Remember all these the next time you vote

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Forum: Unenforced rules on illegal parking may embolden others​

Jan 27, 2023

I am concerned with the general state of enforcement of road regulations (Illegally parked trailer still there despite repeated feedback, Jan 25).
I have made many reports of illegal parking along Taman Sireh on the OneService app, and received the same standard reply each time. I have not observed any physical ticket being issued to the errant vehicle so far, and the same vehicle has remained illegally parked for the past seven days.
I was also advised by the Land Transport Authority’s helpdesk to use the OneMotoring website to make the report. But I have used it since Jan 1 to report offenders, and have yet to see any action being taken against them.
What concerns me the most is that illegal parking, like littering, may seem like a trivial offence, but once such simple rules fail to be enforced effectively, it can signal the start of a decline in general law and order.
Unenforced rules will embolden other potential offenders.
Singapore cannot afford to go down this path.

Ong Eng Hua

 

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eedback received, but no action yet​

Jan 20, 2023

I have similar problems with giving feedback on problems that remain unresolved (Problem persists two years after feedback was given, Jan 19). I have sent many e-mails to Choa Chu Kang Town Council on groups of men drinking alcohol in Teck Whye Gardens. They drink from late evening till morning. They will leave behind cups, food containers and sometimes smashed liquor bottles. They urinate in the bushes behind the pavilions. The town council acknowledges receipt of my feedback. The problem is still not resolved.

Lew Sin Hoe

 

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Forum: Law enforcement agencies must do better to deter overstaying​

Jan 30, 2023

It is rather inexplicable that two Chinese nationals managed to stay here illegally for more than 10 years after their employment passes were cancelled by the Ministry of Manpower before they were arrested and convicted (Jail, fine for 2 Chinese nationals who overstayed for over 10 years, Jan 26).
Surely there is enough information on overstayers, perhaps starting with their last known addresses or places of employment, to enable the authorities to track them down.
I wonder if the enforcement of the laws on overstaying is too lax, and how many other overstayers are still here.
Reports like this may encourage some foreigners to overstay, since they may think that it takes years for the law to catch up with them, and they may not find the punishment meted out to be enough of a deterrence. The risk and benefit trade-off seems to favour the offenders.
Our law enforcement agencies must do much better in stamping out overstayers, some of whom might resort to illegal activities to survive. Since all overstayers need housing and some work illegally, those who provide them with accommodation or employment should be dealt with severely for abetting in the offence. This would widen the net to more easily and quickly weed out and deport overstayers.

Ang Ah Lay

 

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(From top left to right) Chow Yew Yuen, Tong Chong Heong, Tay Kim Hock, former, (From bottom left to right) Kwok Kai Choong, Choo Chiau Beng, Jeffery Chow

SINGAPORE — The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) have said that they will not name the six former senior management staff of Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited (KOM) who were issued stern warnings over offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

CPIB made a press statement on Thursday (12 Jan) about the stern warnings issued to six former senior executives of KOM after close to five years of its investigations after consultation with AGC.

The offences relate to bribe payments to officials of Brazilian state-owned corporation Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), pertaining to rigs-building contracts which Petrobras and/or its related companies had awarded to KOM.

Six former executives were determined to have been implicated in the scheme through investigations by the United States’ Department of Justice (DOJ), as documented in the plea agreement signed by KOM.

According to the admissions and court documents, beginning by at least 2001 and continuing until at least 2014, KOM conspired to violate US’ Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by paying approximately US$55 million in bribes to officials at the Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras, and to the then-governing political party in Brazil, in order to win 13 contracts with Petrobras and another Brazilian entity.

KOM and its related entities, including KOM USA, are said to have earned profits totalling approximately US$159.9 million from the P-61 project.

CPIB was reported to have arrested six former executives from KOM in Feb 2018 following the DoJ’s investigation. The six were subsequently let off on bail, and the matter was then referred to the AGC to decide if charges were to be filed.

Individuals investigated are not named​

Back in 2018, Members of Parliament from the Workers’ Party (WP) filed Parliamentary Questions over KOM soon after CPIB, and AGC served a conditional warning to KOM on 23 December 2017 for corruption offences punishable under Section 5(b)(i) of the PCA.

Of the many questions, one was why the identities of the Singaporeans involved in the bribery case cannot be named.

Answering on behalf of the Minister for Law, K Shanmugam, Ms Indranee Rajah said:

The Government’s position is very simple. The Government deals with the Government’s actions. So, the Government’s actions are that when investigations are on-going, we do not disclose the identities of people being investigated. What other people may say outside, what other information may be floating outside, what other comments may go on in social media, that is separate.
But as the Government, as an investigation authority, the Government does not disclose names of individuals who are being investigated. And we are not alone in that. All civilised jurisdictions which observe the rule of law uphold that principle simply because, as I have mentioned earlier, we do not want to prejudice either the investigations or the persons being investigated, depending on how the investigation might turn out.

Who might be the six who have been issued stern warnings?​

While the Singapore Government has not named the six who were issued stern warnings over the offences, details contained within an attachment of the plea agreement between DoJ and KOM and reports on the court hearings in Brazil might help to shed some light on the issue.

The attachment listed details of six executives who were part of DoJ’s investigation.

KOM Executive 1, a citizen of Singapore whose identity is known to the United States and KOM USA, was a senior executive of KOM from 2002 to 2014.

KOM Executive 2, a citizen of Singapore whose identity is known to the United States and KOM USA, was a senior executive of a wholly-owned, Singapore-based subsidiary of KOM in or about and between 1989 and 2009 and a senior executive of KOM in or about and between 2013 and 2017.

KOM Executive 3, a citizen of Singapore and legal permanent resident of the United States in or about and between 2002 and 2013, whose identity is known to the United States and KOM USA, was a senior executive of KOM USA in or about and between 2002 and 2011 and a senior executive of KOM in or about and between 2011 and 2017.

KOM Executive 4, a citizen of Singapore whose identity is known to the United States and KOM USA, was an executive at KOM in or about and between 2002 and 2017. He was an executive at KOM USA in or about and between 2011 and 2017.

KOM Executive 5, a legal permanent resident of the United States since 2015, whose identity is known to the United States and KOM USA, held executive positions at multiple KOM subsidiaries in Brazil in or about and between 2003 and 2017. He also held an executive position at KOM and at KOM USA in or about and between 2012 and 2017.

KOM Executive 6, a United States citizen whose identity is known to the United States and KOM USA, held various senior positions in the legal department of KOM in or about and between 1990 and 2017.

Names revealed in report on court hearings​

And although the six were also not named by DoJ, a report by Bloomberg in 2016 on the court proceedings at a Brazilian court over the bribery case shed light on the matter.

The Consultant who assisted KOM in bribing the Brazilian officials was identified as Zwi Skornicki.

Skornicki also reportedly told the court that five Keppel executives were involved. They are:

1. Chow Yew Yuen, then-current Keppel Offshore & Marine CEO
2. Tong Chong Heong, former senior executive at Keppel Corp
3. Tay Kim Hock, former CEO of Keppel Fels Brasil
4. Kwok Kai Choong, then-current CEO at Keppel Fels Brasil
5. Choo Chiau Beng, a former Keppel Corp CEO and former non-resident ambassador to Brazil

Portfolio of the six executives involved in the US DoJ investigations​

Using the details in the plea agreement, it can be ascertained that the six unnamed executives are those who have been identified in the Bloomberg report.
Chow Yew Yuen was the CEO of KOM from 1 February 2014 to 20 March 2017. He was with the company for 36 years and first joined Keppel FELS in 1981 as a project engineer. Over the next decade, he worked in various departments and rose through the ranks to become the president of Keppel AmFELS and later the president of Keppel O&M USA.

Tong Chong Heong was the CEO of KOM from 1 January 2009 to 31 January 2014. Tong has served as Executive Director on the Keppel Corporation Board since 1 August 2009 and the Chairman of Keppel FELS Brasil SA; and Senior Executive Director of Keppel Corporation Limited.

He was also appointed Chairman of Keppel Integrated Engineering (KIE) previously on 3 August 2009 after serving on the KIE board since 1999.

After stepping down as CEO, he was appointed senior adviser to KOM and Keppel Infrastructure boards. Mr Tong was conferred Singapore’s Public Service Medal in August 1999.

Tay Kim Hock, was President & CEO of Keppel FELS Brasil S/A, President of FSTP Brasil Ltd, and President of the Administrative Council of BrasFELS SA from Jun 2000 to Oct 2007. Following that, Tay became Senior General Manager of KOM from Nov 2007 to Mar 2009.

He was Head Marine & Offshore Engineering of IMC Industrial Group from Jan 2010 to May 2012 and Director of Penguin International from 2012 to 2015. Straits Times had earlier reported that Tay was one of the six being arrested by CPIB in 2018.

Kwok Kai Choong was the CEO at Keppel Fels Brasil from 2007 to November 2017.

Choo Chiau Beng was CEO of Keppel Corporation from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013. Before that, he was CEO of Keppel FELS from 1983 to 2008 and Chairman & CEO of KOM from 2002 to 2008. He was Executive Director of Keppel Corporation since 1983 and Senior Executive Director since 2005.

Upon his retirement on 1 January 2014, Choo was appointed Senior Advisor to the Board of Keppel Corporation.

In July 2014, Choo was appointed by the National University of Singapore (NUS) as Provost’s Chair and Professor (Practice) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Department of Management and Organisation, NUS Business School.

Choo was formerly appointed as Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil in 2004 and has left the position.

As for the sixth executive, while not named by Skornicki, the news reported his name in the coverage of the case.

Jeffery Shiu Chow, a US citizen, was reported to have cut a deal to help prosecutors in their probe of Keppel and other former executives. Chow pleaded guilty on 29 Aug 2017 to conspiring to violate the FCPA as part of his deal to cooperate. He admitted to drafting contracts that were used to make bribe payments, according to court records.

He is a former senior member of KOM’s legal department and has worked in the legal department for over 25 years. Although a US citizen, Chow resides in Singapore.

 

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Local IT grads can’t find jobs while engineers constantly transferred from India to work in SG under CECA​

by Correspondent

05 Feb 2023




It was reported in the local media on Saturday (4 Feb 2023) that IT graduates from the local universities are having a hard time finding tech jobs.
James Looi, a promising IT graduate from the Singapore Management Univerity (SMU) was good enough to have earned the coveted internships at GovTech, Grab and Shopee.
But five months ahead of his graduation last December, Mr Looi did not get any interviews despite applying for 20 tech jobs.
The only company that granted him interviews was tech company TikTok. Still, after seven rounds of interviews with the company, he was unceremoniously dropped.
Mr Looi said, “I was shocked, disappointed and helpless. I never considered the possibility I would graduate and be unable to find a (tech) job.”
Another graduate, who only gave his name as Mr Tan, was also disappointed. He graduated last December with a digital business degree and applied to several prominent tech companies but did not get any replies.
Mr Tan said, “My first choice would definitely be a career in tech, but the industry would need some time to rebound. I am now looking for jobs in banking and marketing, and hope to get back to tech after one to two years.”
Local graduates like Mr Looi and Mr Tan are among a slew of IT graduates fighting for jobs in the current tech downturn. Many tech companies, including Shopee, Facebook and Twitter, have been laying off people in recent times.

The present slowdown in the tech job market has certainly surprised many IT graduates, who had a 97.8 per cent overall employment rate back in 2021.
When contacted by the local media, the local universities said that they have career coaches to prepare students and graduates for their job search through mentoring and workshops.

Majority of team members from India​

Meanwhile, a source in the IT company, Cognizant Singapore, has told TOC that a number of IT staff were successfully transferred from India to the Singapore’s branch last year.
They were all given work passes by the Manpower Ministry to work here. TOC emailed Cognizant last November for a response, but to date, there has been no reply.
Indian IT engineers and managers were said to have been transferred to Singapore to work on projects which Cognizant has secured from clients in Singapore.
Under the India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), intra-corporate transferees can be transferred from one country to another and work in that country for up to as long as 8 years.
Also, CECA gives preferential access for Singapore service providers and investors in the various sectors of interest: including engineering, banking, telecommunications and real estate development. Such access gives them more opportunities to expand beyond Singapore, MTI said.
In any case, it’s not known if the other India-based IT companies like Wipro, Infosys, TCS, etc are doing the same by constantly transferring Indian IT people to their Singapore’s branches to work here.

The source also confirmed with TOC that the majority of people in project teams are from India and that he is not impressed with the quality of those transferred from India to work here. In meetings, they tend to speak in Hindi among themselves, oblivious to the other non-Indian people inside the meeting, the source told TOC.
Indeed, according to a study in India, it has been said that 95% of engineers in India are unfit for software development jobs. And according to Quacquarelli Symonds’ (QS) ranking of universities in the world, the top 5 universities in India were ranked more than 150th:

• Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (World ranking 155)
• Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), Mumbai (World ranking 172)
• Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), New Delhi (World ranking 174)
• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Chennai (World ranking 250)
• Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), Kharagpur (World ranking 270)

In Singapore, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is ranked 11th, while Nanyang Technological Univerity (NTU)19th.

 

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Illegal carpooling chat groups on Telegram grow in popularity; LTA monitoring, will take action​

The largest carpooling chat group here, SG Hitch, has over 199,000 members as at Saturday, up from about 56,000 members in April 2020. PHOTO: UNSPLASH

Nadine Chua

Feb 6, 2023

SINGAPORE – On a Friday night, a trip from Bedok to Orchard Road cost $32 on ride-hailing apps such as Grab and Gojek, while the same trip cost $16 on an illegal carpooling chat group on Telegram.
To save on the trip, a 26-year-old teacher, who wanted to be known only as Ms Gen, opted for the carpooling service from SG Hitch to get from her home to Wisma Atria. Her ride in November 2022 put her off such illegal services for good.
“The driver drove dangerously. He was tailgating and speeding the entire time. He later admitted that he rarely drives,” Ms Gen told The Straits Times last week.
“I was really afraid when I was in his car, but because Telehitch is unregulated, there was no way for me to report him,” she said.
Chat groups such as SG Hitch on Telegram that connect drivers and passengers have grown in popularity over the years. These chat groups, known as Telehitch groups, started appearing around 2019 and are illegal and unregulated.
In Singapore, drivers offering private-hire ride services need to get a Private Hire Car Driver’s Vocational Licence (PDVL), but this is not required on Telehitch groups.
The largest carpooling chat group here, SG Hitch, has more than 199,000 members as at Saturday, up from about 56,000 members in April 2020.

A check by ST found that there are at least five such chat groups on Telegram, with the smallest having more than 18,000 members. One of these is a group for only female drivers and passengers, and it has more than 32,000 members.
The administrators of the chat groups did not respond to requests for comments.
In response to ST’s queries, a spokesman for the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said carpooling matched through informal non-business mediums, such as SG Hitch, is not allowed.

Carpooling arrangements facilitated by licensed business platforms such as GrabHitch and RydePool, as well as other licence-exempt business platforms which have fleets of fewer than 800 vehicles, are permitted, said the spokesman.
There are no restrictions on social carpooling among friends and colleagues, she added.
When asked what measures LTA has taken against illegal carpooling services on Telegram, the spokesman said the authority “will continue to monitor and take enforcement action against those providing illegal carpooling and carpooling matching services”.

In 2019, a man used carpooling chat groups on Telegram to dupe women into believing that he would drive them to their destinations. Instead, he drove them to secluded places and molested them. He was sentenced to five years and 10 months’ jail and given six strokes of the cane for molestation.
In the same year, a Nanyang Technological University student was reportedly molested by another driver on a Telegram carpooling chat group.
If found guilty of providing carpooling matching services, an individual may be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both.
Those convicted of providing illegal carpooling services without a vocational licence, or using an unlicensed vehicle, may be jailed for up to six months, fined up to $3,000, or both.
Passengers who opt for carpooling services offered by Telegram said they do so to save money, especially when fares spike on ride-hailing apps during peak periods.
They said they are aware of the risks involved. These include sexual harassment and other safety risks.
Ms Lim Zheng Yi, who works in IT and uses Telehitch about once a week, said she received nude photos from men on three occasions - once in 2021 and twice in 2022 - when using the platform to get rides.
The 23-year old said: “My friends who use Telehitch have also received unsolicited nude photos.
“But it hasn’t really deterred me from using these chats because the people who send such photos are the minority. I’ll just block them and usually these people will have their accounts banned from the chat group after a while.”
Another passenger, who wanted to be known only as Mr Wong, said he usually uses Telehitch at night when prices are high and it is tougher to get a ride.
The product manager, 26, said: “I’m aware of the safety concerns because the drivers are not screened and the service is illegal, so I’m slightly more alert during the ride.”
Most drivers using Telehitch whom ST spoke to said they use the platform to make a quick buck, even though they are aware that it is illegal.
A 27-year-old financial adviser, who declined to be named, said he picks passengers up on Telehitch about once or twice a month when he rents a car for the day.
“When I’m on my way home, I’ll just send a message on the chat and see if there is anyone I can pick up along the way. It’s just to cover petrol costs, so why not?”

Another Telehitch driver, a university student who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan, 25, said: “To be a driver on legitimate apps such as Grab and Gojek, a PDVL is required and I’m too young to apply for that.”
In September 2020, LTA announced that all new PDVL applicants must be at least 30 years old. Prior to that, there was no minimum age, although applicants had to have held a driver’s licence for at least two years to qualify.
Despite the dangers of using illegal carpooling services, many passengers looking to save on travelling cost are willing to take the risks.
A 20-year-old undergraduate, who wanted to be known only as Ms QX, said: “If the driver decides to take you to some place secluded and something bad happens to you, you cannot hold anyone accountable.
“But as someone who is trying to save money, I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of safety to get a better deal.”

 

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Reasons for funding SPH Media still valid; circulation issue doesn’t affect decision: Josephine Teo​

The Minister for Communications and Information said no public monies have been lost due to the circulation data discrepancies. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Tham Yuen-C
Senior Political Correspondent

Feb 6, 2023

SINGAPORE – The recent discovery of overstated circulation data at SPH Media Trust (SMT) will not affect the Government’s decision to fund the media company, as the reasons to help develop local newsrooms remain valid, said Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo.
She added that there is no change to the Government’s commitment to fund SMT by up to $900 million over five years.
The level of funding – to support SMT in digital transformation and capability development, and to sustain vernacular newsrooms – remains valid, she told the House, as there is a need to preserve local news media in the public interest amid severe disruption in the industry.
Mrs Teo also said circulation numbers of the company’s publications were not a key consideration in assessing the funding required for SMT’s transformation.
Her remarks in Parliament on Monday came in response to 26 questions filed by MPs. SMT, which publishes The Straits Times, among other publications, is facing public criticism after it emerged that an internal review found circulation figures for some of its publications had been overstated by about 85,000 to 95,000 daily average copies. The review covered data between September 2020 and March 2022.

Mrs Teo emphasised that no public money has been lost due to the discrepancies in circulation figures, as the Government had pledged to start funding SMT only in financial year 2022 – after the period covered in SMT’s internal review. The Government also had yet to disburse any funds to date, she said.
The reasons for funding SMT, aired and debated in Parliament in 2021 and 2022, remain as valid today, she said of the findings her ministry made after a review sparked by the circulation issue.

Local news outlets give voice to the Singapore identity and Singaporean perspectives, and also provide information people can trust to be accurate and objective, she said.
It has become even more important to ensure their survival at a time when the Internet has made it exceedingly easy for all kinds of information to reach and influence domestic audiences, Mrs Teo said.
“SMT’s internal review of circulation numbers reinforced our assessment that the media landscape had become highly unfavourable for news organisations, even if they had substantial reach and were trusted by the public,” said Mrs Teo. While this did not make it right for anyone to overstate circulation numbers, it reaffirmed the need for restructuring, she added.


But, she said, “SMT’s board and management must also be mindful of their public duties, their responsibility to maintain the public’s trust in their newsrooms and journalists, and the need to discharge these responsibilities in a diligent and timely manner”.
SMT had said in a media statement on Jan 20 that it had tasked its audit and risk committee to further investigate the matter and to commission legal advisers to help. The committee will report its findings to SMT’s board.
Mrs Teo said the board will have to share these findings with her ministry.
She also said that SMT will be held to account when it receives government funding.
In this regard, the Government’s focus is on readership and reach, which measure how many people read the publications, and not circulation, which measures how many copies are sold or distributed.

Mrs Teo noted that readership and reach are measured through surveys done by third parties, such as research agencies like GfK, external sources such as the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University, and the Government’s own surveys.
She added that there are safeguards in place in the Government’s agreement with SMT to ensure public funding is used in an accountable and responsible manner.
The key performance indicators (KPIs) the Government will look at to assess SMT’s performance include the total reach and engagement of the company’s products, especially on digital platforms, and also specific reach indicators for vernacular groups and young people, she said, noting that the indicators will determine the amount of funding.
These indicators and the company’s financial statements must be audited by independent external auditors before they are submitted to the Government, which can also conduct its own audits, she added.
SMT will also have to provide progress updates to the Ministry of Communications and Information on a half-yearly basis.
“Funding will be disbursed only if SMT provides satisfactory regular updates on where and how funding has been utilised, and future business plans. The Government will also review the funding quantum during the midterm and adjust KPIs and funding where necessary,” Mrs Teo said.

Asked by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC) what the Government will do to ring-fence its funds if the company’s internal review finds criminal wrongdoing, Mrs Teo said safeguards have been built into the funding agreement and can be exercised if necessary.
Several MPs wanted to know the Government’s next steps. Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang GRC) asked what the Government would do to ensure the overstatement does not happen again, while Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) asked how the Government would restore trust in SMT’s publications after the episode.
Said Ms He: “People might be thinking, if the organisation goes to such lengths to falsify circulation figures such as even pulping newspapers, would we still be able to trust the content that’s delivered by these organisations?”
Responding, Mrs Teo urged MPs to wait until the company’s audit and risk committee finishes its investigations, adding that she would not prejudge the outcome.
She said that while SMT’s board is accountable to the company’s members, it also has “a responsibility to let the public know how (it intends) to proceed”.
Mrs Teo also made a distinction between SMT and Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH), saying that the discrepancy in data was discovered by SMT’s own internal review.
In 2021, then mainboard-listed SPH spun off its media business, which was then incorporated as SMT, a company limited by guarantee, on Dec 1 that year.

Many MPs also had questions on the details of SMT’s internal review, including how long the practice of overstatement had been going on and the financial implications of the inaccurate circulation data.
Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa took issue with the manner in which SMT had handled the issue, and asked why the organisation had not broken the news of the discrepancies itself, given that the role of the news media is to “expose wrongdoing”.
Mrs Teo said their concerns are valid, and the questions should be addressed by SMT.
“The Government cannot speak on behalf of SMT, and it is premature for us to say more at this juncture,” she added, noting SMT’s ongoing investigations.
Acknowledging that the episode has affected SMT, including its newsrooms and journalists, she said SMT’s board will have to do what is necessary to rectify things if any problem is found and be transparent in how it will do so.

 

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Five questions on SPH Media’s overstated circulation numbers​

Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo said the Government concluded that the reasons for providing public funding to SPH Media remain valid. PHOTO: MCI

Ng Wei Kai

Feb 6, 2023

SINGAPORE — Several MPs raised questions in Parliament on Monday about SPH Media’s overstated circulation numbers that came to light in January. Here are five questions Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo was asked and her responses.

Why did SPH Media not break the news itself?​

The news of SPH Media’s circulation issues was broken by an independent online publication rather than by the organisation itself, said Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).
She asked Mrs Teo why this was the case, as one of the roles of a media organisation is to expose wrongdoing.
Mrs Teo said many things happen in an organisation each day, and it is up to the management to decide if and how an incident ought to be communicated, both within and outside of the organisation.
She noted that the review of circulation numbers was initiated by SPH Media, and that it was still under way when news of the overstated figures emerged. It has also convened a further review by its audit and risk committee to set things right, she added.
“Should the manner in which they communicated have been approached differently?” she asked. “I think that is a matter that SPH Media and the management and the board will have to consider.”

Has trust in SPH Media and its publications been broken?​

Workers’ Party (WP) MP He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) asked if public trust in the company has been broken, and whether or not any steps will be taken in the interim to restore that trust.

She said: “If the organisation goes to such lengths to falsify circulation figures, even pulping newspapers, would we still be able to trust the content that’s delivered by (it)?”
In response, Mrs Teo reiterated that SPH Media is expected to share the findings of its audit and risk committee’s investigation with the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) once it is completed, and make the necessary rectification.
SPH Media has a responsibility to let the public know how it intends to proceed, and this responsibility is not lost on its management and board, she said.


“If there was any doubt that they did not take this matter seriously, I don’t see why they would have convened another review by their own audit and risk committee.”

Was there insufficient due diligence in deciding to provide SPH Media with public funding?​

Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai of the PSP said circulation data should have been part of the Government’s due diligence before it committed in 2022 to fund SPH Media up to $900 million over five years.
He noted that while the Government’s metrics for accountability of public funding to SPH Media are readership and reach, circulation data is an important area, and he questioned if there was inadequate due diligence by MCI.
In response, Mrs Teo said MCI conducted a review in January of the reasons for which it had committed public funds to support SPH Media’s capability development.

These included the intense competition faced by professional newsrooms as news consumption shifts online, the long-term public interest of preserving local news media, and the need to support vernacular news outlets to reflect Singapore’s multiracial make-up.
She said the Government concluded that the reasons for public funding remain valid, as does the level of funding.
“Should these be affected by the findings of the audit and risk committee? At this stage, it is too early to say – I will not prejudge,” she said.

Will there be any legal action taken against its employees or management?​

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC) and Mr Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) asked if there could be criminal sanctions, civil liabilities or regulatory action taken against SPH Media’s employees or board.
Mrs Teo said that if there is any evidence that laws were broken, SPH Media Trust is obligated to inform the police. Until the audit and risk committee has completed its work, one should not prejudge the outcome, she added.
As for Mr Chua’s question on whether circulation revenues were impacted, that is the reason SPH Media has asked its committee to investigate the matter more fully, she said.
“Until they have completed their work and shared their findings, I think everything else that we say is speculative.”
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
Reasons for funding SPH Media still valid; circulation issue will not affect decision: Josephine Teo
SPH Media tasks audit committee to look more fully into overstated circulation data

Were earlier circulation figures also overstated?​

Mr Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) asked if circulation figures reported by SPH Media before the period that was reviewed were accurate, and if the overstatement of circulation figures was a longstanding practice.
Mrs Teo said these questions are better addressed after the SPH Media committee completes its investigation and shares its findings.
“Keep in mind that these discrepancies were uncovered as a result of an internal review that was initiated by the SPH Media management in the first place,” she said in response to another question on circulation figures by Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang GRC).
“So I think it is clear that the intent of the SPH Media board as well as its management (is) to put things on the right footing, and we should support them in this process.”

 

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Did the CPIB put a serious effort and enough resources into the investigation?
Or were they instructed to do wayang kulit?

Insufficient evidence to prosecute those involved in Keppel O&M corruption case: Indranee​

Six former Keppel O&M employees were investigated for allegedly conspiring to give bribes to foreign consultants involved in the company’s business interests in Brazil. PHOTO: KEPPEL CORP

Natasha Zachariah
Correspondent

Feb 6, 2023

SINGAPORE – In the absence of key witnesses and sufficient evidence, a decision was made to issue stern warnings instead of prosecuting six former senior management staff of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) over alleged bribe payments, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah in Parliament on Monday.
However, if compelling and new evidence surfaces, the public prosecutor (PP) can and will re-evaluate the decision, she added, stressing that Singapore’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption must be upheld in a manner that complies with the rule of law.
Responding to 17 parliamentary questions filed on the matter, Ms Indranee said: “Simply put, there is a lack of sufficient evidence, either documentary or through witnesses, which would establish any criminal charge beyond a reasonable doubt against a specific individual.”
Referring to a press statement that the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) issued in January, Ms Indranee said the agency had done its best, including working with international partners to uncover evidence.
“CPIB conducted an in-depth investigation within Singapore, within the scope of its legal powers. However... the difficulty with this case is that several potentially key witnesses are not in Singapore, and CPIB has not been able to secure their cooperation or agreement to testify in Singapore. “
She added that both the CPIB and Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had done a careful and thorough review of the documents, including the deferred prosecution agreements and plea bargains, “and the public prosecutor has advised that those are insufficient to meet the burden of proof”.
CPIB made two fact-finding trips to Brazil in 2019. The AGC and CPIB also sent three mutual legal assistance (MLA) requests to Brazil to secure needed evidence, and an MLA request to another relevant foreign authority to interview other potential material witnesses.

“The contents and outcome of these MLA requests are confidential, but I can inform the House that they have either not yielded evidence that could be used to secure a conviction before our courts, or the responses have not been helpful in advancing the case,” said Ms Indranee, who is also Leader of the House.
There was also a foreign witness whose evidence in other proceedings could have been relevant to establishing the offences in Singapore, but the witness was unwilling – and cannot be forced – to provide evidence here, Ms Indranee added.
On Jan 11, the CPIB said the six former employees had been investigated for allegedly conspiring with one another to give bribes amounting to about US$55 million (S$72.8 million) to foreign consultants involved in Keppel O&M’s business interests in Brazil.

The money was then used to pay bribes to officials of Brazilian state-owned company Petrobras, pertaining to rig-building contracts that it or its related companies had awarded to Keppel O&M.
Under a global resolution led by the United States Department of Justice and involving Brazil and Singapore, a conditional warning in lieu of prosecution was issued to Keppel O&M for offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Keppel O&M paid a total fine of US$422 million and fulfilled all obligations under the conditional warning.
On why the six former staff were not named, Ms Indranee said CPIB does not reveal names unless individuals are charged in court, to avoid prejudicing the person’s right to due process, and avoid any presumption of guilt in the absence of formal findings.

She urged MPs who felt strongly about the matter to petition for change. However, she cautioned that it would be a major policy change and “it cannot only be for this case, it must be for all future cases”.
To Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim’s (Chua Chu Kang GRC) question on whether the Prevention of Corruption Act should be amended so the CPIB can conduct investigations outside its jurisdiction, Ms Indranee pointed out that other countries would not tolerate Singapore exerting its police powers beyond its borders, and vice versa.
“Members need to be realistic about what we can and cannot do. Singapore companies that operate overseas do so in myriad environments, where all kinds of business practices prevail. We cannot police all of them,” she said.
“However, what we can and should do is to insulate our companies, and our system against corruption.”
Addressing MPs’ concerns about how the case would affect Singapore’s reputation and zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, Ms Indranee said that there was no change to the policy.
“If subsequently new and compelling evidence comes up, the PP can and will re-evaluate the decision. The PP’s decision to issue stern warnings should be understood in that context,” she explained.
“Our zero-tolerance policy must be upheld in a manner that complies with the rule of law. The PP has acknowledged this, and this is exactly what the PP has done on the facts – to uphold the rule of law.”

 

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Issuing stern warnings to former Keppel O&M staff a balanced solution: Indranee​

Minister Indranee Rajah responds to questions in Parliament about the Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited corruption scandal. THE STRAITS TIMES

Natasha Zachariah
Correspondent

Feb 6, 2023

Issuing stern warnings to the six former management staff from Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited (KOM) was an “in-between” solution but the right thing to do, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah.
She was responding to a follow-up question from Workers’ Party MP Leon Perera (Aljunied GRC), who asked on what basis stern warnings were issued by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), given the insufficient evidence.
Ms Indranee said that a stern warning is given when one cannot give a complete clean bill of health, but at the same time does not have enough to clear the evidentiary hurdle.
“So you see, what are the choices: Do nothing at all, or bring charges when you know you don’t have sufficient evidence? Or is there something in-between? The stern warning device is the something in-between.”
She added that closing the investigation without doing anything would not have been the correct thing to do. “The stern warning device... it’s an expression of AGC’s position that we don’t think that you’re completely off the hook.”
Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC) asked if the AGC did not pursue the case because it was an “uphill task in and of itself or outright impossible, given the available facts”.
Ms Indranee responded that the correct test is that there must be a reasonable prospect of obtaining a conviction, because there must be a certain threshold.

“Otherwise, if you just go around filing charges with insufficient basis, that would not make for a strong justice system. And that is the threshold that AGC feels that it is not able to get over in this particular case.”
Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh questioned if KOM board at that time when the offences were committed had “constructive knowledge” - something that they could reasonably be expected to know - of corrupt payments being made to secure contracts in Brazil.
“If the question is whether the investigation included determining if there was constructive knowledge, the answer is if constructive knowledge is not an offence, then there’s no reason for CPIB to be investigating this,” said Ms Indranee.
She added that the CPIB investigates offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), and that is what it had done in this case. “Unfortunately, there’s insufficient evidence for them to mount a prosecution.”
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok) asked if it was an opportune time to review Section 37 of the PCA - which describes the liability of Singapore citizens for offences committed outside Singapore - to include companies.
Ms Indranee replied that the Government’s general assessment is that the PCA does have sufficient powers, but it is open to suggestions if there is anything that can be usefully reviewed or improved.
She reiterated the Government’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption.
“We make sure that our laws are directed at ensuring that you have good corporate governance,” she said.
“So all the signals that we send as a government is to tell our companies, please do business properly. And of course, it’s incumbent upon those companies, not the Government, to ensure that their staff (and) their practices are clean and above board, and in accordance with proper governance.”

 

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Forum: Even a court order has not helped to protect us from chain-smoking neighbour​

Feb 11, 2023

A chain-smoking neighbour exposes my family to smoke every single day. The chain smoking starts as early as 4am and ends at midnight.
The exposure to toxic second-hand smoke has greatly affected our health, living and lives. My mother often suffers from coughing and throat irritation, which make it difficult for her to eat as she chokes easily.
Sometimes, the cigarette smell is so overwhelming that we have difficulty breathing. In addition, the smoke pollutes our house and makes it smell like the smoking corner of a coffee shop.
The incessant cigarette smoking indicates addiction. The side effect of nicotine addiction is that the smoker can become easily irritated and hostile when approached for a conversation. He becomes a health threat not only to himself but also to people around him, including innocent neighbours.
We obtained a court order from the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals in June 2022, but this was not enough to stop the smoking. We then applied for a special direction and are now waiting for a hearing in March.
We urge the court to criminalise the act of chain smoking, which exposes others to ill health effects. Such a step would protect vulnerable people, and create a safer living environment.
The court should order chain smokers to undergo mandatory rehabilitation as a way to stop addictive smoking. They can be taught nicotine replacement therapy by using nicotine patches or nicotine gum. These are tobacco products that do not emit smoke or smell.

A financial penalty is also needed to ensure compliance with the law and to discourage a return to the habit.
Through these measures, I hope that the suffering caused by chain smoking will be reduced.

Chong Ling Eng

 

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50 cents for milk in fish soup, 20 cents for bean curd syrup: Rising prices or profiteering?​

Some take advantage of inflation and the GST hike to mark up prices, say hawkers and F&B owners The Straits Times spoke to. But it’s hard to tell where the line between profiteering, and passing on real costs, begins and ends.​

Diners here have taken to social media to complain about rising food prices and extra charges. PHOTO: ST FILE
Andrew Wong

PUBLISHED

3 HOURS AGO

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SINGAPORE – Over the last few months, Singaporeans have taken to social media to complain about rising food prices and extra charges.
One customer said she was asked to pay 20 cents for extra sugar syrup at Rochor Original Beancurd in Geylang. Another was stumped by the 50 cents he was charged for evaporated milk in his fish soup at a Kopitiam foodcourt.
Are customers being fleeced – or are those in the food and beverage (F&B) sector truly suffering from inflation and the goods and services tax (GST) hike, and having to pass on the costs to customers?
“Everybody thinks the GST hike is only 1 per cent and wouldn’t affect us that much,” Mr Lim Min Jie, owner and chef of Braise, a stall specialising in braised meats at Golden Mile Food Centre, told The Straits Times.
The 46-year-old said that after accounting for the price changes across his supply chain, the cost price of his ingredients has already gone up between 5 per cent and 10 per cent. “A lot of people don’t look at it that way, so it’s quite tough for us. There are some people who will say we are making use of the GST hike to increase our prices.”
His sentiment is shared by others in the industry.
“Many customers have been understanding of the price revisions, but we can’t say the same for all,” said Ms Najeera Roseni at the family-owned House of Samosas in MacPherson Road.

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For instance, the cost of fresh chicken from her supplier went up from $6.50 per kg at the start of 2022, to $9.50 per kg, and is now $12.50 per kg before GST.
The 28-year-old said many customers have tried to ask for discounts; others simply stopped coming. “Our corporate orders also shrank significantly in January,” she added.
Despite that, she said she understood customers’ concern that F&B businesses may be engaging in profiteering. “There’s no smoke without fire – I do think there are some out there who take advantage of the inflation to mark up their prices,” she said, adding that while businesses’ cost prices have no doubt increased, their price revisions have to be realistic.


The Committee Against Profiteering said it received 286 feedback submissions from April 1, 2022, to Jan 31, 2023, of which 26 involved specific allegations of GST misrepresentation. It has worked with partner agencies such as the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore, the Consumers Association of Singapore, and the People’s Association to engage those businesses.
Those businesses have committed to being more transparent with their pricing, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong said in a written reply to a parliamentary question last Monday.
Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling said in a parliamentary reply in January that the Federation of Merchants’ Associations Singapore and the Heartland Enterprise Centre Singapore have conducted outreach and walkabouts at coffee shops, Housing Board shops and hawker centres to remind their members of the need to be transparent about their pricing.

Not clear if businesses are profiteering​

Inflation in Singapore reached decade highs in 2022, spurred by supply-side disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic, among other factors. And it showed up in the prices of Singaporeans’ favourite dishes.
Data from the Department of Statistics shows that a plate of chicken rice cost an average of $3.38 at the start of 2019. This rose to $4.08 by the end of 2022.


“Before the GST hike, we’d already seen other sources of inflationary pressures seeping into the entire value chain,” said DBS Bank senior economist Irvin Seah, adding that some businesses would have had no choice but to pass on the cost to their customers.
OCBC Bank chief economist Selena Ling said that food inflation, including hawker prices, will likely be sustained in the near term to play catch-up.
Li Na Fishball Noodle owner Jeevan Ananthan, who gave up a comfortable career in finance to set up the hawker stall with his wife, could not agree more.
Utilities, rental and ingredient prices – “literally everything” – have shot up for him in recent weeks, said the 31-year-old.

Tough to sustain low prices​

But were hawker prices too low to begin with?
This is debatable, but one of the key features of hawker food has always been competitive pricing, said Ms Ling.
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Professor Lawrence Loh, director of the National University of Singapore Business School’s Centre for Governance and Sustainability, said that historically, prices of hawker food have remained low due to containment of costs. “The low prices cannot be sustained if there are high pressures on the cost side, but we need to be mindful of profiteering too,” he said.
Ms Ling pointed out that it is not so straightforward to determine if hawkers or F&B businesses are overpricing their goods.
There is also a time lag in passing on cost increases. “Many could not raise prices over the last three years due to the pandemic and weak demand, so they had to absorb any cost increases,” she said.
But as the economy slowly reopened in 2022, demand has also strengthened, she added.
Hence, these hawkers and businesses became more confident in passing on some of the cumulative cost increases.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

50 cents for milk in fish soup, 20 cents for bean curd syrup: Rising prices or profiteering?​

Some take advantage of inflation and the GST hike to mark up prices, say hawkers and F&B owners The Straits Times spoke to. But it’s hard to tell where the line between profiteering, and passing on real costs, begins and ends.​

Diners here have taken to social media to complain about rising food prices and extra charges. PHOTO: ST FILE
Andrew Wong

Feb 12, 2023

SINGAPORE – Over the last few months, Singaporeans have taken to social media to complain about rising food prices and extra charges.
One customer said she was asked to pay 20 cents for extra sugar syrup at Rochor Original Beancurd in Geylang. Another was stumped by the 50 cents he was charged for evaporated milk in his fish soup at a Kopitiam foodcourt.
Are customers being fleeced – or are those in the food and beverage (F&B) sector truly suffering from inflation and the goods and services tax (GST) hike, and having to pass on the costs to customers?
“Everybody thinks the GST hike is only 1 per cent and wouldn’t affect us that much,” Mr Lim Min Jie, owner and chef of Braise, a stall specialising in braised meats at Golden Mile Food Centre, told The Straits Times.
The 46-year-old said that after accounting for the price changes across his supply chain, the cost price of his ingredients has already gone up between 5 per cent and 10 per cent. “A lot of people don’t look at it that way, so it’s quite tough for us. There are some people who will say we are making use of the GST hike to increase our prices.”
His sentiment is shared by others in the industry.
“Many customers have been understanding of the price revisions, but we can’t say the same for all,” said Ms Najeera Roseni at the family-owned House of Samosas in MacPherson Road.

For instance, the cost of fresh chicken from her supplier went up from $6.50 per kg at the start of 2022, to $9.50 per kg, and is now $12.50 per kg before GST.
The 28-year-old said many customers have tried to ask for discounts; others simply stopped coming. “Our corporate orders also shrank significantly in January,” she added.
Despite that, she said she understood customers’ concern that F&B businesses may be engaging in profiteering. “There’s no smoke without fire – I do think there are some out there who take advantage of the inflation to mark up their prices,” she said, adding that while businesses’ cost prices have no doubt increased, their price revisions have to be realistic.

The Committee Against Profiteering said it received 286 feedback submissions from April 1, 2022, to Jan 31, 2023, of which 26 involved specific allegations of GST misrepresentation. It has worked with partner agencies such as the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore, the Consumers Association of Singapore, and the People’s Association to engage those businesses.
Those businesses have committed to being more transparent with their pricing, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong said in a written reply to a parliamentary question last Monday.
Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling said in a parliamentary reply in January that the Federation of Merchants’ Associations Singapore and the Heartland Enterprise Centre Singapore have conducted outreach and walkabouts at coffee shops, Housing Board shops and hawker centres to remind their members of the need to be transparent about their pricing.

Not clear if businesses are profiteering​

Inflation in Singapore reached decade highs in 2022, spurred by supply-side disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic, among other factors. And it showed up in the prices of Singaporeans’ favourite dishes.
Data from the Department of Statistics shows that a plate of chicken rice cost an average of $3.38 at the start of 2019. This rose to $4.08 by the end of 2022.

“Before the GST hike, we’d already seen other sources of inflationary pressures seeping into the entire value chain,” said DBS Bank senior economist Irvin Seah, adding that some businesses would have had no choice but to pass on the cost to their customers.
OCBC Bank chief economist Selena Ling said that food inflation, including hawker prices, will likely be sustained in the near term to play catch-up.
Li Na Fishball Noodle owner Jeevan Ananthan, who gave up a comfortable career in finance to set up the hawker stall with his wife, could not agree more.
Utilities, rental and ingredient prices – “literally everything” – have shot up for him in recent weeks, said the 31-year-old.

Tough to sustain low prices​

But were hawker prices too low to begin with?
This is debatable, but one of the key features of hawker food has always been competitive pricing, said Ms Ling.

Professor Lawrence Loh, director of the National University of Singapore Business School’s Centre for Governance and Sustainability, said that historically, prices of hawker food have remained low due to containment of costs. “The low prices cannot be sustained if there are high pressures on the cost side, but we need to be mindful of profiteering too,” he said.
Ms Ling pointed out that it is not so straightforward to determine if hawkers or F&B businesses are overpricing their goods.
There is also a time lag in passing on cost increases. “Many could not raise prices over the last three years due to the pandemic and weak demand, so they had to absorb any cost increases,” she said.
But as the economy slowly reopened in 2022, demand has also strengthened, she added.
Hence, these hawkers and businesses became more confident in passing on some of the cumulative cost increases.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Sinkies need real opposition MPs, not uncaring NMPs like Calvin Cheng

Former NMP Calvin Cheng calls for food court that accepts cash only to be named and shamed​

Netizens say he is more shameful instead​

by The Online Citizen

11/02/2023



SINGAPORE — Former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP), Calvin Cheng has incurred the wrath of netizens from a post that he made on Friday, asking for shops in a food court which only accept payment in cash, with hundreds of comments questioning his disgraceful act.
Posting two images of stalls putting up signs stating that they accept cash only, Cheng calls for the food court in the Central Business District to be named and shamed.
Cheng also posted in his comments asking people to boycott all businesses that do not offer alternatives to cash.
“They must not hamper Singapore’s development as a smart nation, ” said Cheng.
“It’s unbelievable and embarrassing that there are people in the comments section here that are defending the use of cash ONLY. I hope this is the minority otherwise Singapore is finished. We will indeed be a village full of backward villagers.”
“I am constantly reminded that 3 generations ago Singapore was still a nation of coolies and peasants. 5 decades can bring economic development , but we will need another 5 for cultural development. Sad. Failure to reach a Swiss standard of living is being held back by the villagers amongst us. I may be tough on us , but it’s out of love. We need to do better and shame those amongst us who think like villagers amidst first world infrastructure.”
On the same day of his post, Cheng made news after his Swiss digital asset firm, Damoon Technologies was granted membership to the country’s Financial Services Standard Association.
Cheng said: “I believe in the future of digital assets, but this has to be done in accordance with traditional finance’s compliance standards. Switzerland is the pre-eminent global financial hub, and is the ideal place to base crypto-fiat-crypto financial services, as well as a trusted custodian.”

Cheng was a former NMP of the Singapore Parliament from 2009 to 2011 and was appointed as Serbia’s honorary consul in Singapore in November last year.

Cannot believe a former NMP can make such comments, say netizens​

Andrew Tan, one of the commenters, wrote, “To boycott it is your issue and nobody cares. To shame is a disgraceful act. These biz owners have the autonomy to decide what they want to offer. It is their biz. Just like you have the right to boycott as you are using your own money to make a decision. Why not tell the nets company to reduce their charges?”
Shawn Tan wrote, “It’s a pity but DEFINITELY NOT A SHAME that they do not adopt technology. The only thing shameful I see is a person of your stature saying things like that.”
HL Tan wrote, “Why must you name and shame? Do the stall owner need to pay extra fees to use the electronic payment? If it is free now, can one ensure that the future platform won’t charge a single cent? What I observe is payment platforms usually try to get you into the ecosystem and then they start to charge a fee. Can I say I know finance or blockchain or AI, and you do not know is a shame also? no! Everyone has their level of knowledge to adopt certain skills.”
A netizen, Fiona Lim commented, “You are being obnoxious. There are many reasons why F&B outlets prefer cash transactions. They could have been victims of people who “scammed” them with fake paynow / Paylah transfers; or that the digital payments platforms slows down the process of simply buying 1 drink. Or that the banks are charging transactional fees. These are the main pain points that vendors face which should be reaolved by the payment gateways. Do not blame the business if they prefer the most efficient way to transact.”
In response, Cheng wrote, “paynow is free + printing out a qr code costs next to nothing. Silly excuses by embarrassing backward villagers.”
Another netizen, Anaria Marcella chimed into Lim’s comments, “My thought is the same with you. I’m not sure but do you notice that in some or most of his post, he frequently point the blames on other people side but never really illustrate any tips or helpful guides towards people who could use some help?”
A former cashier wrote, “As someone with experience as a cashier, I can say that when there is a long queue of people waiting to make payment, cash payment is the fastest mode of payment for anything below $100. Using credit card is second fastest but is most costly for the retailer. This is followed by NETS (because the customer needs to key in their PIN). PayNow is the slowest mode of payment, because very often, the customer fumbles with the app, waiting for the pages to load, point the camera to the QR code, show proof of payment, etc.”

He added, “As a retailer, I want to make the transaction as fast as possible, so that I can process more customers within the same period of time. This is why I will choose cash payment only. Less decisions for the customer, more sales, more revenue.”
Sally Tan criticised, “I can’t believe I am hearing from a former NMP and just shame the stall. My goodness.. I mean u r a public figure, former NMP. Is that how you should behave? I mean if the stall owners who know nothing or find it hard to keep up with the technology because they are the older generations and they need to feed themselves and families because everything in Singapore is so expensive. If u r shameful to be here, then migrate to somewhere else better than Singapore? I’m sure you are rich enough to do that.”
In response to Tan, Cheng wrote, “if there are people in our country who can’t even print out w qr code they shouldn’t be allowed to operate.”
Steven Goh Robo reasoned, “There can be many reasons why an outlet don’t want to go cashless transaction. It could be they are not as tech savvy, or the cost of using tech is too high for them, or they had experienced many dishonest consumers who don’t pay for their meals. Have you attempt to speak to them to understand why? In any case, they are the business owner, they have the right to decide what’s the mode of payment is best for them. Certainly to be named and shamed is not what an inclusive society should be doing.”
In response to Goh, Cheng wrote, “the reason for not being able to print out a simple qr code and turn on notifications for paynow payments, is laziness and close mindedness. Must be shut down,”

Very hard to speak to villagers​

Lack of empathy by former NMP​

 

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Forum: Getting kids to school shouldn’t be so hard​

Feb 15, 2023

I can empathise with parents facing troubles over transport for their children at St Stephen’s School (School takes action to ease bus woes, Jan 30; Little choice but to rely on school buses, say parents, Feb 6).
I have four children: two in different primary schools, one in pre-school and the youngest is a baby.
My eldest child is in an all-girls school. Seven years ago when our second child was born, my husband and I took pains to buy a flat that was within 1km of an all-boys school for our son, as my husband is not an alumnus of any school in Singapore.
Regrettably, when we attempted to enrol the boy into that school, we were twice unsuccessful with the balloting process, and we had to enrol him in a school 8km away.
To compound matters, we subsequently found that the bus operator with his new school would not pick him up as we were not on the service route.
As for our third child in pre-school, the school bus operator has also stopped services for the past 1½ years, citing profitability issues. So we have had to figure out how to get three children to school on time, at around the same time, without school buses and without breaking the bank.
I had appealed to my MP and to the Ministry of Education for assistance to get my second child into the school that is within walking distance, but I was told this was not possible.

With all this talk of supporting families, it is my hope that the authorities will look into this issue.
Getting a child to school shouldn’t be so difficult. It is unrealistic to expect parents to own a car to ferry their children to and from school, or find people to accompany their children in a taxi or private-hire vehicle every day, twice a day.
There should either be guaranteed school bus services or a guaranteed place in a school that is within 1km of a child’s home.

Vicki Loh Hui-qi

 

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Forum: Height difference causing road completion delay hard to understand​

Feb 21, 2023

I read with great disappointment the article “Longer wait for direct route to Bartley Rd for Bidadari residents” (Feb 20).
Over the past few years, residents in the Bartley area have had to live with the construction of the Bidadari Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, the related infrastructure works, and also the road-widening works of Mount Vernon Road.
Since it was announced that Bidadari Park Drive was slated for completion in the first half of 2023, I had been waiting eagerly for the direct route to Bartley Road and for better traffic conditions.
It is deeply unsettling to now learn that the completion is postponed indefinitely. I am baffled to learn that the cause for the postponement was a height difference of more than 1m between Bidadari Park Drive and Bartley Road, and that the best-deemed remedy is to raise the already busy Bartley Road to match the height of the new road.
When the new road was being designed, did it not occur to the authorities and the construction team that there would be this height difference? How was this not picked up during the construction plan submission and approval stages?
I hope the authorities will learn from any lapses and mistakes from this situation, and hold the relevant personnel accountable for this waste of taxpayers’ money.

Liew Hwei Cheung

 

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That is about 14 caught a day.
And these are the ones that are caught.
Those that were not caught could be at least 20 times this number i.e. 280.

More than 5,000 e-bike riders caught riding on footpaths in 2022​

Motorised devices are not allowed on footpaths to ensure safety for both pedestrians and riders, said LTA. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Gabrielle Chan

Feb 21, 2023

SINGAPORE - More than 5,000 power-assisted bicycle riders were issued notices by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in 2022 for riding on footpaths.
Motorised devices are not allowed on footpaths to ensure safety for both pedestrians and riders, said LTA.
LTA has a team of active mobility enforcement officers and auxiliary police officers who conduct daily enforcement operations across Singapore, it told The Straits Times. Closed-circuit television is also deployed to spot users who ride on footpaths, and the cameras are frequently moved around the island whenever a new hotspot is identified.
“LTA’s priority is safety for all users, and pedestrians tend to be the most vulnerable group,” said LTA.
It added: “We hope that device users understand the rationale and abide by the rules. But we are also prepared to carry out enforcement against errant riders.”
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, food delivery services Grab and Deliveroo reiterated their stance against dangerous delivery riding, with both companies saying they ensure their delivery partners are kept updated and reminded of safety regulations in line with LTA’s rules.
Delivery riders under Grab who use power-assisted bicycles are required to pass the mandatory theory test and undergo a training programme which cover topics such as road regulations, occupational safety and riding techniques.


“Our delivery partners are aware that they are required to observe all local regulations as per our Code of Conduct,” Grab said, adding that delivery riders caught flouting these regulations may be subjected to suspension.
Deliveroo said that it requires all riders to complete a road safety guidance programme and conducts regular road safety programmes to refresh their riders, adding that it works closely with LTA to ensure law-abiding riding.
LTA said that first-time offenders caught riding on footpaths may face a fine of up to $2,000, a jail term of up to three months, or both. Riders with subsequent convictions face a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both.
“In addition to enforcement, we will continue to inculcate safe riding behaviours, and reinforce rules and guidelines through sustained public education and outreach efforts,” the agency said, adding that riders and other path users should exercise responsibility to ensure their safety.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Sim Ann’s “stay tuned” reply to Leon Perera’s question on VERS draws flak from TikTokers​

Photos: YT screencaptures


February 21, 2023
By Jewel Stolarchuk

“I am glad of your interest in VERS. Please stay tuned,” she said.

SINGAPORE: Senior Minister of State (SMS) Sim Ann has drawn flak online after delivering a “stunning” one-liner, in response to a parliamentary question posed by Workers’ Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) Leon Perera on the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS).
Mr Perera was among his WP colleagues, secretary-general Pritam Singh and Jamus Lim, who was seeking clarification from Ms Sim on housing policies. He asked the ruling party politician whether the Government will extend VERS to all blocks in Singapore and added, “That’s just one simple question. Thank you.”
Ms Sim responded, “I am glad of your interest in VERS. Please stay tuned.”


The exchange took place two weeks ago, on 7 Feb, but it went viral on social media over the weekend, when TikTok user @whatdoyouthinkleh posted a clip of Mr Perera’s question and the Senior Minister’s reply.
@whatdoyouthinkleh called her reply “stunning.” Others in the comment section called her reply unprofessional and criticised her for her inability in answering a simple question tactfully and her audacity to issue such a reply in an arena like Parliament. Some added that this was why more opposition MPs are needed in the ruling party-dominated Parliament.

This is not the first time Ms Sim has issued such irreverent comments. In an exceedingly sarcastic speech she delivered during the 2015 General Election campaign period, she personally attacked veteran opposition politician Dr Chee Soon Juan as someone who likes to “chut pattern”, or someone who is full of antics.

 

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Forum: Regardless of income, mothers make same sacrifice​

Feb 22, 2023

The Working Mother’s Child Relief is intended to encourage women to remain in the workforce after having children (Budget 2023: $3k more in Baby Bonus, more financial support for children’s early years, Feb 15).
Yet, the recent change in calculating the relief – from a percentage of earned income to a fixed sum – is surprising.
It is laudable to offer more help to mothers earning lower incomes. However, the change means that mothers earning more than $54,000 annually or $4,300 monthly now get less relief if they have children from 2024 onwards.
With fresh graduates earning a median salary of $4,200, the change suggests that women who decide to prioritise their career first and have children later will not get as much support as with the old system (More fresh university grads in full-time work with higher pay: Survey, Feb 20).
Regardless of how much mothers earn, they all make the same sacrifice every day by having to put their child, sometimes from a young age, in the care of a third party when they go to work.
What impact will this change have on women and their ability to balance their career and family interests?
It would be useful to share more data and show the projected impact on working women and birth rates.

Seha Yatim

 

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Balance the needs of HDB flat buyers with interests of the owners​

Feb 25, 2023

I did not know whether to laugh or cry when I read about several MPs bringing up the revised CPF Housing Grant, which has been increased by between $5,000 and $30,000 for eligible first-timer families and singles buying resale flats (MPs debate BTO balloting, Feb 24).
Some MPs expressed concern that the increased grant might lead to higher HDB resale prices. Actually, giving grants is always a good policy to mitigate hardship.
My question is why MPs are keen to suppress HDB resale prices for the sake of a small percentage of buyers against the interests of 80 per cent of Singaporeans who are already flat owners and expect the value of their flats to appreciate.
As MPs, they should know the expectation of their constituents.
Moreover, we cannot expect the prices of HDB flats to remain depressed all the time when the cost of labour and materials for building new flats is bound to go up over the years.
Therefore, the prices of existing flats will naturally appreciate accordingly.
When new flat buyers get their unit a few years after applying for it, their salaries will have increased by then and will increase over the years, while their HDB monthly instalment will likely remain fixed.

Hence, it will no longer be a burden to service the loan. Monthly instalments are an investment and are different from rent, which is considered an expense.

Harry Ong Heng Poh