SeaPRwire

New scheme to help retiring hawkers pass on stall and skills to safeguard hawker culture

aseanpr 24 11 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Non-subsidised hawker stallholders who wish to retire will now be able to pass on their stalls to non-relatives, in a new hawker succession scheme proposed by a workgroup set up to safeguard hawker culture in Singapore. It is the first such scheme directly aimed at pairing new entrants with older ones for "succession", the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Tuesday (Nov 24), directly tackling a problem that the industry has long been facing. The national median age for hawkers is currently 59 years old, with old hawkers finding it hard to attract new entrants due to, among other reasons, strict rules that previously mandated some of them could only pass on their stalls to relatives and family members. Under the new scheme to be piloted in the first quarter of next year, the NEA, with the advice of an independent panel, will match these retiring hawkers with new entrants so that their recipes and culinary skills can be passed on, while allowing them to mentor new hawkers on how to best manage their stalls. The plan for now is for the succession scheme to help those who have at least 15 years of experience operating their hawker businesses in hawker centres. There ...

ICA officer accused of receiving sexual services, cash as bribes; 3 others also charged with corruption

aseanpr 24 11 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) officer allegedly received bribes and sexual services from two foreign women, in exchange for helping them remain in Singapore legally. Teo Hwee Peng, 47, and the women - Chinese nationals Liang Qinglan, 37, and Cheng Wenjuan, 32 - were charged in court on Tuesday (Nov 24) for corruption. Teo, a checkpoints inspector, faces 12 charges, while Liang and Cheng face nine and 18 charges respectively. Cheng is also linked to a similar matter involving another Singaporean, 42-year-old Kelvin Lim Chee Wee. He is facing 14 charges for corruptly receiving bribes and sexual services from Cheng. Court documents state that Liang and Cheng allegedly provided the sexual services and bribes to Teo, in return for the officer’s help in getting Special Passes issued to them. A Special Pass, which legalises a foreigner's stay in Singapore, is issued for specific purposes such as assistance in investigations, court attendance and for stateless persons residing here. Those holding Special Passes are not allowed to work without a valid work pass. Between 2018 and last year, Liang purportedly provided Teo sexual services, at least $2,...

Indian units of Sembcorp, Saudi firm win govt auctions to sell solar power

elean 24 11 月

2 minutes

CHENNAI (REUTERS) - The Indian units of Sembcorp Industries and Saudi Arabia's Aljomaih Holding won government auctions to sell solar power for a record low of 2 rupees (S$0.036) per kilo watt hour (kWh), sources said. The tariff represented a discount of nearly a sixth from the lowest bid for solar power of 2.36 rupees in the auctions conducted by state-run Solar Energy Corp of India (SECI) in June. India, the world's third-biggest greenhouse gas emitter, has set a target of raising its renewable energy to 175 gigawatts (GW) by 2022 and 450 GW, from about 90 GW now. Sembcorp's Indian unit Green Infra Wind Energy will operate a solar plant with a capacity of 400 megawatts (MW), while Aljomaih Energy and Water will construct a 200 MW plant, a screengrab of the results of the auctions conducted by SECI showed. Three sources familiar with the matter, including a SECI official, independently confirmed the development. NTPC and Sembcorp declined comment. Reuters was not able to contact Aljomaih for comment beyond regular business hours. SECI, the country's main agency for renewable energy adoption, awards contracts to the company offering to sell electricity at the lowest price, followi...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Nov 24

aseanpr 24 11 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Tuesday, Nov 24. No Covid-19 cases in community and dorms for 13 days in S'pore, but complacency must not set in: Experts Experts cautioned that local, undetected cases may still be lurking. READ MORE HERE Biden to get his delayed presidential transition aid: Trump This is Trump's closest statement yet to finally conceding he lost the US election. READ MORE HERE Long-time Joe Biden adviser Antony Blinken set to be US secretary of state Biden's choices signal a return to professionalism and experience, analysts said. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Singapore consumers express concern over 'complicated' tourism voucher redemption process The SingapoRediscovers Vouchers can be redeemed online through five authorised booking partners. READ MORE HERE $100 tourism vouchers: More choices with multiple redemption platforms, say observers A single platform to redeem the vouchers would be ideal, but having options has its draws too, they say. READ MORE HERE Woman sues PUB for $5 million after falling into manhole, says accident caused schizophrenia Madam Chan Hui Peng, a ch...

SPH Reit manager defends not disclosing key personnel salaries

elean 24 11 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) - The manager of SPH Reit on Monday (Nov 23) defended its decision not to disclose the salaries of its key management personnel in the real estate investment trust's (Reit) latest annual report, in response to a query from the Singapore Exchange. In its query, SGX noted that SPH Reit had not complied fully with a provision in the corporate governance code addressing the disclosure of remuneration for key management personnel. In its bourse filing addressing the query, SPH Reit Management acknowledged that the remuneration and breakdown with respect to its key management personnel have not been disclosed in SPH Reit's annual report. However, the report sets out the remuneration policy, its key objectives, considerations in fixing remuneration packages and the mix of remuneration, the manager said. In explaining its policy, the manager said that the remuneration of its directors and employees are not paid out of the deposited property of SPH Reit. The remuneration is paid directly by the manager, which is a private company. The fees that the manager gets from SPH Reit are disclosed in the annual report. "(There) is no misalignment between the remunerati...

Cyclical boost lifts stocks; Yellen news gives short bump

elean 24 11 月

3 minutes

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - US stocks closed higher in a choppy session on Monday (Nov 23) as hopes for a Covid-19 vaccine lifted economically sensitive sectors such as energy and industrials, but a pullback in megacap shares curbed gains on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. Cyclicals led gains, with energy ahead by more than 6 per cent while industrials and financials each rose more than 1 per cent, as data showed monthly business activity expanded at the fastest rate in more than five years. Energy shares got a boost from another gain in oil prices, which have risen on anticipation a vaccine will help demand recover. "It's Monday vaccine trade day," said Ken Polcari, managing partner at Kace Capital Advisors in Jupiter, Florida. "As they move out of those growth names, it's still this continued move into larger cyclical, value names, which is why you see the Dow performing so well and the Nasdaq under some pressure." Declines in technology and tech-related heavyweight names such as Apple Inc and Netflix Inc muted gains as investors rotated out of stocks seen as safe bets following a coronavirus-led crash earlier this year. Major averages got a late boost after the Wall Street Journal reported US ...

S’pore economy turns corner on long road to recovery

elean 24 11 月

3 minutes

Singapore's economy has turned a corner and will rebound next year, though the recovery is expected to be gradual. It is still poised to grow by the fastest pace in a decade, helped by a low base, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said yesterday. In its maiden forecast for next year, MTI said the economy may expand by 4 per cent to 6 per cent - the most since 2011, when it grew by 6.3 per cent. However, gross domestic product (GDP) will probably not return to pre-Covid-19 levels until the end of next year, it said while presenting the Economic Survey of Singapore. Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said that while the growth outlook may have improved, there was still much work to be done. "While we are turning the corner, we still have a long way to go in our economic recovery," he said. Meanwhile, some of the gloom brought on by the pandemic is being dispelled. There were signs that the continued expansion of trade and manufacturing, and a gradual recovery in construction-and tourism-related sectors, would spur the rebound. For this year, the economy will contract by 6.5 per cent to 6 per cent - less than the previous estimate of a 7 per cent to 5 per cent shrinkage...

Third vaccine emerges as contender

aseanpr 24 11 月

1 minute

A vaccine developed by Oxford University and biopharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has been found to be up to 90 per cent effective at preventing Covid-19, according to preliminary results. It joins two other vaccine front runners.

Company Briefs: Keppel Corp

elean 24 11 月

2 minutes

Keppel Corp Keppel Corp is making a slew of leadership changes at a few of its key business units. Among the changes are Keppel Land's chief operating officer Louis Lim succeeding Mr Tan Swee Yiow as the unit's chief executive officer, with Mr Tan appointed senior managing director of urban development at Keppel Corp. Keppel Infrastructure CEO Ong Tiong Guan is retiring and will be succeeded by Ms Cindy Lim, who is Keppel Corp's director of group corporate development and Keppel Urban Solution's managing director. The changes take effect from Feb 15 next year. THE BUSINESS TIMES Broadway Industrial Group Broadway Industrial Group on Nov 17 received a draft binding letter of intent from a potential buyer to acquire its hard disk drive business. At the time, the company was confident an agreement would follow, and thus requested a trading halt on Nov 18. However, further negotiations with the potential buyer were required, and thus no binding agreement has been reached yet, Broadway Industrial said in a bourse filing on Sunday night. The mainboard-listed precision manufacturer added that it remains in negotiations with the potential buyer. THE BUSINESS TIMES QT Vascular Catalist-list...

Piano teacher with autism who molested student given 3 years’ probation, banned from accessing porn

aseanpr 23 11 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A piano teacher with autism who molested his five-year-old student was sentenced to three years' probation on Monday (Nov 23). In sentencing, the High Court judge said he had considered the fact that the man, now 22, would suffer disproportionately in prison because of his autism spectrum disorder, among other factors such as his suitability for probation, and the progress he has made to reform. However, Justice Pang Khang Chau further noted that this does not mean that all offenders with autism spectrum disorder should not be jailed, or that the prison service is incapable of taking care of persons with the disorder. Justice Pang said he was simply recognising the "undeniable fact" that a jail term, as the prosecution had originally sought, would have a different impact on the man as compared to other persons of his age. Despite having no causal link to the offence, the man's autism spectrum disorder is not irrelevant to sentencing, and the court is entitled to take this into account, he added. He agreed with the defence's argument that rehabilitation should be the primary sentencing consideration in this case, as the man was a young offender who had committed the offe...

Public more vigilant in reporting possible family violence as Govt steps up awareness efforts

aseanpr 23 11 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - More people are reporting possible incidents of family violence as the Government ramps up efforts to raise awareness and detection of the issue, including training pharmacy staff to detect signs of abuse in customers. The Ministry of Social and Family Development's Adult and Child Protective services saw a 25 per cent increase in the monthly average number of enquiries post-circuit breaker, in the months of June to September, compared to April and May. Explaining the reason for the increase, Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Social and Family Development as well as Education, on Monday (Nov 23) said that the public is more vigilant. But she noted that the number of incidents investigated remains at a monthly average of 118 from January to September this year. Speaking at the National Family Violence Networking System Conference held online, Ms Sun also announced that MSF is partnering Unity pharmacies to detect signs and symptoms of family violence. It will train 46 staff of the NTUC FairPrice-owned chain, which has more than 60 stores around Singapore. On Tuesday, Unity pharmacists will be trained to better identify possible victims of family violence. "This can h...

Joint decision to defer S’pore-HK air travel bubble was based on clear parameters: Chan Chun Sing

aseanpr 23 11 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The joint decision by Singapore and Hong Kong to defer the air travel bubble was based on "clear parameters" that had been set out in the agreement between the two cities, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Monday (Nov 23). The travel bubble had been slated to start on Sunday, but its delay was announced a day earlier in light of a recent spike of coronavirus cases in Hong Kong. Addressing questions on the travel bubble during a press conference where Singapore's economic figures for the third quarter were released, Mr Chan said that the terms had been laid out during earlier discussions between Singapore and Hong Kong. Both sides made "a very fast agreement that when the conditions are changed, when the conditions have evolved, we will take the decisions accordingly", he added. Under the agreement, the travel bubble would be suspended with a two-day notice if the seven-day moving average for unlinked cases in either city exceeds five. Mr Chan said both cities' authorities present the other with daily updates on their Covid-19 numbers. A joint decision is made when the threshold is breached, he said, adding: "As and when there are new information availab...

Activist Jolovan Wham facing 2 more charges under the Public Order Act

aseanpr 23 11 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Civil rights activist Jolovan Wham Kwok Han was charged in a district court on Monday (Nov 23) with two offences under the Public Order Act. The 40-year-old Singaporean, who is the former executive director of migrant worker advocacy group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), had allegedly taken part in an assembly at the steps to the main entrance of the former State Courts building in Havelock Square at around 9am in Dec 13, 2018. He is said to have demonstrated support for the action of the editor of sociopolitical website The Online Citizen (TOC) Xu Yuanchen, better known as Terry Xu, 38, and its contributor Daniel De Costa Augustin, 37, by holding up a piece of paper with the words - "Drop the charges against Terry Xu and Daniel De Costa". According to court documents, Wham had a photograph taken of himself demonstrating at around the same time the pair were to be charged in court that day. Xu and De Costa were both charged on Dec 13, 2018 with criminal defamation for allegedly defaming members of the Singapore Cabinet in a letter published on the TOC website. Their cases are still pending. In the other charge, Wham is accused of taking part in...

S’poreans can redeem $100 SingapoRediscovers Vouchers from Dec 1 via booking platforms, counters

aseanpr 23 11 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singaporeans aged 18 and above will be able to redeem their $100 SingapoRediscovers Vouchers and check their balance online starting Dec 1. Physical counters will be set up across the island to help those in need of assistance. From Dec 1 to June next year, eligible users can browse and book staycations, attraction tickets and local tours through five online booking platforms: Changi Recommends, GlobalTix, Traveloka, Trip.com and Klook, in partnership with UOB Travel Planners. The vouchers can be spent on approved hotels, attractions and tours, but cannot be redeemed for retail shop purchases or food and beverage. Vouchers can only be redeemed for cruises as part of a bundled package. A bicycle tour of the Pulau Ubin rainforest and Chek Jawa Wetlands and hotel stays bundled with attraction tickets are among the products that will be available for booking, STB said. Eligible products will be marked with the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers icon, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on Monday (Nov 23) in providing details on the redemption process. After selecting a product, users will have the option of using the vouchers - which come in denominations of $10 - at the checko...

Singapore raises trade forecasts for 2020; non-oil exports up 6.5% in Q3

elean 23 11 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore's overall trade and non-oil domestic exports (Nodx) are forecast to grow in 2021, in line with predictions that the global economy will expand over the next year from a low base. Total merchandise trade is expected to rise by 1 to 3 per cent for 2021, while Nodx is projected to expand by 0 to 2 per cent, government agency Enterprise Singapore said in its report on Monday (Nov 23). It has also raised its forecast for the Republic's total merchandise trade in 2020, predicting it to shrink at a slower pace of 7 to 7.5 per cent over last year, compared to the -10 to -8 per cent slide forecast in August. 2020 Nodx is tipped to grow by 4 to 4.5 per cent year on year, compared with the previous forecast of 3 to 5 per cent. The revised predictions were made amid better-than-expected performance for specific products such as non-monetary gold and specialised machinery, as well as electronics. Shipments expanded by 6.5 per cent in the third quarter on growth in both electronic and non-electronic Nodx, adding to the 5.9 per cent rise from the previous quarter. This was largely bolstered by growth in non-monetary gold and specialised machinery trade, ESG said. Non-electro...

Singapore economy shrank 5.8% in Q3, better than estimate; 4% to 6% growth forecast for 2021

elean 23 11 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore's economy will rebound in 2021, helped by a low base, but it will probably not return to pre-Covid levels until the end of next year. The economy will contract by 6.5 to 6.0 per cent in 2020, compared to the previous estimate of -7 to -5 per cent, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said on Monday (Nov 23) while presenting the Economic Survey of Singapore. The forecast for 2020 has been narrowed due to Singapore's better than expected economic performance in the first three quarters, said Mr Gabriel Lim, Permanent Secretary for Trade & Industry, in his opening remarks at a virtual press briefing on Monday. The economy is expected to grow by 4.0 to 6.0 per cent in 2021, helped by continued expansion of trade and manufacturing and a gradual recovery in construction and aviation- and tourism-related sectors, he said. "While growth is expected to rebound from the low base this year, our economic recovery is expected to be gradual, with GDP not likely to return to pre-Covid levels until the end of 2021," Mr Lim noted. "Furthermore, there remains uncertainty over how the Covid-19 situation will evolve globally in the year ahead, which will depend in part on the progr...

Putien: From hometown dishes to household name and global brand

elean 23 11 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - When Mr Fong Chi Chung arrived in Singapore some 20 years ago from his native Fujian province to start his coffee shop eatery in Kitchener Road serving his hometown food, little did he imagine his humble venture would one day become an international chain of over 70 restaurants in 11 cities, including a Michelin-starred outlet. Besides 14 restaurants in Singapore, Putien now has outlets in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou. 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.

HSBC among banks driving greener future economy

elean 23 11 月

1 minute

With the coronavirus pandemic, attention has been drawn to the state of the planet, global warming and social issues such as inequality. This trend is set only to increase, said HSBC Singapore chief executive Tony Cripps, with financial institutions such as banks playing a growing role in sustainability efforts and leading the way for companies to enter the future green economy. 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.

Banks like HSBC to drive future green economy

elean 23 11 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - With the coronavirus pandemic, attention has been drawn to the state of the planet, global warming and social issues like inequality. This trend is only set to increase, said HSBC Singapore's chief executive Tony Cripps, with financial institutions like banks playing a growing role in sustainability efforts and leading the way for companies to enter the future green economy. 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.

Local brain bank receives first donations of brains for research

aseanpr 22 11 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The one-year-old Brain Bank Singapore (BBS) welcomed its first two "deposits" this year, with the first of two brains donated on Sept 10. Retrieving the brain is no mean feat. The body's powerhouse, which weighs 1.2kg on average, has to be carefully - and very respectfully - removed from the back or the top of the head of the dead person. This needs to be done within 24 to 48 hours to preserve the quality of the brain tissues, and the process takes around an hour. The person's skull is replaced before the scalp is stitched up. This allows for an open casket funeral to be conducted. Having a brain bank in Singapore is critical, Dr Joan Sim, manager at Brain Bank Singapore told The Straits Times. "The genetic background of brain tissues supplied by European and American tissue collections is not the same as the Asian genetics, and this will impact the research discoveries and also potentially the new drugs that are developed," Dr Sim said. "Having our own local brain bank will allow us to study our own patient cohorts to help understand how the Asian genetic background and the environment interacts to determine the characteristics of brain diseases amongst Singaporeans." ...

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