aseanpr

Jobless man of unsound mind ordered to be detained after trial for murdering 75-year-old father

aseanpr 3 11 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A 46-year-old man of unsound mind was ordered to be detained at the President's pleasure on Tuesday (Nov 30) after the High Court found, following a trial, that he had killed his 75-year-old father. Justice Valerie Thean concluded that Tan Kok Meng, who was left alone for three hours with his father at their Bedok North flat, had caused the death of the older man on Nov 13, 2015. Although Tan was found to have committed the alleged acts, under the law, he was acquitted of murder due to his mental incapacity. Two psychiatrists from the Institute of Mental Health had diagnosed him with schizophrenia and found that he was probably of unsound mind during the killing. One of them said Tan was also in a state of acute drug intoxication during the incident as he had taken methamphetamine then. Tan will be confined in a psychiatric institution, prison or some other place of safe custody. There is no minimum period of detention and the mental state of the detainee is reviewed regularly until he is suitable for discharge. After the verdict, Tan appeared to be in good spirits and was allowed by the court to speak to a few family members. He was on trial for murder and was accused ...

With no grand festivities this year, crowds still visit Little India to shop ahead of Deepavali

aseanpr 2 11 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - There will be no grand festivities for Deepavali this year, but crowds still descended on Little India on Sunday (Nov 1) afternoon to get their shopping done ahead of the upcoming celebrations on Nov 14. However, shop owners and patrons told The Straits Times that crowds paled in comparison to previous years. With no trade fairs or festival villages organised this year, a small number of stalls belonging to existing shops have been set up at Campbell Lane. Mr Rajkumar Chandra, president of the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association, said there was no space available this year for temporary festive stalls, and existing stallholders were only allowed to sell their goods within their premises and at permitted areas. "Those who have been vendors at bazaars have either given this year a miss or have resorted to online options. The online portal has helped many , but it cannot replace the experience of looking around and choosing items for themselves," he added. Stallholders selling flowers, decorations and festive snacks said that the past two weekends have been packed with customers in the lead up to Deepavali. Mr Iqbal Raja, 49, who works at Bawa's Delicacy, a s...

Singapore’s education and training sector must adapt to stay competitive globally: Chan Chun Sing

aseanpr 2 11 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The education sector in Singapore may be well-regarded, but it must continue to keep pace in the global market, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said on Monday (Nov 2). Speaking to the media after a virtual visit to a class at the National Institute of Early Childhood Development, Mr Chan said there are "tremendous opportunities" to relook how training and education is conducted in the industry and beyond Singapore. He mapped out four broad changes in the education sector, which he said must evolve to remain competitive. The first change is that learning cannot be limited to the initial 15 to 20 years of a person's life anymore, said Mr Chan. "It is no longer about just compulsory education, but it is about continuing education," he said, adding that Singapore has to find new ways of educating adult learners, which will be an increasingly important sector for the country. Mr Chan said the second trend that Covid-19 has hastened is how learning is now not just offline, but also online. "There are both benefits of online and offline teaching methods. The challenge for us is to make sure that we combine both methods and get the best outcome for our students,"...

14-year-old boys got lost in MacRitchie forest trying to find WWII Japanese shrine

aseanpr 2 11 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - On a whim, two teenagers decided to look for the remnants of a World War II Japanese shrine and ended up lost for several hours in the forest at MacRitchie Reservoir. Broadrick Secondary School student Richard Goh, 14, found out about the Syonan Jinja shrine while searching the Internet for interesting places to explore last month. When he told his classmate Soo Xiang Lin, also 14, they decided to take a bus to MacRitchie Reservoir to look for it, arriving at the Lornie Road entrance at 3pm on Oct 18. The boys, who did not inform their parents of their plan, had no food or water because they assumed there would be vending machines there. Clad in T-shirts, shorts and track shoes, they took the Terentang Trail suggested by Apple Maps until they reached an opening, which they used to enter the forest. It was 5pm by then. They met a man who was also looking for the shrine, but he soon gave up his search. The boys pressed on and realised they were lost at 6.45pm when their attempt to follow pieces of orange plastic tied to surrounding trees led them deeper into the forest. Richard told The New Paper last week: "There was that sense of hopelessness when I real...

MHA refutes allegations by Australian national that he saw inmates being walked to execution

aseanpr 2 11 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Home Affairs has refuted the allegations of an Australian national who said he suffered here while in remand for drug charges. Businessman Philip George Sceats gave an account of his time behind bars to Australian media, after he was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal for his drug charge last year. He said he was a "broken man" after close to a year behind bars, claiming to have seen 14 fellow inmates being "walked to their execution" - a fate he faced as he had been charged with importing cocaine. He also claimed that he was subjected to a strict regime under which inmates were caned "on the bare bum" if they did something wrong, and that his cell lights were never turned off. In response to queries from The Straits Times, MHA clarified on Sunday (Nov 1) that contrary to his assertions, Mr Sceats "was never housed together with inmates on death row". He was kept instead in a separate area meant for remanded persons at Changi Prison, said the ministry, which oversees the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and Singapore Prison Service. The ministry also noted that the cells for those in remand are fitted with lights that are scheduled to automa...

$4m fund set up to give $500 in one-time payment to households affected by job loss

aseanpr 2 11 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A $4 million fund has been set up to help Singaporean households that have family members who are unemployed amid the pandemic. Each eligible household will receive a one-time payout of $500. The Ngee Ann Kongsi-Community Development Council (CDC) Covid-19 Relief Fund was launched on Monday (Nov 2) by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and the five district mayors, who are also chairmen of the CDCs. At the ceremony, Mr Jamie Teo, president of non-profit organisation Ngee Ang Kongsi, presented a $2 million cheque to the mayors. The CDCs also pledged $2 million to the fund. It is targeted at Singaporeans aged 21 and above who are currently unemployed and have experienced income loss due to non-voluntary no-pay leave, retrenchment or termination for at least three months at the point of application. The CDCs will work with community partners to identify eligible Singaporeans from Nov 15 onwards. In a speech, Mr Heng said that the Government has committed close to $100 billion to support workers, businesses and families, most of which is disbursed through national-level schemes. "But some Singaporeans and their families do face unique or urgent circumstances, which requir...

PM Lee plants bonsai trees in first Tree Planting Day event to be held at rooftop garden

aseanpr 1 11 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong planted bonsai trees at a rooftop garden in Hougang on Sunday morning (Nov 1) to mark Tree Planting Day, an occasion that scored several firsts in the history of the annual event. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was held without participation from residents for the first time in its 49-year history. It was also the first tree planting event to be held at a rooftop garden and the first time bonsai trees were planted. Armed with shovels, PM Lee and fellow Ang Mo Kio GRC MPs - Mr Darryl David, Mr Gan Thiam Poh, Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin and Ms Ng Ling Ling - planted 10 Podocarpus macrophyllus trees, commonly known as the Buddhist pine, in their bonsai form at the rooftop garden of the multi-storey carpark at Block 933 Hougang Avenue 9. Kebun Baru SMC MP Henry Kwek and Yio Chu Kang SMC MP Yip Hon Weng joined them at the event. The origins of the event go back to June 16, 1963, when Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew started a tree-planting campaign by planting a mempat tree in Farrer Circus. The first Tree Planting Day was held on Nov 7, 1971, when then-acting prime minister Goh Keng Swee planted a rain tree on the summit of ...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Nov 1

aseanpr 1 11 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, Nov 1. Lunch With Sumiko: 2020 feels like a lifetime for Lawrence Wong Thrust into the spotlight as co-chair of the government task force on Covid-19, Lawrence Wong has come into his own. Executive Editor Sumiko Tan sits down with the Education Minister, whom some pundits think could well be a contender for prime minister one day. READ MORE HERE Sex and consent on campus: S'pore universities still grappling with sexual misconduct incidents More than a year after the Monica Baey voyeurism saga, Singapore universities are still grappling with incidents of sexual misconduct. What has been done to address the problem? READ MORE HERE Long, harsh winter for S'porean students in US and Europe as Covid-19 cases spike They say other students on campus are blase about adopting safeguards. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news 'Stay at home': UK PM Johnson imposes new national lockdown as Covid-19 cases top 1 million The lockdown is set to begin on Nov 5 and last until Dec 2. READ MORE HERE GuessWhereSG: Explore remote spots around Singapore Venture out with The Sunday Tim...

Retail business closures hit 10-month high in September

aseanpr 1 11 月

4 minutes

Home-grown department store Robinsons has become the latest high-profile casualty in a growing list of retailers that the Covid-19 pandemic has claimed. Business cessations in the retail trade sector hit a 10-month high in September, with 457 companies calling it quits, according to figures from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. Topshop, Esprit and Sportslink were among those that have bowed out or moved their operations online as safety restrictions and tighter purse strings dent store sales. Another wave of closures is expected after relief to protect qualifying commercial tenants unable to pay rent from eviction and hiked up interest rates ends on Nov 19, said retailers and observers. Winter wear retailer Universal Traveller, for example, is facing the possibility of folding if it is unable to work out a rental payment plan with landlords for its five outlets. With travel off the cards for most Singaporeans this year and few tourists in sight, its sales are down by up to 90 per cent. Reserves are running dry for the three-decade-old business, and pivoting is not easy with cash tied up in inventory, chief executive Trey Poh told The Sunday Times. Mr Terence Yow, ...

Robinsons’ closure: Retailers in Singapore struggle amid 10-month high in closures for sector, more expected to shutter

aseanpr 1 11 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Home-grown department store Robinsons has become the latest high-profile casualty in a growing list of retailers that the Covid-19 pandemic has claimed. Business cessations in the retail trade sector hit a 10-month high in September, with 457 companies calling it quits, according to figures from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. Topshop, Esprit and Sportslink are among those that have bowed out or moved their operations online as safety restrictions and tighter purse strings dent store sales. Another wave of closures is expected after relief to protect qualifying commercial tenants unable to pay rent from eviction and hiked up interest rates ends on Nov 19, said retailers and observers. Winter wear retailer Universal Traveller, for example, is facing the possibility of folding if it is unable to work out a rental payment plan with landlords for its five outlets. With travel off the cards for most Singaporeans this year and few tourists in sight, its sales are down by up to 90 per cent. Reserves are running dry for the three-decade-old business, and pivoting is not easy with cash tied up in inventory, chief executive Trey Poh told The Straits Times. Mr T...

Madam Lim Ee Chin: Senior who braved fire keeps kampung spirit burning

aseanpr 1 11 月

3 minutes

When Madam Lim Ee Chin, 81, realised that her neighbour's flat was on fire, she rushed to help put it out without a second thought. Alarmed by the billowing, acrid smoke and the sound of several loud explosions, she dragged buckets of water from her bathroom and passed them to her next-door neighbour Aisyah Villegas to put out the flames. She never once considered her curved spine and heart trouble. Speaking in Mandarin, Madam Lim said: "I was worried that if their house burnt down, they would have no place to stay." She was also afraid the fire would spread to her flat. Worried about Madam Lim's safety, her sister Loh Guet Wah, 68, who lives with her, said she tried to get her to leave the flat, but Madam Lim refused. Both women are not married. For her courage, Madam Lim is one of the nominees for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award this year. The senior citizen was watching TV in the living room of her 12th-storey flat in Block 917 Jurong West Street 91 at about 11.20pm on Aug 9, when the fire broke out next door. Madam Lim, with the help of other neighbours, put out most of the fire before firefighters from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived. After the...

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...

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