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Woman who claims to be ‘sovereign’ expected to face another charge under Women’s Charter

aseanpr 26 1 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The woman who claimed she was a "sovereign" when told to wear a mask in public is expected to face another charge under the Women's Charter. Paramjeet Kaur, 41, currently faces six charges, four of which are for breaching Covid-19 regulations. The remaining two are for public nuisance and for failing to report her change of home address. Her case was heard again on Tuesday morning (Jan 26) but she was not in court as her presence was dispensed with. Defence lawyer Mohamed Arshad told District Judge Adam Nakhoda that his client could face another charge under the Women's Charter. It is not clear what it will be for. The judge adjourned the case on Tuesday and sent it to the community court. Kaur made headlines after she was caught on video claiming to be a "sovereign" during an argument with passers-by at Shunfu Mart near Upper Thomson Road in May last year. In the video, which went viral online, she is heard making claims that the law does not apply to her. "It means I have nothing to do with the police, it means I have no contract with the police," she said. "They have no say over me." She also claimed that she was "not a person", but was instead "we the people". Kaur ...

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

aseanpr 26 1 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Tuesday, Jan 26. Covid-19 pandemic could last four or five years: Lawrence Wong The world is likely to encounter many more bumps along the way in handling the crisis, he says. READ MORE HERE 1-year-old boy among 44 new Covid-19 imported cases in Singapore The dependant's pass holder had returned from the United Arab Emirates. READ MORE HERE Confidence levels in vaccines in S'pore expected to rise as more get Covid-19 shots: Chief health scientist Singapore has a "healthy paranoia" that prevents it from being complacent, said Prof Tan Chorh Chuan. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Covid-19 pandemic still taking a toll on public transport worldwide Over 40% of people around the world have cut back on public transport rides. READ MORE HERE 80,000 land transport workers to be offered Covid-19 vaccine from Jan 25 Bus captains were among the first batch of 12,000 workers offered the first dose of the vaccine. READ MORE HERE askST: Am I allowed to visit my friends during the Chinese New Year period? From Tuesday, every household will have a cap of eight visitors each day. ...

Covid-19 pandemic still taking a toll on public transport worldwide

aseanpr 26 1 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - More than 40 per cent of people around the world have cut back on public transport rides, with 8.5 per cent staying away completely since the Covid-19 pandemic started nearly a year ago. In a survey done last month, Israeli mobility app provider Moovit found that of those who still needed to get around, 4.6 per cent have switched to other modes of transport. The firm found that the frequency of public transport usage did not change for 38 per cent of people. Another 7.6 per cent of respondents said their bus and train usage had actually gone up since the pandemic started. Moovit said it polled "tens of thousands" of respondents in more than 100 cities across 28 countries; and pointed out that "at the lowest point in 2020, many cities around the world experienced more than an 80 per cent drop in public transportation ridership". For Singapore, the December survey revealed the aversion to public transport was less severe. More than half of respondents said their usage had not changed since the pandemic, with another 8.2 per cent saying their trips had actually risen. Less than 2 per cent of those polled said they were still staying away from buses and trains, while just o...

Fewer cases but dengue still a danger

aseanpr 26 1 月

3 minutes

The danger from dengue is far from over, even as the number of cases in Singapore has fallen, the National Environment Agency (NEA) warned yesterday. There were 156 cases last week, compared with 236 infections a week in mid-December. However, the population of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector that spreads dengue, increased by 8 per cent last month. On top of that, infections by DenV-3 and DenV-4 - two dengue serotypes that are less commonly seen here - have increased and now account for more than half the cases. There are four dengue serotypes. People who have been infected are protected against only that particular type, and not the other three, which means that they remain susceptible. Over the three decades prior to last year, all dengue outbreaks here were caused by either DenV-1 or, since 2016, by DenV-2. As neither DenV-3 nor DenV-4 has infected large numbers of people in the past, the vast majority of the population would be susceptible. The rise of DenV-3 last year likely contributed to the largest dengue outbreak Singapore has ever seen, with a total of 35,315 people infected and at least 29 people dying from the disease. The previous high was 22,170 infections in 2...

All bicycles used on public paths and roads must soon have brakes

aseanpr 25 1 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - All bicycles used on public paths and roads must soon have at least one functioning handbrake after the Government accepted a proposal to mandate such a move. Safety concerns from the use of brakeless bicycles arose following a fatal accident last year. The Ministry of Transport (MOT) said in a statement on Monday (Jan 25) that the proposal mooted by the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) was welcomed by the active mobility community, retailers and pedestrians. "We will work closely with the panel to implement it. More details will be announced in due course," the ministry said. The new rule will affect fixed-gear bicycles, also known as fixies, which generally do not have hand-operated brakes but instead rely on the rider's pedal resistance to stop. It will also affect bicycle motocross (BMX) bicycles, which are off-road sport bicycles used for racing and stunt riding. Such brakeless bicycles came under scrutiny last year when a 13-year-old novice cyclist fell to her death after she collided with a metal railing in a multi-storey carpark in Pasir Ris. The girl was riding her friend's fixed-gear bicycle down a ramp and was unable to stop it. Citing the case in its su...

Four initiatives to help position Singapore as talent hub in edutech sector

aseanpr 25 1 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - An industry-led coalition looking at opportunities for Singapore in the educational technology sector has come up with several initiatives to position the country as a global talent hub in the field. The four initiatives by the Alliance for Action on EduTech - ZilLearn Skills, Agility Growth Index, WorkGuide.co and eduCLaaS Academy - target various segments of the current and potential workforce. Together, they aim to support Singaporeans in their skills acquisition and career pathways, to be better prepared for current challenges and to embrace new opportunities, said the Ministry of Trade and Industry on Monday (Jan 25). ZilLearn Skills is a career advancement platform that provides personalised career and learning recommendations for Singaporeans. This can be done through skill sets evaluation and identifying upskilling and reskilling needs. The target launch date is in March or April. The Agility Growth Index, which has already been launched, is an analytics tool that can help companies, regardless of size, understand the learning behaviours and motivators of their workforce. This could allow them to effectively engage and retain high performers. WorkGuide.co, set t...

Man on trial for alleged non-consensual sexual act on couch-surfing male tourist in 2019

aseanpr 25 1 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A man is on trial after he allegedly performed a non-consensual sexual act on a male tourist who was couch-surfing in his home in 2019. Now in remand, Filipino Ryan Edward Poquiz Perez, 35, is accused of performing oral sex on the married man without his consent between 1.30am and 2.30am on Jan 11 that year. The 25-year-old alleged victim gave his testimony in a district court on Monday (Jan 25) but it was heard in-camera. This means the hearing was not open to the public, including members of the media. Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Ying Min told District Judge Ronald Gwee that the man had flown in to Singapore from Switzerland for the trial. He had completed his quarantine and tested negative for Covid-19. The man's identity cannot be revealed due to a gag order and the location of the alleged offence has been redacted from court documents. His wife is also expected to give her testimony in court later this week. Defence lawyer Peter Ong said that Perez has been in remand since 2019. It was not mentioned in court on Monday as to how Perez first met the alleged victim. If convicted of the offence, Perez can be jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned. More on this t...

Condolences pour in for mum killed in accident, including from PM Lee

aseanpr 25 1 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - The family of a freelance balloon sculptor who died after being hit by a lorry near her home in Jurong two weeks ago received an outpouring of condolences after news of her tragic accident broke. Among those who paid tribute to 52-year-old Or Cheng Khim was Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Ms Or's younger sister, Ms Samantha Or, 42, told The New Paper that their father was surprised when he opened the letter addressed to him last Tuesday (Jan 18). In the letter, PM Lee offered his condolences and recalled how he had met the late Ms Or twice when she had helped build balloon walls for private events in 2018 and 2019, the younger Ms Or said. PM Lee also acknowledged the family's decision to donate her organs. "My father felt happy that his daughter was recognised by the Prime Minister," the Singapore Armed Forces defence executive officer added. TNP reported last week that the late Ms Or, who was also a childcare teacher, had been on the way home to surprise her son with sushi when the accident happened. Her son Ng Song Ching, 17, said the family had agreed to donate his mother's organs because it was what she would have wanted. According to Chinese-languag...

New water detention tank to prevent flooding in Jalan Besar to be completed by 2025

aseanpr 25 1 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - A new underground detention tank will be built beside Syed Alwi Road by 2025 to prevent flooding in the low-lying Jalan Besar area. The construction of the tank is part of Singapore's wider efforts to adapt to climate change, which will bring about more frequent and intense rainstorms. When completed, the tank will be able to hold about 9,300 cubic metres of water, or approximately the total capacity of four Olympic-size pools. The tank is designed to cut off the water flow from Rochor Canal into the drains along Syed Alwi Road. During and after storms, the water will be pumped out of the tank and back into the canal. Construction will begin in the third quarter of this year, according to the PUB. It is the third such tank to be built in Singapore. The other two are in Opera Estate near Bedok and in Stamford, near Orchard Road. More on this topic Related Story Not flooding but draining at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park Related Story PUB trials new flood protection barrier that can be deployed quickly

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

aseanpr 24 1 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, Jan 24. S'poreans react to new rules ahead of CNY: Some disappointed while others welcome restrictions Some think the added curbs are necessary while others find them too restrictive. READ MORE HERE 50,000 jobseekers hired by 14,000 firms under Jobs Growth Incentive About 50 per cent of the new hires were aged 40 and over. READ MORE HERE Stricter measures ahead of CNY disappointing, but S'pore must remain vigilant: PM Lee He noted that the recent community cases are a reminder that the war against Covid-19 is far from over. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Singapore passport renewals down with travel unlikely amid Covid-19 Demand for travel insurance products has also taken a hit. READ MORE HERE Carnival firm Uncle Ringo stepping back into the game after year of sorrow Last month, Uncle Ringo reopened in a small space at the Social Innovation Park in Punggol. READ MORE HERE US talk show legend Larry King dies at age 87 The former CNN interviewer had been hospitalised with Covid-19 in Los Angeles. READ MORE HERE Covid-19 magnifies underlying problems that ne...

Home-based business owners share experiences at job fair

aseanpr 24 1 月

3 minutes

Last April, while working from home during the circuit breaker, Ms Andini Muslim and her husband decided to start their own home-based business, selling sweet and savoury treats such as cookies and meatballs. What started off as a side hustle has now become her main focus, after the 42-year-old was laid off from her job in the service engineering industry last month. Hers was among four home-based businesses at a jobs and skills fair at Wisma Geylang Serai yesterday, with the owners sharing their experiences and looking to inspire others to pursue their interests and start their businesses. Said Ms Andini: "Initially, I was scared to start the business. But my husband, my brothers and sisters encouraged me, and said that if I kept saying that I was scared, I would never start a business. "So I said, okay, let's go." She added: "Now as a home-based business, I know that it's tough and there's a lot of hard work. But when people tell you that your food is very nice, and they repeat orders, I feel very satisfied." Some 20 exhibitors had booths at the Jobs and SkillsFuture fair, held in partnership with continuing education and training organisation Mendaki Sense, the Employment and Em...

Food service sector picks up with more than 9,200 job openings

aseanpr 24 1 月

3 minutes

The food service sector is continuing to pick up speed with its hiring, with over 9,200 job openings posted as at end-December on the MyCareersFuture portal, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Around 37 per cent of these jobs are for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and include roles such as food and beverage managers and sales, marketing and business development managers. Roles for non-PMETs include cooks, waiters, bartenders and baristas. "Non-PMET food service roles have low barriers to entry and companies are able to provide flexible working hours," said the MOM on Friday. "The sector is open to hiring workers of different profiles, including older workers, students looking for part-time jobs and even caregivers who are looking for flexible work arrangements." Salaries can range from $1,600 to $2,000 for waiters and go up to $6,500 for sales, marketing and business development managers. But the sector can also become more attractive to locals, as companies transform operations through digitalisation and create enhanced job roles, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo told a briefing on the sidelines of a visit to food services firm Select Group on Friday....

Worrying times for maritime front-liners in midst of Covid-19

aseanpr 24 1 月

1 minute

Every time harbour pilot Jimmy Koh boards an incoming vessel to help guide it through Singapore's port waters, he is overcome by a nagging worry that he might catch Covid-19 from its foreign crew. "Due to the nature of our job, we are required to board all vessels arriving in Singapore. Hence, we are a little worried as we are facing an invisible enemy," he said. 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.

50,000 hired by 14,000 firms in Jobs Growth Incentive scheme

aseanpr 24 1 月

4 minutes

A billion-dollar scheme to help employees shift from businesses that were downsizing due to the pandemic, to sectors that are continuing to expand, has seen 50,000 local hires by 14,000 firms in its first month alone. Around half of the new hires were also aged 40 and over, with Manpower Minister Josephine Teo describing these preliminary figures as a good start for the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI), which was launched in September. Top hiring sectors included food services, wholesale trade, professional services, construction and education. "We will continue to profile sectors that are hiring, and will start with food services, which saw a pickup in hiring activities as Singapore enters phase three of its reopening," said Mrs Teo, highlighting that there were over 9,200 openings in the sector available on government jobs portal MyCareersFuture.sg as at end-December. Slightly more than a third are PMET - professional, manager, executive and technician - roles with salaries of up to $6,500. The JGI scheme aims to spur firms to hire more locals, with $1 billion set aside for wage support. Firms that hire local workers from last September till the end of next month receive a subsidy of ...

North West CDC raising $2 million to help retrenched residents

aseanpr 23 1 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Community Development Council (CDC) for Singapore's north-west region is raising at least $2 million to help laid-off residents amid the coronavirus pandemic. MP of Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC and Mayor of the North West CDC, Mr Alex Yam, announced this on Saturday (Jan 23). He said schemes emerging from the CDC's fund-raising efforts will make sure people do not have to wait for approval under existing government programmes, which could take too long. He said: "Government schemes will remain the bread-and-butter, but we want to be able to plug the gap in terms of timeliness and urgency. "As we look ahead, we are hopeful that the economy will stabilise a little bit more, but (this is) in case there are still more people who may face retrenchments or termination due to the economic downturn." Mr Yam was speaking during the WeCare @ North West-Service Weeks campaign, into its eighth year, this year. From Jan 6 to Feb 7, festive packs containing foods worth $50 such as soya milk powder, instant noodles, coffee, sunflower oil and oatmeal will be given to some 20,000 residents living in rental units. Corporate volunteers will also install appliances in some households. Gain Ci...

M3 initiative in Geylang Serai to encourage lifelong learning, promote healthy lifestyle

aseanpr 23 1 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Programmes promoting healthy lifestyles, encouraging lifelong learning and building a caring community - these are what the M3 initiative looks to bring to Geylang Serai. The ninth M3 town in Geylang Serai was launched on Saturday (Jan 23), in conjunction with Wisma Geylang Serai's second anniversary, and seeks to be a pillar of support for the community. The M3 initiative is a tie-up between the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), self-help group Mendaki and the People's Association Malay Activity Executive Committees Council. The M3 @ Towns provides a platform for volunteers and professionals to work together to serve the needs of residents. Other towns in the programme include Bedok and Jurong. Speaking at the launch on Saturday, South East District Mayor Fahmi Aliman spoke about the three key areas of focus for the M3 programme in Geylang Serai and expressed his happiness to see young volunteers coming on board. The outreach volunteer team looks to visit homes in the vicinity on a bi-weekly basis, he noted. In addition, it will conduct quarterly recruitment drives for volunteers and conduct training for these volunteers to help them best serve the communi...

Licence of pleasure craft suspended after people filmed partying near Lazarus Island on Boxing Day

aseanpr 23 1 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A pleasure craft's licence has been suspended by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) over an incident on Boxing Day last year that allegedly broke safe distancing rules. This included having more than five people in a group. In a statement on Saturday (Jan 23), MPA said the Advant's licence will be suspended for 30 days over the Dec 26 incident near Lazarus Island. MPA said preliminary investigations revealed the number of passengers on the craft was more than the maximum group size of five that was allowed at the time. Singapore entered its third phase of reopening on Dec 28, which allowed up to eight people for social gatherings. The craft had been chartered for a social gathering and there was co-mingling among the individuals on board, based on the investigations which is still ongoing. Photos and videos of the incident were posted on social media on Dec 26, showing at least 10 men and women dancing without masks. MPA added that further action may be taken against anyone found to have breached the law. "MPA reminds all pleasure craft owners and operators to adhere strictly to the safe management plan they have submitted for their business operations, ...

50,000 jobseekers hired by 14,000 firms in Singapore under Jobs Growth Incentive

aseanpr 23 1 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Around 50,000 local jobseekers were hired by 14,000 or so companies in September under a scheme to encourage firms to boost their manpower plans, according to preliminary estimates out on Friday (Jan 22). About 50 per cent of the new hires were aged 40 and over. The scheme, known as the Jobs Growth Incentive, aims to spur firms to hire more locals, with $1 billion set aside to provide wage support for these workers. Firms that hire local workers from September last year to February this year will receive a subsidy of 25 per cent of the first $5,000 of their gross monthly salaries for one year. The co-payment goes up to 50 per cent for workers aged 40 and above. These figures are encouraging as a good start, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo at a briefing on the sidelines of a visit to food services firm Select Group. "We also know that the recovery of companies from the impact of Covid-19 would be uneven," she noted. "Some businesses may struggle to pivot, while others may experience new spurts of growth and bring in more people." She added that the incentive is meant to help transfer people from sectors that might be downsizing to those that are continuing to expand...

More than 9,200 job openings in food services sector as of end-December

aseanpr 23 1 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - The food services sector is continuing to pick up speed with its hiring, with over 9,200 job openings posted as at Dec 31 on the MyCareersFuture portal, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Friday (Jan 22). Around 37 per cent of these jobs are for professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) and include roles such as food and beverages services managers and sales, marketing and business development managers. 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.

New FairPrice supermarket at Parkway Parade promotes and stocks more local produce

aseanpr 22 1 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Local produce is getting a boost at a new FairPrice supermarket in Marine Parade, which will carry more goods from domestic makers. The new FairPrice Xtra hypermarket on the third floor of Parkway Parade will be the first here to have dedicated sections for local produce such as fish, eggs, vegetables and mushrooms, and is aimed at promoting local brands and products. More than 600 local products can be found here, compared with supermarkets of the same size which typically carry fewer than 500 local products. Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng, who was the guest of honour at the store's official opening on Friday (Jan 22), called on residents to support local products, which he described as vital in strengthening Singapore's food supply and resilience. Singapore aims to produce 30 per cent of the country's nutritional needs locally by 2030, an increase from the current figure of less than 10 per cent. Dr Tan, who is also the Second Minister for Manpower, said local food supply will help Singapore to mitigate external shocks, such as by forming a buffer during a food supply crisis. It is also important to generate demand for local produce when working t...

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