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Ex-SIA girl traces her recovery after plane crash

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.

Hospitals report spike in cases of harassment, abuse of staff

When a patient who used a wheelchair tried to go to a convenience store minutes before her medical procedure, nurse manager Ann (not her real name) stopped her, afraid she might miss her appointment. But the agitated woman repeatedly slapped Ann's legs and hurled vulgarities at her. 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.

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Half of all two-room flexi flat buyers are aged above 55, says HDB

SINGAPORE - Two-room flexi flats have proved popular with older buyers, with more than half of them aged 55 and above, figures revealed on Saturday (Feb 27). Singles have been the second-largest group purchasing the units since they were introduced six years ago, the Housing Board (HDB) said. As at Dec 31, about 34,700 two-room flexi flats had been launched for sale since they were brought in by the HDB in 2015. Around 84 per - or 25,189 flats - of the 29,924 units offered have been booked by home buyers, said the HDB. Selections are still ongoing for the remaining 4,700 units. Of these buyers, 56 per cent were older people aged 55 and above. Singles made up 38 per cent while the remaining 6 per cent of home buyers were families. Among the flats purchased by older buyers, 92 per cent were on short leases. The remainder were on 99-year leases. The 40-year lease was the most popular, at 4,046 units, followed by the 35-year lease at 3,526 and the 30-year lease at 2,291 units. Only 215 older buyers opted for the shortest lease of 15 years, with the oldest being 99 when applying for a flat with such a lease. Sizes for these flats range from 36 to 46 sq m. Older buyers pay less for a fla...

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More than 26,000 Home Team front-liners get Covid-19 vaccine jab

SINGAPORE - About 26,200 Home Team officers have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as at Friday (Feb 26). Of these, 19,058 officers have received their second doses, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement on Saturday. MHA's vaccination exercise started with 80 officers involved in front-line healthcare operations receiving vaccinations on Jan 11. They were among about 1,050 to be vaccinated first, including Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) Emergency Medical Services officers, staff from the Home Team Medical Services Division, and other front-line officers. They included staff from the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) and the Singapore Prison Service (SPS). Subsequently, front-line officers performing enforcement and essential services duties were also vaccinated. Senior leaders from various services under MHA were also vaccinated, including the commissioners and heads of department of the SCDF, Singapore Police Force, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), SPS, Central Narcotics Bureau and HTX. Among them was Commissioner of Police Hoong Wee Teck, who received his second shot at the Home Team Academy on Feb 17. He said: "Takin...

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Nearly $480,000 worth of drugs seized in CNB bust, including more than 3kg of heroin

SINGAPORE - More than 3kg of heroin was seized, along with other drugs, by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Thursday (Feb 25) and Friday. A man and two women, all Singaporeans, were arrested for suspected drug offences. The drugs seized are estimated to be worth close to $480,000. Some $47,879 in cash was also found during the operation, which took place in multiple locations. In a statement on Saturday, CNB said that on Thursday afternoon, its officers arrested a 35-year-old man for suspected drug trafficking in the vicinity of Jalan Eunos. The man put up a violent struggle as the officers moved in to arrest him, and "necessary force" was used to subdue him, said CNB. The man was searched, and about 328g of heroin, 122g of Ice, 6g of ketamine, 93 Ecstasy tablets, 15 Erimin-5 tablets and $18,900 in cash were seized. The man was then taken to his hideout in the vicinity where the two women, aged 31 and 35, were arrested. A search of the residential unit uncovered another 2,233g of heroin, 1,013g of Ice, 445g of cannabis, more than 3,000 Ecstasy tablets, and cash amounting to $28,979. CNB's follow-up investigations revealed that the man had another hideout in the vicinity of Fre...

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Fatal Tuas fire: MOM to appoint inquiry committee to study what led to explosion that killed 3

SINGAPORE - An inquiry committee will be appointed by Manpower Minister Josephine Teo following the fatal fire and explosion at Stars Engrg on Wednesday (Feb 24). Three workers died and another five are still in critical condition, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Saturday. MOM said the committee is expected to carry out a thorough study into the factors that led to the fire and blast. It will also make recommendations including policy, regulatory or workplace safety and health measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents. The committee will be led by a district judge with two technical assessors, and its proceedings will be held in open court. More details will be announced next week. The last time an inquiry was convened for a workplace accident was in 2004 to investigate the Nicoll Highway collapse that killed four people. Ten people were taken to hospital for burn injuries. PHOTO: SCDF / FACEBOOK In a Facebook post on Saturday morning, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad called Wednesday's accident one of the most serious workplace incidents in Singapore in recent years. He said Singapore had made significant improvements to workplace safety and ...

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

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Saturday, Feb 27. S'pore must press on with plans for next growth phase: DPM Heng Doing so would enable the economy to provide jobs in new areas even as it restructures, he said. READ MORE HERE Feeding wildlife a major reason for spike in wild animal numbers: NParks When humans feed them, wild animals spend less time looking for food and have more time to mate. READ MORE HERE S'pore's many shades of green: How should green spaces outside of protected areas be valued? The ecological value of green spaces is a factor in balancing development and conservation, Minister Desmond Lee tells Insight. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Malaysia politics, one year on: Will a general election resolve the impasse? On Feb 24 last year, Mahathir stunned Malaysia by resigning as prime minister. Here's a look at the fractured political landscape one year on. READ MORE HERE CDL's 'game-changing' China deal turns out to be more difficult than expected Shoring up shareholder confidence is critical, says senior business correspondent Grace Leong. READ MORE HERE Saudi crown prince approv...

Venture Capitalist Ng You Zhi Seeks to Invest in Luxury Car Dealership Startups

The young investment maverick sees a new potential in the luxury cars market with Singapore recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Singapore - With the city-state slowly but surely returning back to normal, business visionary Ng You Zhi takes on a new investment adventure, this time on the luxury car industry. "There's no stopping the luxury car market from growing," he says in a recent interview. "The pandemic has made us realise the salience of investing in things that matter, and that includes investing in ventures that continue to rise in market value." According to a report published by Fortune Business Insights, titled "Luxury Car Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis," the global luxury cars market size is projected to reach USD 655 billion by the end of 2027. "The rising disposable income across the world will contribute to the growth of the market in the coming years." Why invest in luxury car dealership startups "I am an avid fan of luxury cars," Ng You Zhi admits to even owning two in his garage. "But more than celebrating my passion, luxury cars have grown in demand over the recent years, but dealerships are only reserved to a limited few. With dealership st...

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50-70% of home owners have moved into Bidadari’s first three completed BTO projects

SINGAPORE - More than 2,000 Build-To-Order (BTO) Housing Board flats in Singapore's newest large estate, Bidadari, have been completed, with families progressively moving into their new homes. These flats are spread across three projects - Alkaff Vista, Alkaff LakeView and Alkaff CourtView - which were launched for sale by the HDB in 2015. More than 70 per cent of residents have moved into their new homes in Alkaff Vista and Alkaff LakeView, said the HDB in an update on Friday (Feb 26). About 50 per cent of residents have done the same in Alkaff CourtView, where works on community spaces are still in progress. All 12 public housing developments in Bidadari have been rolled out, with the final three projects - Bartley GreenRise, ParkEdge @ Bidadari and Alkaff Breeze - launched in last month's BTO sales exercise. Bartley GreenRise will be the last BTO site to be ready, and is estimated to be completed in the second quarter of 2025. The BTO projects in the 93ha Bidadari estate were highly sought after by home seekers. The five-room flats typically drew more applicants than there were available units. This is despite Bidadari's past as a grave site, which some have drawn similarities t...

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Twelve Cupcakes to join food workers union

SINGAPORE - The Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) announced on Friday (Feb 26) its successful unionisation of Twelve Cupcakes, after current and former owners of the home-grown pastry chain came under fire for underpaying foreign staff. The move was taken after the majority of Twelve Cupcakes' workers voted for it in a secret ballot administered by the Ministry of Manpower. The union, which is affiliated to the National Trades Union Congress, will work closely with the management to improve workers' well-being at the workplace, uplift wages and upskill the workers in preparation for the economy's recovery, said FDAWU general-secretary Tan Hock Soon. "This resounding victory reaffirms the workers' desire for the union to improve their welfare and work prospects," he added. FDAWU endeavours to partner more food and beverage companies and workers to uplift both the business and the workforce while helping them recover from the impact of Covid-19, said Mr Tan. It represents more than 55,000 workers currently. In a Facebook post on Friday, NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng thanked the team at FDAWU and NTUC staff who visited the Twelve Cupcakes outlets around Singapore to ...

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Woman convicted of abusing Myanmar maid, who was left with bruises and hearing loss

SINGAPORE - A 51-year-old woman was on Friday (Feb 26) convicted of two counts of abusing her maid, in attacks which left the Myanmar national with bruises and the loss of hearing in her left ear. Both incidents occurred in 2017 at Gayathri Iyer's home at the Pebble Bay condominium in Tanjong Rhu Road. District Judge Tan Jen Tse convicted the Singaporean of two maid abuse charges after a trial. She was, however, acquitted of two other counts of maid abuse as the judge found that the maid's evidence in these instances had not been "unusually convincing". Gayathri is represented by lawyer Amarjit Singh Sidhu and her bail was set at $15,000. She will be sentenced on March 17. For each count of assaulting a maid, an offender can be jailed for up to three years and fined up to $7,500. More on this topic Related Story Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid: Govt to review 3 areas to ensure it doesn't happen again Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories Correction note: An earlier version of this story had the wrong picture of the offender. This has been removed. We are sorry for the error.

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Feb 26

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Friday, Feb 26. Mayor Denise Phua rebuts Pritam Singh on relevance of CDCs and mayors Denise Phua roundly rejected the suggestion that a voucher scheme was aimed at making CDCs relevant. READ MORE HERE 1 killed in MRT tunnel near Lavender, train services on East-West Line disrupted It is unclear how the person had accessed the tracks. READ MORE HERE Berries World tuition teacher among 2 new Covid-19 community cases in S’pore The Singapore PR developed a runny nose on Feb 23 after work and visited a GP the next day. READ MORE HERE Migrant burden: How foreign workers are illegally recruited in Singapore CloseUp investigates why some workers have to pay thousands of dollars to get jobs that few locals want. READ MORE HERE Let's talk about inter-generational equity in drawdown of financial and nature reserves When it comes to valuable, long-term, hard-to-replace resources, how much should this generation be allowed to spend? READ MORE HERE MOE flexible on students' use of learning devices after school: Lawrence Wong They could have the option to turn off the software so that there is no monitoring of online activities, he said. ...

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From The Backbench

GAN THIAM POH (ANG MO KIO GRC) Extending childcare leave amid Covid-19 Mr Gan noted that currently, if a young child falls sick, he is given at least five days of medical leave by the doctor due to Covid-19 conditions. "At least one parent has to take leave to look after the child. If the same child falls sick again, the other parent will have to take leave," he said, appealing for the extension of childcare support leave for working parents who do not have family support to look after their children. LEON PERERA LEON PERERA (ALJUNIED GRC) Tax capital gains in property sector Instead of hiking broad-based taxes such as petrol duty or the goods and services tax, Mr Perera of the Workers' Party suggested raising the stamp duty and additional buyer's stamp duty for more expensive properties. "Such a fiscal move would be progressive and would impact the capital gains made by sellers in the higher end of the property market," he said. "A tax on such a class of capital gains will not run the risk of unintended inflationary effects, will not damage work incentives," he added. NG LING LING NG LING LING (ANG MO KIO GRC) Tech to support seniors living alone There is a need to continue improv...

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Parliament: Singapore not expected to move out of phase three any time soon

SINGAPORE - Singapore is not expected to move out of phase three of its reopening any time soon, said Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary on Thursday (Feb 25). Phase three is a "new normal" which will last until there is evidence on vaccine effectiveness in preventing future outbreaks, he added. In addition, a substantial proportion of the population must be vaccinated and the rest of the world must have the coronavirus under control. He noted that the coronavirus situation here and around the world remains dynamic. The authorities are awaiting more evidence that the vaccines approved for use here - which have been shown to protect against the virus - will also prevent viral transmission. "We are also closely monitoring their effectiveness against new viral variants," Dr Janil said. "Meanwhile, our best strategy is to continue to be disciplined about safe management measures, and achieve a high level of vaccination within our population to boost our collective immunity." He was responding to Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang), who had asked about Singapore's plans to ease out of phase three, as well as the criteria that must be fulfilled for restrictions to be lifted....

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Govt to review 3 areas to ensure abuse of Myanmar maid who died doesn’t happen again

SINGAPORE - The abuse suffered by Myanmar domestic helper Piang Ngaih Don must never happen again, and the Government is reviewing three key areas to ensure this. Speaking to the media at a virtual doorstop on Thursday (Feb 25), Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said the three areas are safeguards against abusive employers, the reporting system for doctors, and the involvement of community and partner organisations. "Let me be absolutely clear. There is no place for abuse against foreign domestic workers in Singapore. There is simply no place for it," she stressed. Mrs Teo, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, said: "The Singapore Government takes very seriously the safety of all of our foreign domestic workers who are here." She noted that while there are already safeguards in place, Singapore, as a society, must do better. "We appreciate the many foreign domestic workers who have come to Singapore to help us look after our families," she said. "We recognise the sacrifices that they have made and we are determined to put an end to any form of abuse towards them and to ensure their safety." Ms Piang was 24 when she died on July 26, 2016. She weighed just 24kg then, having lo...

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Nearly 400 animals born in 2020, including first Malayan tiger cubs in over 20 years: WRS

SINGAPORE - Nearly 400 animals, including some critically endangered and threatened species, were born in local wildlife parks last year, Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) said on Thursday (Feb 25). Among the brood from 107 species - of which 29 are threatened in the wild - were two critically endangered Malayan tiger cubs, the first successful births in Singapore since 1998. Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, deputy chief executive and chief life sciences officer at WRS, said: "With an estimated 150 Malayan tigers left in the wild (in the world), the birth of this duo is a significant addition to the population of this sub-species." Born on Dec 27, 2020, the cubs have yet to be named and are currently cared for by their mother Intan in an off-exhibit area at Night Safari, where the animal care team monitors their progress via closed-circuit cameras. Other births that have helped sustain the dwindling populations of rare species include two red-fronted macaws and seven black-legged poison frogs. Both species are endangered owing to habitat destruction and illegal trade. The black-legged poison frogs are kept as illegal pets despite being extremely poisonous and requiring high humidity levels to en...

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MOM to carry out 300 more checks in high-risk workplaces after 7 deaths from accidents in Feb

SINGAPORE - Following a spate of workplace accidents this month which saw seven people killed, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is adding 300 inspections in high-risk industries. In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Feb 24), MOM said the inspections will continue until mid-March, adding that there will be "a greater focus on tackling the common infringements found of work-at-heights risk and safe use of machinery" in the construction, manufacturing and marine sectors. The announcement came on the same day as an explosion at an industrial site in Tuas, which saw 10 workers taken to hospital for burn injuries. Of the seven deaths from workplace accidents this month, three fell from height, three were caught between objects and one was involved in a work-related traffic accident. MOM had, between mid-December last year and this month, launched Operation Robin with 400 inspections at various sites. The team uncovered 486 contraventions and issued seven stop-work orders (SWO). In one of these inspections, MOM issued a SWO to Kian Hua Hardware where contraventions, including ignition keys being left in forklifts and unsafe electrical installations, were uncovered. Another SWO was issued to was...

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Police report made against fake ICA website; authority says no data compromised

SINGAPORE - The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has filed a police report against a fake website that looks identical to its official website. In a statement on Thursday (Feb 25), ICA assured the public that access to the official website at www.ica.gov.sg remains unaffected and no data has been compromised. "The ICA takes a serious view of such fake websites as they undermine public trust in our system and processes," it added. Meanwhile, the authority is working to bring down the fake website at ica-mom.online and will continue to monitor the situation. More on this topic Related Story $62,000 lost in fake Singtel e-mail phishing scams, 22 police reports lodged Related Story Record number of scams in 2020 pushed overall crime rate in S'pore to highest in more than 10 years

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Parliament: Height-based outdoor activities will remain suspended pending MOE review

SINGAPORE - All height-based outdoor educational activities will remain suspended until a review by the Ministry of Education (MOE) is complete, Education Minister Lawrence Wong told Parliament on Wednesday (Feb 24). MOE will share its findings and recommendations when the review is done, Mr Wong said. He could not comment on the specifics of an incident on Feb 3 that resulted in the death of 15-year-old Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student Jethro Puah, as the police are still investigating the cause of death. Mr Wong was responding to Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang GRC), who had asked for an update on the investigation and whether there were any lessons to be learnt to reduce the risk of serious accidents when students take part in higher risk activities. Mr Wong could only say that Jethro and his classmates were involved in an activity at the adventure facility in Safra Yishun, which is operated by outdoor adventure learning company Camelot. It was an annual event that the school had been undertaking for its students since 2017. "Let me express my deepest condolences to Jethro's parents, family members and loved ones," Mr Wong added. The Straits Times previously reported that th...

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Four F&B outlets ordered shut for Covid-19 breaches over CNY, 234 people fined

SINGAPORE - Club One Min in Concorde Shopping Mall and Jin Jin Eating House in North Bridge Road are among four food and beverage outlets ordered to close for breaching safe management measures (SMM) after stepped-up inspections during the Chinese New Year period. Thirteen outlets were also fined for breaching these measures, and 234 people were fined for failing to follow safe distancing at parks and beaches, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said on Wednesday (Feb 24). Second offender Club One Min was found to have allowed gatherings of more than eight people, and provided hostesses who intermingled with patrons on Feb 19. The Singapore Tourism Board has ordered the operator to close for 20 days between Feb 20 and March 11. It was previously closed for 10 days between Dec 20 and Dec 29 for allowing groups of more than eight people. "The Government takes a serious view of the violations by the operator and investigations are ongoing," MSE said. The remaining three outlets were ordered to close for 10 days after diners were found consuming alcohol after 10.30pm. The Singapore Food Agency ordered Stall Eight at Food Park Coffeeshop in Bedok to close between Fe...