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S’pore, HK set to launch air travel bubble which may allow leisure travel without need for quarantine: Sources

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3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore has announced its first two-way air travel bubble with Hong Kong, paving the way for leisure and other forms of travel between both places. This means that people will be able to travel between the two locations without the need to be quarantined, subject to conditions including testing negative for Covid-19. Details are still being worked out, but people could be travelling between both places in several weeks. Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung on Thursday (Oct 15) called the move a small but significant step for the two aviation hubs, adding that the agreement set the model for more partnerships to come to revive air travel. Noting that both countries posed a low risk of Covid-19 transmission, he said that the risk of a Hong Kong traveller bringing the virus in to Singapore was not very different from that of a resident in Jurong. Under the agreement, travellers will likely be tested before they depart. There will be no restrictions on segments of the population, itinerary or purpose of travel. Hong Kong is the 10th place that Singapore has made special travel arrangements with under the landmark agreement. There are different types of agreements. The first is ...

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Parliament: Employers given warnings for illegally deploying maids could be fined instead, under MOM review of guidelines

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3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is reviewing its guidelines to see if employers who have received warnings for illegal deploying their maids to work at a different place should get a fine instead, said Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang on Thursday (Oct 15). "This is so that employers will take their responsibility towards their foreign domestic workers (FDWs) seriously," she said in her reply to Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) in Parliament. The ministry, however, has no plans to review the maximum penalty for the illegal deployment of FDWs, she said, adding that the number of such cases has remained relatively stable in the past few years. The issue of illegal deployment of FDWs came under the spotlight after Indonesian Parti Liyani, a former domestic worker employed by Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong and his family, was acquitted in September of stealing from them. Ms Parti had been told by Mr Liew's wife, Madam Ng Lai Peng, to go and help at the home of her son Karl. She said she also cleaned his office once a week for a year. The ministry said it had consulted the Attorney-General's Chambers and, in May 2018, issued a caution to Madam Ng and an ad...

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Youth allegedly operated drone over no-fly zones, including Mindef Gombak Base, Stagmont Camp

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3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A youth who allegedly flew a drone over military bases was hauled to court on Thursday (Oct 15). Russell Wong Shin Pin, 20, faces eight charges including four under the Air Navigation Act. Three of the charges are under the Air Navigation Order, involving flying a drone without a proper permit. The eighth charge under the Infrastructure Protection Act involves flying a drone over Gali Batu Depot, which is a protected place. Wong allegedly operated the drone for recreation at a park near Upper Bukit Timah Road and Cashew Road from 6.11pm to 6.43pm on Oct 8 last year, even though he did not have a Class 2 activity permit to do so. During that period, he is said to have flown the unmanned aircraft (UA) over the Ministry of Defence's (Mindef) Gombak Base and used it to snap a picture of the protected area. Wong allegedly went to a carpark near Stagmont Ring off Woodlands Road the next day and flew the drone within 5km of Tengah Airbase aerodrome from 6.49pm to 6.56pm. He is said to have operated the device over Gombak Base and Stagmont Camp within that time. He is also accused of snapping a picture of another protected place, the Gali Batu Depot, that evening using his dron...

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Parti Liyani has decided to go ahead with complaint against 2 DPPs for misconduct: NGO

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4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Former domestic worker Parti Liyani has decided to go ahead with her bid to start disciplinary proceedings against two prosecutors, after being granted two weeks to consider whether she wanted to proceed. In response to media queries, a spokesman for migrant workers group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) said Ms Parti has "resolved to proceed" with the case. The non-governmental organisation (NGO) declined further comment. Ms Parti, 46, filed the application in June this year before she was acquitted last month by the High Court on appeal for stealing from the family of prominent businessman Liew Mun Leong. Earlier this month, her application was heard in chambers by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon. At the hearing, her lawyer, Mr Anil Balchandani, said that his client considered withdrawing the complaint, as she was "torn" about whether she wanted to proceed with the case. On the one hand, Ms Parti believes that the two deputy public prosecutors (DPPs) should answer the allegations she has raised in her affidavit, said the lawyer. However, she also wished to return to Indonesia as soon as possible, as she has not been home for the last four years. ...

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MRT power fault: I was stuck on train for almost three hours, says commuter

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3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Finance executive Ryan Koh, 29, spent nearly three hours in a train after a power trip disrupted service along stretches of three MRT lines on Wednesday (Oct 14). He was heading home from Clementi to Yew Tee when the power fault occurred. The train he was on came to a halt inside the tunnel between Bukit Batok and Bukit Gombak stations. "Some lights went out immediately and the train came to a stop slowly. I was expecting a minor delay but now I am stuck for almost three hours," he said. When The Straits Times spoke to him at around 9pm, he said the majority of people in the train had left after SMRT staff started evacuating commuters at around 8pm. Senior citizens were asked to move to the back of the train to disembark, he said, estimating that about 70 people opted to stay on the train. He decided to stay on board as "the queue was long and slow". Most commuters remained calm and informed family members about the delays, he added. However, SMRT staff stopped detraining passengers at around 9pm due to heavy rain and lightning risk, he said. At around 9.40pm, the staff told the commuters to be seated and confirmed that the train would be moving to Bukit Batok. Mr Koh, ...

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Singapore, Hungary ties underpinned by mutual respect, says foreign minister Szijjarto

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1 minute

SINGAPORE - Continued diplomatic ties between Singapore and Hungary for 50 years now have been underpinned by "mutual respect", according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who noted there has been a practical side to the cooperation as well in an interview with The Straits Times Wednesday (Oct 14). "We represent a similar kind of approach when it comes to patriotism, when it comes to the approach to the nation itself," said Mr Szijjarto, who was on a one-day stop in Singapore as part of a whirlwind visit to South-East Asian countries, including the Philippines and Vietnam. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Learn more about ST PREMIUM. Enjoy unlimited access to ST's best work Exclusive stories and features on multiple devices In-depth analyses and opinion pieces ePaper and award-winning multimedia content Subscribe Now

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2 schoolchildren among 5 new confirmed coronavirus cases

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4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A 13-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl are the two new Covid-19 cases in the community reported by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday (Oct 14). Both patients are school students and had last been at their respective schools on Oct 2. They were both quarantined from Oct 3, and were swabbed on that day but tested negative, said MOH in a statement on Wednesday night. Both later developed symptoms during quarantine and subsequently tested positive on Oct 13. There were no new local cases from workers' dormitories on Wednesday, said MOH. This was the second day in a row that no new cases from dormitories were reported. On Wednesday morning, Education Minister Lawrence Wong cautioned against complacency and said that Singapore will likely see new cases. In a Facebook post, Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19, acknowledged the fatigue that has set in for the current measures but reiterated that "the virus had not been eradicated", adding that "it's still circulating in our community". "We still need to keep our guard up and stay very disciplined in complying with all the necessary safeguards. That's the mindset that will enable us to...

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From the gallery: Several options to refresh and strengthen the social compact

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1 minute

SINGAPORE - As Covid-19 continues to batter economies and decimate jobs, governments around the world are seeking to share the fruits of labour more widely, and ensure that their citizens are not exposed to unbearable losses. One strategy some societies have adopted to safeguard workers' welfare is a minimum wage, calls for which surfaced in Parliament in September. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Learn more about ST PREMIUM. Enjoy unlimited access to ST's best work Exclusive stories and features on multiple devices In-depth analyses and opinion pieces ePaper and award-winning multimedia content Subscribe Now