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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on March 24

aseanpr 24 3 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Wednesday, March 24. Muslim leaders told last August that position on nurses wearing tudung under review, likely to change: Shanmugam The Govt was discussing this internally as it could see good reasons to make this change, he said. READ MORE HERE Singapore's temperatures rising despite cooling effects of La Nina: Climate report Last year was the eighth warmest year on record. READ MORE HERE At least 70 police reports filed against Singaporean-run crypto trading platform Torque Investors are claiming millions lost in cryptocurrencies on the platform, run by S'porean businessman Bernard Ong. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Store workers, gun rights supporter, grandfather-to-be among Colorado shooting victims For 51-year-old Teri Leiker, who had worked at the store for 30 years, it had long been a happy place, said a friend. READ MORE HERE Malaysia's police chief causes ripples with claims of corruption in senior ranks of force Abdul Hamid Bador said he knew of former police chiefs using serving police officers to do their bidding. READ MORE HERE New centre aims to ...

Ease long-term care concerns with Great Eastern’s GREAT CareShield plans

aseanpr 24 3 月

5 minutes

As Singapore’s population ages, it is inevitable that more people may be afflicted with severe disabilities, as the risk of disability rises with age. An estimated three in 10 Singaporeans could remain in severe disability for 10 years or more, possibly resulting in higher long-term care costs due to prolonged disability, and thus increasing the financial burden on themselves and their caregivers. Singapore has been preparing for this, having introduced basic long-term care insurance scheme ElderShield in 2002. The scheme offers protection against severe disability, especially during old age. Until 2019, all Singapore citizens and permanent residents with MediSave accounts were automatically enrolled in ElderShield at the age of 40, unless they opted out of the scheme. Those automatically enrolled are either under ElderShield 300 or ElderShield 400. All ElderShield customers should note that the Government will run ElderShield from 2021, taking over from private insurers such as Aviva, Income and Great Eastern. One good thing about the change is that the Ministry of Health allows ElderShield policyholders to make the switch to CareShield Life – the compulsory national long-term car...

Police probing Ngee Ann Polytechnic students who urinated on others in suspected hazing ritual

aseanpr 23 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Another video involving students harassing one another is making the rounds, this time involving students believed to be from Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP). In the video clip, which was e-mailed to The Straits Times on Monday (March 22), a group of men clad in black T-shirts can be seen urinating on two naked men in a shower cubicle on the school grounds. The two men were made to squat and face the wall. Police said they were alerted to the alleged incident at 535 Clementi Road on Monday at about 9.50pm. In the video, which was also posted on various social media platforms, one of the men dressed in black shouted "No showering!" when a victim tried to clean himself. The men were allegedly involved in a hazing ritual during a recent orientation camp. It is not clear when the video was posted on the social media platforms, but one of the participants had a surgical mask dangling from one ear. The video had garnered more than 100 likes on Monday night before it was removed. ST has contacted NP for comments regarding the incident. More on this topic Related Story ITE student expelled after bullying video spreads online Related Story Bullying in schools wrong and cannot be toler...

HSA confiscates $369,000 worth of e-vaporisers and components in largest seizure to date

aseanpr 23 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - In the largest haul of electronic vaporisers to date, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on March 18 seized more than $369,000 worth of e-vaporisers and components. Three men are assisting with HSA investigations, including an individual who is also being probed by police for allegedly possessing several scheduled weapons in his home, said the HSA and the Singapore Police Force in a joint statement on Tuesday (March 23). HSA had acted based on a tip-off. It first arrested two suspects - a 34-year-old and 39-year-old - who turned up at a storage facility in Tuas to purportedly collect several consignments of the prohibited e-vaporisers. HSA officers on the same day raided the Serangoon North home of the third suspect, who is said to be involved in the peddling of the e-vaporisers. E-vaporisers, which simulate smoking, are non-combustible. Each consists of an atomiser, a battery source and a small container for e-liquid or juice. They have been banned in Singapore since Feb 1, 2018. Importing such items, including electronic cigarettes, has also been illegal since Aug 1, 2016. In total, the officers seized 1,157 assorted e-vaporisers and 25,345 assorted e-vaporiser pods ...

Surgeon suspended 10 months for derogatory and abusive e-mails against Singapore Medical Council and others

aseanpr 23 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A surgeon has been suspended from practice for 10 months for sending more than 120 derogatory and abusive e-mails about the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) and people linked to it. Dr Pang Ah San, a general surgeon who works at SC Chia Clinic at Mount Alvernia Hospital, also has to pay a penalty of $10,000, remove all derogatory social media posts against the SMC and people it appointed, and pay all costs of the disciplinary hearing. Dr Pang, who is in his 60s, had faced two prior disciplinary hearings - for using a "loop" percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube on four patients between 2007 and 2009. This method of providing a permanent way to feed through a gastrostomy tube is not generally accepted by the medical profession. Following a complaint by the family of one of the patients, Dr Pang was found guilty of professional misconduct and fined $10,000 in 2012. He appealed against the judgment by the Court of Three Judges, which upheld the disciplinary committee's verdict. A second disciplinary hearing was convened based on the similar treatment of the three other patients. This time, in 2014, he was suspended for six months and fined $10,000. Dr Pang was also order...

Fine for woman who failed to declare $800,000 in cash brought into Singapore

aseanpr 23 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A woman who carried more than $800,000 in cash into Singapore over a three-year period was fined $18,000 on Monday (March 22). Rajena Begam Sheik Noordin had failed to declare that she was carrying sums of over $20,000 while entering the Republic on 27 occasions - an offence under the law. The 52-year-old Singaporean pleaded guilty to three counts of bringing into Singapore at least $30,000 in cash and failing to tell an authorised officer that she had done so. District Judge Jasvender Kaur took into consideration 24 other similar charges during her sentencing. Court documents state that Rajena committed the offences while entering Singapore via Changi Airport's Arrival Hall on various instances between Dec 16, 2015 and Dec 25, 2018. "On Jan 30, 2020, the police received information on a woman who was believed to be involved in the offence of failing to declare the movement of cash into or out of Singapore on multiple occasions," said the police in a statement on Tuesday. The police said Rajena's offences were discovered in subsequent investigations by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department. Under the law, anyone seeking to bring into or out of Singapore more t...

Former SMU associate director charged with accepting $472,000 in bribes

aseanpr 23 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A former Singapore Management University (SMU) associate director was on Tuesday (March 23) charged with accepting $472,000 in bribes. Christopher Tan Toh Nghee had allegedly accepted illegal funds from three men to advance their business interests with the university between August 2017 and November 2019. The 43-year-old faces 50 charges for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The three men, who were also charged on Tuesday, are International Alliance Marketing director Kenneth Lum Hsien Loong, CJ Synergy director Cher Kheng Than and Assetualize managing director Jeffery Long Chee Kin. International Alliance Marketing director Kenneth Lum Hsien Loong (left) and CJ Synergy director Cher Kheng Than were also charged on March 23. ST PHOTOS: KELVIN CHNG Lum faces 35 charges for offering the bribes, while Long and Cher face eight and seven charges respectively for such offences. Tan and Cher also each face one charge of giving false information to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and one charge of intentionally obstructing the course of justice. According to court documents, Tan had allegedly given false information to CPIB officers that the mo...

FXList Comprehensive Guidance Moves to the Next Level

aseanpr 23 3 月

3 minutes

Russia, Moscow / SEAPRWire.com / Mar 23, 2021 / FXList always known for comprehensive guidance, now set to move to another level altogether, with more in-depth tools and parameters for judgment, it is opening doors for everyone. Forex or foreign exchange is the buying and selling of one or more national currencies for profit. The FX market, on average, generates more than $5 trillion on a daily basis. While both buyers and sellers can meet over the counter to facilitate trades, electronic platforms have also made it possible for traders that are internet-savvy. The narrative of the past was that only financial institutions and institutional traders were actively involved in forex trading, but today, millions of traders now access the FX market without any impediment. To access the forex market, a forex broker is required and helps to facilitate the entrance into the market. Choosing a reliable forex broker can be a headache. However, with covering areas like the broker's regulation, payment methods, asset classes, and trading platform, it would be one step away from choosing the best online trader. It can be challenging to review each broker. To save the time and stress, ...

Adecco Personnel is first employment agency picked as SGUnited Jobs and Skills placement partner

aseanpr 22 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Adecco Personnel has been picked as the first employment agency to be an SGUnited Jobs and Skills placement partner to provide job seekers with professional career-matching services. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Workforce Singapore (WSG) announced the appointment in a statement on Monday (March 22). Having placement partners for the SGUnited Jobs and Skills programme "complements the Government's existing job-matching efforts and augments overall placement capacity", said MOM and WSG. Selected employment agencies that have shown their ability to hire fairly will be appointed as placement partners to help Singaporean and permanent resident job seekers find opportunities under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills programme, they added. "The appointment of placement partners also recognises the important role (employment agencies) play in the labour market, given their extensive networks and expertise in job matching," said MOM and WSG. Employment agencies that have been appointed as placement partners will receive fees for the placement of mature job seekers, long-term unemployed job seekers or people with disabilities into jobs, traineeships and attachments. They are expec...

Four Caltex stations to offer electric vehicle charging points

aseanpr 22 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Chevron Singapore, which operates the Caltex refuelling stations here, has teamed up with SP Group to set up electric vehicle (EV) charging points. The move, which comes 20 months after rival Shell set up its Recharge points, will see fast chargers at four Caltex service stations - in Chong Pang (North), Changi (East), Jurong Spring (West) and Dunearn (Central). They will be equipped with 50kW direct current (DC) chargers that can charge up an EV in as little as 30 minutes. The one at Changi will have two such chargers, which are designed to allow a compatible car to charge up to a speed of 100kW (provided only one car is utilising the point). The other three service stations will each be equipped with one 50kW DC charger. The charging fee is 46.63 cents/kWh, compared with 55 cents/kWh at Shell's points. In a joint statement on Monday (March 22), SP and Caltex said they will study usage patterns and behaviour at the stations "to refine and enhance accessibility and utilisation, and plan for more charging points and locations". The chargers will be installed by the second quarter of 2021, and will be incorporated on the SP Utilities mobile app, which allows EV drivers to...

US and China must manage tensions, cooperate on common challenges despite competition: DPM Heng

aseanpr 22 3 月

7 minutes

SINGAPORE - Even as the United States and China compete strategically, the two major powers must find a way to manage tensions and develop a framework for cooperation, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat. Speaking at the Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference on the topic "Will Asia emerge stronger in a post-Covid-19 world?" on Monday (March 22), Mr Heng said a stable US-China relationship is important to the global commons. While the Biden administration will bring a more predictable approach to the world's most critical bilateral relationship, the US and China will continue to be strategic competitors, he said. "I am glad that both sides have acknowledged that there are areas that they could work together on, despite the competitive tenor of their relationship." He called the first high-level, face-to-face meeting between both countries under the Biden presidency last week "a step in the right direction". At the start of what Washington called "tough and direct" talks in Alaska last Thursday and Friday, top Chinese and US diplomats publicly rebuked each other's policies. China's official Xinhua news agency later said that both sides will set up a joint working group on c...

4km Rail Corridor stretch between Hillview and Bukit Timah reopens

aseanpr 22 3 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A stretch of the Rail Corridor has been reopened, with new features such as additional access points for visitors and restored rail infrastructure. The stretch of about 4km is between Hillview and Bukit Timah. It is between two conserved truss bridges, and is known as the Rail Corridor (Central). It had been closed since 2019 for restoration works. On Monday morning (March 22), Minister for National Development Desmond Lee took a walk along the trail with members of the Friends of Rail Corridor community group, which was formed in 2017. The Rail Corridor is a nature trail along the former Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway line connecting Singapore and Malaysia. The Malaysian rail service ceased operations here in 2011. In a pre-recorded speech sent to the media, Mr Lee said that Singaporeans' feedback was thoroughly reviewed as the authorities drew up plans for the stretch. Taking this feedback into account, physical remnants of the corridor's railway heritage were retained. This includes four bridges which were repaired and refurbished. Second, biodiversity and greenery along the stretch were enhanced, Mr Lee said. Native plants were added along the way, and night li...

Restoring conserved truss bridges along Singapore’s rail corridor to their former glory

aseanpr 22 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Since its reopening late last year after about two years of restoration work, the Bukit Timah Truss Bridge along the Rail Corridor has become a popular photo stop for hikers and cyclists alike. Another truss bridge, the Upper Bukit Timah Truss Bridge, was officially reopened on Monday (March 22). While the industrial beauty of both rustic bridges is immediately apparent, the painstaking effort made to restore them to their former glory will likely go unnoticed by most people who walk or cycle along them today. That few realise restoration works have been done is a testament to a job done well, said Mr Teo Chong Yean, a director at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) who was involved in enhancement works along the Rail Corridor. He said the team was meticulous in its efforts to restore the two 1932 bridges, which are located next to The Rail Mall and at the western end of Dunearn Road and Bukit Timah Road. For instance, they ensured that each sleeper, clip and spike of train tracks was put back in its exact position on the bridges after being removed for drainage works. To achieve such precision, laser scanning technology was used to map the position of each of these...

Fan Brand Vornado Teams Up with Artists and Designer to Create Artwork in Celebration of World Autism Awareness Day

aseanpr 22 3 月

5 minutes

Charity auction gives public the opportunity to contribute to a good cause and jazz up their house with a rare statement piece SINGAPORE / SEAPRWIRE / March 22, 2021 / Internationally acclaimed fan brand Vornado teams up with autistic artists and award-winning designer to create One-of-a-Kind artwork in celebration of World Autism Awareness Day. Vornado is giving back to society in a very special way to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) this year. The brand, best known for its high-end air circulators and fans, has roped in four artists to create their own personal designs on its award-winning and internationally-acclaimed 660B air circulator. These one-of-a-kind custom-designed air circulators will go on auction on 22 March 2021. The auction is open to all members of the public and will close at 2359hrs, 30 March. All proceeds will be donated to St. Andrew's Autism Centre (SAAC). Mr CK Phua, spokesperson from Vornado said, "The pandemic has been especially tough on non-profit organisations like SAAC. Funding dries up, and these non-profits find themselves having to do more with less money. This project gives the autistic youth and adults a chance to expr...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on March 21

aseanpr 21 3 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, March 21. The people helping to vaccinate Singapore From healthcare workers to volunteers and airline crew members, it's all hands on deck as thousands are mobilised in S'pore's vaccine roll-out. READ MORE HERE 'I don't have a car or house': Singapore-based technopreneur who bought $93m digital art 32-year-old Vignesh Sundaresan, who has made his wealth in virtual currency, could not afford a laptop once. READ MORE HERE The tiger mum who went from sales representative to managing director of tech giant HP Inc Vivian Chua, who takes care of her staff and is in control of her work-life balance, says women can go far in the male-dominated tech industry. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news The misfortune of fame for 'Little Jack Ma,' lookalike of the Alibaba founder In 2015, eight-year-old Fan Xiaoqin shot to fame after he was discovered as a lookalike of Alibaba founder Jack Ma. READ MORE HERE ST bags three wins and three merit prizes for coverage of Covid-19 They include stories about how the pandemic has affected the job prospects and life plans of young people...

S’pore landmark study finds children of convicted offenders more likely to get into trouble with the law

aseanpr 21 3 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - A landmark study here has found that children whose parents have had criminal convictions are significantly more likely to get into trouble with the law themselves. Specifically, children whose parents were convicted for their offences are about three times as likely to have been convicted of an offence themselves. 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.

Important for all to know the Covid-19 stories unfolding in the community

aseanpr 21 3 月

6 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Stories of a Pandemic (Soap) Awards has just announced its final list of winners, bringing the year-long project to a close. The judging panel which I chair has read hundreds of stories and looked at as many photos and illustrations to select these winners. In all, we recognised 158 writers, photographers and artists whose work from January last year, taken together, tell the story of what it was like to live through the country's gravest crisis since independence. I started the project with generous support from The Majurity Trust, a philanthropic organisation, because I thought Singaporeans needed to try to make sense of what was happening, and that one way of doing so was to encourage them to record their own experiences and share them with others. You will find all the defining moments of the pandemic in the collection at sgsoap.sg - the outbreak in foreign worker dormitories, the panic buying in supermarkets, the plight of the homeless, the efforts of the Government to stop the spread of the virus, the struggle to do home-based learning among students from low-income families, how the pandemic exacerbated the rich-poor divide, its effect on those with mental il...

Trial of MRT priority cabins put on hold due to changed ridership patterns amid pandemic

aseanpr 21 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A trial of MRT priority cabins for the elderly, wheelchair users and pregnant women has been put on hold indefinitely due to the coronavirus situation, The Sunday Times has learnt. A Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesman told ST that ridership patterns have changed amid the Covid-19 outbreak and new initiatives will have to wait until the situation is better studied. LTA first suggested the trial in 2019. It was to have taken place on the North-East Line last year. Cabins near station lifts were to have more signs encouraging passengers to let the more vulnerable commuters board and alight first, keep wheelchair spaces free and give up their seats to them. This would have come amid Singapore's efforts to change its commuter culture for the better and to build a more inclusive transport system, with the infrastructure on buses and at MRT stations now mostly accessible to those with mobility needs. Approached with news of the delay, Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport Saktiandi Supaat said the idea should not be panned. "Over time, as more people use public transport more (frequently) in this Covid-19 environment, the efforts on trialling a...

From bus captain to cab driver, these public transport workers are moving the nation with their kind acts

aseanpr 21 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Bus captain Rickee Ng starts his day at 10.30am, making his way to the dining table to have his first and only meal with his wife. It has been his routine for the past 3½ years, as Mr Ng, 67, prepares for his nine-hour shift which starts at Jurong East interchange. The Tower Transit Singapore (TTS) bus captain knows all 13 routes at the interchange and does not drive a fixed bus service. Two weeks ago, he donated 33 meals, worth $99, to the Belanja-a-Meal programme, where the public can donate a meal for just $3 to needy families. TTS will also match every donation meal-for-meal and donate an additional 200 meals each month to needy families living in the Yuhua area through the South West Community Development Council. Mr Ng said: "The act of kindness is a basic thing most people can do." He is just one of several public transport workers helping the community get through the Covid-19 pandemic. His Malaysian colleague, Madam Jenova Sebastian, 48, who is separated from her family in Malaysia, also rose to the challenge on March 5. As she was about to turn into Bukit Batok bus interchange for a layover, she saw an elderly man who had fallen off his personal mobility aid (...

Police refutes fake news on Clementi raid, says it did not involve drugs seizure or firearms

aseanpr 20 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The police have clarified that their raid on a Clementi unit on Wednesday (March 17) did not involve a drug seizure, firearms or a person jumping from a flat to evade arrest. The police said in a statement on Saturday that they are investigating the circulation of various falsehoods online and via messaging applications regarding an incident at Block 309 Clementi Avenue 4. The falsehoods claimed an array of firearms and 20kg of drugs were seized. There were also claims that several Malay and Indian people were arrested during the incident, and one of them had tried to evade arrest by jumping from the block. "These statements are categorically false," said the police. The police said they and the Singapore Civil Defence Force responded to an incident at about 8.05am involving a 38-year-old Caucasian man who had locked himself inside a residential unit. He was uncooperative and was assessed to pose a danger to himself, said the police. Police officers entered the unit at about 12.20pm and the man was arrested under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act and is being investigated for suspected consumption of controlled drugs. The police said no firearms or narcotics we...

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