Phrases used by parrots: "We take such ______ very seriously and will not hesitate to take action"

LTA said it has sent out a reminder to taxi drivers about the penalties for touting and overcharging, and that it takes a serious view of such offences.
It added that enforcement efforts will be stepped up during the festive period and that it will not hesitate to take errant drivers to task.

7 taxi drivers caught for overcharging passengers at MBS and Changi Airport​

Under the LTA Vocational Licence Demerit Points System, cabbies who rack up six demerit points or more can get their vocational licence suspended. PHOTO: ST FILE


Sarah Koh

DEC 15, 2023


SINGAPORE – Seven cabbies have been hauled up for overcharging passengers at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Changi Airport over a four-month period.
Between September 2023 and December 2023, two taxi drivers were found to have asked passengers to pay a fare that was up to $20 more than the metered fare.
Two other drivers collected a fare that was $20 or more than what was shown on the meter, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in a statement on Dec 15.
The four drivers were offered a chance to pay a $500 penalty, and be given 12 or 21 demerit points – depending on the fare they collected.
The alternative was to face charges for their offences under the Public Transport Council Act.
Three other drivers were found to have asked passengers for fares beyond the metered fare, but the passengers did not take their cabs in the end, said the statement.
It added that the drivers were offered a chance to compound their offences at $100 instead of being charged in court. If they opt to pay the compound fine, they will get three demerit points.

Under the LTA Vocational Licence Demerit Points System, cabbies who rack up six demerit points or more can get their vocational licence suspended.
Cabbies that notch up 21 demerit points or more can have their vocational licence revoked.
LTA and MBS have worked closely to improve the traffic situation and manage the taxi queue at the driveway of the integrated resort, where there have been more incidents of touting and overcharging, the statement said.


On its part, MBS will set up a limousine service counter at its driveway to offer a premium service option for people who do not want to join the taxi queue.
Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Yeo Wan Ling – an adviser to the National Taxi Association and National Private Hire Vehicles Association – said in a Facebook post that the two organisations have received feedback from its drivers about touting.
She said: “Such activities give our Singaporean taxi and private hire driving trade a bad reputation and directly impact the livelihoods and safety of our drivers.
“The associations have worked with the LTA closely on the feedback, and support the stern enforcement taken by the LTA on errant drivers.”


She added that the two bodies will continue to help drivers operate in a fair and positive environment, and provide them with a sustainable platform to earn a living ethically and safely.
LTA said it has sent out a reminder to taxi drivers about the penalties for touting and overcharging, and that it takes a serious view of such offences.
It said: “Such practices by a minority of drivers compromise the interests of passengers and undermine the integrity and reputation of the point-to-point passenger transport industry.”
It added that enforcement efforts will be stepped up during the festive period and that it will not hesitate to take errant drivers to task.
“We will also continue to conduct frequent checks at high-traffic areas, potential hot spots and locations reported to LTA by members of the public,” it said.
In a Facebook post on Dec 15, Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said the irresponsible actions of a small minority of drivers ruins Singapore’s reputation, negatively impacts the industry’s standing, and is unfair to commuters and other drivers.
“Hope the message is loud and clear – please do not break the rules, or be prepared to face the consequences when you are caught, like what happened to the seven errant drivers,” he added.


Members of the public can report incidents of touting, overcharging or drivers refusing to use the taxi’s meter at [email protected] or the e-service titled “Report Vehicle-Related Offences” at www.onemotoring.lta.gov.sg.

MAS: "“We will continue to engage the banks to improve their controls in this area and will not hesitate to take firm enforcement action against financial institutions found to have breached our laws,” she added."

Credit Suisse handed $3.9m civil penalty by MAS for relationship managers’ misconduct​

Credit Suisse paid the penalty to the regulator immediately after it was imposed, and as part of the settlement, also separately compensated its affected clients. PHOTO: ST FILE

Prisca Ang
Correspondent

DEC 28, 2023

SINGAPORE – The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has imposed a $3.9 million civil penalty on Credit Suisse for its failure to prevent or detect misconduct by relationship managers in its Singapore branch.
Credit Suisse paid the penalty to the regulator immediately after it was imposed, and as part of the settlement, also separately compensated its affected clients, said MAS in a statement on Dec 28.
The relationship managers had provided clients with inaccurate or incomplete post-trade disclosures, resulting in clients being charged spreads that were above bilaterally agreed rates for 39 over-the-counter bond transactions.
When Credit Suisse executes such transactions requested by its clients, it charges a spread over the price obtained from the relevant interbank counterparties.
For some of the 39 transactions, the relationship managers had made false statements to clients about the executed interbank prices, spreads charged, or both.
They had also, in some cases, omitted material information that the spreads charged were above the agreed rates.
The enforcement action on Credit Suisse follows a review by MAS of pricing and disclosure practices in the private banking industry.

Investigations revealed that Credit Suisse had failed to put in place adequate controls, such as post-trade monitoring, to prevent or detect the relationship managers’ misconduct.
Credit Suisse has since strengthened its internal controls to prevent the recurrence of such misconduct, said MAS.
The bank has also admitted liability under Section 236C of the Securities and Futures Act 2001.

The section states that a corporation which fails to prevent or detect a contravention that is committed by an employee or officer for its benefit, and is attributable to its negligence, commits a contravention and shall be liable to an order for a civil penalty.
A Credit Suisse spokesman told The Straits Times that the bank has resolved the matter with MAS following a series of independent reviews.
“We have since reimbursed affected clients, which are limited to a very small percentage of the bank’s order processing system. We have taken steps to enhance our policies, procedures and controls to mitigate any recurrence,” said the spokesman.
Ms Ho Hern Shin, deputy managing director for financial supervision at MAS, said financial institutions should implement robust governance frameworks and processes to ensure fair and transparent pricing to their customers.
“We will continue to engage the banks to improve their controls in this area and will not hesitate to take firm enforcement action against financial institutions found to have breached our laws,” she added.
MAS said in September that it had imposed the highest amount in civil penalties from January 2022 to June 2023, compared with previous 18-month periods.
It handed out nearly $13 million in civil penalties for market abuse cases – the largest amount recorded so far. These cases comprised false trading, insider trading and disclosure-related breaches.
It also meted out a total of nearly $7.9 million in financial and composition penalties in the 18 months, including $7.1 million for anti-money laundering breaches.
Among the high-profile actions taken by the regulator during the period was a $3.8 million fine announced in June 2023 on DBS Bank, OCBC Bank, Citibank Singapore and insurer Swiss Life Singapore for breaching anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing rules, in a matter related to the global Wirecard scandal.
In August 2022, Noble Group was fined $12.6 million for publishing misleading information in its financial statements.

A*Star: "We take a very serious view of staff who breach these standards."

A*Star senior research engineer accused of molesting woman at Clarke Quay​

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

JAN 27, 2024

SINGAPORE – A senior research engineer at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) has been accused of molesting a 29-year-old woman at Clarke Quay.
Vuong Dao Nghe, 40, allegedly committed the offence at around 2.15am on Aug 20, 2023.
On Jan 26, A*Star told The Straits Times in a statement: “(We hold) our staff to the highest standards of conduct, behaviour and integrity. We take a very serious view of staff who breach these standards.
“A*Star will consider the matter and take action as is appropriate in the circumstances. As this case is currently before the courts, we are unable to comment further.”
The Singaporean’s case has been adjourned to Feb 21.

SFA spokesman: “SFA takes a serious view towards food safety and will investigate all feedback alleging poor food safety practices,” he added.

BreadTalk customer bites into stainless steel mould accidentally left in pastry, rejects compensation​

The customer said she bought the pastry from a BreadTalk outlet at Plaza Singapura on Jan 7. PHOTOS: XIAOHONGSHU

Yong Li Xuan

JAN 26, 2024

SINGAPORE - A BreadTalk customer who was eating a snack she bought from the bakery chain bit into a stainless steel mould left by mistake in the pastry before it was baked.
The customer – in a post written in Chinese on social media platform Xiaohongshu on Jan 8 – said she bought the pastry from a BreadTalk outlet at Plaza Singapura on Jan 7.
She added that she “almost collapsed” after she bit into the mould while eating the pastry the next morning, saying it was “outrageous”.
In response to queries, a BreadTalk spokesperson said it was “an unfortunate oversight by our kitchen team during the baking process in-store”.
She added: “BreadTalk takes the matter seriously and we immediately removed the product from all our outlets.”
She said the bakery chain offered items including a gift hamper, a dining card and the cost of any dental work she may have incurred, but the customer rejected the offer.
On Jan 12, the customer put up a second post on Xiaohongshu. Writing again in Chinese, she said she rejected the offer because it felt insincere. She added that she hoped the bakery chain will take the matter seriously.

The BreadTalk spokesperson said: “We are reviewing and updating all our internal procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future, including conducting a comprehensive retraining session for all staff members.
“We deeply regret this incident and the discomfort experienced by the customer. Our customers’ well-being and food safety remains our top priority, and we remain committed to upholding rigorous standards.”
The customer on Xiaohongshu said she has filed a complaint with the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). Attempts to contact the woman have been unsuccessful.
In response to queries, a spokesman for SFA said it is investigating this incident. “SFA takes a serious view towards food safety and will investigate all feedback alleging poor food safety practices,” he added.
Anyone who has concerns about food safety practices can lodge a report at www.sfa.gov.sg/feedback

“We will not hesitate to terminate the service of the driver..."

Taxi driver arrested for allegedly attacking passenger with weapon following dispute​

The 69-year-old driver was arrested for voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. PHOTO: ST FILE

Wallace Woon

MAR 13, 2024

SINGAPORE – A driver of a Trans Cab taxi has been arrested for allegedly attacking a passenger with a weapon following an argument.
The police said they were alerted to the incident at 6.30pm on March 12 which took place at Block 107 Bedok North Road.
The 69-year-old driver was arrested for voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.
According to Chinese-language news outlet Shin Min Daily News, the argument started after he agreed to drop off his passengers, a family of three, at multiple destinations but later walked back from the arrangement.
The family boarded the taxi in Hougang, according to Shin Min, and later realised the wrong destination had been specified.
They requested the driver to first head to Block 95 Bedok North Avenue 4 and then to the original destination at Block 106 Bedok North Road.
The conflict arose after the driver went straight to the final destination instead.


A fight broke out between the two parties, with the driver allegedly using a test pen to attack the passengers.
A test pen is a tool shaped like a screwdriver which is used to detect or test for electrical currents.
A 39-year-old man suffered minor cuts as a result of the scuffle but was not taken to hospital after Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedics assessed him.
He was accompanied by a woman in her 30s and a young boy around eight years old, Shin Min said.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, Trans Cab said it has yet to get in touch with the taxi driver or passenger. It added that it would be assisting the police in their investigations.
In its statement, Trans Cab said: “When passengers are on board the taxi, drivers have to fulfil their duty to ferry the passengers to the location unless the vehicle meets with an accident or a breakdown.
“We will not hesitate to terminate the service of the driver and we will continue to remind our drivers to provide a good service to continue to serve the public.”

Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said it takes a serious view on food safety and will investigate all feedback alleging poor food safety practices.

Food operators must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices, and ensure their premises are clean and well-maintained, said SFA.

The agency added that it is looking into the incident.

It said: “SFA may engage the feedback provider for more details and will not hesitate to take enforcement action if sufficient evidence has been obtained.”

Woman horrified to find cockroach in Mr Bean drink​

Photos in the post show an insect on the plastic wrap on the cup, with the drink seemingly almost half consumed. PHOTO: COMPLAINT SINGAPORE/PAMSTER TAN/FACEBOOK

Chin Hui Shan

MAR 19, 2024

SINGAPORE – A woman was consuming her Mr Bean drink “happily” until she felt a crunch. It turned out to be a cockroach.
A Facebook user who goes by Pamster Tan recounted the incident on Facebook group Complaint Singapore on March 18. She said her colleague had ordered a drink from Mr Bean at Queenstown MRT.
She wrote: “I sucked in something that’s not a pearl and with a crunch, I spit the item out.
“To my horror, (it was) a huge cockroach!”
Photos in the post show an insect on the plastic wrap on the cup, with the drink seemingly almost half consumed.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, Mr Bean’s assistant brand director Venus Ang said the company has contacted the customer to ensure that she is fine. Mr Bean will discuss with the customer how it can help with her recovery process.
Mr Bean has done manual checks at the store to ensure there is no cockroach infestation, she added. It has also activated pest control to check on the premises and no cockroach is found.


Mr Bean has more than 70 outlets in Singapore, according to its website.
Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said it takes a serious view on food safety and will investigate all feedback alleging poor food safety practices.
Food operators must play their part by adhering to good food hygiene and preparation practices, and ensure their premises are clean and well-maintained, said SFA.
The agency added that it is looking into the incident.
It said: “SFA may engage the feedback provider for more details and will not hesitate to take enforcement action if sufficient evidence has been obtained.”

The police said they have zero tolerance towards secret society activities, and will not hesitate to take strong action in accordance with the law ...

Woman, 22, to be charged with acting as member of unlawful society​

Ian Cheng
Correspondent


APR 28, 2024

SINGAPORE - A woman allegedly posted in July 2023 video clips of herself on a social media platform chanting gang slogans and displaying gang hand signs to show secret society affiliation.
The 22-year-old will be charged on April 29 with allegedly acting as a member of an unlawful society under the Societies Act 1966, said the police in a statement on April 28.
If found guilty, she can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $5,000, or both.
The woman was not named in the statement, and it is not known if her post is still up.
The police said they have zero tolerance towards secret society activities, and will not hesitate to take strong action in accordance with the law against those who choose to be associated with gangs, or act as gang members by chanting gang poems and slogans, or display gang hand signs on social media platforms.
“Members of the public are advised to steer clear of secret society activities and to report those engaging in such unlawful activities to the police immediately,” they added.
Earlier in April, the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act, which allows the Minister for Home Affairs to detain someone linked to syndicates and secret societies without trial, was extended for another five years.

Widely known as Section 55, it was enacted in 1955 to deal with Singapore’s gang problem. It now covers secret societies, unlicensed moneylending, drug trafficking, kidnapping and organised crime.

“MOE takes a serious view of this incident,” he said.

MOE requests forensic investigation after data breach affecting 89,000 parents, school employees​

Mobile Guardian is one of two companies that MOE uses to provide DMA solutions on students’ personal learning devices. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Gabrielle Chan

MAY 08, 2024

SINGAPORE - The software company at the centre of a hacking incident in April has been asked by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to appoint a forensic investigator to evaluate its systems and processes, and provide recommendations to prevent a recurrence.
Preliminary investigations by Mobile Guardian, which is headquartered in Surrey, Britain, show that an unauthorised individual had gained access to a support account on its management portal, using it to view information of customers based in the United States and Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore.
This affected about 67,000 parents and 22,000 school employees across 127 schools in Singapore, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing in a written parliamentary reply on May 7.
He was responding to questions by Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang GRC), Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC) and Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar GRC) on MOE’s approach to ensuring the security and integrity of students’ personal learning devices, as well as measures to protect against online harm and data breaches.
The MPs raised concerns about the certification and training of IT vendors, response strategies for hacking incidents and governance policies for third-party service providers. They also asked about the ministry’s plans for enhancing transparency and communication with parents and the public regarding data security measures and breaches.
Investigations into Mobile Guardian’s systems are ongoing, and action will be taken if breaches of contractual obligations are found, said Mr Chan.
Mobile Guardian determined that the support account was compromised mainly due to inadequate password management, rather than the unauthorised individual exploiting vulnerabilities in its systems, he said.


The company had received an e-mail on April 12 that an unauthorised individual had gained access to its management portal, and this was considered a phishing e-mail, he said.
Mobile Guardian’s management portal is used for administrative purposes like providing technical support, and the portal has access to the name of the user, his or her e-mail address, time zone, school name and whether a person is a parent or a staff member, he said.
It is not able to change any configuration on the students’ personal learning devices, Mr Chan said, adding that none of the MOE or government IT systems has been compromised as the portal is not connected to them.

However, he said, no action was taken until after a second e-mail was received on April 16, when the individual showed proof of accessing the management portal and tried to extort money in exchange for keeping quiet about his or her ability to access the portal.
“Mobile Guardian acted on the second alert, and worked to establish the extent of access and customers affected.
“This included suspending all administrative accounts that could be used to access MG’s management portal,” Mr Chan said.

The ministry was notified on April 17 about the hacking incident, as well as the security measures implemented by Mobile Guardian on its management portal, he said.
With the support of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore and Government Technology Agency (GovTech), MOE conducted security checks and did not find any suspicious activity on its device management application (DMA) portal, nor any indication that the portal had been compromised.
On April 19, the ministry sent e-mails to all users affected to explain what the leaked information could be used for in the event that phishing or scam attempts were made, he said.
These users comprise parents and school employees who manage the DMA functions of their children and students.
A police report has been lodged over the incident, said Mr Chan.
“MOE takes a serious view of this incident,” he said. “Our IT service providers are contractually obligated to take measures to protect personal data against loss and unauthorised access.”
He added that the ministry expressed “deep dissatisfaction” with Mobile Guardian over this incident and will continue to safeguard IT systems by conducting independent audits and regular cyber-security testing.
“We will continue to place emphasis on user education and ongoing vigilance to ensure that our IT systems remain secure,” he said.
Mobile Guardian is one of two companies that MOE engages to provide DMA solutions which help schools and parents manage students’ use of their personal learning devices with functions like screen time limits. The tender was awarded in 2020 to Mobile Guardian, which holds the ISO27001 certification, an internationally recognised standard for information security management systems, Mr Chan said.