aseanpr

PSP files motion to debate jobs, foreign workforce policy and Ceca in Parliament

aseanpr 31 8 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has filed a private member's motion in Parliament on issues about jobs and foreign workforce policy, the party's Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai said on Tuesday (Aug 31). In a Facebook post, he said he expects the debate to take place on either the Sept 13 or Sept 14 sitting of Parliament. The motion, which will allow all MPs to take part in the ensuing debate, states: "That this Parliament calls upon the Government to take urgent and concrete action to address the widespread anxiety among Singaporeans on jobs and livelihood caused by the Foreign Talent Policy and the 'movement of natural persons' provisions in some free trade agreements like Ceca." Mr Leong said the main focus of the debate would be on how to improve the jobs and livelihoods of Singaporeans. "Ceca is not our main concern and has been thrust upon us by the Government," he added, referring to the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with India. The PSP first announced its intention to debate employment policies and Ceca in June. The following month, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng and Health Minister Ong Ye Kung delivered ministerial statements in Parliament on...

SMU molestation case: Man, 25, convicted of outraging woman’s modesty

aseanpr 31 8 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A Singapore Management University (SMU) student has been convicted of molesting a woman on campus in 2019. On Tuesday (Aug 31), District Judge Sharmila Sripathy found Lee Yan Ru, now 25, guilty of one count of molestation. In delivering her verdict, the judge noted that Lee did not deny committing the sexual act on the victim, who was then 21 years old. Instead, he had claimed that the victim was "fine" with his advances and that she had been "coy" with him. During an earlier court proceeding, Lee had testified that he assumed the victim did not mean it when she told him to stop committing the offence. On Tuesday, Judge Sharmila noted that the woman was asleep when Lee started performing the sexual act on her. As such, she was in no position to consent to it. The judge also found that the woman had been truthful in court, and added that Lee "was fully aware (the victim) wanted him to desist". The victim, who was then studying at another university, cannot be named due to a gag order to protect her identity. During the trial that started in September last year, the court heard that she got to know Lee on social media platform Instagram around December 2018 and that they ...

Flood risks in central, western Singapore as heavy showers continue

aseanpr 31 8 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - It is the second day this week of heavy showers across the island and flash floods may occur, national water agency PUB said. The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS), a unit under the National Environment Agency, issued a heavy rain warning on Tuesday morning (Aug 31), with moderate to heavy rain falling over central and western Singapore and heavy rain in the east. At 8.20am, PUB said water levels in Commonwealth Lane and Commonwealth Drive are near full capacity following heavy morning showers. Flood risk was identified along these two roads and the public was advised to avoid the area for an hour. At about 9am, water level sensors in the industrial area of Tanjong Penjuru showed that drains there had reached at least 90 per cent capacity, but subsequently subsided. According to the MSS website, the lowest recorded temperature today was 23.8 deg C in Novena at 8am. Thundery showers are expected to continue for the rest of the week. More on this topic Related Story Flash floods in Hougang Avenue 8, Punggol Way after heavy morning rain Related Story S'pore could experience heavier rain over next 2 months

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

aseanpr 31 8 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Tuesday, Aug 31. Last US forces leave Afghanistan after almost 20 years Celebratory gunfire was heard across the Afghan capital after the last US troops pulled out. READ MORE HERE 2 new Covid-19 clusters at Tampines Bus Interchange and Institute of Mental Health This is the eighth cluster in a growing list tied to bus interchanges. READ MORE HERE askST: Are people who encounter Covid-19 cases on public transport 'transient contacts'? Given that bus captains drive all over the island, is there cause for concern? READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Consumers willing to pay more if workers get better wages But this must come with better service and firms showing they are really paying workers better. READ MORE HERE Jail for married couple who abused maid with acts including forcing her to drink toilet water The maid had a soiled nappy rubbed on her face and was also hit with a metal ladle. READ MORE HERE Organ donor in S'pore answers online plea, donates 23% of liver to baby he never met 99 people from the community wanted to donate a part of their liver to the one-year-...

Health Promotion Board extends mental health workshops to parents of secondary school children

aseanpr 30 8 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Parents of secondary school students can tap a series of free online workshops to help enhance their children's mental health come October. Tender documents for the workshops, which are run by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) under the Colours Of The Mind initiative, were published on Aug 19. In response to queries from The Straits Times, HPB said parents will be equipped with skills to boost their children's mental well-being, social and emotional intelligence, as well as resilience. The programme incorporates age-appropriate messages and activities, it added. HPB will be working with schools and community partners to conduct the programme through online platforms. The programme was introduced in 2013 for parents of children aged two to six, and was later extended to parents of primary school pupils. The workshops will take up to 100 parents each, according to the tender documents. They will be run by two trainers with academic qualifications in early childhood education, counselling, psychology or social work. The sessions will cover topics such as the importance of talking to children about emotions, how to guide them in managing their feelings, and how parents also ...

Woman who had Covid-19 given 12 weeks’ jail for exposing others to infection risk

aseanpr 30 8 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A woman who exposed others to the risk of Covid-19 infection after returning to Singapore from Britain last year was on Monday (Aug 30) sentenced to 12 weeks' jail. Esther Tan Ling Ying, who arrived here in March last year, tested positive for Covid-19 a week later. On Aug 16 this year, District Judge Ng Peng Hong convicted the 24-year-old Singaporean of an offence under the Infectious Diseases Act, after a trial. Tan began her bachelor's degree course in acting in London in 2017, but was back here last year before completing her studies, following an advisory by the Singapore Government to return. Prior to leaving Britain, she had flu-like symptoms and had lost her sense of taste and smell. She did not see a doctor there and instead chose to self-isolate until the day of her departure from London. Tan still had a blocked nose and no sense of taste or smell when she landed at Changi Airport Terminal 1 on March 23 last year. She was issued a stay-home notice (SHN) and an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer told her to go home immediately. She cleared immigration at about 2.40pm. But before heading home, she and her parents ate at the foodcourt in Terminal 1, sp...

$168m lost to top 10 scam types in first half of 2021; overall crime up by 11.2%

aseanpr 30 8 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Scam victims lost $168 million to conmen in the top 10 scam categories in the first six months of this year, a sharp spike from $63.5 million in the same period last year. This comes on the back of a 16 per cent rise in the number of reported scam cases and a 11.2 per cent hike in overall crime, according to mid-year statistics released by the police on Monday (Aug 30). A total of 19,444 cases were reported between January and June this year, up from 17,492 in the same period last year. Scam cases climbed from 7,247 to 8,403. "Scammers are constantly evolving their tactics and have been taking advantage of the Covid-19 situation to prey on victims' heightened vulnerability and sense of uncertainty," said the police. In particular, loan scams had the highest number of reported cases among scam types, with $10.6 million cheated, compared with $5.6 million last year. The victims were mostly duped into providing personal information to supposed licensed moneylenders or banks. The scammers would ask them to pay a small percentage of the loan amount as administrative fees and become uncontactable after payment is made. E-commerce scams had the second highest number of reporte...

36 charged over involvement in submission of $11.8 million worth of false claims to Iras

aseanpr 30 8 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Thirty-six people have been charged in court over their involvement in the submission of $11.8 million worth of false claims to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras). These were submitted by various companies between 2014 and 2016 under the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) Scheme, said the police on Monday (Aug 30). They were charged across two days - last Thursday and Friday. "These 36 persons are alleged to have either failed to exercise any supervision over the affairs of the companies in which they were directors, or to have abetted others to register as company directors who would have no involvement in supervising the affairs of the companies, or both," added the police. Six of them also face charges for intentionally perverting the course of justice by lying or instigating others to lie to the police during investigations. The police said three individuals in the group had earlier been charged with multiple cheating, money laundering and other offences related to the false PIC claims. The PIC scheme was introduced to encourage productivity enhancements in businesses. It ended in 2018. The scheme offers tax deductions or cash payouts to companie...

Singapore crosses 80 per cent Covid-19 vaccination milestone: Ong Ye Kung

aseanpr 29 8 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The nation's Covid-19 vaccination rate has reached a new milestone, with 80 per cent of the population having received two doses of the vaccine as at Sunday (Aug 29). Revealing this in a Facebook post on Sunday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said: "Singapore has taken another step forward in making ourselves more resilient to Covid-19." Mr Ong said more than 4,300 homebound individuals have received their Covid-19 jab by the home vaccination teams. The Health Ministry receives about 700 requests for home vaccinations each week and it has tripled its home vaccination teams from 11 to 33 teams with help from 200 volunteer doctors and nurses and the Singapore Armed Forces, he said. As a result, waiting time has been halved from eight weeks to four weeks, he added. "We aim to complete all home vaccinations by end-Sept. That will be another important step forward," he said. On Friday, the Health Ministry said that three unvaccinated seniors died of Covid-19 complications on Thursday and Friday. Two were "non-ambulatory and had limited movement outside of their homes", the ministry said in its nightly update. More on this topic Related Story Number of home-vaccination teams tri...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Aug 29

aseanpr 29 8 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, Aug 29. More Housing Board projects to integrate rental flats, improving inclusivity Estates will have several blocks with a mix of housing types, says Minister of State for National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim. READ MORE HERE Plan to let migrant workers into community still on hold after new Covid-19 clusters in dorms over past month But with more than nine in 10 dorm residents now fully vaccinated, experts say it is hard to justify the curbs, especially given the impact on mental health. READ MORE HERE National Day Rally 2021: Follow ST’s live coverage of PM Lee Hsien Loong’s speech from 6.45pm on Aug 29 Get instant updates on our special live blog and watch the live stream of the speech on our platforms. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Plan early to have enough money for life More than half of Singaporeans will run out of money in the last 14 years of their lives, a survey finds. READ MORE HERE US believes new Kabul airport attack 'highly likely' soon, says Biden He also said a drone attack that killed two high-profile targets after Thursday's ...

Torn between staying here to earn money or going home to family

aseanpr 29 8 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - Over the last 15 months, construction worker M. Muthu has not been able to meet his relatives for a meal at a South Indian restaurant in Norris Road. It was something he did with his relatives, who also work in Singapore, every week pre-pandemic. 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.

Plan to let migrant workers into community still on hold after new Covid-19 clusters in dorms over past month

aseanpr 29 8 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - A pilot programme to allow migrant workers living in dormitories back into the community remains on hold, 16 months after movement restrictions were introduced to curb the spread of Covid-19. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) told The Sunday Times that this is to protect workers and mitigate the risk of further transmission as new Covid-19 clusters have emerged in dorms over the past month. 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.

Can home cleaning scheme replace live-in maids?

aseanpr 29 8 月

9 minutes

SINGAPORE - Ms Poe Ei San, 25, a Myanmar migrant, could not find work as a nurse in Singapore, so she cleaned homes instead. Every day, the Yangon University graduate washes toilets, scrubs floors and wipes down kitchens. "Because of the low pay and instability in Myanmar, many young people look for jobs overseas," she said. Ms Poe is among a small but growing number of home cleaners under the Household Services Scheme (HSS), a five-year-old programme that allows companies to hire migrant workers from countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka to provide part-time cleaning services to households. HSS is primarily designed to meet the demand for part-time help and, by extension, reduce Singapore's reliance on live-in foreign domestic workers. Singapore's maid population grew by about 40 per cent in the past decade, and there were more than 250,000 maids in the Republic as at 2018. "It is not sustainable for the population of foreign domestic workers to grow unchecked," the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) had said. Over the years, Singapore's 1.4 million households have come to depend heavily on maids for chores, cooking and caring of the elderly, children and pets. These ma...

PUB to raise 450m stretch of flood-prone Dunearn Road to reduce risk of flash floods

aseanpr 28 8 月

7 minutes

SINGAPORE - National water agency PUB will be raising a 450m stretch of Dunearn Road, where flash floods have occurred three times this year, to reduce the risk of such incidents there. The works are expected to be completed by November this year, PUB said in a statement on Saturday (Aug 28). Details on how high the road will be raised is still being fine tuned. The raising of the road will be an interim flood-proofing measure before ongoing drainage expansion works along Bukit Timah complete by the first quarter of 2024. PUB said that the drainage improvement project to widen and deepen a 900m section of the Bukit Timah Canal will help to address the problem. Last Tuesday (Aug 24), heavy rain caused a flash flood that resulted in the stretch of Dunearn Road between Sime Darby Centre and Binjai Park to become impassible for about 40 minutes. That day, more rain pelted western Singapore in three hours than the average rainfall for the whole month of August. On July 12 and April 17 this year, heavy rain also caused flash flooding incidents there. PUB said: "When completed, the upgraded canal will enhance flood protection for the surrounding area including Dunearn Road, and reduce the...

3 new TEL train stations to serve as emergency shelters

aseanpr 28 8 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The opening of Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) Stage 2 on Saturday (Aug 28) means there will be three more emergency shelters added to the existing network here - Lentor, Mayflower and Bright Hill MRT stations. With the three latest shelters, there are now 584 civil defence shelters, of which 52 are in underground MRT stations. More will be added over time to shelter more people, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Like the other shelters, the three stations have been reinforced with air vents that can be shut in the event of chemical warfare - restricting air exchange in and out of the underground shelter but also minimising the amount of contaminated air entering it. The SCDF said it did a study which showed that this method of protection is effective, reducing exposure to safe levels, based on international toxic chemical exposure guidelines. All those entering the shelter during a chemical attack will have to remove their clothes and decontaminate themselves using specially developed wipes, in cubicles that are separated by gender. A standard-issue change of clothes will then be provided. Other than underground MRT stations, shelters have been built in scho...

First batch of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine available from Aug 30 in Singapore

aseanpr 28 8 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The first batch of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine will be available at some hospitals and clinics from Monday (Aug 30). People can book an appointment at healthcare firm Clearbridge Health's Medic Surgical and Laser Clinic at Tanjong Pagar Plaza from Saturday, and it will begin administering the vaccine on Monday. The vaccine is priced at $98 for two doses, including goods and services tax (GST). It is understood that many of the Monday slots have already been taken. IHH Healthcare Singapore - which offers the Sinopharm vaccine at Gleneagles Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Shenton Medical Group clinics in One Raffles Quay and Duxton - will open appointment bookings on Monday. The vaccine will be available at Gleneagles Hospital and the Shenton Medical Group clinics on Wednesday, while Mount Elizabeth Hospital will begin administering it from Sept 7. IHH Healthcare Singapore offers the vaccine at $99 for two doses, including GST. The Sinopharm vaccine is administered in two doses, which are given three to four weeks apart. It is approved to be used for people aged 18 and above. Clearbridge Medical Group, which runs Medic Surgical and Laser Clinic, said on Saturday...

Commuters on first trains at new TEL2 stations reminisce inaugural 1980s MRT rides

aseanpr 28 8 月

8 minutes

SINGAPORE - At 5.15am on Saturday (Aug 28), minutes before the Thomson-East Coast Line gantry at Caldecott MRT station officially opened to the public, a middle-aged man in a blue shirt and shorts walked to station personnel and said: "I want to take the first train." It was also a nostalgic trip for the school teacher, Mr Yap Siew Meng, 49, because in the 1980s, he was among the first to ride an MRT train when services for the mass rapid transit started and stations opened. On Saturday, Mr Yap joined at least three other passengers who were the first to be travel along the newly opened extended stretch of the Thomson-East Coast Line, spanning six stations from Caldecott to Springleaf. The first train at Caldecott MRT station departed at 5.50am, at the crack of dawn. At around 7am, trains were starting to fill up slowly, with about four passengers scattered around each car. The highly anticipated six-station stretch, named TEL2, connects the new Springleaf, Lentor, Mayflower, Bright Hill, Upper Thomson and Caldecott stations. The line's first three stations - Woodlands North, Woodlands and Woodlands South, collectively called TEL1 - opened in January last year. Mr Yap, who lives in...

Changes to testing arrangements for students taking national year-end exams: MOE, SEAB

aseanpr 28 8 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Students who have been placed on leave of absence (LOA) after coming into close contact with confirmed Covid-19 cases will now be allowed to take national examinations if they test negative for the virus in antigen rapid tests (ARTs). This is provided they are not awaiting a quarantine order. They will also have to take the ART at their school or examination venue every two days until their LOA is rescinded. These updated arrangements will allow as many students as possible to take their exam papers while keeping candidates and staff safe, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) said in a joint statement on Saturday (Aug 28). The national year-end written examinations for key subjects will start on Sept 15, starting with the GCE N levels and ending with the GCE A levels. Those who are placed on LOA because they are staying with individuals who have been given a quarantine order or are under a stay-home notice will be allowed to take their papers if their ART is negative. Likewise, they will also have to undergo testing at regular intervals. Those on approved absence because they are staying in the same household with me...

Singapore ‘strongly condemns’ Kabul bombings

aseanpr 27 8 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore on Friday (Aug 27) strongly condemned the bombings outside Afghanistan's Kabul airport that killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more. "These acts of violence are deplorable and cannot be justified," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement. Singapore also conveyed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a full recovery. "Singapore continues to urge all parties, including the Taleban, to ensure the safety of civilians and facilitate the safe and orderly departure of foreign nationals who wish to leave Afghanistan," added the MFA. Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K), an affiliate of militants who previously battled United States forces in Syria and Iraq, struck the crowded gates of the airport in a suicide bomb attack on Thursday. At least two explosions tore through crowds that had thronged the gates of Hamid Karzai International Airport desperate to leave since the Taleban seized power almost two weeks ago. The bombings killed at least 60 civilians and 13 US troops, and leaving hundreds injured. US President Joe Biden has vowed to go after the perpetrators, saying he had asked the Pentagon to develop ...

Ex-inspection officer at BCA charged with accepting $600 bribe for showing leniency

aseanpr 27 8 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A former inspection officer of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has been charged with accepting a $600 bribe from a construction company in exchange for showing leniency during an inspection. Tan Ming Lie, a 32-year-old Singaporean, was handed two counts of corruption on Friday (Aug 27). Court documents state that Tan, a temporary worker at BCA, had allegedly taken the bribe in November last year from one Goh Tock Tan, the general manager of Domain Trading & Construction. Domain was then managing a construction site located at 69 Begonia Drive in the Yio Chu Kang area. The alleged bribe, which sought to induce Tan to "not show disfavour" in a BCA inspection at the site, took the form of payment for consultancy services provided to Domain. At around the same time, Tan allegedly tried to obtain bribes from a project manager of construction company Sin Hock Keong in exchange for the same benefit. The project manager rejected his request and reported the matter to BCA. A BCA spokesman told The Straits Times that Tan worked there for about two months and was dismissed from his post after an internal investigation. The matter was subsequently referred to the Corr...

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