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Singtel fibre broadband service down, to waive mobile data charges for Saturday

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SINGAPORE - Singtel users islandwide experienced an hours-long disruption to their broadband services on Saturday (Dec 3).

In a Facebook post at around 9.45am, the local telco acknowledged that customers may be experiencing difficulties in accessing their fibre broadband services.

"Our engineers are working to resolve the problem," Singtel added.

However, the situation remained unresolved more than four hours later.

At 11.55am, Singtel said that the fibre broadband service was still down and that engineers were still investigating the cause of the outage. "Please bear with us as we try to resolve the problem. Thank you once again for your patience."

It subsequently posted an update at 1.30pm, apologising for the disruption and announcing that it was waiving mobile data charges for the day. "As our engineers continue working to resolve our fibre broadband outage issues, we advise affected customers who are also Singtel postpaid mobile subscribers to use their Singtel mobile broadband in the meantime. We will waive their Singtel mobile data charges for today," the telco wrote on Facebook

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Update at 1:30pm: As our engineers continue working to resolve our fibre broadband outage issues, we advise affected...

Posted by Singtel on Friday, 2 December 2016

The post has attracted close to 7,000 comments, many of which were from users saying that the service in their areas was still down. Affected areas included Woodlands, Telok Blangah, Yishun, Jurong East and Tampines.

Netizens also took to Twitter, with a number expressing frustration after the disruption had caused them to exceed their mobile data limits.

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In 2014, an hour-long fire at Singtel's Bukit Panjang exchange took down Internet connections in northern and western Singapore, affecting 270,000 subscribers, including businesses, for up to eight days. The telco was fined a record $6 million for the incident.

More recently, it was fined a total of $145,000 for two pay-TV disruptions in October 2015 and January 2016.

seanyap@sph.com.sg

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Tampines HDB shops launch free Wi-Fi

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The bakery at the foot of the block may not be where you usually surf the Internet and shop online.

But that is the idea in Tampines Street 21, where small businesses have decided not to play second fiddle anymore to their heavyweight competition.

The heartland shopping neighbourhood officially went online yesterday when the Tampines Merchant Association (TMA) launched a free Wi-Fi network for business owners and customers.

With a price tag of about $250,000 for five years of subscription and maintenance, the association is banking on it to raise the profile of the Housing Board businesses and help them pull in more customers.

The set-up includes 61 routers, and some shopkeepers even volunteered to chip in for the cost, said TMA chairman Kwek Hong Lim, 40.

The move is part of an ongoing push to level the playing field with e-commerce and shopping malls.

Already, the neighbourhood, with about 200 shops in five blocks, has put up 18 digital signboards to display shop directories, promotions and announcements.

The new Wi-Fi service will first direct users to a registration and log-in page, and then to the merchant association's official website, where they can browse retail promotions and discounts offered in the area.

"We are facing a lot of challenges from online businesses and malls," said Mr Kwek, who owns the Yes Supermarket chain in Tampines.

He said: "As long as we can get eyeballs on this portal, we can spin off into a lot of other opportunities."

This is just the beginning, he told The Straits Times.

Also in the pipeline is a mobile app to make online purchases from shops in the area, and book appointments at places like the neighbourhood dental clinic or beauty salon.

The merchant associations of other heartland areas have approached TMA to inquire about their technological efforts, he said. "We'll be happy to help. It's a pilot here and it can be duplicated because we already have the know-how."

But feasibility depends on many factors such as cost, and whether the merchants are interested.

The Wi-Fi network was officially launched yesterday by Senior Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee, North East District Mayor Teo Ser Luck, and Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui.

About 3,000 users have already registered since its soft launch about two weeks ago. "We are expecting tens of thousands of users as time passes," said Mr Kwek.

Shopkeepers and shoppers alike cheered the new link to the virtual world. "I'm already using it," said Ms Chen Xiao Qin, 35, a shop assistant at a clothes shop in Block 201D, Tampines Street 21. "Customers can also easily WhatsApp photos of the clothes here to their friends before deciding whether to buy."

Madam Zainab Mat Raby, 51, who owns a Muslim apparel shop in Block 201E, said free Wi-Fi will help her save money. "I use a lot of mobile data to communicate with my suppliers from Malaysia so, of course, this is good."

Housewife and Tampines resident Sharon Teo, 33, said she is all for it. "I take my children for music classes and tuition here. The Wi-Fi will help me kill time while I wait. Hopefully, this will also keep the small businesses like my favourite bubble tea shop alive."

GOING ONLINE

Cost of the Tampines Wi-Fi network for five years of subscription and maintenance: $250k

Number of registered users: 3,000


This article was first published on Dec 03, 2016.
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<p>The bakery at the foot of the block may not be where you usually surf the Internet and shop online.</p>
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Chomp Chomp food centre to close for repair works

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SINGAPORE - The popular Chomp Chomp Food Centre in Serangoon Gardens is one of four food centres being closed for repairs or renovations.

The shutters will go down at Chomp Chomp and the Jurong West Street 52 centre for between two and three months after January next year, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The other two food centres affected are at Block 69, Geylang Bahru and Block 163, Bukit Merah Central.

The one in Geylang Bahru closed at the start of last month and the one in Bukit Merah will close next March, for renovations lasting a year and eight months respectively.

NEA added that the leases of stalls at the four food centres, which come under the Stall Ownership Scheme, expired in October. About 80 stalls have since stopped operations.

But most stalls - 81 per cent or 361 stalls - in these centres will continue to operate. This is the third batch of stalls that have been returned after the owners' 20-year leases expired.

While hawkers expressed worry at losing their income for up to a year, some like Ms Goh Siew Geoh, owner of Hup Kee Delicious Food in Bukit Merah Central, said that they will not move their stalls during the closure.

"It's troublesome to take on another stall, as it's a short period of time before we move back again," said the 62-year-old.

First-generation hawkers under the Stall Ownership Scheme who continue operating their stalls as tenants will pay a subsidised monthly rent of $192.

Ms Irene Koh, 58, who runs Mei Ji Fish Ball Noodle with her husband in Bukit Merah Central, said: "We are happy that they gave us subsidised rent and it's manageable, so we decided to continue working.

"It was quite heavy-going when we first purchased the 20-year lease, and had to service bank loans for the first 15 years."

The scheme saw 1,956 stalls in 15 hawker centres sold in four phases between 1994 and 1997.

Owners paid upfront prices for 20-year leases. The scheme was halted during the economic downturn in 1998.

Hawkers who owned stalls can continue their business after the planned works, as tenants paying a monthly rental.

First-generation hawkers, who had been relocated off the streets in the 1970s, pay the subsidised $192 rent, while others are charged from $1,445 to $2,461 based on rental market rates .

Ms Koh said she hopes relatively younger hawkers who already own a stall do not give up easily.

"It's hard to get subsidised rent like this elsewhere," she said.


This article was first published on Dec 03, 2016.
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<p>The popular Chomp Chomp Food Centre in Serangoon Gardens is one of four food centres being closed for repairs or renovations.</p>
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Taiwan tourists flock to Singapore for sightseeing fun and runs

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Ms Una Yan cannot seem to get enough of Singapore. She spent three days in the Republic in February and is back again today to not only tour the island but also pound the pavement.

The 35-year-old Taiwanese, who swims and hikes every week, is taking part in the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore, her first marathon overseas.

"The last time I went to Singapore was during the Chinese New Year period when many shops were closed. I felt I wanted to see more, like East Coast Park, and experience Singapore in a different way," said Ms Yan, a provision shop owner.

She is one of 50 people from Taiwan who have signed up for Singapore tour packages which include a runner's pack in this year's StanChart run, the Republic's largest running event with more than 50,000 runners a year.

While the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has long been reaching out to attract foreign sports spectators with events such as the Formula 1 race, it is now gunning for sports fans who like working up a sweat.

And it is starting in Taiwan, where the number of marathons has grown 42 per cent from 521 in 2014 to 740 last year, according to Running Biji, a popular website in Taiwan.

In recent years, there has been greater awareness in Taiwan of the benefits of running, thanks to studies published, said the local media. Running clubs and city and county governments have been promoting the activity.

A poll by Runing Biji found that 73 per cent of respondents say they run marathons overseas with the aim too of touring the place.

In July, STB tied up with Taiwanese tour agency Life Tour to organise sports-related tour packages such as the StanChart Marathon. The four-day tour includes a chance to sample local food and the "usual suspects" like Universal Studios and Marina Bay Sands.

This follows a tour by two other Taiwanese agencies which drew more than 100 Taiwanese to Singapore for the Osim Sundown Marathon in May.

STB's area director (Eastern China) Kwan Su Min told The Straits Times: "We have seen more Taiwanese marathon enthusiasts travelling to Singapore for such immersive races that showcase Singapore's vibrancy and attractiveness. Coupled with diverse shopping and entertainment offerings, they get a whole different vacation experience."

She said STB is working closely with Taiwanese travel agents to develop an array of tour packages.

Apart from Taiwan, Ms Kwan said the board is seeing strong interest from running enthusiasts in China, where there are now more running clubs and travel agents promoting trips to run in the StanChart and Sundown marathons.

Overall, STB is keen to grab a slice of the expanding global sports market pie. Consulting firm A.T. Kearney estimates that the global sports market pie will cross US$90 billion (S$128 billion) by next year.

Singapore faces competition from the likes of Japan, which tourists also visit to take part in marathons. Some Taiwanese visit Okinawa or Osaka to run in marathons, said Ms Jocelyn Yeh, Life Tour's head of Special Interest Tour Department.

But Singapore's selling point is its "quality offerings in terms of food, culture and attractions", she said.

Professional runner Cliff Chiang, 28, notes that the StanChart Marathon is a Gold Label Road Race certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

Mr Chiang, who has run in the Berlin Marathon and a few races in China, said: "If I want to be taken seriously in this field, I want to join races such as the one in Singapore and clock a good time." He also hopes to go round the city, which he has not visited since he was eight.

For Ms Yan, there will be no "running away" from Singapore dishes such as bak kut teh, nasi lemak and bak kwa. "After all that running, I definitely want to reward and pamper my body and tummy," she said.


This article was first published on Dec 03, 2016.
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<p>Ms Una Yan cannot seem to get enough of Singapore. She spent three days in the Republic in February and is back again today to not only tour the island but also pound the pavement.</p>
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Saturday, December 3, 2016 - 16:00
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How Tiong Bahru got hip again

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Singapore's first public housing estate in Tiong Bahru is experiencing a second lease of life, after an exodus in the 1990s.

The residential estate at Tiong Bahru, comprising 20 blocks, was built in the Art-Deco style, with geometric lines and motifs on the buildings' facade. Block 55 is the first of the 20 blocks to be built in 1936.

The rentals charged by the Singapore Improvement Trust were considered high and beyond the reach of many. This led to affluent businessmen, who could afford the rentals, reportedly renting apartments in the estate for their mistresses.

Prices for market produce were also comparatively higher than in other estates.

But by the 1980s and 1990s, the old flats there started to seem less lustrous compared with the newer Housing Board estates elsewhere on the island, with families moving out to these modern estates as well as to condominiums.

Older residents were left behind and foreign workers started moving in to occupy the empty apartments.

This led to a sense of uncertainty among residents, says Professor Lily Kong, Provost and Lee Kong Chian Chair Professor of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University. Fear spread among residents that their maturing estate would get torn down, prompting further departures.

However, such fears were allayed in 2003 when the estate was gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) - a move which kick-started a revitalisation of the area.

Hip cafes, bakeries and restaurants such as coffee house Forty Hands and Plain Vanilla Bakery swiftly set up shop in the estate, a stone's throw away from older establishments such as Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastry and Sin Hoi Sun eatery, which has been there for more than 30 years.

Now, the area is popular with younger residents who frequent the new joints, as well as older residents who make the neighbourhood coffee shops, such as Hua Bee at 78 Moh Guan Terrace (yakitori restaurant Bincho takes over at night), their first port of call in the morning.

While Prof Kong notes that there is now a different feel to the place, one thing has remained: It still serves its purpose of encouraging human interaction.

The estate, which was completed in two phases before and after World War II, was built by the Singapore Improvement Trust and inspired by the urban planning and architecture of British public housing during the same era.

The blocks are low-rise - two to five storeys high - with pockets of green areas around the estate and five-foot-ways to encourage interaction among the residents.

For this purpose, the ground-floor corner units are reserved for coffee shops, eateries and other amenities.

Prof Kong says: "The estate was built with the principle of facilitating social interaction - its structure of low-rise housing, small public spaces interspersed among the apartment blocks and open green pockets provides opportunities for people to run into one another."

Ms Tan Huey Jiun, director for conservation planning at URA, adds: "Tiong Bahru is dear to many Singaporeans. Its rich history, unique architecture and familiar streetscapes are an important part of our heritage.

"In total, 20 blocks of pre-war flats have been conserved so that Tiong Bahru can continue to evolve with the assurance that the identity and charm of the area will be kept."

HIGHLIGHTS OF BLOCK 55

1. DIFFERENT CORNER DESIGNS

Photo: The Straits Times

The different corner of each building clearly distinguishes the blocks from one another and acts as a visual motif. The corner of Block 55 has concrete sunshades on its facade as a simple design feature.

2. ORIGINAL WINDOW AND DOOR FRAME DESIGNS

Photo: The Straits Times

These handmade wooden door frames and metal frames are 80 years old. This estate is the first in Singapore with such high quality frames by well-known British window company Crittall, says Ms Tan Huey Jiun, director for conservation planning at the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

The slim, elegant aesthetic of the steel is a change from the traditional wooden windows often used in that era. They have special features such as top panels which can be left open for ventilation in rainy weather.

3. CLIMATE-FRIENDLY FEATURES

Photo: The Straits Times

The flats have balconies, which act as a buffer from the heat, and concrete sunshades overhanging the steel windows with original green textured panes to cut out the glare - useful features designed in an era before the use of air-conditioning.

The green windows help create a visual sense of coolness and provide privacy, says Ms Tan. "The green glass is now a rare feature in Singapore and in the estate. Overseas, such glass is seen as antique glass and is very expensive."

This is a monthly column on heritage buildings.


This article was first published on Dec 03, 2016.
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Saturday, December 3, 2016 - 17:00
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GovTech data scientists caught Circle Line's 'rogue train': Here's what else they do

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In the early hours of Saturday, November 5, Feng-Yuan Liu received a call from Singapore's Ministry of Communications. A particularly nasty and persistent problem in the city's Massive Rapid Transit (MRT) system had resurfaced once more. Stumped authorities were out of ideas.

Feng-Yuan, director of the Data Science Division of the Government Technology Agency (or GovTech), fired up his team's WhatsApp group chat. Someone was going to have to come to work that Saturday.

"I was actually in Japan at the time," he tells Tech in Asia. "So I pinged the team and asked if there were any volunteers who could help. These three guys stepped up." The three guys are data scientists Daniel Sim, Shangqian Lee, and Clarence Ng.

The trio have documented how they managed to solve the mystery in a blog post that has gone viral, shared on Facebook even by Singapore's Prime Minister.

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Two weeks ago, Ng Eng Hen posted on Facebook (bit.ly/2gLCl4n) how a cross-agency team identified a rogue MRT train as...

Posted by Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday, 1 December 2016

In the blog, they explain the movie plot-worthy "trail of destruction" left by the rogue train designated as PV046 and how they helped stop it. It's basically the computer geek version of 2010's Denzel Washington-starring Unstoppable, thankfully with much lower stakes.

The post is a must-read, not only because of the complex problem-solving involved, but also as a look into how much data is generated around us daily and can be put to use.

The team comprising the Data Science Division. Photo: GovTech

Runaway train

The crisis the team was called to tackle has been well documented in Singapore, but here's the gist if you haven't heard: the MRT, Singapore's subway system, is largely automated, with trains riding the tracks by bouncing signals off each other and the stations.

At some point at the end of August, several trains on the system's Circle Line started braking suddenly for no obvious reason. The culprit was a faulty train sending errant signals, which confused its fellow vehicles, creating disruption in the clockwork system.

Read also: Mystery of Circle Line's signalling problem solved

Read the full article here

Other Tech in Asia stories:

- Carpooling app Swiftback shuts down, migrates users to GrabHitch

- Jungle Ventures raises $100m fund for Southeast Asia and beyond

- Singapore's startups, immigrants get new channel to send money abroad at lower cost

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SBS bus crashes into wall at Bedok condo; no injuries reported

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SINGAPORE - An SBS Transit bus crashed into a wall at Eastern Lagoon II condo in Bedok at around 9pm on Saturday (Dec 3).

The bus mounted a kerb and hit the exterior wall of the condo, said Ms Tammy Tan, senior vice-president of SBS Transit corporate communications, when contacted by The Straits Times.

"Thankfully none of our 30 passengers nor our bus captain was injured," she said.

All passengers on board bus 197 were transferred to the next bus and continued their journeys.

SBS Transit apologised for the inconvenience and distress caused and are currently investigating the cause of the accident.


This article was first published on Dec 3, 2016.
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What's behind Singapore's latest run-ins with Beijing

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Singapore-China relations appear to have taken a turn for the worse.

The recent seizure of nine Singapore Armed Forces armoured vehicles in Hong Kong is the latest in a series of incidents that have made many wonder what is happening between the two countries.

Why is it that what appeared to have been acceptable in the past is now viewed by one party in a different light?

In the case of the SAF carriers, they were in transit in Hong Kong en route to Singapore after their deployment in Taiwan where SAF troops hold regular exercises.

Read also: Singapore will not allow any single issue to hijack ties with China, says Vivian Balakrishnan

Singapore's military arrange- ment with Taiwan has been a longstanding practice, started in 1975 when it was building its armed forces from scratch and needed space not available in its own country for training purposes.

Chinese leaders might not have liked the arrangement but they did not make a public issue of it.

Indeed, it did not stop the two countries from establishing diplomatic relations in 1990.

Suddenly, Beijing now says it has a serious problem with it, going by what its spokesman was quoted as saying: "The Chinese government has always firmly opposed countries that have diplomatic ties with China to have any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, including military exchanges and cooperation."

When relations between two countries turn sour, the past can be recast and reinterpreted.

Read also: Singapore envoy refutes China report on South China Sea

The same could be said about China's displeasure over Singapore's position on the South China Sea (SCS) issue.

Singapore has said that, as it is not a claimant country, it will not take sides in the dispute which involves several South-east Asian nations and China.

But it hopes the disagreements will be settled peacefully according to established principles: Adherence to international laws and the protection of freedom of navigation in the affected waters.

Singapore has stuck closely and consistently to these principles which China did not take issue with in the past.

In recent years, though, China has become more assertive, constructing various facilities on some of the disputed islands and refusing to take part or accept the verdict of an international tribunal which had ruled in favour of the Philippines' case.

It has also taken issue with Singapore, accusing it, through reports in the Chinese media, of instigating other Asean countries to take an unfriendly position regarding the SCS issue, a charge Singapore has vigorously denied.

Why is Singapore's consistent position on the SCS now viewed so antagonistically and provoking such a strong reaction from Beijing? The short answer: China has changed.

As Professor Wang Gungwu, a noted historian, observed last week at a forum, China today isn't the same country as the one which needed help from many countries, including Singapore, in the 1980s and 1990s to develop its economy.

"The China that needed our external help is no longer that way at all. China now is actually in the position of being looked to for help... and Singapore has to reassess its position not because of anything specific that Singapore has done or what the Chinese have done."

The change has been most pronounced in the economic sphere. China is now the largest trading partner of almost all the countries in the region, including Singapore, and is the largest source of tourism and investments.

This economic impact has been mainly positive, boosting growth and opportunities for many countries which have benefited from the vast and growing Chinese market.

But along with its economic strength has come political and military clout.

As its influence and ability to project its power increases, China is changing the geopolitical landscape.

The most significant impact of this will be in the shifting balance of power between China and the United States, but this re-balancing will take some time because America is a superpower and will not cede ground easily.

But smaller countries do not enjoy this advantage and will feel China's growing weight more dramatically, like small buoys in the sea buffeted by a supertanker passing by.

Because of its proximity, South-east Asia will be one of those most affected.

China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea dispute is but one manifestation of this, and there will no doubt be many others.

In such a scenario, it would be unrealistic to expect a trouble-free time as countries in the region adjust to the new reality.

In fact, many South-east Asian states have already shifted their positions, the most dramatic being the Philippines led by newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte, who declared recently that his country had realigned with China and was moving away from the US.

There is bound to be friction and tension in the coming years as governments make adjustments to accommodate the new growing power.

Singapore's recent problems with China should be seen in this light - an inevitable clashing of gears as the many moving parts change direction and, sometimes, collide.

It would be highly unusual if there were no ups and downs as the balance of power shifts.

It is important, therefore, to take a longer-term view of the changing ties and chart a course that ensures Singapore's interests are protected in the foreseeable future.

This is especially pertinent as Singapore has many other interests and linkages with the rest of the world which it assiduously developed over the years.

These overlapping relationships have made the country what it is today - globally connected and relevant - and have been a large part of what made it successful.

It cannot suddenly change course without serious damage to its international standing.

But it also makes for a more challenging foreign policy because some of these countries have different and competing interests with China.

As the balance of power shifts, Singapore will have to make new calculations and adjustments.

It will require nimble and adroit leadership able to navigate the changing landscape.

But the people, too, need to understand the new realities and not become unduly flustered or, worse, panicked into submission at the slightest pressure.

They should know that how Singapore responds to Chinese action can have far-reaching consequences for itself and the region, and that it isn't just a simple matter of not displeasing China for the moment, whatever the costs.

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan was right to point out that the relationship isn't defined by one single issue but is multifaceted .

Singaporeans need to have a deeper understanding of how the world is changing, how the changes affect the country, where their interests lie, and what it takes to do well in the new environment.

These are testing times; they are a foretaste of more to come.

  • The writer is also a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.


This article was first published on Dec 04, 2016.
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<p>Singapore-China relations appear to have taken a turn for the worse.</p>
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Shoppers, be alert to terror threats, Josephine Teo urges

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In the midst of the usual year-end sales, shoppers can also do their part to stay alert to terror threats, said Senior Minister of State (Prime Minister's Office, Foreign Affairs and Transport) Josephine Teo yesterday.

She was speaking at the opening of the third police community roadshow, held at the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh.

The roadshow marked the expansion of the Shoppers-On-Watch programme to the heartland.

The programme, first introduced in May as part of a safe shopping campaign in Orchard Road, aims to educate shoppers on how they can prevent crime by looking out for suspicious behaviour.

Mrs Teo said the programme complemented the SGSecure movement introduced in September as part of efforts to increase levels of preparedness for crises such as terror attacks.

"By calling upon members of the public to look out for suspicious characters and behaviour, Shoppers-On-Watch reinforces the need to stay alert to any tell-tale indicators of terrorist activities," said Mrs Teo, who is also a Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

The Singapore Police Force encouraged shoppers to stay alert and report any suspicious activities or items to retailers or the police to "prevent, deter or detect" crime and terror-related activities.

Some retailers have been trained on how to respond when shoppers provide information about suspicious activity in their premises.

On Friday, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said there was a greater terror threat now compared with last year. He noted an uptick in terrorism-related arrests in Indonesia, and said extremism propagated by terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria had taken root in the region.

Transport workers, too, have been identified as first responders in crisis situations, during the public transport sector's first counter- terrorism seminar, also on Friday.

Mr Desmond Choo, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, said people must "stay vigilant" during this period, especially in crowded areas such as year-end countdown parties.

"Terrorists have neither downtime nor vacation," he said.

 


This article was first published on Dec 04, 2016.
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<p>In the midst of the usual year-end sales, shoppers can also do their part to stay alert to terror threats, said Senior Minister of State (Prime Minister's Office, Foreign Affairs and Transport) Josephine Teo yesterday.</p>
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Help from a stranger turns her life around

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Things were looking bleak but a chance meeting with a stranger helped Ms Jaycie Tay, who was twice incarcerated and dropped out of school, defy the odds to achieve a diploma. And the 32- year-old twice-divorced mother of four is now gunning for a degree, as well as a brighter future.

It was late 2013 and Ms Tay had attended a course funded by the Government and a halfway house earlier in the day. She was training to be a florist.

Ms Tay, who was on the last leg of her 18-month sentence for drug offences, was waiting for a bus in Yishun to return to halfway house The Turning Point when she met Mr John Shu, a now 50-year-old mechanic. He had to take a bus that day as his motorcycle was in the workshop. The pair started talking and soon struck up a friendship.

She began to confide in Mr Shu, who is married with a 22-year-old daughter in polytechnic and a 19-year-old son working as a chef.

She shared her life story and her desire to pursue a diploma to give her children a better future. She had worked as a waitress and a retail assistant, among other jobs, but they paid less than $2,000 a month.

She said her parents, who are divorced, were not supportive of her plans to upgrade herself. And she did not have the $5,000 needed for the course fees.

Besides, she was getting treatment for depression then and the people around her felt she could not cope with handling a messy divorce, caring for her children and going back to school all at once.

Mr Shu said: "Her wish to get an education is a good thing. And since her family is not supporting her and no one supports her, I thought I would support her and give her a way out."

Mr Shu, who earns just over $2,000 a month, gave her about $6,000 to pay for her diploma and other expenses. This was a few months into their friendship. He said he and his wife, who works as a hawker, can get by on their income.

Ms Tay began her studies shortly after her release in 2014 and graduated with a diploma in marketing management from Kaplan Higher Education Institute eight months later.

Hitting the books was a huge change for a girl who was introduced to drugs by her friends as a teenager. She was only 18 when she was jailed for one year for drug offences. When she became a mother at the age of 20, she quit drugs.

But she returned to drugs to escape from her woes when her first marriage broke down. She has two children from that union, a 12-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son. Her first husband has custody of them.

Her second husband was also a drug abuser and they were arrested at the same time for drug offences.

About four years ago, the couple was jailed and their daughter, only a baby at the time, was left in the care of her in-laws. The girl is now five.

Ms Tay's second sentence, served at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre at Changi Women's Prison, "shook" her up. "I saw how the other drug addicts ended up with nothing. Their children did not want them; they had no house and no money. I did not want to be like them."

Behind bars, an inmate encouraged her to further her studies. And with Mr Shu's help, she became a diploma holder.

His help did not end there. While studying for her diploma, she found herself unexpectedly pregnant with her fourth child - with her second husband. Their marriage was on the rocks. She wanted a divorce and was worried about her finances.

Mr Shu said: "I encouraged her not to abort as the baby is innocent. I told her that if she can't afford to raise the child, I will help her. I will help her all the way."

Ms Tay said Mr Shu paid for her visits to the gynaecologist and even cooked for her when she was recuperating from the childbirth during her confinement month.

"He never asked for his money back or for anything in return," she said. "Others have made unpleasant remarks (implying we are having an affair) but we are clean."

Ms Tay, who is working as an administrative assistant, said she has offered to repay part of the sums that he gave her, but he has declined. She declined to reveal her pay.

"He has helped many people, not only me... Some (of his friends) have taken advantage of him."

Mr Shu, a primary school graduate, said in a mix of Mandarin and Hokkien: "Why should I calculate so much about helping others? I already have one foot in the grave and if I need help in the future, others would help me."

He said he is just glad that she managed to get her life back on track, adding: "I see Jaycie as a family member, like my younger sister."

Last month, Ms Tay started a part- time course - Bachelor of Business Studies in Management - at Kaplan. The degree is awarded by University College Dublin. She won a bursary from the Yellow Ribbon Fund Star Bursary to pursue the degree. She said the fees cost over $20,000.

"I never thought a stranger (who became a friend) would help me so much. I hope that by sharing my story, other former offenders can also feel there is hope in life," she said.

Skills-training bursary for ex-offenders

The Yellow Ribbon Fund Star (Skills Training Assistance to Re-start) Bursary was launched in 2010 to assist financially needy former offenders in vocational and skills training, to help them find jobs.

The bursary covers up to 100 per cent of the course fees for diploma and degree programmes.

Since it was launched, 128 students have been on the bursary scheme and 52 have graduated.

The graduates include one who earned a diploma in banking and finance services from Nanyang Polytechnic and another who attained a diploma in culinary skills from Shatec.

The bursary is open to all former offenders who have been accepted by any educational institution in Singapore. It is disbursed by the Yellow Ribbon Fund, a charitable fund that helps offenders and their families.


This article was first published on Dec 04, 2016.
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<p>Things were looking bleak but a chance meeting with a stranger helped Ms Jaycie Tay, who was twice incarcerated and dropped out of school, defy the odds to achieve a diploma. And the 32- year-old twice-divorced mother of four is now gunning for a degree, as well as a brighter future.</p>
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Sunshade which dislodged in Tampines had no reinforcement bars on one side: BCA report

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SINGAPORE - Two months after a concrete sunshade on the fourth floor of a Tampines block fell onto the sunshade on the third storey, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has found that other existing sunshades at Block 201E Tampines Street 23 and its surrounding blocks are safe.

For the affected sunshade at the incident block, the engineers' investigations confirmed that the side that had dislodged had no reinforcement bars (rebars).

In a statement on Dec 4, BCA said it had earlier directed Tampines Town Council to engage a professional engineer to carry out a detailed investigation, following the incident on 25 September 2016.

The conclusion was that the sunshade dislodged because of the way it was constructed and not due to structural design.

Additional checks on similar sunshades in the precinct were also conducted.

These include ultrasound scanning checks, conducted by an independent accredited testing laboratory. The ultrasound checks showed that reinforcement bars were detected in all existing sunshades at Block 201E and surrounding blocks.

To further verify the findings from the ultrasound checks, the professional engineer, in the presence of BCA engineers, carried out sampling checks by removing a strip of concrete cover to expose the rebars to establish the number and size of rebars.

"These checks confirmed that the existing sunshades are adequately supported on the columns and are safe," said the BCA.

BCA said it also conducted an independent assessment of the findings and concurs with the PE's conclusions.

candicec@sph.com.sg

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Runner, 29, dies 1km before finish line at Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore

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A 29-year-old man participating in the half marathon in yesterday's Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore died during the run.

He collapsed 1km away from the finish line at the Padang.

The Straits Times Online reported that the man is believed to Mr John Gibson, a Briton living in Hong Kong.

Race organiser Ironman Asia's managing director Geoff Meyer said the runner was immediately attended to and sent to the hospital in an ambulance.

Mr Meyer said: "Our main priority and focus is on his family. We are working with them to see how they can be fully supported, (we are) doing everything we can possibly do."

Sport Singapore extended its condolences to the runner's family and friends, and said it will continue to work with the organiser to provide assistance to his family.

This year's event drew about 46,000 participants.

ORCHARD ROAD

For the first time also, the half and full marathons flagged off simultaneously in Orchard Road at 4.30am.

The runners were later joined by participants of the 10km race, which started at 6.45am in Esplanade Drive. All races finished at the Padang.

This is the second death in the 15-year history of the marathon here.

In 2011, 22-year-old Malcolm Sng Wei Ren died after completing a half marathon.

A coroner's court later determined that he had died from acute coronary insufficiency and had an abnormal coronary artery which had been previously undetected.

This article by The Straits Times was published in The New Paper, a free newspaper published by Singapore Press Holdings.

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Singtel handled Internet outage well: GPC chairman

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After an island-wide disruption that lasted nearly 24 hours, Singtel's fibre broadband services were fully restored at 8.25am yesterday.

Singtel customers will get a 10 per cent discount on their broadband bill this month.

Affected broadband customers who are also Singtel postpaid mobile users will have their local mobile data charges waived for the weekend.

Singtel's Facebook post about the outage received nearly 36,000 comments, mostly from upset customers.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Communications and Information, said that while he understood customers' frustrations, the telco's crisis communication should be commended.

He told The New Paper: "They gave early notice and there were regular updates. They also tried to alleviate the situation early by offering free data to their customers.

"But as many Singaporeans are reliant on the Internet, they would be a lot more sensitive about the outage. Smaller businesses might also be affected in terms of productivity."

Mr Daniel Tan, 36, who owns the 24-hour Angel Supermart, had to deal with long queues at the Woodlands outlet as a result of the outage.

His systems, which are linked by cloud computing, was down, affecting real-time access to promotions, price changes and membership data.

Fortunately, he had back-up solutions - a Singtel 3G router and a StarHub 3G dongle for the cashiering system.

Mr Tan told TNP that this was the second time he had been affected by a broadband outage.

His Ang Mo Kio outlet was hit when StarHub was affected by a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack in October, which resulted in two major disruptions.

"It is quite upsetting. I chose fibre Internet because it is supposed

to be more stable than 3G," he said.

"Some customers walked away and I had to mobilise four staff members to come in and appease customers."

On Saturday evening, Singtel ruled out a cyber attack, or DDoS attacks, as the cause of the outage.

Singtel's chief executive officer of consumer business, Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, said yesterday: "As our immediate priority all yesterday and overnight was to fully restore our services, we will now conduct a thorough investigation into what triggered the disruption - specifically why our servers could not send IP (Internet Protocol) addresses to customers' modems to enable broadband connectivity.

"Once there is more clarity, we will share our findings with the regulators and work with them to ensure measures are in place to prevent any such recurrence."

Mr Michael Lee, security evangelist at RSA Asia-Pacific & Japan, said businesses should consider putting in place continuity plans.

"For larger businesses, it would mean multiple connections and an agreement with another provider. For smaller businesses, it could be as simple as ensuring that they have a backup 3G network," he said.

linheng@sph.com.sg


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PM Lee: We must remain open

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The growing mood of anxiety and discontent, and the ground gained by extreme political parties in many developed countries will impact not just the world economy, but global security and stability, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

There will be major consequences for small, open countries such as Singapore that have relied on open trade and making friends, and sought opportunities to co-operate, he said.

It will also be harder to prosper together in this new climate, where countries becoming more protectionist, seeing others' gains as their loss, he added.

Mr Lee gave this reading of recent trends in a speech to 2,500 People's Action Party (PAP) members at its biennial party conference.

He called on members to understand what the trend means for Singapore and to help ensure the PAP retains strong support from all segments of society.

He said: "The external world is changing... in a very fundamental way not advantageous to us. We have to watch this, we have to know how this is going to impact us over the next few years."

Mr Lee, who is the PAP's secretary-general, noted that voters around the world are unhappy that the benefits of growth are not reaching them and feel threatened that immigrants are competing for their jobs.

He cited the recent United States election, the Brexit vote and the rise of extreme parties in Europe as examples of voters' weariness of trade and wariness of immigrants.

He said: "This looks like the trend now. I do not know how far it will go, but I do not like the direction the trend is going.

"If more countries turn this way, the world is going to change, and change for the worse."

Singapore prospered in the past 50 years by working hard, but it was fortunate to have a favourable external environment - a peaceful Asia and an international order where countries co-operate and compete under rules that are fair to all, giving small countries "a right to their place in the sun".

Today, countries are getting more assertive.

"Nobody can tell how relations between the big powers will develop. If US-China relations grow tense, Singapore is going to be in a very difficult spot, because we regard both the US and China as our friends and do not want to have to choose between them."

Meanwhile, obstacles to trade are increasing and Singapore's exports - a key pillar of its economy - are not growing by very much either.

But Singapore has to accept the world as it is, not as it wishes it to be, said Mr Lee.

He said: "We ourselves must remain open, because if we close up like other countries, our people will be finished."



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PM Lee: Singapore can face uncertain economy better

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Singapore is in a much better situation than other developed countries facing slowing growth and an uncertain economic outlook, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.

Unemployment is low, including among youth, and incomes are rising even for lower- and middle-income families, he told 2,500 People's Action Party (PAP) members at the biennial party conference yesterday.

Mr Lee, the PAP's secretary-general, said: "We are still creating more jobs than there are Singaporeans to fill them, and we are creating better jobs for the future."

But there can be no let-up given the difficulties ahead, he added, citing how, even as a good education system enables young people to compete for good jobs, skills have to be continually upgraded as jobs change.

"Change is happening fast, and it is going to get even faster."

Mr Lee's comments come against a backdrop of economic restructuring and slower growth. Singapore's economy is forecast to grow at 1 per cent to 1.5 per cent this year, down from 2 per cent last year.

Retrenchment numbers for this year, which reached an estimated 11,890 over the first nine months, are also expected to be higher than last year's 13,440.

Given the uncertain international environment, the Government must strive hard to keep improving the lives of Singaporeans, especially in the areas of education, skills upgrading and social support, he said.

Housing is a big issue in other major cities, especially for young people, Mr Lee said.

He added that being able to have a home when people start a family helps to foster a sense of nationhood and unity.

"It is one way we make this a home for all Singaporeans."

Mr Lee also said that for Singapore to stay successful, the PAP must continue to be a strong national party that brings people together and takes the country forward in an increasingly fragmented world.

In order to do so, the party must continue to reach out to as well as represent all segments of society.

"It works both ways. If our society is united, then it is easier for the PAP to represent a broad mass of Singaporeans," he said.

"Conversely, if the PAP government pursues policies that benefit Singaporeans across the board, that bring Singaporeans closer together, then our society can remain united."

Mr Lee also spelled out two other things the party had to do to stay strong and win future elections: Serve the people and never take voters for granted, as well as provide strong leadership for Singapore.

"We count it a privilege to serve. We cannot be like political parties in some other countries, where people join a party for the spoils - because you enter politics, you get payoffs, you get contracts, you get deals, you are on the inside track, you get personal benefits, sometimes huge ones."

He added to laughter: "Here, if you join the PAP, you expect hard work - and tough speeches. But we must never slacken. We cannot afford to take voters for granted."

This article by The Straits Times was published in The New Paper, a free newspaper published by Singapore Press Holdings.

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Moving past PSLE scores: Defining success differently

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Bad results in their Primary School Leaving Examinations did not prevent them from achieving what they set their minds out to do

These Singaporeans tell The New Paper how they moved past their low PSLE scores to accomplish better things.

 

BRIAN TOH, 32
Product marketing engineer
PSLE SCORE: 98

When Mr Toh received his PSLE score of 98, his grandmother congratulated him, thinking it was 98 upon 100.

"But my parents scolded me. Some of my relatives looked down on me and made bad remarks," he said.

"That made me really unhappy."

But he went on to do well enough for his N levels, Nitec and Higher Nitec to get into Nanyang Polytechnic, where he started to focus on his studies.

He later enrolled in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to pursue a degree in electrical and electronic engineering.

"Many people were curious about how I got to graduate from NTU.

"I believe that persistence and determination will lead you to be successful in the future."

 

EDWARD CHEANG, 25
Audio technician and resident DJ at VLV
PSLE SCORE: 183

His score of 183 was a huge disappointment as he had been scoring As in primary school.

It does not matter now, as Mr Cheang is now living his dream as an audio technician and resident DJ at VLV. He even played a set at the recent Neon Lights festival.

"The most important thing now is happiness. No matter how small, the pure satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment you get when you look at the work you have done is the best thing ever," said Mr Cheang, who graduated with a diploma in mass communications from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

"Success defined by others can never be met by yourself," he said.

 

RYAN TAN, 28
Founder of Night Owl Cinematics
l PSLE SCORE: 160

He did not complete his tertiary education and was a school dropout.

Today, he helms Night Owl Cinematics (NOC), a popular YouTube comedy channel, with his wife Sylvia Chan, also 28.

The duo work with over 60 clients a year and rake in what Mr Tan described as a "comfortable" amount.

The former Haig Boys' School student said he was disappointed by his PSLE score, but that his family was "pretty chill".

While he was interested in film-making, he did not qualify to study at a school such as Laselle College of the Arts.

"I taught myself those skills. When I started NOC, I didn't think of doing it for a living.

"But right now, I am happy that I succeeded in doing so," he said.

As for whether he feels that he has "made it", he said: "We received a Forbes 30 Under 30 award nomination, but a lot of people like to say that I was lucky.

"Saying that I don't care (about success) is a lie, but it doesn't bother me as much now that I have grown more mature."

 

VINCENT HA, 32
Chief strategy officer of Yello Digital Marketing Global and co-founder of Gushcloud
l PSLE SCORE: 218

He has his sights set on making his company, Gushcloud, South-east Asia's largest influencer marketing and media company.

The company has about 500 clients across Asia.

It grew its influencer base to 15,000 this year after expanding into countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and South Korea.

Mr Ha said he feels lucky that his parents never defined his success by his school grades.

His idea of success?

He said: "It's to create things that matter and can make an impact on this world.

"Right now, my goal is to define the media environment that we want our kids to grow up in.

"And subsequently, to contribute in making Singapore and South-east Asia matter to the world by building the future of digital entertainment."

 

SANDRA LYNN JAYA-BODESTYNE, 25
Duke-National University Singapore medical student
l PSLE SCORE: 204

Her father's advice to her the day before she started Secondary 3 changed her life.

The former St Margaret's Primary School student said: "I was quite playful in my first two years of secondary school. My father told me that the O-level exams were a chance for me to excel if I work hard from day one."

Motivated, she went on to top her class in her first biology test. She is now studying medicine.

She said: "I have been pushing boundaries ever since."

 

ROSHNI MAHTANI, 33
Chief executive officer and founder of theAsianparent
l PSLE SCORE: 218

She made her first stock market trade when she was nine. Today, Ms Roshni is an entrepreneur.

The founder of parenting website theAsianparent said she posted her PSLE results on social media to let parents know one thing: The kids are going to be okay.

"I believe in the saying, and can attest to, 'failure being one of life's greatest teachers'," said Ms Roshni, referring to her PSLE score.

"It's to create things that matter and can make an impact on this world."

"Success defined by others can never be met by yourself."


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Singtel broadband outage sparks epic rap battle between customer and staff

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If you were among those affected by Singtel's broadband outage on Saturday (Dec 3), you definitely weren't alone in trying to get answers and solutions.

But how do you get the telco's attention on social media when comments start flooding in? Do it in rap lyrics, of course.

That's exactly what netizen Marc Rai did on Saturday (Dec 3) when he posted tweaked lyrics of rapper Eminem's hit song Stan on Singtel's Facebook page, adapting it to convey what he was going through at the time.

Mr Rai wrote: "Dear Singtel, I wrote you but still ain't callin'. I left my cell, my email, and my home phone at the bottom'. I sent two emails this afternoon, you must not-a got 'em. There probably was a problem at your mail server or somethin'."

on Facebook

Dear #Singtel, I wrote you but still ain't callin' I left my cell, my email, and my home phone at the bottom' I sent two...

Posted by Marc Rai on Saturday, 3 December 2016

"I even got the underground promo s*** that you did with Seon-kang Joon. I got a room full of your promo posters and your pictures man," he added.

He even signed off as "Dan" - which obviously rhymes with "Stan" - in a tip of the hat to Eminem's classic track from 2000.

But to the surprise of many, it didn't just end there.

In a humourous twist, a Singtel employee jumped on the rap bandwagon and responded to the post with her own tweaked lyrics from the same song.

Who would have thought?

Photo: Facebook/Singtel

The staff who only signed off as Nurul, wrote: "Dear Dan, we meant to write you sooner but we've just been busy. Look, we're really flattered that you're our biggest fan. We were workin' round the clock to fix this - best believe that. We're sorry 'bout your WiFi, and mobile data too."

"We really think it's cool you got our posters round your room. And that you joined us for a lucky chance to meet with Seon-kang Joon. We hope you get to read this letter, we hope it reaches you in time. Hope you'll relax a little - we get your frustrations here, man," she added.

Nurul also included a slightly more serious note after the song to assure Mr Rai that the telco was fixing the problem.

Photo: Facebook/Singtel

Mr Rai who seemed satisfied with her response, replied with "nice try" and a smiley emoticon.

Good job, Singtel.

stephluo@sph.com.sg

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Some eateries charging more for meal deliveries

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SINGAPORE - Ordering in for dinner? You could be paying more than you bargained for.

Some restaurants are charging higher prices for menu items on delivery service platforms such as Deliveroo and Foodpanda, with increases varying from 20 cents to several dollars.

A Straits Times check of 50 restaurants found nine that had higher menu prices on these platforms compared to in-house menus.

Among them are major chains Crystal Jade Kitchen, Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, Nando's and NamNam Noodle Bar.

Rochor Thai, NamNam Noodle Bar and Verve Pizza said the mark-ups were necessary to cover packaging and commissions paid to the delivery services, which are as high as 37 per cent per order.

Rochor Thai, which is partnered with Deliveroo, Foodpanda and UberEats, charges an extra 20 cents for deliveries.

NamNam's four outlets on Deliveroo include mark-ups ranging from an average of $1.50 to $10.90 for one of its pho items.

Verve Pizza, which has three outlets - in Clarke Quay, Bukit Merah and Marina Bay - switched from doing its own delivery to partnering with Deliveroo a month ago, said Ms Karen Coldman, director and owner of parent company Verve Holdings.

While some of its thin-crust pizzas are costlier by up to $2 to cover extra costs, "entry-level pizzas" are kept low to attract new customers.

"We are competitively priced, and one of the cheaper ones out there," said Ms Coldman, 39.

Crystal Jade and Nando's declined to comment when queried on the price discrepancies.

Table showing the price difference between takeaway and delivery platforms charged by various restaurants. Some restaurants are charging higher prices for menu items on delivery service platforms such as Deliveroo and Foodpanda, with increases varying from 20 cents to several dollars. The restauratns said the mark-ups charged were necessary for them to cover packaging and commissions paid to the delivery services.Photo: The Straits Times

PS Cafe, which was one of the earliest to sign on with Deliveroo when it launched here last year, does not mark up prices for deliveries.

Said the group's director of operations, Mr Michael Di Palma: "Overheads are a lot less for deliveries compared with dine-in guests, and we've always done takeaway so that cost has been built in for a long time."

Its eight cafes and Chop Suey outlets fulfil about 1,000 orders a week through Deliveroo.

Delivery service providers said that menu prices are not under their purview, and that the commissions they charge restaurants are necessary to cover costs.

UberEats said restaurants retain the bulk of what they charge customers for their menu items.

Said a spokesman for Deliveroo, which has over 2,000 restaurant partners in Singapore: "The overwhelming majority of our restaurant partners offer the same prices on Deliveroo as they do in their restaurants, and we strongly encourage them to do so.

"In a few exceptional cases, some restaurants decide to marginally increase prices to make up for the customary service charge that is added to the bill for on-site consumption."

To avoid confusion for customers, Foodpanda said it is updating all prices on its platform to include GST and will absorb the GST for its deliveries.

This will bring it in line with competitors Deliveroo and UberEats, which include GST charges in menu items and exclude the $3 delivery fee from GST.

Singapore Polytechnic marketing and retail lecturer Amos Tan said that with the increasing popularity and accessibility of food delivery services, restaurants must be careful not to damage their brands with inconsistent pricing.

"From a consumer's point of view, whatever deal a restaurant has with a service provider is not relevant to me. If they are going to charge more, they'd better give me back in value, such as with vouchers."

While the issue does not appear to be widespread, "if it escalates, not only will brands suffer, but service providers may lose the trust of customers", said Mr Tan.

Art therapist Caitlyn Sarkar, who orders from Deliveroo and Foodpanda at least once a week, said she was surprised to learn of the price difference.

"I don't mind paying the delivery fee, but if restaurants want to pass on costs to customers, they should be upfront because consumers assume they're paying the same price as in the restaurant," said Ms Sarkar, 33.

She said: "If it's hidden, it's kind of tricking customers."


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New campaign serves up sustainable seafood options

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By early February, a popular nasi lemak stall at Changi Village will pair its coconut rice with a new type of fish, in a move that could help save a fish species from extinction.

Mizzy's Corner will introduce the Indian mackerel as an alternative to the more endangered ikan kuning. Its owner Mizrea Abu Nazir, 44, said: "It tastes the same as the ikan kuning so I'm not worried that customers won't like it."

Her new fish dish will appear in a video campaign aimed at getting consumers to switch to sustainable seafood.

It will be launched on Thursday by the World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore (WWF-Singapore), which in October warned that three out of four popular seafood species eaten here faced extinction, unless consumers turn to sustainable sources .

In the videos, chefs from local eateries such as nasi padang restaurant Hjh Maimunah and Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant CandleNut will teach viewers how to cook popular dishes using responsibly caught seafood.

Hjh Maimunah will present a dish of sambal prawns made with vannamei prawns, instead of the less sustainable tiger prawns.

Its business development and marketing manager Ismail Didih, 31, noted however that using sustainable alternatives would not do for some traditional dishes.

He cited the eatery's assam padas, a sour and spicy stew dish which uses stingrays - a species WWF-Singapore has flagged as mostly over-exploited in the wild or unsustainably farmed. "It would be weird to replace it with the cod or salmon," he said.

In October, WWF-Singapore also launched a guide that assesses the environmental sustainability of 41 popular seafood species here.

The ikan kuning was identified as a fish that consumers should avoid. The Indian mackerel, while not free from the threat of extinction, is less at risk.

Silver pomfret and the Indian threadfin - also known as ngoh hur and used in fish porridge - were also listed as fish to avoid.

The guide caused an uproar online, with several food-loving Singaporeans asking WWF-Singapore to "mind their own business".

"People were incredulous," said its conservation resource manager Karen Sim, who added that the debate at least showed the movement was gaining interest.

She added: "We understand consumers can be very attached to their favourite seafood. We ask that they consider diversifying the types of seafood they eat to the more sustainable ones."

WWF-Singapore is also developing an app where consumers can take a photo of a whole fish at say, a wet market, and get information on whether its species is environmentally sustainable.

For now, consumers can look out for products that bear the Marine Stewardship Council or Aquaculture Stewardship Council labels, which indicate that the seafood was responsibly caught or farmed.

More retailers and hotels have got on board the sustainability drive.

Supermarket chain FairPrice has over the past two years doubled its range of sustainable seafood to more than 50 products, including prawns, scallops and pink salmon.

Sheng Siong carries certified-sustainable fresh rainbow trout and fresh salmon, both from Norway. It intends to grow the range.

Several hotels - Grand Hyatt Singapore, Hilton Singapore and Marina Bay Sands - have also put in place sustainable practices, from reducing the number of seafood products to tracing sources of seafood used in the kitchens.

FISH AT RISK

These are some fish to avoid, according to WWF-Singapore's seafood guide:

- Yellow-tailed scad (selar)

- Milkfish

- Yellow-banded scad (kuning)

- Asian seabass (siakap putih)

- Indian threadfin (ngoh hur or ikan kurau)

- Golden, silver and black pomfret

- Barramundi cod (ikan kerapu)

- All rays

- All sharks

- All bluefin tuna


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PM: Rising global discontent will affect stability, security

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The growing mood of anxiety and discontent and the ground gained by extreme political parties in many developed countries will impact not just the world economy, but global security and stability, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

There will be major consequences for small, open countries such as Singapore that have relied on open trade and making friends, and sought opportunities to cooperate, he said.

It will also be harder to prosper together in this new climate, where countries are turning inward and becoming more protectionist, seeing others' gains as their loss, he added.

Mr Lee gave this reading of recent trends in a speech to 2,500 People's Action Party (PAP) members at their biennial party conference.

He called on members to understand what the trend means for Singapore and to help ensure the PAP remains a party with strong support from all segments of society.

"The external world is changing... in a very fundamental way not advantageous to us. We have to watch this, we have to know how this is going to impact us over the next few years," he said.

Mr Lee, who is PAP secretary-general, noted that voters around the world are unhappy that the benefits of growth are not reaching them, and feel threatened that immigrants are competing for their jobs.

He cited the recent United States election, the Brexit vote and the rise of extreme parties in Europe as examples of voters' weariness of trade and wariness of immigrants.

"This looks like the trend now. I do not know how far it will go, but I do not like the direction the trend is going," he said. "If more countries turn this way, the world is going to change, and change for the worse."

Singapore prospered in the past 50 years by working hard, but it was fortunate to have a favourable external environment: A peaceful Asia and an international order where countries big and small cooperate and compete under rules that are fair to all, giving small countries "a right to their place in the sun".

Today, countries are flexing their muscles and becoming increasingly assertive.

"Nobody can tell how relations between the big powers will develop," said Mr Lee. "If US-China relations grow tense, Singapore is going to be in a very difficult spot, because we regard both the US and China as our friends and do not want to have to choose between them."

Meanwhile, obstacles to trade are increasing and Singapore's exports - a key pillar of its economy - are not growing by very much either.

But Singapore has to accept the world as it is, not as it wishes it to be, said Mr Lee.

"We ourselves must remain open, because if we close up like other countries, our people will be finished," he said.

Besides understanding the global climate, Mr Lee spelt out two other ways for the ruling party to prepare for the next general election, which must be held by April 2021.

First, the party must strive to improve the lives of Singaporeans.

He cited two ways of doing so: By equipping Singaporeans with the skills to take care of themselves through schools and training programmes, and by strengthening social safety nets.

Second, the PAP must remain a strong, national party that reaches out to all segments of society and represents them.

It must also stay focused on serving the people, and provide strong leadership, he said.

"Politics is the same everywhere. It is people, it is trust, it is knowing you care for me," he added.

"Unless we have this deep in our DNA, we will not be able to hold our position in Singapore."

Read also: PM Lee: We must remain open


This article was first published on Dec 05, 2016.
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<p>The growing mood of anxiety and discontent and the ground gained by extreme political parties in many developed countries will impact not just the world economy, but global security and stability, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.</p>
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Monday, December 5, 2016 - 15:00
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