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Singapore strongly condemns terrorist attack at church in Nice

aseanpr 31 10 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore strongly condemns the terrorist attack at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Nice in the south of France on Oct 29, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Saturday (Oct 31). "It had resulted in the death and injury of innocent people in a place of worship. We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and wish the injured a swift recovery," said the MFA of the knife attack that beheaded a woman and killed two others. The suspected attacker, a 21-year-old Tunisian immigrant who had recently arrived in France was shot before taken away by the police. "There can be no justification for such attacks against innocent civilians. Singapore has a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of violence and extremism," MFA added. The French government has raised the national security alert to its highest level following the knife attack that occurred about two weeks after a school teacher in a Paris suburb was beheaded by an 18-year-old attacker who was reportedly incensed by the teacher showing a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad in class. "Security measures and surveillance can be expected to be reinforced. Singaporeans in France are advised to remain vigilant...

Firms looking to save water can get more grants under PUB fund

aseanpr 31 10 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Firms can now benefit from more funding to buy water-efficient equipment, along with shorter disbursement periods, as part of a bid to encourage the non-domestic sector to save more water. Firms that use at least 1,000 cubic m or more of water per month can now receive funding of up to $300,000 or up to 50 per cent of the installation cost of such equipment, including commercial dishwashers and washer extractors, under PUB's Water Efficiency Fund. In addition, firms embarking on water recycling initiatives and projects using alternate water sources can now receive higher funding amounts for potable, NEWater and industrial water saved, capped at $1 million per project, said PUB in a statement on Saturday (Oct 31). The grant disbursement period for such initiatives and projects has also been shortened from seven to three years. This means companies undertaking these projects will receive 50 per cent of the grant amount upon commissioning of a full-scale recycling plant to save water, and the remaining 50 per cent upon satisfactory performance in the third year. Pilot projects can also receive full funding of up to 50 per cent of the project cost, capped at $50,000, upon a...

Hundreds of shoppers continue to throng Robinsons day after news of closure

aseanpr 31 10 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The day after Robinsons announced it would close its two stores at The Heeren and Raffles City Shopping Centre, shoppers continued to show up in droves. On Saturday (Oct 31), even before the store opened at 11am, a queue of some 300 people had formed outside the Heeren store in Orchard Road. Markings on the ground outside the main entrance of The Heeren indicated that shoppers should stand 1m apart. The queue stretched past the Apple Orchard Road store next door, snaking around the empty space in front of the mall several times. When the doors opened, shoppers were seen entering the store in an orderly fashion, with many doing their SafeEntry check-in in advance. Robinsons announced on Friday (Oct 30) that it would close its two stores at The Heeren and Raffles City Shopping Centre, as well as two stores in Malaysia. It said the appointed liquidators are in negotiations with the landlords in Singapore but it hoped to stay open "for the coming weeks". The retailer, which employs about 175 staff here, said it plans to do its best to transfer them to other brands under the parent company, Dubai-based Al-Futtaim Group, which owns other franchises, including Marks & Spencer ...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Oct 31

aseanpr 31 10 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Saturday, Oct 31. Shoppers flock to Robinsons outlets after it announces store closures Some were "totally stunned" when told that Robinsons was in provisional liquidation. READ MORE HERE Robinsons' closure: Department stores struggle to find relevance with today's shoppers The demise of one of S'pore's oldest and best-loved department stores marks the end of an era. READ MORE HERE Personal data of 1.1 million RedMart user accounts stolen in Lazada breach and put up for sale Names, phone numbers, e-mail, mailing addresses, encrypted passwords and partial credit card numbers were stolen. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Couples separated by Covid-19 border controls reunite after 9 months Singaporeans and permanent residents who are in relationships with foreign partners are finally being reunited. READ MORE HERE Foreign policy continuity if Trump wins, return to mainstream diplomacy if Biden succeeds Whether the US and China can cooperate on global challenges is an unanswered question. READ MORE HERE Make haste, but slowly, as Singapore moves ahead into phase 3 Havi...

Relax Covid-19 curbs or open borders in S’pore’s phase 3, but not both

aseanpr 31 10 月

10 minutes

Singapore is at a crossroads. Community cases here are now extremely low, with just six in the past fortnight. This means measures to contain the virus here are working and Singapore should be able to significantly ease them with little risk, experts have pointed out to The Straits Times. Singapore can also open up its borders to visitors from countries with equally low spread of the virus. But it should not do both, the experts cautioned. Every easing of measures, whether internally or in terms of border control, increases risks. Doing too much too soon could result in a major second-wave outbreak, they explained. Singapore has decided on opening its borders, with the promise of a slight easing of domestic measures, provided the infection numbers stay low. People in general have welcomed the move that allows for easier travel without the need for a 14-day quarantine. But allowing travel to resume, even in a controlled manner, exposes the country to the risk of imported infections that could spread to the community, the experts said. Globally, there are more than 400,000 new Covid-19 infections and about 5,000 deaths a day. With winter approaching in the Northern Hemisphere, there ...

Ex-food deliveryman jailed for telling e-scooter users last year to start a riot after LTA announced ban

aseanpr 30 10 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - While working as a Foodpanda deliveryman, a man sent messages to his colleagues in two chat groups, rallying personal mobility device (PMD) users to gather at Punggol Park, arm themselves with weapons and cause injury to others. Benny Mok Swee Tian committed the offence on Dec 30 last year, in the wake of the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) announcement prohibiting e-scooters on footpaths. The 35-year-old Singaporean was sentenced on Friday (Oct 30) to eight weeks' jail and a fine of $500. He had pleaded guilty earlier to creating an electronic record containing an incitement to commit acts of violence and an unrelated theft charge involving five comic books worth nearly $37 in total. The court heard that Mok, who switched to becoming a social media marketing executive, had sent the messages one day before the end of an advisory period LTA gave to e-scooter users. The advisory period, between Nov 5 and Dec 31 last year, was for e-scooter users to adjust to the new rule. Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Yong said that the first chat group had over 2,000 members and the second had more than 4,000. One of Mok's colleagues saw the offender's message at 3.09pm in one chat gro...

Neighbour noticed woman looking sad weeks before she fell from block in Bedok with her infant

aseanpr 30 10 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - About three weeks before a tragic event on Thursday (Oct 29) ended with a 35-year-old mother falling from a Housing Board block with her five-week-old daughter, a resident living in the same block noticed the woman looking sad. Madam Low, who is in her 80s, said: "She looked very pale, and her baby kept crying loudly in the lift. "I am not familiar with her or her family, but I thought she was a very quiet and reserved young woman," added Madam Low in Cantonese. She declined to give her full name. Police are investigating the incident as a case of unnatural deaths. The woman and her infant daughter were pronounced dead at 5.47pm on Thursday, after their bodies were found at the foot of Block 81 Bedok North Road. The Straits Times understands the pair had lived in the same block. Nobody was home when ST visited the unit, but there was a bag of food and a note left at the door. The woman was married. The presence of a green scooter and a dark-blue mini bicycle outside the flat suggested a young child may also be residing at the unit. At the void deck, relatives and friends were helping to ready a wake. Ms Janie Teoh, who lives nearby in Block 78, said that she saw the bod...

Robinsons to close stores: Down memory lane with S’pore’s oldest home-grown department store

aseanpr 30 10 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Robinsons said on Friday (Oct 30) that it is closing its last two department stores at The Heeren and Raffles City Shopping Centre. We look back on the defining moments of Singapore's oldest home-grown department store. 1858: A new firm, Spicer & Robinson, is founded by Englishman Philip Robinson, then living in Singapore, and James Gaborian Spicer, a former keeper of the Singapore Jail. The company is located in Commercial Square, now known as Raffles Place. 1859: The firm expands from mainly selling groceries to millinery and dressmaking. By the end of the year, James Spicer leaves the business and the company is renamed Robinson & Co. Philip Robinson also brings in a new business partner, George Rappa Jr. 1881: By this time, Robinsons is the preferred store for European expatriates in Singapore. 1891: After moving several times, including to North Bridge Road and Coleman Street, the store returns to its original location in Raffles Place. 1920: Robinson & Co becomes a limited company. 1941: The outlet at Raffles Chambers is hit twice by Japanese bombs during World War II, but reopens the next day. 1942-1945: The firm is closed during the Japanese Occupation. Robinson...

Mobile phone seller is first person to be charged with failing to register GST for online sales

aseanpr 30 10 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A man who sold mobile phones has become the first person in Singapore to be charged with failing to register the goods and services tax (GST) for online sales. Edwin Pang Chung Jie used to own two firms - Edmobile and Moggi - through which he sold mobile phones and accessories on platforms such as Lazada, Shopee and Carousell. The 40-year-old Singaporean was also charged on Friday (Oct 30) with two counts of submitting incorrect income tax returns without reasonable excuse, as well as two counts of failing to keep proper records of the invoices he received linked to his businesses. In a statement, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) said that the total amount of tax undercharged and tax due is $129,411. On Oct 30, 2013, Pang allegedly failed to notify the Comptroller of GST of his liability to be registered for the tax. This is said to have resulted in $118,023.23 in tax due for the period between Dec 1, 2013, and Sept 30, 2015. Pang is accused of making an incorrect return by understating his income on April 16, 2014, resulting in income tax undercharged totalling $8,792.87. On April 16, 2018, he is said to have understated his income tax return by $26,336...

Robinsons to close last stores at The Heeren and Raffles City

aseanpr 30 10 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Robinsons is liquidating its two department stores at The Heeren and Raffles City Shopping Centre, the retailer said on Friday (Oct 30). This means that Robinsons' last two stores will be closing and the company will be exiting from the Singapore physical retail scene after 162 years. Robinsons said in a statement that the liquidation decision was made after the store’s "inability to continue operations due to weak demand at department stores". Mr Danny Lim, Robinsons' senior general manager, said: "We regret this outcome today. Despite recent challenges in the industry, the Robinsons team continued to pursue the success of the brand. However, the changing consumer landscape makes it difficult for us to succeed over the long term and the Covid-19 pandemic has further exacerbated our challenges. "We have enjoyed success over the years, and it has been an honour for Robinsons to serve the Singapore market. I am grateful for the dedication of our team, and for the support shown by our customers over the years." Robinsons said that the dual trend of more people turning to online shopping and lower demand for department stores is to blame for slumping retail sales, a problem...

Membership fees for 4,500 young lawyers and those in small to medium-sized firms waived by Singapore Academy of Law

aseanpr 29 10 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Young lawyers and those from small and medium-sized law firms will not need to pay mandatory membership fees to the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) for next year (2021) in the light of the economic fallout from Covid-19. SAL announced on Thursday (Oct 29) that it has pledged $1 million to waive the mandatory fees for over 4,500 legal professionals, in its second relief package for the profession. Those eligible for the latest relief scheme include lawyers who were called to the bar from 2016, and those working in a law firm with 10 lawyers or fewer. The membership fees, which all lawyers must pay, would have cost them between $128.40 and $374.50 each. SAL chief executive Serene Wee said this group needs the most support, based on a survey carried out by the academy in April. Said Ms Wee: "Five months after we announced our first-ever relief package for members, the economic fallout from Covid-19 continues, with no sign of abating any time soon. Many members continue to face challenging times and SAL stands in solidarity with them." In the first relief package, each member received $150 in credits to purchase SAL publications or sign up for learning programmes. Those who ...

Share-A-Textbook returns for 38th year to help families in need in Singapore

aseanpr 29 10 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - An initiative making educational resources such as textbooks and assessment books more accessible to needy families is returning for the 38th year, this time to help those impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic as well. The Share-A-Textbook scheme by FairPrice has over the years collected, redistributed and recycled over 5.8 million textbooks. As part of its safe management measures, there will an extended distribution period this year and families will have to book time slots for the collection of textbooks. Noting how the pandemic has disrupted the economy and further impacted the less fortunate, FairPrice group chief executive Seah Kian Peng on Thursday (Oct 29) said: "Through this initiative, we hope to create a positive social impact by allowing students from less privileged background gain access to resources for their educational needs." FairPrice said that it will work with social service organisations and Community Development Councils to identify the students from low-income families and those impacted by the crisis. They can collect the textbooks at Our Tampines Hub between Dec 13 and 16. Families can start booking a time for collection from Nov 27, by scanning th...

New Hougang Heritage Trail places spotlight on historic heartland gems

aseanpr 29 10 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - In a 3km-stretch along Upper Serangoon Road stands three religious institutions that have stood the test of time. The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Hougang Tou Mu Kung Temple and Haji Yusoff Mosque have a combined age of almost four centuries, with two - the church and the temple - gazetted as national monuments. The road itself is almost 200 years old. These places of worship were among 18 sites on the National Heritage Board's (NHB) latest self-guided trail - the Hougang Heritage Trail - that was unveiled on Thursday (Oct 29). The trail, the NHB's 20th, follows the launch of another heartland trail in Pasir Ris last December, when NHB said it was working to launch more such heartland trails to bring the nation's heritage to the doorsteps of Singaporeans. The new Hougang trail also features the highest number of community contributions of all of NHB's trails, with 28 individuals familiar with Hougang contributing their stories through interviews and photos. Previous trails mostly had between 10 and 20 community contributions. Such contributions help make the trail more interesting for visitors, said NHB deputy chief executive of policy and communit...

Covid-19 breathalyser tests may be deployed more widely in trials here before Q1 2021

aseanpr 29 10 月

6 minutes

SINGAPORE - More people here may soon be able to get tested for Covid-19 and know their results in less than a minute, simply by breathing into a tube. A test kit that can accomplish this has been developed by National University of Singapore (NUS) spin-off Breathonix. Following a successful trial at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), the company said on Thursday (Oct 29) that it is currently in discussions with the Health Ministry (MOH) to deploy its breathalyser tests in trials at public locations in the coming months. Dr Jia Zhunan, chief executive of Breathonix, said the firm is also working to expand the NCID trial to include a further 250 patients in addition to the current 180. The company's chairman, Associate Professor Neo Kok Beng, added that they are in talks with a "major hospitality player" here to deploy the tests at such events as conferences following approval from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). The company hopes to receive it in the first quarter of next year. Prof Neo declined to name the hospitality player. He added that Breathonix has also received some requests from groups overseas for the tests to be rolled out there. For the test, peopl...

IT glitch prevents Sengkang Town Council from receiving cash for conservancy payments

aseanpr 29 10 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The new Sengkang Town Council (SKTC) has been unable to receive cash payments for service and conservancy charges at its offices, due to a glitch in its IT system. The problem was discovered after the Workers' Party-run SKTC on Wednesday (Oct 28) took over the full management of estates in Sengkang GRC that were previously under two People's Action Party-run town councils. In a statement on Facebook on Wednesday night, SKTC said staff at the town council found at 8am on Wednesday morning that "configurations for the front end collection systems were not in place". As a result, the town council could not take cash payments for S&CC. The problem was not resolved as at 6pm on Wednesday. "During our engagements with the existing IT Vendor for the Town Council Management System (TCMS), we were assured of the functionality of the system. However, the staff of SKTC noted at 8am this morning that configurations for the front end collection systems were not in place," the statement said. It added that SKTC was "working closely with the IT vendor to restore operational functionality of the TCMS as soon as possible". The town council also apologised to residents over the inconveni...

Jail for maid who purposely dipped baby’s hand in hot water, causing second degree burns

aseanpr 28 10 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A maid who wanted to work for another household deliberately dipped the hand of her employer's 16-month-old baby into a pot of hot water after finding out that she would have to incur costs for a transfer. The 30-year-old Myanmar national, who cannot be named to protect the girl's identity, was sentenced on Wednesday (Oct 28) to 14 months' jail after pleading guilty to one count of using a heated substance to voluntarily cause hurt. The maid started working for the family on Dec 8 last year. Her job scope included housekeeping, cooking as well as taking care of the baby and her eight-year-old sister. After two weeks, the maid decided she wanted to work elsewhere as she did not know how to care for the baby. She approached her agency but when she learnt that she had to pay for a transfer, continued working for the family. Court documents did not state the costs involved. The maid was cooking chicken curry on Jan 14 this year in the family flat in the Buangkok area when the baby started crying at around 5.15pm. She carried the baby in her arms and continued cooking. Deputy Public Prosecutor Jane Lim said: "While the accused was carrying the victim, she felt agitated and m...

Facial and iris scans replace fingerprint scans as main mode for identifying travellers at all S’pore checkpoints

aseanpr 28 10 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Facial and iris scans have replaced fingerprint scans as the main mode for identifying travellers at all immigration checkpoints, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced on Wednesday (Oct 28). Singaporeans, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and other travellers who have registered their iris and facial biometrics with the agency can use the new scans at all land, sea and air checkpoints. Over two million Singaporeans, or about 70 per cent of all eligible Singaporeans, have registered their iris and facial biometrics with the agency, while 130,000 permanent residents have done so. Those who have not, or are unsuccessful when using the iris and facial scans at checkpoints, will still be able to check in by scanning their fingerprints, said ICA, which rolled out the technology together with Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX). ICA said the technology, which were trialled at Changi Airport and Tuas Checkpoint last year, will provide "even more reliable authentication of the identity of travellers", and is less prone to misuse as it requires specialised equipment. HTX's Wong Weiyang, who is the lead engineer of the agency's Biometrics an...

Job recovery in S’pore likely slow and uneven despite immediate rebound in retail, F&B: MAS

aseanpr 28 10 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The road to recovery for the labour market is likely to be slow and uneven, with resident unemployment rates taking a longer time to reach pre-crisis levels compared with during the global financial crisis, said the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). In its review of the macroeconomic situation released on Wednesday (Oct 28), MAS said the unemployment rate of Singaporeans and permanent residents is expected to decrease gradually next year after peaking in the second half of 2020, but will remain elevated overall. It added that this will weigh on wages for the rest of this year and possibly into 2021. These projections for the labour market are despite employment prospects looking up in the immediate term in the retail and food and beverage (F&B) sectors, and in support services such as cleaning and security industries. These business areas rebounded quickly with Singapore exiting the circuit breaker in June, said MAS. In construction, the gradual resumption of activities in the second half of this year would also likely lead to more hiring. As for the travel-related sector, MAS said some modest employment recovery can be expected with the easing of safe distancing m...

TikTok to hire 3,000 engineers, including in Singapore, for global expansion

aseanpr 28 10 月

2 minutes

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - TikTok has plans to hire about 3,000 engineers over the next three years, mostly in Europe, Canada and Singapore, the company told Reuters on Tuesday (Oct 27). The move shows that the popular short-video app has not given up on its expansion plans despite lingering uncertainty over its ownership. US President Donald Trump has ordered China's ByteDance to divest TikTok amid concerns over the safety of the personal data it handles. "To support our rapid global growth, we plan to continue expanding TikTok's global engineering team, including adding approximately 3,000 engineers in Canada, Europe, Singapore, as well as the US, over the next three years," a TikTok spokesperson said. The US will remain one of the engineering hubs for the company and hire more staff, the spokesperson added. There are about 1,000 engineers working for TikTok outside of China, nearly half of them based in Mountain View, California. Reuters previously reported that ByteDance plans to invest billions of dollars and recruit hundreds of employees in Singapore, which it has selected as its South-east Asia headquarters. Mr Trump said last month that a preliminary deal for Oracle and Walmart t...

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

aseanpr 28 10 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Wednesday, Oct 28. S'pore strengthens status as global logistics hub amid Covid-19 crisis The sector weathers supply chain disruption and is expected to grow, create more quality jobs for Singaporeans, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said. READ MORE HERE Travellers from more countries allowed to serve stay-home notices at own place of residence These countries include Finland, Japan, Norway, South Korea and Thailand. READ MORE HERE TraceTogether tokens to be distributed one constituency at a time from Oct 29 This is to prevent long queues from forming at certain community centres. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news The double whammy of Covid-19 and automation Covid-19 is already inducing a global recession. At the same time, it has also accelerated companies' plans to automate work processes, which could lead to more job losses, says associate editor Vikram Khanna. READ MORE HERE Father overwhelmed by support from public for 8-year-old in coma after Woodlands crash "My phone has been ringing non-stop with people checking how they can help," said Mr Eric Ta...

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