temporary loss of hearing was sentenced to seven months' jail on Wednesday (April 14). Gayathri Iyer, 51, was convicted in February following a trial of two counts of abusing her maid - Myanmar national Thang Khaw Lam. The 30-year-old victim suffered hearing loss in her left ear for at least a month. She later recovered from her injuries and was found to have normal hearing. Ms Thang Khaw Lam started working for Gayathri's family in June 2017 at the Pebble Bay condominium in Tanjong Rhu Road. On Oct 27 that year, the housewife hit the maid's shoulder after the domestic worker used the word "mah" when talking to her. Using a mobile phone, Ms Thang Khaw Lam took photographs of the bruises, which were at the top of her shoulder and extended slightly to her back. The second incident happened on Dec 7 that year, when Gayathri slapped Ms Thang Khaw Lam for failing to wake up her son who was then in national service. The incident happened at around 5.40am when the domestic worker was doing the laundry. Gayathri slapped the maid twice on her left ear and once on her right. As a result, the maid said she co...

National Wages Council to convene on April 19, will announce guidelines by end-May

aseanpr 14 4 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The National Wages Council (NWC) will convene next Monday (April 19) to relook guidelines on wage- and employment-related issues amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In its deliberations, it will take into account the domestic and global economic situations and outlook given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, as well as Singapore's pace of recovery, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Wednesday. The NWC - which is chaired by DBS Bank chairman Peter Seah and comprises representatives from the Government, employers and unions - aims to announce the updated guidelines by the end of next month. The high-level council meets every year to update guidelines on wage and employment matters. Last year, the NWC, in a rare move, reviewed its wage guidelines for a second time as the coronavirus outbreak took its toll on the labour market. It was only the fourth time since being set up in 1972 that the council had been convened twice in the same year. The previous times came amid major economic crises as well - in 2009, 2001 and 1998. More on this topic Related Story Employers may implement temporary wage cuts to save jobs: National Wages Council Related Story askST: Relooking pay guidelines a...

Former deputy lead of MOH data unit charged under OSA with leaking Covid-19 numbers 22 times

aseanpr 14 4 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A former deputy lead at the Ministry of Health (MOH) was charged on Wednesday (April 14) with allegedly leaking Singapore's daily Covid-19 case numbers 22 times last year. Zhao Zheng, 36, who was the deputy lead of MOH's Data Management Unit, faces 24 charges under the Official Secrets Act (OSA). She was arrested in April last year for allegedly leaking the confidential information. Zhao was charged along with her friend Tang Lin, 36, who is accused of soliciting wrongful communication of information by asking Zhao to help her check on the status of a Covid-19 patient. Tang faces 10 charges under the OSA. In a release on Tuesday, the police said they received a report from a member of the public on April 16 last year that the daily number of Covid-19 cases in Singapore had been leaked online prior to MOH releasing the figures. Investigations found that Zhao had allegedly shared the figures on 22 occasions from March to April last year with members of a chat group who were not authorised to receive the information. A total of 64 other people who had received or communicated the information will be issued with stern warnings or written advisories for offences under the OS...

ENEDEX Announces World’s First Polkadot Moonbean Cross-Chain DEX for Energy Trading

aseanpr 14 4 月

4 minutes

Decentralized exchange provides leverage and margin trading, energy options and futures trading ZUG, SWITZERLAND / SEAPRWire.com / April 14, 2021 / ENEDEX, a pioneer in energy trading, is proud to announce the first Polkadot Moonbean cross-chain DEX for energy trading, providing an easy way to kickstart new projects and raise capital. ENEDEX is the world's first cross-chain DEX focused on trading energy assets. ENEDEX is a decentralized exchange, providing leverage and margin trading, energy options and futures trading, and automatic trading API with data services. Centralized exchanges have shown their vulnerabilities recently with both OKEx and BitMEX. Bitcoin, which was created to cut out the middleman, has a large portion of its trading volume controlled by the same middlemen. ENEDEX is responding to these issues, answering the call for leaderless solutions for trading. Decentralizing trading allows users to remain in control. It has the potential to enable sourcing of more liquidity than ever before, as is the case with ENEDEX. It allows for the creation of brand-new trading markets. The global Cryptocurrency market capitalization hit the USD 2 trillion mark in April, 2021. Se...

NParks officer charged with corruption, cheating and taking upskirt photos

aseanpr 13 4 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - An officer with the National Parks Board (NParks) was charged on Tuesday (April 13) with corruption and cheating, and has also been accused of taking upskirt photos of multiple women. Lee Choon Phing faces nine charges of insulting the modesty of a woman, and one charge each of cheating and corruption. The 48-year-old was a manager of the Community in Bloom branch of NParks, an initiative to promote gardening culture here. In February last year, Lee is alleged to have corruptly attempted to obtain $10,000 from a vendor that was supposed to provide 10,000 hats to NParks but only provided 5,000. NParks had paid the full contract amount of $23,300 to the vendor without imposing late delivery fees after Lee allegedly deceived an NParks accounts executive. As for the upskirt charges, Lee allegedly used his phone to take the photos of multiple women between 2015 and 2019. The victims included those working at a nursery that supplies plants used in parks, and women in trains and near a school. In a release about the case, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said Singapore adopts a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and other crimes. Lee is out on $20,000 ...

18 years’ jail, caning for man who sexually abused two young brothers he housed at his flat

aseanpr 13 4 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A jobless man who housed two young brothers and their mother at his flat, but sexually abused the boys during their two-month stay, was sentenced to 18 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane on Tuesday (April 13). The man, who was the godfather of the two boys, had pleaded guilty last month to two charges of sexual assault by penetration for acts he committed between October and December 2019 on the older boy, who was 12 at the time. In sentencing, High Court judge Mavis Chionh said the man had preyed on a vulnerable victim who was unlikely to raise complaints. The older boy had a quiet personality and was described as being "slow", she noted. Justice Chionh added that the man had abused his position as a quasi-parental figure to the victim. "Instead of providing the victim with a home in which he could find comfort and security, the accused cynically abused the relationship of responsibility and trust he had with the victim. He exploited his access to the victim for the reprehensible purpose of satisfying his own sexual urges," she said. The judge took into account three other charges - one for sexually assaulting the older boy, one for molesting the younger boy, and o...

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