E-commerce logistics company Ninja Van has added another collection point for its online customers at Millenia Walk.
The collaboration with the mall will see its tenants coming on board to use the the logistics company for delivery of purchases to customers island-wide in the third quarter of this year. So far, Ninja Collect has more than 100 collection outlets in Singapore.
Leveraging on the online shopping trend and changing lifestyles, the mall has welcomed new tenants such as We The People Store, which offers inventive lifestyle products after it became the first brick and mortar retail store to emerge from crowd-funding platform Kickstarter,
Late last year, Triplefit, an integrated fitness performance and retail hub, also began operating at Millenia Walk, and introduced new brands to Singapore.
Mr Lim's gesture has not been met with much positivity from both netizens and cabbies alike, as a lack of crowds at The Yang's Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice along Serangoon Road might also suggest.
A Stomp journalist asked her father, who has been a taxi driver for almost two decades, why he did not visit the stall for a free meal.
His response was, "Those who truly support the taxi community and its drivers will never go for it."
Stomp has also received similar sentiments from its readers.
386049
2017-05-03 09:49:13
Photo Gallery
Man gives out free chicken rice, cabby says those who support them will never take it
Facebook user Vin Chong said, "Others received the offers, I have no comments. But I will never accept the offer, thanks."
Netizen Joseph Wong also commented, "Please, we, taxi drivers, are also self-employed like you. Just to remind you that as a taxi driver, that does not mean that we are uneducated or poor as you think. Btw, I never regretted being a taxi driver."
Original article:
After being caught on camera taunting a cabby and flaunting his wealth, the boss of a chicken rice business in Singapore treated all taxi drivers to a free meal today (May 2).
Mr Gary Lim, 37, sparked national outrage after he was filmed mocking a taxi driver and telling the latter that he "cannot achieve great things" because of his profession.
Netizens later identified Mr Lim, who apologised and promised to give out 200 packets of chicken rice to all cabbies from 3pm to 5pm today.
The giveaway was held at Mr Lim's two restaurants -- Yeo Keng Nam restaurant at Braddell Road and The Yang's Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice at Serangoon Road.
Stomp visited Serangoon outlet at around 2.30pm this afternoon and saw staff preparing the chicken to be given out.
Taxi driver Yu Fook Wah was all smiles when he arrived at the shop on the dot at 3pm, where he received a packet of chicken rice ($4.10 including GST) and a canned green tea ($1.80) for free.
He told reporters at the scene that the rice was delicious and felt that Mr Lim's gesture was a sincere one.
Mr Yu was the only cabby to have visited the shop and gotten his free meal in the one and a half hours that the Stomp Team was there.
However, response at the Braddell outlet appeared to be much better.
According to The Straits Times, the eatery started giving away free chicken rice at 10am, with 40 to 50 packets given out by 3pm.
Manager Liu Ah Zhong said that there was no limit to the number of packets they were distributing, as taxi drivers did not have predictable meal times.
Anyone who says he or she is a cabby will be able to receive the free chicken rice and a canned drink, with no checks being conducted.
When netizens watched video clips of an exploding Trans-Cab taxi last Sunday, they thought a firefighter who had been enveloped by the flames had died.
Not only did Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) full-time national serviceman Eka Putra survive, he told The New Paper he is recovering fast and is now at home.
Even Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has wished him well, praising him and his colleagues for constantly putting themselves in harm's way to protect Singaporeans.
The taxi and a car had been involved in an accident on Commonwealth Avenue, near Buona Vista MRT station, on Sunday at about 2.15pm. The taxi then caught fire.
In video clips posted online, Mr Putra and a colleague are seen approaching the burning taxi.
Mr Putra had a compressed air foam backpack to put out the blaze. Seconds after they approach the burning vehicle, the taxi explodes, with the flames enveloping Mr Putra.
Miraculously, the fireman from Clementi Fire Station walks away from the scene and is later taken to the National University Hospital (NUH) along with three other casualties.
The SCDF said on its Facebook page he was discharged from NUH on Sunday evening, hours after the incident.
Mr Putra said he had sustained first degree burns on his face and neck.
After the incident, Mr Putra tweeted in Malay: "Thank you God cause u protected me."
He later said on Twitter he had been given seven days' medical leave.
An avid motorcyclist, he called his station mates his second family and uploaded several pictures of them onto his Facebook page.
On Monday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called Mr Putra and his colleague brave for running towards danger to save lives and help others.
Mr Lee added: "Good to learn that the firefighter caught in the blast is ok. He only suffered minor burns, and has been discharged.
"Hope he and the others injured recover soon. The Home Team works hard to protect Singapore and Singaporeans."
Many netizens expressed their relief that Mr Putra had sustained only minor injuries.
Facebook user Grace Ng thanked SCDF and police officers for their work.
She said: "So glad to hear you are safe.
"This is a reminder to me how much the fire fighters and police are doing (for Singapore)."
tnp@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on May 03, 2017.
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A Singaporean man who was medically evacuated from Tokyo, where he had suffered a heart attack, died shortly after arriving in Singapore yesterday.
Mr Jimi Cheong, 62, had slipped into a coma after a cardiac arrest last week during a family holiday in Japan to celebrate his wife's cancer remission.
The logistics manager, who was diagnosed with heart failure in 2012, was then admitted to Toho University Omori Medical Centre, where he was placed on mechanical support.
His daughter Eileen Cheong, at her wits' end on how to bring her father back to Singapore, turned to crowdfunding.
In her plea on Give.Asia, the 25-year-old said a successful claim under her father's travel insurance was unlikely as it did not cover pre-existing conditions.
The family had enough to cover only the first night of Mr Cheong's hospitalisation, and help from relatives would - at best - only cover existing hospital bills.
Within days, Ms Cheong raised the $250,000 she had asked for to pay her father's medical bills and fly him home.
On Sunday, after doctors assessed that Mr Cheong was in a stable condition and fit for air travel, Ms Cheong arranged for an emergency evacuation with medical assistance company EMA Global.
"His vitals had remained stable since, throughout the flight back home," she wrote in an update on Give.Asia yesterday.
But after they arrived at Seletar Airport and were on their way to the hospital, Mr Cheong's heart condition suddenly deteriorated.
He died shortly after.
In the update, Ms Cheong wrote: "Even though we were aware of the unpredictability of his condition, his passing still comes as a shock to my family.
"Despite all of this, we are grateful he still made it back home eventually."
THANKS
She thanked everyone who made the medical evacuation possible, from the donors to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Thank you for bringing my father back to Singapore, thank you for allowing us to say our final goodbyes on home ground.
"And thank you, to my relatives and close friends, who have been by my side throughout.
"This is an extremely difficult time for my mum and me, and we will really appreciate all the space and privacy we can get to come to terms with the loss of my father and to make the necessary arrangements," she wrote.
Further updates on how the donations have been used, and what the family will do with any excess funds, will be provided on Give.Asia, she added.
This article was first published on May 03, 2017.
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Update: The woman who suffered burns in the fire at Cambridge Industrial Trust building in Toh Guan Road has died. The 54-year-old victim, who was pronounced dead at Ng Teng Fong Hospital, was a tenant of the building.
SINGAPORE: A woman in her 50s who suffered burns was rescued while about 50 people had to be evacuated after a fierce fire broke out at a building opposite the IMM mall in Jurong East on Thursday morning (May 4).
Two fire engines plus support vehicles rushed to the scene after the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the fire at Cambridge Industrial Trust building at 7.40am.
Motorists were alarmed when they saw plumes of smoke in the distance, thinking it was IMM which caught fire. A video taken from a passing car shows the fire raging on several storeys of the facade of the 8-level warehouse building.
The fire, which involved contents in a warehouse and was burning the external facade of the building, was put out within 40 minutes, said the SCDF on their Facebook page. But firemen continued to spray water on scorched areas to prevent rekindling of flames.
Pictures on the page show firemen on a gondola lift spraying water on blackened surfaces of the building facade. Fallen debris could also be seen on the ground.
The injured woman was sent to the nearby Ng Teng Fong Hospital. SCDF is investigating the cause of the fire.
chenj@sph.com.sg
Video screengrab shows the fire raging vertically on several floors of the building facade.Photo: SCDF Facebook
SINGAPORE - A Malaysian man has been sentenced to four weeks' jail for trying to bribe a traffic police officer here.
Sang Jia Weng, a construction worker working in Singapore, was stopped by Staff Sergeant Zulkifli Bin Dzahari for failing to secure his helmet strap while riding his motorcycle on Jan 11.
Sang then stuffed three $10 notes into Staff Sergeant Zulkifli's pants pocket and asked him not to issue a traffic summons. He was arrested immediately.
He was charged in court on April 19 with one count of corruptly offering gratification, and was sentenced today (May 4).
Just 2 and a half months ago, Royce Tan, founder of The Fragment Room, expressed his uncertainty of whether or not his new venture would take off in Singapore.
"Where do you wish to see The Fragment Room in a year after its opening?"
"I can only visualise 2 possibilities - one of it is that I get constant bookings, or two, nobody wants to come by. It's very hard to get traction in Singapore," revealed Tan.
The pessimism that lingered in his response was jarring, given his excitement throughout the interview so far.
We put the interview and feature article on hold, agreeing that it would be more timely to publish it when the Room was officially launched.
2 and a half months later, I received an email from Tan. Attached was the press release for the opening of The Fragment Room, and the photos of his shop.
Back then, all he and myself had were the mock-ups created by his interior designer.
And as for the traction he was worried about getting?
Well, within a few days, the Room has already been featured on a good number of websites (like DiscoverSG and The Playbook), and from the comments, people are pretty damn excited about it.
But while the shop space has definitely changed since then, Tan's motivations as an aspiring entrepreneur hasn't, so here it is, 2 and a half months later - the story behind The Fragment Room.
The Fragment Room: When Anger Becomes Therapy
Photo:The Fragment Room
Why "The Fragment Room"?
What my concept is, is that it's a 'rage room' where you break objects. And when you break them, they break into fragments - and that's where the name came from.
Is this the first 'rage room' in Singapore?
This is actually the first in Southeast Asia! I heard that there's something like this in Japan, but I heard that it's more like, you have a whole room full of objects in an office setting, and you can break everything in the room.
An office setting?
Yeah, I think they're too stressed at work. And in Singapore too, people are very stressed at work.
So do you have a room with an office setting?
No, I do not. I think the cost will be too high, and it'll be a bit crazy to break all the office tables and chairs. It'll definitely cost a bomb.
So instead of giving people that, I'm giving them simpler, smaller things. Like you can break cups, plates, normal tables…you can even break electrical appliances like TVs, radios…
Photo: The Fragment Room
Where are you getting the supplies for all of these?
So I'm getting them from karang guni, and for the tableware, I actually have a supplier. He's a very nice guy - he's selling them to me at a great price, even though he usually supplies his stuff to hotels like Hilton, Sheraton and all that.
But when I went to meet him, he told me, "Since you're a young entrepreneur, and I was also once a young entrepreneur, I'm going to help you out."
Why are you bringing this concept over to Singapore?
I was actually working a full-time job before this. I was a salesperson for this furniture company, so I sold office furniture, lightings and stuff. And throughout my time there, I realised that Singaporeans are very, very stressed out.
Like if you just talk to them a little, and they'll just blurt everything out.
So were you stressed as well?
I was stressed because they were stressed!
Everyone was in such a stressed up environment. Like my clients were stressed, everyone had deadlines to meet, so everyone was stressed. Even my boss was stressed.
For example, whenever we get a job and we go to a construction site, a lot of things can go wrong, and a lot of people just cannot control their temper. So they start to flare up, they start to throw tantrums, and that's when I was like, "Maybe this job isn't cut out for me. Maybe I should do something else."
And I saw on Facebook that this 'rage room' concept was a thing, like people could actually break things to relieve stress. And I was thinking if we had anything like this in Singapore - and the only thing I could think of as a way to relieve stress is to go and drink.
But that doesn't really solve anything, you're just suppressing it. So now, I'm giving you a space to release all of those suppressed emotions.
Photo: The Fragment Room
How many people will be in the room at a time?
For practical reasons, I'd say about 2 at a time. Because the rooms are about 150 sq ft, so they're not very big…
So people won't accidentally hurt each other too?
Actually they'll be fully decked in protective gear, and coveralls!
Photo: The Fragment Room
Did you contact any of your entrepreneur friends for advice?
Actually, my entrepreneur friends aren't really in the same industry, they're most doing fashion and all that.
In Singapore, no one really does a business like this, and they usually start something online instead of an 'old school' business like opening a shop.
How long has it been from ideation to now?
It has taken about 5 to 6 months actually, but it was very hard for me to find a place.
Photo: The Fragment Room
How did you decide on this location?
I think this location is very good because it's by the main road, and it's very unassuming you know? The whole area is like, near shops selling spices and all that.
So it's like a "if you know, you know" type of thing.
What do your parents think about it?
Well my dad thinks it's bullshit lah HAHA!
He just thinks it's ridiculous lah, like why would you start something that no one else has started, why do you want to do something so risky?
Photo: The Fragment Room
But I guess if you're successful, he'll change his mind! What about your friends? What do they think about it?
My friends are all crazy about the idea!
So if you're fully booked, how many people will there be in the shop?
Well, we have a lounge area for customers to chill out if the rooms are taken, so maybe 8 people?
How many rooms do you have in total?
I have 2 rooms, so a total of 4 people can be using it.
Photo: The Fragment Room
How long will a session be?
A session is around 30 minutes. But I think after 5 minutes, people will be tired already.
Do you plan to keep it open 24/7?
No, opening hours would be 1pm to 10pm, but if they want anything outside working hours, they can just give me a call and make a booking.
Actually I wanted to make it appointment-based, and I'll open from 4pm to 10pm, but I feel like the appointment-based arrangement might be too intimidating, you know?
Like people would want to make small talk before they jump into it, they don't want to just make a booking then commit to it.
Are there going to be specific rules that you will brief everyone on?
Yes definitely. Because we're so repressed, you won't know what they can do when they let loose!
They could even break my walls!
Photo: The Fragment Room
Will you be there to talk to the customers at the lounge?
Yeah! That's actually what I'm looking for when I look for staff. I want people who can talk to the customers.
My slogan is "anger therapy", so you can release your anger, but you can also talk about it. I feel like a lot of people don't like to talk about their feelings.
What do you think about your step into the world of entrepreneurship?
Actually, I've always to be an entrepreneur. My dad was an entrepreneur, and I feel like I can't work a 9 to 5 job. And I can't study, so like…this is my next best thing. Where I can be my own boss, and my own ideas.
What are your greatest fears for the shop?
My greatest fear is when people who come in can't control their aggression and then they start breaking everything in the shop. It's like, what am I supposed to do then? How am I supposed to charge them then?
So how are you ensuring that they know it's just a rage room, and that every negative emotion just stays there?
Before they go in, they will need to sign a waiver on what they can, and cannot do, and the consequences when they go out of bounds.
Photo: The Fragment Room
Where do you see The Fragment Room in a year?
Right now, I can't really visualise it yet. I can only visualise 2 possibilities - one of it is that I get constant bookings, or two, nobody wants to come by. It's very hard to get traction in Singapore.
What's your ideal vision for The Fragment Room? Would you launch a chain, or just keep it to a solo shop?
I would just keep it 'pure', and just have one store. Also, based on the licensee-licenser agreement, I can't do a chain.
I had ideas to open abroad actually, in our neighbouring countries..but I don't think it's a good idea, because it's easy for them to find places to break things. In Singapore, we have this culture that we just can't do things like this.
Their countries are just not as repressed as we are here.
What do you want to change?
I just want Singapore to be more diverse lah. Singapore is a very boring place, and there's nothing new. All the new places are cafes!
I don't want to go to a new cafe, I want to go to a place with a new concept and experience something new. That's the whole point of leaving the house right?
When will you know that you 'made it'?
Maybe when I'm fully booked? But it'll be great if I can just make a difference in the lives of Singaporeans.
The Fragment Room
3 Balestier Road, Singapore 329671
Opening hours: Mon-Sun, 1-10pm
Vulcan Post is all about living life with a digital edge, up and coming startups, and people who inspire conversations.
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For anyone who's thinking of a career switch, perhaps it could be a wise idea to try out accountancy.
According to the 2017 Kelly Services and Capita Salary Guide, accounting is among this year's highest paying industries.
Based on the report released on Thursday (May 4), the profession is also set to see rapid growth, with an expected 15 per cent increase of accountancy professionals to 21,000 by 2020.
This is also due to the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community last year. The increase in demand for jobs in the accounting sector are mostly in entry to middle level roles.
Senior accountants and finance controllers in the accounting industry can expect to command salaries ranging from $5,000 to $7,500 and $8,000 to $16,000 respectively, said Kelly Services.
Besides accounting, the other top paying industries include banking & finance, healthcare & life sciences, IT, and the legal sector.
Those in the legal industry are the highest paid amongst all. For instance, a general counsel and legal counsel working in the industry can expect to be paid anything from $15,000 to $20,000 and $10,000 to $16,000 respectively.
There's good news for banking and finance professionals, as they may see a three per cent growth in salary despite the tepid economic climate. Senior/associates in financial controls can expect salaries ranging between $4,400 and $6,000, while vice presidents working in the risk sector can expect salaries from $10,000 to $17,000.
The annual guide, which compiles salary figures across 12 major sectors in Singapore's job market landscape, also showed that Singapore's workers are seeking ways "to be as resilient as possible" despite the uncertain labour market.
More than 8 in 10 workers (83 per cent) surveyed by Kelly Services indicated a desire to grow their skill set.
Said Managing Director and Country Head for Kelly Services Singapore Mr Foo See Yang: "Singapore has a highly skilled workforce where its workers are well aware of their market power. If they are dissatisfied with an organisation, they will actively look to find something better. This is especially so for high performers and those with high demand skills such as data analytics or risk management."
In fact, the concern of outdated skills is evident throughout all segments of the workforce based on statistics gathered in the report.
Among professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs), the overall statistic stands at approximately 1 in 2 (58 per cent), with the highest being across workers in Information Technology (IT) (64 per cent).
The concern is also higher among Gen Y workers (74 per cent) as compared to Gen X workers (63 per cent) where almost 4 in 10 workers (37 per cent) cited being more concerned about layoffs.
SINGAPORE - The man in the centre of a bullying saga has once again been accused of unreasonable behaviour, this time, by his neighbour.
The 46-year-old tuition centre director and his 39-year-old wife were captured on camera swearing at and shoving an elderly man over a seat at a hawker centre. They were subsequently arrested by police over the incident after several reports were made.
According to a Lianhe Wanbao report, a man who claims to be the neighbour of the couple staying at a Balestier apartment block alleged that he had got into an altercation with the 46-year-old more than a year ago.
The neighbour, who declined to be named, said he was returning home with two large bags after grocery shopping.
When he exited the lift on the sixth floor, he said the man "appeared not to see me and deliberately knocked into me" while rushing to get into the lift.
The resident demonstrates how his neighbour knocked into him.Photo: Lianhe Wanbao
Furious, the neighbour wanted to confront the man, but the bully caught hold of his wrist and while putting his face close to his, taunted: "Hit me, I'm standing here for you to hit".
The resident demonstrates how the man caught hold of his wrist.Photo: Lianhe Wanbao
The neighbour said he made a police report, but realised that the man had also done the same, alleging that the neighbour had hit him.
The resident added that the tuition centre director, who also owns two other businesses - a higher learning institute and renovation company, has also been caught on CCTV using his leg to force open the main gate to the private estate.
CCTV footage showing the man forcing open the gate.
Photo: Lianhe Wanbao
The neighbour alleged that the man had come home late one night to find that the security guard had stepped away. Realising that he could not get in to the compound, he got out of the car in frustration and used his right leg to pry the gate open.
The man, who drives a Porsche and is also chairman of the residents' committee, is also known to revv his engine loudly in the wee hours of the night, disturbing neighbours, the resident alleged.
SINGAPORE - Eat, drink and do good at the upcoming series of wine dinners organised by four of Singapore's top sommeliers who call themselves The Flying Sommeliers.
The group comprises Mohamad Fazil, group sommelier of Luke Mangan's Salt Grill and Tapas restaurants, Amir Solay, group wine and beverage manager of the Unlisted Collection, Michael Leitner, former head sommelier of what was then known as Ku De Ta (now called Ce La Vi), and Gerald Lu, vice-president of the Sommelier Association of Singapore.
"We wanted to debunk the myth that sommeliers are snooty and only concerned about making money," Mr Amir said.
Their exclusive five-course dinner-auctions will be held between May 8 and July 10 at five different restaurants: Salted & Hung, Pollen, Praelum Wine Bistro, Salt Tapas & Bar and Chef's Table. Up to 30 seats will be available for each dinner.
The meals are wine-paired and priced at $168++ per head except at Chef's Table, where it's $228++ per head.
10 per cent of proceeds from the dinners will be donated to the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD), while money collected from a silent auction at each event will also go to the same cause.
The silent auction will feature premium wines specially curated by each of the sommeliers, and the additional amount collected above the wines' purchase prices will go to SPD.
The Flying Sommeliers themselves will be present in superhero and supervillain costumes to share their stories and information about the curated wines with guests.
This is the second year they are arranging the wine dinner-auctions, and are hoping to raise at least $6,000 - almost double the amount collected last year.
Reservations for the charity wine dinners can be made by contacting Mr Fazil at mohamadfazil33@gmail.com.
An Indonesian warship, the KRI Siwar-646, during a sea patrol on Thursday found a Singaporean-flagged yacht, the Sunrise, that was carrying five Singapore nationals who have been out of contact since Tuesday.
Tanjungpinang Navy base commander Col. Ribut Eko Suyitno said the yacht, which departed from Batam for Bintan in Riau Islands province on Thursday, became separated from a group of three other yachts that were all sailing together. He said the Sunrise suffered engine and radio problems.
"The boat is now heading to Batam for repair," Ribut told The Jakarta Post.
Previously, a helicopter had been deployed to look for the yacht. The three other yachts travelling with the Sunrise were the Katrianne, the Ximula and the Nirvana 8. They arrived at Bintan Island on Monday.
The five Singapore citizens on board the Sunrise were James Boey Chuen Yong, 41, Tan Swan Ang Kenneth, 42, Lee Shao Yi, 37, Lee Yeow Kuan Eddy, 54, and Goh Ee Kiat, 52. All were in healthy condition.
There are more than 1,100 centenarians in Singapore, and that number is rising every year. Find out how you can be one of them in The Business Times' Weekend magazine tomorrow.
If you're planning to live that long, be prepared to witness a world of change. The car industry, for example, will see more changes in the next 10 years than it did in the last 100 years. Read more about the fascinating automotive business in Weekend Drive's interview with Horst Herdtle, the managing director of authorised BMW dealer Performance Motors.
And step aside, Manuka. Other exotic versions of honey have sprung up, spurred by growing interest in its health-boosting properties. Find out more in Weekend Food.
For more of a glimpse into the future of transportation, the main paper's Brunch feature gives you the latest on flying taxis and driverless cars, this week.
If you're craving a taste of the future in the present, Disrupted checks out a one-of-a-kind floorbot - a robotic vacuum cleaner that talks and empties its own trash.
Elsewhere in the paper, Music to My Ears checks out the high end of sound, with a look at the MBL N-51 integrated amplifier.
Star Wars fans, it's time to dust off your lightsabers this weekend and show your allegiance to the Light or Dark side of the Force.
From May 4 to 6, head over to Gardens by the Bay's SuperTree Grove to take part in a Star Wars extravaganza, which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the popular science fantasy series.
AsiaOne had a sneak peek of the festivities that kicked off on Star Wars Day (May 4), and here are our top picks:
1. Take selfies with Star Wars characters
As you roam the grounds, see Star Wars characters come to life, thanks to dedicated Star Wars fans in Singapore from the '501st Legion' and 'Rebel Legion'.
There's a high chance that you can rub shoulders with Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers, and if you're lucky, even catch an exciting lightsaber duel by performance group FightSaber.
Abhishek Gupta, shared why he considers the solely digital telecommunications company, Circles.Life, an industry disruptor in Singapore's telecommunications space, and likely to other countries in Southeast Asia in the future.
The co-founder of the company, owned by Liberty Wireless, said the mobile virtual network operator takes its entire operations to the cloud, tapping into the mobile network of M1, the third mobile operator in Singapore along with StarHub and Singapore Telecommunications.
It offers customizable no-contract plans, and serves its customers through an array of online and mobile platforms without a physical brick-and-mortar store, allowing it to sell cheaper data services. He said the model is one that some players in the space have been slow to adopt.
Digital Disruptor
"The big challenge that we've seen in the telco space is that the traditional players have not really adjusted very well to the digital transformation that's been happening in the rest of the world," Gupta said on CNBC's Squawk Box during an ASEAN Conference.
Without the need for extensive infrastructure, Gupta said the amount of money that goes into setting up the digital telco is about a tenth that of a traditional telco, allowing Circles.Life to dedicate more resources to its customer service.
The model also makes it easy to expand into other countries.
"We can grow across geographies without having to plonk in billions and billions of dollars, without having to acquire a telco, which is how traditionally telcos have grown … For the first time in the history of telecom, a telco can grow like an internet company," said Gupta.
Glitches in the digital space?
Yet, a year since their official launch in Singapore, this purely digital model has garnered some ire from its customers - with common complaints being about its mobile card delivery and customer service responsiveness.
While Gupta acceded that Circles.Life will be able to continue better providing great customer service with time, he is adamant that the telco has a huge camp of satisfied customers.
"Our customer satisfaction ratio was 90 plus per cent. That's a good 20-odd per cent higher than the rest of the market."
Data-savvy customers
The company expects to take five to seven per cent of the Singapore market share within the next two to four years, with Gupta citing healthy demand from data-savvy consumers aged between 20 to 45 years of age and about half of its customer base coming from its referral programme.
It launched its latest data offering of $20 for 20GB of data a month ago, which is currently the most cost-efficient data plan available in Singapore.
"Customers love the fact that you provide them $20 for 20 GB. So that's really, definitely a big hit," said Gupta.
Door-to-door durian sellers are still around, it seems. The first cases were reported two years ago, but a post by a netizen on Thursday (May 4) proves they are still at it - asking people to buy durians at exorbitant prices.
According to the Facebook post by user Eugene Lau, the salesmen had attempted to sell his wife more than $300 worth of "Mao Shan Wang-quality" durians, but walked off sans durians and without payment.
When contacted by AsiaOne, Mr Lau, 33, a civil servant, said that two men knocked on the door of his HDB residence in Boon Keng at about 7pm on Thursday evening (May 4).
When his wife opened the door, the men claimed to be durian sellers from Yong Peng, Malaysia, delivering durians for their regular Singaporean customers.
"They told my wife that they were selling extra durians cheaply to those who may want them", said Mr Lau, and "they even allowed her to taste-test the fruit first".
Mao Shan Wang are superior-quality durians with rich and creamy flesh and bitter-sweet notes that typically command a premium. According to reports, prices can be as high as $18/kg.
Mr Lau's wife tried the durians and agreed to buy some from them, but when she returned to the door after getting her wallet, the men claimed to have opened up six durians.
The pair then demanded $15/kg for the fruits, insisting that she had misheard them. They weighed the fruits in front of her, and the weight came up to 23kg, which would make the total cost $345. Judging from the amount of fruit in the containers, Mr Lau said he highly doubted that they were culled from six durians.
"Obviously my wife refused to pay and called me immediately", said Mr Lau.
The boxes of durians which the sellers claimed were from six durians.Photo: Facebook/Eugene Lau
In his post, Mr Lau added: "Mind you, all this while they were standing outside my door refusing to leave as they had already opened up the durians, with a knife in their hand."
Mr Lau added that his wife had just given birth and there was only her confinement nanny, herself and their one-month old baby at home, so they were "quite scared".
After his wife called him, a furious Mr Lau told her not to give them any money as he had heard of a similar incident from a friend. He then called the police while asking his wife to stall them.
Said Mr Lau: "My wife told them that she only had $120 and had to wait for me to come home. But they asked her to hand over the $120 first and they'll come back later to collect the rest, which she refused."
After failing to get the money, they told his wife that they would be coming back later after visiting other units, and left without the durians that were already packed into plastic containers. However, they never returned.
According to Mr Lau, the police advised that "if they do return, we can try to negotiate and pay them a reasonable fee and see if they agree to settle".
Interestingly enough, one of the policemen even told Mr Lau that his mother had also been a victim of durian sellers using unscrupulous tactics.
Interestingly enough, one of the policemen even told Mr Lau that his mother had also been a victim of durian sellers using unscrupulous tactics.
But Mr Lau said even if they do return, he still intends to call the police because of their dishonest behaviour. "I want them to be apprehended," said Mr Lau.
As for the durians, Mr Lau said they are still sitting in the fridge. "But I'll eat them if they don't come back," he laughed.
Mr Lau's post has been shared more than 5,500 times on Facebook since it was uploaded last night. It has also received more than 400 comments, with many users claiming to have been a victim, or know of friends and family who had fallen victim to similar tactics by these purported durian sellers.
Others saw the lighter side of the matter, commenting that in the least, Mr Lau managed to 'scam' the sellers of their durians.
