aseanpr

Childhood cancer survivor becomes community care provider under job redesign initiative

aseanpr 23 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - When he was 14, Iylia Haidhar Zulkepli found a tumour in his neck. It turned out to be stage 3 cancer. He then had to undergo intense rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy over a month. It took the Secondary 2 student three months to fully regain his health. But what stayed with him was how well the healthcare staff took care of him, and he emerged from his ordeal with a better understanding of how stressful - yet worthwhile - healthcare jobs can really be. Mr Iylia, now 30, works as a community care associate at Ren Ci Hospital, having joined in March. He is among those who have taken up the job redesign initiative launched by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) last year, aimed at those contemplating a mid-career switch to the community care sector. The initiative was piloted last year with four participating community care organisations - St Luke's Eldercare, Ren Ci Hospital, NTUC Health and St Andrew's Community Hospital. Given its success, more community care organisations will now be invited to come on board, said Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Koh Poh Koon on Thursday (Sept 23). He was giving an update on the scheme during his speech at the C...

First Covid-19 stepped-up community care facility in Tampines starts receiving patients

aseanpr 23 9 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The first patients arrived at Singapore's first Covid-19 stepped-up community care facility (CCF) in Tampines when it opened on Thursday (Sept 23). At around 11am, three Covid-19 patients were seen making their way out of specially hired vehicles along Tampines Street 22, where the facility is located. Staff donning personal protective equipment (PPE) rolled out wheelchairs to receive two of them, both elderly women, one of whom wore a fever patch on her forehead. The drivers of the three vehicles also wore PPE. The front windows of the cars were rolled down. The third patient was an elderly man, who wore a cap. The CCF, at the site of NTUC Health nursing home, has been fitted with 250 beds meant for Covid-19 patients who are generally well but have underlying health conditions that require close monitoring. These patients will include the elderly and those who have chronic illnesses such as cardiac, neurological or respiratory diseases. Infected nursing home residents will be prioritised for admission to prevent further spread in such facilities. The CCF will have more medical and nursing staff than a typical nursing home. The Ministry of Health said that existing resi...

New simulation training centre at Tanglin Police Division for front-line officers

aseanpr 23 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Front-line police officers now have greater access to simulation training with the opening of a new satellite centre at Tanglin Police Division. Officers can practise reacting to various emergency scenarios, such as when people are trapped in their homes, attempt suicide, or if a suspicious parcel is spotted in public. Launched on April 9, the satellite centre is an addition to the simulation centre in the Home Team Academy (HTA) in Choa Chu Kang that opened roughly three years ago. HTA's simulation centre focuses primarily on training officers to manage large-scale security incidents, such as riots, and joint operations. The new satellite centre extends simulation training beyond this group to include front-line officers who operate on a smaller scale - responding to 999 emergency calls, for example. Around 10 such sessions have been conducted so far. As in a virtual reality game, officers in different rooms watch scenes unfold in 3D on their screens as they react and communicate through their headsets. The satellite centre is split into three sections - the control room, command post and on-scene pods. The directors of the exercise - up to two of them - are stationed ...

Innovative waste collection fleet for Bishan-Toa Payoh sector

aseanpr 22 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Bishan, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon and Toa Payoh residents can expect to see a new fleet of innovative waste collection vehicles as part of efforts to improve the productivity and sustainability of public waste collectors. The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Wednesday (Sept 22) the new fleet, which will be used to collect refuse, recyclables and garden waste, is operated by Singaporean waste collection company 800 Super. The fleet includes 14 electric vehicles, a side-loaded recycling truck, and four dual compartment collection trucks. The electric vehicles alone make up almost 45 per cent of the fleet, said the agency. The dual compartment collection trucks have separate compartments to collect recyclables and garden waste concurrently. Said NEA: "Dual compartment collection trucks will help to reduce the number of collection trips, as only one truck will be dispatched during the collection rounds at landed premises." Meanwhile, the side-loaded truck provides higher capacity recyclables collection and requires only one person as collection crew. NEA added that all of 800 Super's vehicles are equipped with a 360-degree camera monitoring system, with live viewing tr...

ITE murder: Retiree who stabbed ex-wife sentenced to life imprisonment

aseanpr 22 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A retiree who stabbed his former wife to death in a carpark at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central campus was sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday (Sept 22). Seet Cher Hng was convicted of a reduced murder charge last week, after he indicated that he would not be contesting the charge. The 69-year-old had been demanding money from his former wife, Ms Low Hwee Geok, 56, before the incident. He believed the money was due to him after their divorce. The High Court heard that he had even engraved on a knife dates on which he believed he had caught her having an affair. The knife was one of three that he took along with him when he ambushed Ms Low at the Ang Mo Kio campus and confronted her inside her car at about 7.30pm on July 19, 2018. A struggle ensued and as she tried to get away from him, he stabbed her eight times. He then stabbed himself 13 times on his upper torso and collapsed on top of her. It was revealed in court that he told passers-by "let me die, don't save me". A forensic pathologist said each of the three wounds to Ms Low's left upper chest, left mid-back and left lower back was sufficient to cause death. He was initially charg...

Singapore to have first electric ferry service in 2023, run by Shell

aseanpr 22 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore will have its first fleet of electric ferries in 2023, operated by Shell to ply between the mainland and Pulau Bukom. The oil giant has awarded a contract to home-grown boat builder Penguin International to design, build and operate at least three fully electric ferries, it said in a press release on Wednesday (Sept 22). These battery-operated 200-seat single-deck vessels are expected to set sail in the first half of 2023. They will transport workers to and from Shell's Energy and Chemicals Park on Pulau Bukom, replacing the diesel-powered ferries currently used. Shell would not say how much the project costs, but a Nikkei news article on a recent proposed Thai project using ferries of a similar size cited a price tag of nearly S$2 million per vessel - or about two-thirds costlier than a diesel equivalent. The Shell ferries are powered by a lithium-ion battery system with a capacity of 1.2MWh. They can attain a speed of over 20 knots (37kmh) with zero on-site emission and almost no audible noise. When berthed at Shell Bukom, the ferries will be charged via a combination of fast charging during peak hours, and slow charging during off-peak hours and overnight. ...

S’pore doing its best to scale up Covid-19 operations, make sure all patients well cared for: PM Lee

aseanpr 22 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore is doing its best to scale up its Covid-19 operations amid growing case numbers, to ensure all patients are well cared for, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sept 22). "I know this is a stressful time for those with family members who have Covid-19," he observed, adding that some people had written to him to express their frustrations with the current situation. In recent weeks, many people have been reporting long lag times between testing positive and being taken to a hospital or community care facility for further care. Others had said they were unable to contact the Ministry of Health (MOH) to ask what they should do after testing positive. In his post, PM Lee said he visited the Covid-19 Case Management Task Group Operations (CMTG) office on Tuesday. This group administers the entire process for patients, including assigning them to appropriate care facilities, arranging for transport and briefing them on what they need to do, especially if they are recovering at home. "The CMTG have a very demanding task," Mr Lee wrote. "They operate 24/7 in a rapidly changing situation. Case numbers are still growing and we are doing o...

Fee for passport, identity card collection at SingPost outlets will be waived from Oct 1

aseanpr 22 9 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singaporeans will no longer need to pay a fee when collecting their passport or identity card (IC) at SingPost outlets from Oct 1. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Wednesday (Sept 22) that it will bear the cost to provide the convenience. In a statement, senior assistant commissioner Dominic Chua, director of ICA's citizen services centre, said: "This initiative to encourage the collection of the IC and passports at post offices is part of ICA's transformation plan to provide greater convenience to our customers." Members of the public can choose to collect their documents from 27 designated post offices islandwide. Currently, citizens and permanent residents are charged a collection fee that ranges between $6 and $12 when they collect their passport or identify card. Those with previously unsuccessful biometric verification in transactions with the ICA will still need to collect their documents at the ICA Building. Applicants will be informed of the collection options available to them when the documents are ready for collection. Eligible residents will need to make an online appointment at this website to collect at their preferred post office. ...

18 people in Singapore arrested for illegal labour importation

aseanpr 21 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Eighteen individuals have been arrested for suspected illegal labour importation, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Tuesday (Sept 21). In a statement, MOM said that it mounted a 12-hour long enforcement operation last Tuesday (Sept 14) as part of an investigation involving a syndicate suspected of bringing foreigners into Singapore on work passes obtained through false declarations. The operation took place at 22 locations around the island. MOM said it began its investigations in July upon obtaining information of a foreigner's attempts to acquire a work pass illegally. Through detailed analyses over a few months, the ministry uncovered a potential syndicate suspected of setting up several shell companies to apply for work passes, even though they had no legitimate business operations. Such syndicates typically recruit Singapore citizens and Singapore permanent residents to receive CPF contributions as "phantom local workers" in order to illegally inflate the companies' quota to hire foreigners, said MOM. Based on inflated quota, the companies would apply for work passes for the foreigners through false declarations and collect kickbacks from them. These foreigner...

World Alzheimer’s Day: More resources launched in S’pore to support those with dementia and caregivers

aseanpr 21 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A new online resource portal for those with dementia and their caregivers as well as a new app that helps with the early detection of pre-dementia symptoms were launched on Tuesday (Sept 21). This was in conjunction with World Alzheimer's Day, commemorated worldwide, which kicks off a month-long calendar of events and activities dedicated to raising awareness and challenging the stigma of dementia. DementiaHub.SG, rolled out by social service agency Dementia Singapore and the Agency of Integrated Care, has resources for four groups - members of a community or corporation; persons living with dementia; caregivers for a loved one with dementia; and care professionals. It has articles on the management of dementia symptoms, products and support services, self-care, as well as tool kits and videos on dementia care, exercises and dietary recommendations. Dementia Singapore chief executive Jason Foo noted that upon diagnosis, persons living with dementia and their caregivers often scramble to find more information that is often sourced from various local and international websites. "But not all sources are reliable, verified or relevant to the Singapore context. We see a need...

Concern, frustration as Covid-19 clusters disrupt life around Toa Payoh

aseanpr 21 9 月

7 minutes

SINGAPORE - The crowds are gone in Toa Payoh, which is feeling the impact of several Covid-19 clusters emerging across the neighbourhood over the past few weeks. The Ministry of Health has identified various locations as virus clusters, the most recent being the Singapore Pools outlet at Block 111, Toa Payoh Lorong 1 and the bus interchange in Toa Payoh Central, currently the biggest of the clusters with 183 cases. The other clusters are the market and hawker centre at Block 210 Toa Payoh Lorong 8, the wholesale night vegetable market in Toa Payoh East Lorong 7, religious school Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah in Toa Payoh North, and Orient Goldsmiths and Jewellers in Toa Payoh Central. The usually busy hawker centre along Toa Payoh Lorong 8 was mostly empty when The Straits Times visited on Monday afternoon. Less than a quarter of the 80 stores were in operation with many hawkers having opted against opening on the first day since the premises had been closed for cleaning for three days. The cleaning, initially scheduled for Friday (Sept 24) was brought forward to last Sunday after Covid-19 cases were detected among stallholders and workers there. A total of 41 cases linked to t...

Yale-NUS students get $70,000 subsidy a year, 3 times that given to those taking arts or science degree

aseanpr 21 9 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - The Yale-NUS College may have provided a first-rate liberal arts education, but tuition alone came at a high cost of $90,800 per year for each student. Singaporean students paid $20,500 a year for tuition on their own, while the government subsidised the remaining $70,300 a year. In comparison, a Singaporean student enrolled this year in the newly set up College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) at the National University of Singapore will pay $8,200 in tuition fees yearly and receive a tuition grant of $22,300 from the government. The total cost amounts to $30,500. 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.

35 people to be charged in court after police raid on unlicensed KTV

aseanpr 21 9 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The police will be charging 35 people aged between 17 and 34 who were caught in an unlicensed KTV operating in a unit in Tradehub 21 at Boon Lay Way. They will be charged in court on Wednesday (Sept 22) with violating restrictions on leaving their place of residence. In a statement on Tuesday, the police said 44 people were found in the unit on Jan 1 this year. Public entertainment and liquor were allegedly provided. Singapore had entered phase 3 restrictions on Dec 28 last year and measures then meant only up to eight persons were allowed for social gatherings. During the period, a limited number of nightlife establishments were allowed to reopen with Covid-19 safety measures in place. These measures included ensuring customers tested negative before entering and had their masks on at all times except while eating and drinking. Police on Tuesday said a 25-year-old man, who was part of the group, has been served a notice of composition, which likely entails a fine. They are currently investigating eight people, aged 20 to 27, from the group. Those found guilty of not complying with safe distancing measures can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both...

Kids told not to follow clowns loitering outside primary schools; Tan Chuan-Jin urges firm to stop ‘viral marketing nonsense’

aseanpr 20 9 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Parents with children attending Tao Nan School were informed that people dressed as clowns have been seen loitering outside the school. The school said that the individuals, who were spotted near other primary schools, had requested children to follow them, Tao Nan School's principal Poh Qinyu said in a letter to parents seen by The Straits Times. She urged parents to inform their children not to be lured by any strangers and to notify the school and the police immediately if any suspicious characters are seen near the school premises. The clowns have been reportedly spotted in several locations, such as Katong and Tampines, as seen in social media posts in the past week. Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin uploaded a photo of one of the individuals, who was dressed as a clown and seen in Bedok South, in a Facebook post on Monday. He said: "Whoever is doing what I assume to be some viral marketing nonsense, stop it! "I trust the police are investigating this. It's not amusing and just plain dangerous." ST has contacted the police for comment. More on this topic Related Story Singapore 'killer clown' prankster takes down videos, apologises for prank that backfired

Waiver of foreign worker levies during SHN extended till end December: MOM

aseanpr 20 9 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - The waiver of foreign worker levies for S Pass and work permit holders for the duration of their stay-home notice (SHN) period will be extended to the end of the year, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng on Monday (Sept 20). This is to help employers bring in workers safely and give them more time to adjust and manage the costs of SHN requirements. Dr Tan, who is also the second minister for Trade and Industry, added it is also to support the construction sector which has been badly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The waiver applies to migrant domestic workers as well. The waiver period was due to end this month (September). More on this topic. Related Story Higher foreign worker levy rebates for essential sectors in S'pore Related Story Singapore business sentiment improves slightly for Q4 but construction, transportation stay gloomy: Survey

The New Paper goes fully digital from Dec 10

aseanpr 20 9 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The move is part of SPH Media Trust's mission to accelerate the digital transformation of newsrooms and to meet audience preferences in a rapidly-changing media landscape. Going fully digital will allow SPH Media Trust to serve TNP readers better, said Mr Khaw Boon Wan, chairman of the trust, in an interview with The Sunday Times yesterday. "We have discussed and we have decided to let The New Paper pivot to be fully digital as soon as possible," said Mr Khaw. "In other words, we cease the print production, reform the newsroom, enhance their online presence, so that they can serve their readers, their audience much better round the clock." SPH Media Trust, a company limited by guarantee (CLG), will take over Singapore Press Holdings' media business by December. The CLG is a profit-making commercial venture with profits reinvested in the business. In May, mainboard-listed SPH had announced that it planned to hive off its media business to a CLG as part of a company-wide strategic review. Mr Khaw, the former coordinating minister for infrastructure and transport who had retired from politics in June last year, was named chairman of the CLG. Former SPH deputy chief executi...

Probation not recommended for S’porean at UK uni who took voyeuristic videos of women: Prosecutor

aseanpr 20 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Probation is not recommended for a Singaporean student from a top British university who filmed multiple women at various places here, a district court heard on Monday (Sept 20). The prosecution told this to the court after the offender was earlier assessed, including by a probation officer, for his suitability for probation. On July 29, the man, 23, had pleaded guilty to seven counts of insulting the women's modesty and an offence under the Films Act. On Monday, defence lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan told the court that he had some questions for the probation officer and psychologist who attended to the offender. The lawyer told District Judge Tan Jen Tse he wanted to know how the risk assessment was undertaken. The offender, who cannot be named due to a gag order, is now out on bail of $20,000. His pre-trial conference will be held on Oct 18. During the earlier proceeding on July 29, the court heard that the clips he recorded involved 11 identified women and one unknown victim. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Foo Shi Hao then applied to the court for the gag order on his identity to be lifted, noting that the victims were unanimous in supporting the move. The gag order had...

Man, 58, charged with operating unlicensed massage parlours

aseanpr 20 9 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A man was charged on Monday (Sept 20) with operating three unlicensed massage parlours in Brighton Crescent, Hougang Street 21 and Jalan Besar. The Ang Mo Kio and Central Police Divisions conducted a series of enforcement operations between December last year and June this year and found the man to be allegedly operating massage establishments and providing massage services without valid licences. Foo Hee Tong, 58, is charged with three counts of carrying on a business of providing massage services in an establishment without a valid licence under Section 5(1) of the Massage Establishment Act 2017. Each count of the offence carries a fine of up to $20,000, a jail term of up to five years, or both. The police will notify the landlord when his tenant has been charged in court with operating an unlicensed massage establishment. After the tenant has been convicted, the landlord must make sure the tenant hands over possession of the premises within one month. "The police will take action against landlords who knowingly lease their premises to unlicensed massage establishment operators," said the Singapore Police Force in a statement on Monday. The police highlighted that the...

TVS Motor Company Forays Into the Personal E-Mobility Business With a Majority Stake in European E-Bike Brand EGO Movement

aseanpr 20 9 月

5 minutes

- Taps into sustainable personal mobility solutions with e-bikes- Eyes European market with customer-centric bike designs, products and unique omnichannel network- Second major acquisition in Europe after Norton Motorcycles SINGAPORE, Sept 17, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - TVS Motor Company, a reputed two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturer globally, today announced a partnership with EGO Movement as a majority shareholder, in an all-cash deal through its Singapore Subsidiary TVS Motor (Singapore) Pte Ltd. The partnership is in line with TVS Motor Company's commitment to building an aspirational product portfolio while nurturing sustainable and scalable brands. It also reiterates the company's strategy to expand its global presence in developed markets, commencing with Europe, which serves as the heart of the e-bike mobility landscape. From Left to Right - Sir Ralf Speth, Board of Director, TVS Motor Company; Mr. Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director, TVS Motor Company; Mr. Daniel Meyer and Ms. Marie So (Co-Founders, EGO Movement) Led by the co-founders Daniel Meyer and Marie So, EGO Movement is a Swiss technology company providing innovative mobility solutions through a portfolio o...

Younger, fully vaccinated Covid-19 patients should recover at home amid strained hospitals: Ong Ye Kung

aseanpr 19 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - While the overall intensive care unit (ICU) capacity is holding up, Singapore healthcare system's Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments, as well as general wards, are "coming under pressure", Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Sunday (Sept 19). "Our hospitals and healthcare workers cannot be overburdened. At this point, this is MOH's biggest challenge and we are doing our best to solve this," Mr Ong said in a Facebook post, adding that this is why younger, fully vaccinated people are being encouraged to recover at home. His comments come a day after the Ministry of Health (MOH) said some public hospitals here have been experiencing a surge in patients who have rushed to their A&E departments with mild respiratory infection symptoms. Although MOH did not specify which hospitals it was referring to, public hospitals had put up announcements last week alluding to the situation. Last Tuesday, Singapore General Hospital put up a Facebook post saying it was seeing a high number of patients at its emergency department, and said priority would be given to the critically ill. "If your condition is not critical, please seek medical attention at a general practitioner (GP) or ...

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