aseanpr

Budget debate: Road tax for mass-market electric cars in S’pore to be lowered from next year

aseanpr 4 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Road tax for mass-market electric cars will be lowered to be on par with equivalent models powered by combustion engines from next year, removing yet another hurdle to adoption of these cleaner vehicles. Speaking in Parliament on Thursday (March 4), Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung noted that road tax for electric cars had already been lowered in January this year - by as much as 40 per cent. But the larger mass-market electric models still incur more road tax than petrol equivalents. To address this, Mr Ong said road taxes for e-cars in the 90kW to 230kW power band will be adjusted further. To do so, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) - which takes over the Energy Market Authority as regulator of electric vehicles (EV) charging standards - will merge the current electric car road tax bands of 30kW to 90kW and 90kW to 230kW, and subject them to the current road tax formula of the lower band. "That way, we bring down the road taxes of electric cars in the upper band," Mr Ong said, noting that with the change, a Hyundai Kona Electric will see its annual road tax fall from about $1,400 to $1,100, and that of a Tesla Model 3 will drop from $2,300 to $1,500. "This will make th...

Newly-arrived migrant workers can serve bulk of SHN in Quick Build Dorms under MOM pilot

aseanpr 3 3 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Newly-arrived migrant workers in the construction, marine and process sectors will be able to serve the bulk of their stay-home notice (SHN) period in Quick Build Dormitories (QBDs), under a new onboarding process that will be piloted by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). From March 15, these work permit and S Pass holders will serve SHN for four days in hotels while waiting for the results of Covid-19 tests that they have to take upon arrival in Singapore, instead of 14 days in hotels currently. If they clear these tests, they will be sent to these QBDs - which have better living standards than existing dorms - to serve out the rest of their quarantine period, the MOM announced on Wednesday (March 3). The QBDs will serve as new Migrant Worker Onboarding Centres (MWOCs) under a pilot programme. These centres will allow workers to go through the mandatory orientation and Settling-In Programme (SIP) and their medical examination in one location, said Second Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng during the debate on his ministry's budget. "This is done so we can minimise the transmission risks of new workers arriving on our shores, and ensure that they are properly onboarded bef...

AGC drops criminal defamation charge against lawyer M. Ravi, issues conditional warning

aseanpr 3 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A criminal charge against lawyer M. Ravi for defaming Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on Facebook has been withdrawn, after he took down the post and apologised. In a statement on Wednesday (March 3), the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) said it had decided to discontinue the criminal proceedings against Mr Ravi and administer a conditional warning to him. The decision was made after careful consideration of representations made by Mr Ravi's defence counsel, the statement said. Under the conditions accepted by Mr Ravi, he has to delete the offending post and publish an apology and an undertaking not to repeat the allegations. Mr Ravi was charged on Dec 16 last year with criminal defamation, an offence that carries a jail term of up to two years or a fine, or both. The charge was over a post published by Mr Ravi on his Facebook page on Nov 6 last year. Mr Ravi alleged in the post that fellow lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam had told him that Mr Shanmugam had said he "wields influence over the Chief Justice" and calls the shots and controls the CJ. On the same day, Mr Thuraisingam wrote to Mr Shanmugam, saying "there is absolutely no truth whatsoever" to Mr Ravi's a...

Tree inspections in S’pore carried out every 6 to 24 months: Desmond Lee

aseanpr 3 3 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The National Parks Board (NParks) carries out rigorous tree inspections every six to 24 months, with trees that are close to areas with high pedestrian or traffic activity receiving more frequent checks. The tree inspection regime follows the best management practices set by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), Minister for National Development Desmond Lee told Parliament on Wednesday (March 3). "During a tree inspection, NParks' inspectors conduct a comprehensive visual examination of the tree crown, branches, trunk and roots to assess the tree's health and stability," said the minister. "Trees that are found to have possible defects are subjected to an additional in-depth inspection, which involves the use of diagnostic equipment to assess the internal condition of the tree." Mr Lee added that since November 2016, such in-depth inspections are also conducted annually for trees of more than 4m in girth, as a precautionary measure in response to changing weather conditions. This goes beyond the ISA's prescribed best management practices, he noted. The minister was responding to questions by Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC) and Mr Shawn Huang (Jurong GRC)...

Digital resources available to help parents learn about children’s mental well-being: Eric Chua

aseanpr 3 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Parents today can tap on a variety of digital resources to better support their children's mental health, said Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua. These include the Share-the-Care video series by Families for Life, which covers topics such as building strong family relationships, as well as his ministry's Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P) that outlines evidence-based techniques to promote children's psychological, social and emotional competence. On top of that, the Temasek Foundation and Agency for Integrated Care has developed a microsite to address mental health challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Chua said. Mr Chua was responding to Ms Carrie Tan (Nee Soon GRC), who had asked about inter-ministry efforts to promote youth mental health awareness among parents. On the reach of the Triple P, he said more than 30,000 parents had benefited from the programme to date. After three months, parents reported a 20 per cent reduction in their children's scores for problematic behaviour, as well as their own parenting stress scores. He added that more than 1,500 individuals - including young people, parents and mental health p...

Police investigating MP Louis Ng for not getting permit before holding placard supporting hawkers

aseanpr 3 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng is currently being investigated by the police for not applying for a permit before he visited hawkers with a placard in June last year. Mr Ng had posted about his trip to Yishun Park Hawker Centre on Facebook on June 20, encouraging residents to visit the hawkers. In four pictures that accompany the post, Mr Ng is seen holding up a piece of paper that read "Support Them" followed by a smiley face. In a statement on Wednesday (March 3), the police said they have been looking into a possible offence of public assembly without a permit by Mr Ng. "We have already interviewed Mr Ng. Police investigations are ongoing," they added. In Mr Ng's Facebook post in June, he wrote that hawkers "worked hard during the past few months to try to make ends meet and to provide yummy food for us". "More than ever, our hawker heroes need our support," he added. On Wednesday, Mr Ng wrote on his Facebook page that he was at the Yishun Park Hawker Centre in June last year doing his regular walkabout. "This was an especially important walkabout as we had just emerged from the circuit breaker. I was there to make sure our hawkers were doing okay. As we all know, they suf...

Slightly hazy conditions with burning smell in parts of Singapore on Tuesday morning due to hot spot in Johor: NEA

aseanpr 2 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Smoke blown from a hot spot in Johor caused slightly hazy conditions with burning smell in parts of Singapore on Tuesday morning (March 2), said the National Environment Agency (NEA). The hot spot was detected in Johor in the late afternoon on Monday. The smoke plume was blown by the prevailing north-easterly winds towards Singapore before it dissipated later that evening. However, with prevailing winds expected to continue blowing north to north-east over the next few days, residents may continue to detect similar conditions over parts of Singapore on Tuesday, said the NEA in a Facebook post. The hourly concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) entered Band 2 (Elevated) between 6am and 7am in the east of Singapore on Tuesday before returning to Band 1 (Normal) from 8am. During periods of haze caused by forest fires in the region, the dominant pollutant is PM2.5. As at 11am, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) was 61-74, in the Moderate range. The hourly PM2.5 readings are normal when the concentrations are between 0 and 55 micrograms per cubic metre of air. The readings reach elevated levels when the concentrations are between 56 and 150 micrograms per c...

Pre-1987 HDB flats mostly upgraded; 56k newer flats next in line for home improvement programme

aseanpr 2 3 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The majority of the 320,000 eligible flats built up to 1986 have undergone upgrading works under the Housing Board's Home Improvement Programme (HIP). Of these, about 215,000 flats, spread across 230 projects, have completed upgrading works, while works are currently under way for about 96,800 flats, spread across 101 projects, said the HDB in an update on Tuesday (March 2). Works on the remaining flats will be implemented progressively. Next in line for upgrading will be a newer batch of 230,000 flats built between 1987 and 1997. The HDB also said on Tuesday that the first batch of about 56,000 units have been selected for the Extended HIP, but did not specify a time frame for the roll-out. As at March 31, 2020, the Government has spent about $3.2 billion on HIP, which focuses on improvements within the unit to address common maintenance problems related to ageing flats. Under this scheme, the Government bears the full costs of repairing of spalling concrete and structural cracks, replacing piping for waste or soil discharge, and upgrading the electrical load in eligible flats. The programme can proceed only when at least 75 per cent of a block's eligible households th...

DHG LTD releases Mogu Smart Router (MSR) Version 2 in Japan

aseanpr 2 3 月

2 minutes

Tokyo, Japan / SEAPRWire / Mar 2, 2021 / DHG LTD (Daiko Holding Group), a global communications group operating from Tokyo, released the Mogu Smart Router (MSR) Version 2 in Japan on February 15, 2021. The MSR Version 2, optimized for Japanese internet service providers, marks the second generation of Mogu routers to reach consumer households in Asia. The Mogu launch in Japan is also the first release under the management of DHG LTD, who acquired the Singapore-based smart router company earlier this year. The acquisition of Mogu was a strategic next step for DHG to expand their footprint in Japan’s wireless internet service provider (WISP) sector. Prior to the acquisition, Mogu Technologies successfully launched the Mogu Smart Router Version 1 in mainland China, with plans to expand throughout Asia in 2020. After the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), Mogu shifted focus to the Japanese market, partnering with DHG for distribution based on the organization’s expertise in both logistics and internet services throughout Japan. As DHG looked to expand their service offerings in 2021, their existing relationship fast-tracked Mogu into the expanding DHG portfolio. In addition to the Mog...

Parliament: 1,700 flats surrendered to HDB over past 5 years, reasons include divorce

aseanpr 2 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - About 1,700 flats were surrendered to the Housing Board over the past five years, including 700 that were given up due to reasons such as break-ups or divorces. These figures were revealed by Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann in Parliament on Tuesday (March 2), in response to Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC). Ms Sim said the 700 flats were surrendered to HDB mostly because of changes in their owners' circumstances within their minimum occupation period (MOP). These changes had made them ineligible to own a HDB flat, but the owners were not allowed to sell their flats on the open market as they had not fulfilled their MOP. The most common reasons for the surrender of these flats were divorce, break-ups between engaged couples, and the annulment of marriage, she said. The remaining 1,000 or so of the surrendered flats were flats with short leases, comprising studio apartments, two-room flexi flats bought on a short lease, and flats whose owners had opted for the Lease Buyback Scheme. Owners of short-lease flats who no longer wish to keep their flats, or who had become ineligible to do so, are required to surrender their flats to the HDB, said Ms S...

Two workers who died in Tuas fire were in their 20s, supporting families back home

aseanpr 2 3 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Two of the workers who died in the Tuas industrial fire last Wednesday (Feb 24) along with site supervisor Marimuthu S, a 38-year-old Indian national, have been identified. In a statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday, non-profit organisation ItsRainingRaincoats (IRR), which focuses on migrant worker issues, said the two were from Bangladesh. The second of five siblings, Shohel Md. turned 23 last month. Before he left for Singapore in 2019, he told his father to stop working and assured his parents he would take care of the family. "But now both parents have lost a beloved son, a strong pillar and a life full of potential. He was excited to start his career and life in Singapore but all that ended in a blaze last week," the post read. The other worker - 29-year-old Anisuzzaman "Ani" Md. - was in Singapore for about 17 months before the accident. As the sole breadwinner of his family, Mr Anisuzzaman had taken a loan to secure a job here. IRR said: "Everyone in their hometown knew Ani. He not only served his family but was always ready to support anyone. His brother's grief is deep and had our volunteers in tears as well. He wishes that people will know how wonderful and ...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on March 2

aseanpr 2 3 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Tuesday, March 2. Singapore urges Myanmar to stop using lethal force, free Suu Kyi immediately Foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan urged all parties in Myanmar to find a way to return to the path of democratic transition. READ MORE HERE Cabinet, public service do not make policy decisions based on religion, says Shanmugam in response to Pritam He stressed that neutrality and fairness are essential, otherwise the Government will lose the trust of the people quickly. READ MORE HERE More showers in first fortnight of March will spell end of second-driest February since 1869 Temperatures though could still hit as high as 34 deg C on a few days. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news S'pore cannot be bought, bullied or intimidated into approving any Covid-19 vaccine, says Vivian Singapore will make decisions on the basis of science and healthcare needs. READ MORE HERE Asia's ultra-rich rank Singapore as region's top choice for luxury homes Singapore's safe-haven reputation has been further strengthened by successfully managing the pandemic and supporting businesses. READ MOR...

Budget debate: Transformation to next-gen SAF on track despite Covid-19, says Ng Eng Hen

aseanpr 1 3 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Despite the pandemic, the transformation of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) into a new-generation defence force by 2040 remains on track, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Monday (March 1). The delivery of new hardware such as helicopters and fighter jets is also still on schedule, along with the launch of new facilities and initiatives to sharpen the SAF's ability to meet emerging threats, Dr Ng said during the debate on the budget of the Ministry of Defence (Mindef). For instance, the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) upgraded F-16 fighter jets are expected to be rolled out in the coming months, and its earlier-acquired H225M and CH-47F multi-role helicopters will arrive this year to replace the older Super Pumas and Chinooks respectively. "We remain on track to receiving four F-35 Joint Strike Fighters around 2026 and for the RSAF to start basing training in Guam from 2029 onwards," he added. But some key plans have been delayed, such as the completion of military training facility Safti City by 2024 instead of 2023, and the six-month delay for the navy's Invincible-class submarines to mid-2022. SAF continuing its transformation A new army "sense and strike...

SAF to review medical classification system to let more NSmen take on operational roles

aseanpr 1 3 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - More national service enlistees will soon be able to take on operational roles within the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), regardless of medical fitness, as the organisation reviews the way it classifies their fitness for different vocations. This is as the SAF introduces new vocations and redesigns existing ones in response to a changing threat environment, such as having cyber specialists to protect key digital networks and systems, Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How said during the debate over the Ministry of Defence's (Mindef) budget on Monday (March 1). "We are redesigning our Medical Classification System (MCS) and the Physical Employment Standard (PES) System to shift away from the binary classification of combat-fit versus non-combat-fit deployment," he said. "Medical exclusions that used to limit deployments may no longer be relevant in today's operational context or with the latest technology." The current MCS sees full-time national servicemen (NSFs) classified as either combat-fit or non-combat-fit, while the PES system categorises NSFs by suitability for combat vocations, ranging from PES A and B1 for combat vocations to PES F, where they are d...

Weight-loss products found to have banned substance, high doses of laxative

aseanpr 1 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Consumers have been warned not to buy or consume the weight-loss products "Bobba Fitz" and "Bobba Toxx" after they were found to contain a banned substance and a dangerous level of laxative respectively. Bobba Fitz is labelled to contain natural ingredients such as whey protein, cocoa powder and garcinia cambogia, which is a fruit-derived ingredient, but the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) found that it also contains sibutramine, which has been banned since 2010 due to it causing an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Bobba Toxx contains an amount of a laxative - sennosides- that is about four times the usual dose, said HSA in a statement on Monday (March 1). Sennosides, when consumed at high levels, can cause adverse effects such as cramping and diarrhoea. Prolonged use may cause chronic constipation, bloating and abdominal pain. Both products - marketed as weight-loss products - are often sold together and packaged in boxes of 10 powdered sachets. HSA said in the statement that a woman here experienced palpitations and mood swings after consuming both products. She recovered after she stopped taking the supplements. The products were sold on local e-commerce an...

Parliament: Illegal vehicle modification offences down; Tanjong Pagar Road not known to be a speeding-prone area

aseanpr 1 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Stricter penalties as well as regular enforcement and inspections have brought the number of illegal vehicle modification offences down over the past five years, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor. In the past two years, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) issued an average of 610 notices of offences per month to owners of illegally modified vehicles. These modifications include non-compliant exhaust and lighting systems as well as tinted windows. The number of such offences fell from an average of 1,800 per month in 2015 to 550 per month last year, Dr Khor told Parliament on Monday (March 1). But taking workshops that perform these illegal modifications to task remains a challenge, she noted, even after the Road Traffic Act was updated in 2017 to give enforcement efforts against these workshops more teeth. "It remains challenging to establish culpability against the workshop," she said in response to Mr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten), who asked whether the authorities would step up enforcement and impose higher penalties against workshops that are complicit. "We need the vehicle owners to identify the workshops and then for them to agree to be prosecutio...

$90m to be spent on Singapore’s first top-level biosafety lab, to be operational by 2025

aseanpr 1 3 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore will get its first highest-level biosafety containment lab ready by 2025 - the first such facility in South-east Asia - to prepare for the next big pandemic or biological threat, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on Monday (March 1). Some $90 million will be spent to upgrade the capabilities of the national defence research agency DSO National Laboratories to biosafety level 4 (BSL-4), the topmost level of biosafety precautions globally, said Dr Ng during the debate over the Ministry of Defence's (Mindef) budget in Parliament. Viruses are classified into Risk Groups 1 to 4, according to their transmissibility and lethality. Current facilities within DSO National Laboratories can safely handle Risk Group 3 viruses like Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and Covid-19, said Mindef. "Many developed countries already have labs with the highest biosafety level - BSL-4 - built many years ago. Since 2015, countries in Asia like China, Japan and Korea have also built such BSL-4 labs. In Asean, there are none," said Dr Ng. Some other BSL-4 laboratories around the world include the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia, the Rober...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Feb 28

aseanpr 28 2 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, Feb 28. She was severely burnt in 2000 Taipei crash: Ex-SIA girl traces her recovery She watched in horror as the video clip of a fiery car crash in Tanjong Pagar unfolded. READ MORE HERE Interactive: The Great Singapore Cycle Cycle through Singapore from Changi to Jurong in a day, exploring a range of sights that the island has to offer. READ MORE HERE 'He was the pillar of his family': Tuas fire victim never got to hold his 10-month-old daughter When his wife gave birth to their second girl in India last April, Singapore was going through its circuit breaker period. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news 'It's demoralising': More cases of S'pore healthcare workers being abused Those at greater risk of being abused work in emergency departments, outpatient clinics. READ MORE HERE Rise in vaping trend in Singapore sparks worry E-vaporisers are illegal in Singapore since 2018, but it has not stopped the number of cases involving them from growing over the years. READ MORE HERE 64-year-old S'porean man who was flown here from Indonesia for Covid-19 treatment dies H...

Off to climb ‘Mount Fuji’ here to raise funds for special needs youth

aseanpr 28 2 月

2 minutes

Over the next three months, eight people with special needs in Singapore will each attempt to scale the equivalent of Mount Fuji, which stands at 3,776m. They will climb hills and stairs around Singapore, and track the distance on the Strava mobile app. The eight are participants of YMCA's Special Needs Inclusive Challenge 2021, which was flagged off by President Halimah Yacob at the Istana yesterday. It aims to raise $250,000 to support YMCA's programmes for youth with special needs, and will end on May 29. Addressing participants in a recorded message, Madam Halimah said: "I am encouraged by the confidence and courage shown by YMCA and their special needs ambassadors. It proves that those with special needs also have special talents." Among the eight are returning participants, Ms Oh Siew May, 50, and Mr Harun Rahamad, 32, who both took part in a 2019 edition of the challenge in Japan. They climbed Mount Fuji together with eight others but had to abandon the effort less than 500m from the top because of harsh weather. Ms Oh said: "Disabled does not mean being unable. For those with special needs and those going through hard times due to Covid-19, I want to stir up our spirits and...

Ex-SIA girl traces her recovery after plane crash

aseanpr 28 2 月

1 minute

She watched in horror as the video clip of a fiery car crash in Tanjong Pagar unfolded. But Madam Farzana Abdul Razak also felt admiration for the young woman seen running towards the car, which had slammed into a shophouse and burst into flames on Feb 13. 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.

Copyright © 2020 ASEANPR.Com All rights reserved.