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Ramadan congregational prayers to resume at S’pore mosques with Covid-19 measures in place

aseanpr 20 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - During the fasting month of Ramadan last year, there were no night prayers in mosques that had to stay closed due to the circuit breaker. This year, Muslims can look forward to the resumption of some Ramadan activities. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) announced that mosques will be conducting terawih and qiyamullail in adherence to the prevailing safe management measures. Ramadan this year is from April 13 to May 12, and Hari Raya Puasa will be celebrated on May 13 after the fasting month ends. Terawih prayers are held every night at mosques during Ramadan, while qiyamullail prayers are held during the last 10 days of the holy month. Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, the highest Islamic authority here, said: "I am certain many of us (Muslims) are looking forward to spending some time at the mosque. But in view of the current situation (pandemic), we are not completely out of the woods. It is very important we conduct these activities in a very safe and responsible way." Prayer slots at the mosques must be booked online. There will be three booking windows throughout Ramadan for terawih prayers, with about 84,000 prayer spaces in each window across all mosque...

New graphic novel aims to spark conversations about end-of-life and palliative care

aseanpr 20 3 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - When a patient is dying or deteriorating and healthcare professionals ask the family if they knew what the patient wanted, the answer is commonly no. "This places the burden on the loved ones and healthcare professionals, which may not be ideal and creates a lot of stress," said Dr Raymond Ng, head of palliative medicine in the department of integrated care at Woodlands Health Campus. This is why it is important to have discussions about death and dying, and find out individuals' preferences for end-of-life and palliative care. A graphic novel highlighting the importance of end-of-life and palliative care was unveiled on Saturday (March 20), as part of efforts to spark more discussions on the topic among Singaporeans. The 72-page book, All Death Matters, commissioned by the Lien Foundation and written and illustrated by local artist James Tan, can be borrowed from public libraries from mid-April. Another 100 free copies will be given away from Saturday till April 4 to people who submit a request to the Lien Foundation at this website. The novel, written from the perspective of a young doctor working at a hospital here, takes the reader through an encounter with a family...

Singapore woman deported from Australia for overstaying student visa, illegal sex work

aseanpr 19 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A woman from Singapore living in Brisbane has been deported for overstaying her student visa, the Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a statement on Friday (March 19). It did not say where she was sent to. She had also been found guilty on state charges for engaging in prostitution and knowingly participating in the provision of the service by another, the ABF added. Those convicted of knowingly participating in the provision of prostitution face imprisonment of three years for the first offence in the state of Queensland, where Brisbane is located. The woman, who was not named, had allegedly facilitated illegal prostitution, which is also a breach of Covid-19 public health directions in Australia. She was detained by the ABF on Feb 25 and "removed" on March 11. ABF Assistant Commissioner Tim Fitzgerald said the removal of the woman shows how seriously the ABF was taking the alleged facilitation of illegal sex work. "We work very closely with our partners, including the Australian Federal Police and Queensland Police, to combat the myriad of issues associated with this sort of crime," he added. "When illegal prostitution is facilitated, other serious issues are often ...

Man allegedly made false declarations to opt out of serving SHN at dedicated facilities

aseanpr 19 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A 58-year-old Singaporean will be charged in court on Friday (March 19) with making false declarations in his application to opt out of serving a stay-home notice (SHN) at dedicated facilities, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Vijeyakumar Z Joseph allegedly declared in a physical declaration form at Changi Airport on Nov 22 last year that he had not travelled, in the 14 consecutive days prior to entering Singapore, to any other country or region apart from those listed, ICA said. But it emerged that he had purportedly returned from Jakarta, Indonesia, which is not part of the list. Since Nov 2 last year, travellers from selected countries - which do not include Indonesia - may apply to opt out of serving their SHN at dedicated facilities and serve it at a place of residence subject to criteria. The updated list of countries is available on the ICA website. "Vijeyakumar also allegedly declared in the form that he would be occupying his place of residence alone or with household members with the same travel history as him and serving their SHN during the same duration," ICA added. He was then served with an SHN at his place of residence from Nov 22 to...

MRT delay on North-South Line during peak hour due to platform door fault

aseanpr 19 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Trains heading towards Marina South Pier on the North-South MRT Line were delayed by a screen door fault during peak hour on Friday morning (March 19). At 8.28am, operator SMRT told commuters on Twitter to add 10 minutes of travel time from Ang Mo Kio to Braddell due to a platform screen door fault. Mr Arjun Nair was on his way to work from Khatib MRT station to Tanjong Pagar MRT station when an automated announcement informed him around 8.20am that his train would be delayed because of the fault at Bishan. "The train slowed down at Yio Chu Kang station, where it started to jerk as it moved," said the 26-year-old health and safety officer. He alighted at Ang Mo Kio MRT station and waited for close to 20 minutes. He watched two "packed" trains go by before boarding one. "A lot of people were looking at the time," he added. "Some tried to jump the queue and board the train." Other commuters said on Twitter that the delays were longer than 10 minutes, with several lamenting that they were late for work. Twitter user yzfanggg said at 8.44am: "It took me 30 minutes travel time from AMK to Bishan and I'm late for work, it would be great if y'all don't lie about the travel tim...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on March 19

aseanpr 19 3 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Friday, March 19. Trust in Singapore's key institutions rose last year: Survey The country's score is fifth behind India, China, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. READ MORE HERE US, China spar with rare harsh public rebukes in first in-person talks of Biden presidency US is looking for China to change its behaviour if it wants to reset sour relations. READ MORE HERE Germany, France among nations to resume use of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine after regulators back shot The European Medicines Agency said that the vaccine is "safe and effective," and the benefits outweigh risks. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Long queues at Malaysian High Commission in Singapore leave many frustrated One Facebook user, who had to renew his passport in January, compared it to queueing for concert tickets. READ MORE HERE Encourage staff to take Covid-19 vaccine when it is offered, S'pore's chief health scientist tells bosses Prof Tan Chorh Chuan said that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, approved for use here, are highly effective. READ MORE HERE Help at hand for kids with developmental need...

Help at hand for kids with developmental needs at 53 private pre-schools in Singapore

aseanpr 19 3 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - About 150 staff across 53 private pre-schools here will be trained by the end of this year to identify developmental needs in young children and provide early intervention where needed, under a new initiative. This will ensure the pre-schoolers receive the necessary care they need as soon as possible from educators at the centre itself, easing the strain on parents who may otherwise have to shuttle their kids between pre-school and therapy. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

NFT Marketplace Potential and Its Expected Growth

aseanpr 18 3 月

5 minutes

Singapore / SEAPRWire / March 18, 2021 / The extending digital assets economy and immensely growing exchange of NFTs among crypto users and companies have revolutionized the NFT marketplace. Digital traders can possess ownership of their digital goods through crypto tokens on a blockchain-based platform. What is NFT? If you are unbeknown to the NFT term, In that case, it represents non-fungible tokens that are unique and distinguishable objects such as digital art collectibles, sports cards, unique gaming objects, or virtual real-estate. The NFT marketplace is outpacing the physical trading space as the possession of digital collectibles is more confident due to the distinguishable property of NFTs. Each NFT is distinct from the other one and easily falsifiable. Hence, it is easy to identify the flow of fake collectibles in the liquidity cycle. Direct exchange of NFTs is not possible, even if they exist on the same platform or game, because each NFT contains specific information. What is NFT Marketplace and Its Potential? The prospective emergence of the NFT marketplace has shown that digital collectibles are bought and held, and traded. There was a time when the crypto market lack...

MES Group companies, directors face 553 charges of employment offences including false salary declarations

aseanpr 18 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Three companies and their five directors were charged on Thursday (March 18) with making false salary and employment declarations in work pass applications. They are also facing charges of illegally employing foreigners without valid work passes and making employees work excessive overtime hours. The companies are Mini Environment Service, Labourtel Management Corporation and MES Logistics - all of which are part of property and logistics solutions company MES Group. The five directors are Chew Chain Loon, 56; Fathimunnisa Mohamed Abdul Jaleel, 37; Haja Nawaz, 52; Parvis Ahmed Mohamed Ghouse, 44; and Mohamed Jinna Mohamed Abdul Jaleel, 38. They are all Singaporeans. In all, the companies and directors are facing 553 charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and the Employment Act, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Thursday. MOM said it had acted on a tip-off in 2019 and mounted a special operation to probe allegations of illegal conduct at the MES Group of companies. Investigations revealed that between November 2009 and May 2019, Mini Environment Service had allegedly deployed its workers to work for Labourtel and MES Logistics without valid work passes...

CNB seizes nearly $1.7 million worth of drugs, including largest cannabis haul in 14 years

aseanpr 18 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has seized about 20.5kg of cannabis in a drug bust - the largest haul of the drug in 14 years. The two-day crackdown, which started on Tuesday (March 16), also saw officers seize about 8.3kg of heroin, about 6.4kg of crystalline methamphetamine, also known as Ice, 1,091 Ecstasy tablets and 1,000 Erimin-5 tablets from multiple locations. The total amount of drugs seized is estimated to be worth nearly $1.7 million and can feed 3,950 heroin abusers, 3,700 Ice abusers and 2,930 cannabis abusers for a week. The haul is the largest since 2007, when the agency recovered about 20.6kg of cannabis. In the latest operation, three Singaporean men, aged between 27 and 33, were arrested for suspected drug-related offences. Two of them - one aged 33 and the other aged 27 - were arrested on Tuesday evening, after CNB officers intercepted their car near Kempas Road. A total of 20 packets containing about 419g of Ice and 87 Ecstasy tablets were found in the vehicle. The 33-year-old man was then taken to his public housing flat near McNair Road. A search was conducted there, and CNB officers found 19 packets containing about 8.3kg of heroin, 20 packets ...

Motor insurers in S’pore back in the black as road accidents taper during Covid-19 lockdown

aseanpr 18 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Pandemic lockdown measures helped motor insurers return to profitability last year, as traffic accident numbers fell. In a statement on Thursday (March 18), the General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA) said the motor insurance segment posted a 0.7 per cent increase in gross written premiums to $1.13 billion, and an underwriting profit of $104.5 million for 2020. This compared with 2019's $1.12 billion gross written premiums and an overall underwriting loss of $17.4 million. But the association warned that accident numbers are on the rise again as economic activity returns with the easing of Covid-19 measures. "Based on latest statistics, the number of accident reports made monthly are back to more than 80 per cent of December 2019 levels," it noted. If this prevails, motor insurers could return to the state of being in the red this year if premiums remain unchanged, and efforts to curtail excessive and fraudulent claims are not stepped up. "GIA will continue to support efforts to promote road safety and facilitate a more seamless accident reporting process to protect motorists," the association added. Motor insurance remained the largest segment in the industry ...

Over 98,000 S’pore employers to get $940m in wage credits by end-March

aseanpr 18 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - By end-March, $940 million in Wage Credit Scheme (WCS) payouts will be disbursed to more than 98,000 employers here, bringing the total amount in wage credits paid out during the pandemic to over $2 billion. In a Facebook post on Thursday (March 18), Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat wrote that uplifting workers remains "at the very centre of all that we do", as the Government makes every effort to cope with the pandemic and transform the economy and businesses. "The WCS is one of the ways to uplift our workers, by supporting businesses to provide wage increases to Singaporean workers," he said. The WCS co-funds wage increases. It was introduced in 2013 as a three-year scheme and then extended to 2020 to support businesses in their transformation efforts and encourage sharing of productivity gains with workers. In Budget 2021, it was extended by another year at a co-funding level of 15 per cent, to further support wage increments to help companies build up their local workforce and emerge stronger from Covid-19. This followed earlier enhancements to the scheme in 2020's first Unity Budget, when government co-funding of qualifying wage increases i...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on March 18

aseanpr 18 3 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Thursday, March 18. S'pore begins construction on $640m three-track train testing centre in Tuas It will be among the first in the world that can test different trains and rail systems at the same time. READ MORE HERE Hundreds of servers in Singapore at risk from global Microsoft Exchange e-mail hack The software manages e-mails and helps to synchronise e-mails between various applications. READ MORE HERE Singapore is 8th most attractive country to relocate to for work: Survey This is the first time it has broken into the top 10 in a global study that started in 2014. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Stronger signal needed to prevent recurring MRT faults Either way, the responsible party should not get away with merely replacing the faulty parts, says Christopher Tan. READ MORE HERE Covid-19-related content across all platforms recognised in SPH annual journalism awards Among these is the Cross-Media Package of the Year, produced by ST after the world lost over a million lives to Covid-19. READ MORE HERE Malaysian govt backtracks on Covid-19 fines after public outr...

Former childcare centre director, 2 employees charged with making fake subsidy claims

aseanpr 17 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The director of a now-defunct chain of childcare centres and two of its employees were charged on Wednesday (March 17) with cheating the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) of almost $5,000 in childcare subsidies. Josephine Tan Poh Choo, 53, and her former employees Arulanandam Rajeswary, 53, and Fatimah Bivee Mohd Shariff, 42, appeared before a district court to have their charges read out to them. They all face charges of cheating. Tan and Rajeswary each face eight charges, while Fatimah Bivee faces four. The trio who used to work together at Faith Educare Centre are accused of conspiring to cheat ECDA into disbursing subsidy grants for children who did not attend the centre, some time before January 2016. The agency administers the childcare subsidies scheme, which helps to defray pre-school expenses for Singaporean children by paying subsidies to licensed childcare centres here. Tan and Rajeswary are accused of conspiring to fraudulently confirm the attendance of eight children, while Fatimah Bivee was allegedly involved in four of these claims. ECDA is said to have been dishonestly induced to give the centre a total of $4,800. It said in a statement on Tuesda...

Covid-19 PCR test kits could soon be freeze dried locally

aseanpr 17 3 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - The technique used to preserve food could prove to be a game changer in Singapore's fight against Covid-19 through the development of freeze-dried Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits, which would simplify storage and transportation requirements. Local biotech company BioAcumen Global said the key benefit of lyophilisation, as the technique is called, is that it removes the need for refrigeration currently required for Covid-19 PCR test kits. Freeze-dried kits can be kept at room temperature without any degradation. BioAcumen Global officially opened its new lyophilisation facility on Tuesday (March 16). It has the capacity to freeze-dry 2,400 PCR tests a day and hopes to double this capacity soon. Currently, the lab freeze-dries PCR kits which detect the African swine fever virus. BioAcumen Global also produces about 20,000 "wet" Covid-19 PCR test kits a day, which had obtained approval from the Health Sciences Authority in September 2020. It is currently developing its freeze-dried version of Covid-19 PCR kits. They are expected to be ready in around two months' time. Covid-19 PCR test kits are currently shipped at low temperatures below 0 deg C. However...

ITE student expelled after bullying video spreads online

aseanpr 17 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - An ITE student caught on video bullying a fellow student will be expelled. ITE said in an update on Wednesday morning (March 17) that it has concluded its investigation into the incident and will dismiss the main aggressor, "as is the norm for assault cases in the college". "The other students involved in the incident will be counselled and required to perform community service," the Facebook post added. In a video that spread on social media, the main aggressor is seen restraining a student while repeatedly asking him "what's wrong with you" in a men's toilet at ITE College Central. At least three others look on, including a youth who appears to be blocking the exit. The main aggressor then rips off the victim's mask, slaps him and hurls vulgarities at him. Laughter can be heard in the background as the victim apologises to the main aggressor. Another person tells the group "okay, enough". The main aggressor then hits the victim on the back of his head and kicks his calf. It is unclear when the video was taken. ITE College principal Suresh Natarajan had said earlier that the school takes a serious view of bullying and a firm stance against such behaviour. "As an educat...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on March 17

aseanpr 17 3 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Wednesday, March 17. Retrenchments hit smaller proportion of workers in S'pore, but more than doubled last year Foreigners were more likely to be let go than S'poreans or PRs, with the services sector the hardest hit. READ MORE HERE China eases border restrictions for travellers who have taken its Covid-19 vaccines "This has nothing to do with recognition of Chinese vaccines," said a Chinese official. READ MORE HERE Novena Global Healthcare subsidiary shuts all its aesthetic clinics Patients have made police reports over a lack of response from the chain founded by Nelson and Terence Loh. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news US and Japan single out China as threat, vowing to 'push back if necessary' They singled out China for its human rights transgressions and behaviour in the East and South China Seas, and the Taiwan Strait. READ MORE HERE High-tech farming 'toolbox' can help S'pore meet food supply needs: Chan Chun Sing These solutions can help the country scale up local production when the need arises. READ MORE HERE More thundery showers expected in second half of...

S’pore study to assess viability of southern waters for fish farming

aseanpr 17 3 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - Amid initiatives to ramp up local food production, the authorities here are looking into the possibility of commercial fish farming in the waters south of the mainland. "The study includes assessing the level of fish production that the waters can support without impacting the site conditions, and is expected to be completed by the end of this year," a spokesman for the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) told The Straits Times last week. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

National Council of Social Service launches guide for media reporting on mental health issues

aseanpr 16 3 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - As part of efforts to address the stigma associated with mental health conditions, the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) on Tuesday (March 16) launched a guide with words and phrases that should be avoided when reporting on the issue. For example, the phrase "someone with a mental health condition" is preferred over terms such as "mentally ill", "psycho", "mad" or "crazy". Aside from stigmatising terms and their suggested alternatives, the Beyond the Label Media Guide contains suggestions on how people with mental health conditions should be interviewed, as well as angling and headlining stories, and reporting on violence and suicides. The guide was developed in consultation with social service agencies, mental health professionals, persons with mental health conditions and members of local media. Ms Anita Fam, president of NCSS, said the guide provides recommendations for media professionals reporting on mental health issues or writing about incidents involving persons with mental health conditions. "We believe that the media is and can be instrumental in influencing and changing attitudes and behaviour, educating and encouraging people to think differently abo...

S’pore high-tech farms seek to export not just produce but their technology too

aseanpr 16 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Some farms in Singapore are leveraging technology to boost yields, but one high-tech farming company here is now looking to sell more than just its produce. Local vegetable company Sky Urban Solutions on Tuesday (March 16) launched a new micro-farming system that combines aquaculture, vertical vegetable farming and customisable spaces for storage or more, which it wants to export around the world. Such novel solutions that agri-food tech companies develop here not only addresses Singapore's food security challenges but could help other countries as well, said Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing at the launch event. He added that having a portfolio of different agri-tech technologies that address various challenges here - such as systems that make more efficient use of water or energy, or those that allow alternative crops such as potatoes to be grown - would allow Singapore to use them to scale up local production when needed, even if they are not implemented during normal times. Sky Urban Solutions' modular aquaculture system is used for rearing food fish such as tilapia and sultan fish on the ground floor in tanks built in freight containers. Above the cont...

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