More than 40,000 Grab passengers overcharged due to app using outdated ERP rates

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: More than 40,000 Grab passengers were overcharged due to the mobile application using outdated Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Public Transport Council (PTC) said on Friday (Dec 22).

The authorities had received feedback that some Grab passengers were overcharged for trips.

LTA  established that this was due to inaccurate ERP charges being applied to fares, and directed Grab to go through its data to identify other trips where passengers might have been similarly overcharged and to take corrective measures.

Grab found that the outdated ERP rates were applied to the final fares for 60,787 trips from Nov 20 to Dec 4.

“This error affected 40,431 passengers, with excess ERP charges generally ranging from S$1 (US$0.76) to S$3 collected for the large majority of affected passengers,” said LTA and PTC.

“We understand from Grab that the ERP charges have been updated in their backend system and it has since taken action to reimburse all affected passengers.”  

Last month, ERP rates were reduced by S$1 for a few gantries during the school holiday period.

“While Grab had earlier scheduled a revision to the ERP rates for these gantries, a temporary backend syncing issue prevented the Automated ERP feature from populating the updated rates,” the company said in response to CNA’s queries.

As a result, trips that passed through the affected gantries were overcharged.

The company said it impacted “a very small percentage” of rides between Nov 20 and Dec 4.

Continue Reading

‘It’s not as good as last year’: No Christmas cheer for some retailers along Orchard Road

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: Some retailers along Orchard Road are noticing a quieter year-end, with thinner crowds and the traditional holiday season spending splurge missing in action.

Half of the 20 sales representatives who spoke to CNA on Friday (Dec 22) said they have seen a drop in footfall this month, with sales taking a hit compared to the same period last year.

One reason could be that many Singaporeans have gone overseas for a year-end holiday. At the same time, tourist arrivals have not fully recovered, the retail representatives said.

Other contributing factors include concerns about inflation and the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, as well as a persistently-weak Malaysian ringgit luring locals to take their spending across the Causeway.

Ms Mademoiselle Recto, who works at the Converse store in Ion Orchard, noted that daily takings at the till have dipped to about S$3,000 (US$2,260) this month, down from a range of S$4,000 to S$5,000 last year.

“It’s not as good as last year. (We) don’t see many people around,” she said.

In neighbouring Wisma Atria shopping mall, a salesperson at Porter International said business on weekdays has been generally slow this month. Weekends may see around 20 to 30 “serious” shoppers, but only half make an actual purchase.

“Maybe (it’s) because people are overseas, maybe (it’s) because of the economy … It’s been very slow for us, even slower than (the) last few years,” said the salesperson who declined to be named.

Over at the Isetan department store in Shaw House, a shoe promoter by the name of Serena said footfall and sales are down by about 30 per cent this month, versus the same period last year.

“It is very quiet in Orchard Road,” she told CNA. “I think many people (have gone) on a holiday or maybe people are scared of COVID-19.”

A fellow promoter, Mr Tan, chimed in to say that sales have also been subdued due to a lacklustre tourist crowd.

Latest figures from the Singapore Tourism Board showed a fourth straight month of declines in Singapore’s international visitor arrivals for the month of November. At 1,100,459, it was a 2.3 per cent dip from the 1,125,954 visitors in October, albeit still 34.8 per cent higher than the 816,340 visitors recorded in November last year.

Industry players and observers have attributed the slower recovery in tourist numbers to higher inflation and the stronger Singapore dollar.

Continue Reading

US proposes to base up to 12 Singapore F-15SG fighter jets in Guam for training

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: Up to a dozen F-15SG fighter jets from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) could be stationed at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, which is set to be the fourth RSAF detachment on US soil and the closest one to Singapore.

More details of the permanent fighter training detachment were revealed in a press release issued on Dec 13 by the US Department of the Air Force, which has proposed the bedding down of up to 12 RSAF fighter aircraft and associated mission support at Andersen Air Force Base.

This builds upon a memorandum of understanding signed in 2019 by Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the US Department of Defense.

The agreement laid out the framework for the Guam detachment, which will allow RSAF to quickly redeploy and recall assets back to Singapore when required.

On Friday (Dec 22), a MINDEF spokesperson told CNA that access to vast airspace overseas “allows the RSAF to overcome local airspace constraints, and conduct high-end, realistic training to hone its operational competencies”.

“Overseas training detachments are integral to meeting the RSAF’s training requirements,” the spokesperson added.

“MINDEF will continue to work closely with the US Department of Defense and the relevant agencies, to ensure that the RSAF’s requirements are met in a cost-effective and timely manner.”

The Singapore Armed Forces has trained in Guam since the 1990s, while RSAF has previously deployed fighter aircraft to Andersen Air Force Base for training with the US Pacific Air Force.

FEASIBILITY STUDIES CONDUCTED

The MINDEF spokesperson said that the establishment of any long-term overseas detachment “requires careful and in-depth feasibility studies from all involved parties”.

In its press release earlier this month, the US Department of the Air Force said it initially issued a notice of intent in April 2021 to prepare an environmental impact statement for infrastructure upgrades at Andersen Air Force Base.

This includes environmental impact studies, as well as studies that look at factors such as suitability of the location and training area, infrastructure, and logistics support.

The environmental impact statement was subsequently paused to further consider its scope, including “the requirements of evolving strategic initiatives in the Indo-Pacific” region.

The US Department of the Air Force said it is now considering the bedding down and mission support of up to 12 RSAF F-15SG fighter aircraft.

“The purpose of the proposed action is to provide critical infrastructure that enhances US posture west of the international date line,” it added.

Construction of upgrades would take place over about three to seven years. These include an aircraft hanger, maintenance and utilities buildings, and fuel systems.

In identifying Andersen for “enhanced capabilities”, the US dismissed five other potential alternative locations within the Pacific Air Forces area of responsibility for consideration.

The public has 30 days from Dec 15 to submit comments on the revised proposal.

RSAF currently has two other fighter detachments in the US: The Peace Carvin II F-16 fighter detachment at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, and the Peace Carvin V F-15SG fighter detachment at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. It also has an AH-64 Apache helicopter detachment at Marana in Arizona.

Apart from the US, RSAF has overseas training detachments in Australia and France.

Continue Reading

All on board rescued from sinking Koh Tao ferry

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

70 passengers and crew from wave-battered vessel brought safely to tourist island

PUBLISHED : 22 Dec 2023 at 17:08

All on board rescued from sinking Koh Tao ferry
A night ferry heading to Koh Tao, a popular tourist island in Surat Thani, was hit by high waves on Friday morning. All 70 passengers, mainly foreigners, and crew were safely rescued before the boat sank. (Photo supplied/Supapong Chaolan)

SURAT THANI: All passengers, mainly foreign tourists, and crew were safely rescued after a night ferry travelling to the popular tourist island of Koh Tao was hit by high waves before it sank on Friday morning.

The T. Sandee Maneesap 111, a vessel of 115 gross tonnes, was smashed by waves as high as 3 metres in the Kong Hin Tung Ku area, about 4 nautical miles from shore off Koh Tao. Seawater entered the vessel and damaged its water pumps, said officials at the Koh Tao rescue radio centre who were alerted at 8am on Friday.

The ferry was carrying about 70 passengers and crew.

Speedboats and other craft dispatched to the spot with rescue workers and police arrived at 9.10am to help those on board the stricken vessel. They were taken to two other boats and brought safely to the Koh Tao pier.

The ferry later sank about 10.30am. 

Passengers are transferred from the ferry T. Sandee Maneesap 111 to another boat. (Photo supplied/Supapong Chaolan)

According to police, the ferry, owned by Paithoon Khongchan, left the Surat Thani municipal pier at 11pm on Thursday and was scheduled to reach Koh Tao at 5am on Friday.

The navy’s Second Fleet sent the Tor 112 patrol boat to inspect the scene and search for the bags and belongings of the passengers. Navy divers were preparing to examine the sunken ferry.

An initial investigation found the number of passengers did not exceed the limit.

The Meteorological Department earlier warned of strong wind and waves in the Gulf of Thailand and heavy to very heavy rain on the eastern coast of the southern region from Friday through Tuesday. Small boats were advised to stay ashore during this period.

Passengers from the stricken ferry arrive at Koh Tao. (Photo supplied/Supapong Chaolan)

Continue Reading

Indonesians escape blazing car in Buri Ram

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Rented vehicle catches fire at intersection near Chang Arena

PUBLISHED : 22 Dec 2023 at 16:55

Indonesians escape blazing car in Buri Ram
Flames consume a car at an intersection on the Buri Ram-Prakhon Chai road in Muang district of Buri Ram on Friday. Five Indonesian men in the car escaped unhurt. (Photo: Surachai Piragsa)

BURI RAM: Five members of an Indonesian car racing team escaped unhurt after a rented car they were travelling in caught fire while stopping for a red light in Muang district on Friday.

The incident occurred at 10.30am in front of the Chang Arena football stadium, said Pol Lt Gen Adichart Meesa, deputy superintendent for investigation at the Muang district police station.

Police and rescuers from a charity foundation rushed to the intersection along with a fire engine. They found a Toyota Vios engulfed in flames at the intersection on the Buri Ram-Prakhon Chai road.

Firefighters sprayed water at the burning car and put out the fire in 20 minutes, but the car was severely damaged.

Five Indonesian men, members of a racing team, managed to escape when the fire started.

The driver said they had rented the car in Bangkok and travelled to Buri Ram to see the Buriram International Circuit, a car racing stadium.

When the car stopped for the red right at the intersection, an explosion went off and the car caught fire. They jumped out with some belongings before the flames started to spread.

Police are examining the wreckage to find the cause of the blaze.

Rescue workers douse the burning car with water. (Photo: Surachai Piragsa)

(Photo: Surachai Piragsa)

Continue Reading

‘It takes a whole kampung’: Tourist hotspots adopt police framework on security with holiday season in full swing

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

At Downtown East, which is seeing almost full occupancy rate for its D’Resort accommodation and higher-than-usual foot traffic at its water theme park and shopping premises, management has extended the need for security awareness to even tenants.

“No success can be achieved without the communities’ involvement. With an effective TOPSIS framework in place, potential suspicious activities can be addressed swiftly,” said Ms Felice Low, director of infrastructure at NTUC Club, which manages the hub.

EVOLVING PROGRAMME

The programme was first conceptualised in 2007 and is being continually reviewed and enhanced to make sure it stays up to date.

It has been progressively rolled out to areas with high traffic and limited security resources, such as tourism, public transport, and religious and education sectors.

“Our TOPSIS partners have trained and engaged their communities to play a part in recognising, reporting and resolving tell-tale indicators to complement the efforts of the police to keep their premises safe and secure,” said the SPF’s assistant director of the Security Programmes Centre for Protective Security Bridget Goh.

Mr Wilbur Sim, director of the SGSecure Programme Office, said: “Every little action counts. Our strongest defence against terrorism is our collective vigilance. We should work hand in hand together with our security agencies, and play our part in keeping Singapore as well as our family and friends safe and secure.”

Continue Reading

Man jailed for making false bomb threat on Scoot flight to Perth, suffered relapse of schizophrenia

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Hawkins was monitored closely for the rest of the flight, and he was compliant, remaining in his seat.

The plane landed at a remote location at Changi Airport, where airport police set up a cordon. Airport staff and police officers were activated.

The K9 unit performed checks and the airport emergency services were also activated in case there was a fire from a bomb blast.

Checks of the luggage and belongings of Hawkins and his wife revealed nothing incriminating. He was escorted out of the plane and arrested at about 9.10pm.

The plane was towed along the tarmac to a gate at Terminal 1, and the 11 crew members and the remaining 362 passengers got off the plane at about 9.20pm.

They reboarded the plane at about 10.45pm and departed for Perth at about 11.40pm – a total of about seven hours’ delay.

HAWKINS’ MENTAL STATE

Hawkins was remanded for psychiatric assessment at the Institute of Mental Health and found to have suffered a relapse of schizophrenia along with an episode of major depressive disorder around the time of the offence that contributed to his offending.

However, he was not of unsound mind and was fit to plead in court.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Grace Chua asked for four to six months’ jail for Hawkins, saying bomb hoaxes are “particularly pernicious” in the present climate and citing the difficulty of determining from the outset if a threat was genuine or not.

Substantial resources were deployed to combat the perceived threat, said Ms Chua.

She cited three aggravating factors – the first being that the bomb hoax was made on a plane where there was no means of escape and parties were forced to remain on board and “endure the stress”.

Second, there were significant disruptions to other passengers, and the “frustration and distress caused” cannot be understated, she said.

Fighter jets, airport and police staff had to be mobilised, with the net effect being “a severe drain on public resources”, said Ms Chua.

MENTAL CONDITION INHERITED: DEFENCE

Defence lawyer S S Dhillon asked for four months’ jail for his client, who is a forklift operator in Australia.

Hawkins is married with no children, said Mr Dhillon. His father suffers from bipolar disorder and his mother had major depression with anxiety, so his mental condition “is sort of inherited from his family”, said the lawyer.

He said Hawkins was previously hospitalised for psychotic episodes in 2019 and suffered no relapses until the current incident.

Mr Dhillon stated in his written mitigation plea that Hawkins had gone to Thailand for a holiday with his wife and stayed with her parents there.

Hawkins felt suspicious as he felt left out of family activities and began hearing a repetitive voice telling him to divorce his wife. He also began feeling that his wife did not love him and felt that her family members were talking about him, said Mr Dhillon.

The lawyer said Hawkins felt the plane would crash when he boarded the Scoot flight, as he thought people were looking at him suspiciously and speaking about him.

He felt it was better if he was arrested and put into a mental hospital for the rest of his life, so he did not have to face his social problems.

Hawkins posted on his Facebook account that he was going to murder his wife when they returned to Perth, but he deleted this.

Then, he told the crew he had a bomb, hoping to be arrested in Perth but not knowing he would cause the plane to return to Singapore and inconvenience others, said Mr Dhillon.

“He just wants to get over this episode,” said Mr Dhillon. “Return back home, and continue his treatment.”

In sentencing, District Judge Elton Tan said an empty threat such as in this case is both “expensive and wasteful”, causing “considerable disruptions to the lives of innocent parties”.

False threats often have the potential to exact and often do exact considerable private and public costs, said Judge Tan.

However, he accepted two mitigating factors in Hawkins’ favour – his plea of guilt, a sign of contrition, and his mental disorders which contributed to the offence.

“He did not know at the time the extent of the inconvenience he would cause,” said the judge, citing a psychiatric report.

However, despite Hawkins’ understanding of the situation being distorted by his mental condition, he still knew what he was doing, said Judge Tan.

He urged Hawkins’ family to help him seek the necessary psychiatric care upon his release and allowed the jail term to be backdated to his first date of remand in October.

Continue Reading

Three arrested in foiled murder plot

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

PUBLISHED : 22 Dec 2023 at 14:00

Three arrested in foiled murder plot
RAdm Prakaipruek Srifa, 64, one of three suspects arrested, reads an arrest warrant as Crime Suppression Division police arrested him at his house in Lat Krabang district, Bangkok on Friday. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)

A Taiwanese businessman and two retired navy officers have been arrested by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police in connection with a foiled murder plot.

The arrests were made during Friday morning raids at eight locations in Chon Buri and Bangkok.

The arrests followed a complaint filed with the CSD by a Taiwanese man, who accused his father, Feng Hao Chang, 68, a wealthy Taiwanese businessman, of soliciting RAdm Prakaipruek Srifa, 64, an adviser to his company, to hire a gunman to kill him and his mother.

RAdm Prakaipruek subsequently asked Tewarat Mangkorn, 66, a former navy captain and close associate, to hire a gunman to carry out the plan.

However, the gunman revealed the murder plot to the Taiwanese man, who then filed the police complaint.

In the raids, CSD police arrested Mr Feng at his house on Srinagarindra road in Bangkok’s Prawet district, RAdm Prakaipruek at his house in Lat Krabang district, and Mr Tewarat at his house in Thawi Watthana district.

Pol Col Anek Taosupap, the CSD deputy commander, said business conflicts were suspected as the motive for Mr Feng to orchestrate the murder plot against his son and wife.

The three suspects face initial charges of hiring a person to commit murder. They denied the accusations.

They were brought to CSD headquarters for further questioning.

Crime Suppression Division polce enter a house of one of the three suspects wanted in connetion with a murder plot that failed to be executed. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)

Continue Reading

Youtuber’s house raided: 87 weapons, 4,000+ rounds seized

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

PUBLISHED : 22 Dec 2023 at 13:34

Youtuber's house raided: 87 weapons, 4,000+ rounds seized
Many guns of various types and over 4,000 rounds of bullets are found in the house of Trinsak Wachirasrisirikul, 33, right, a YouTuber of Tacticool BoB channel, during a police search of his premises in Muang district of Phitsanulok province on Friday. (Photo: Chinnawat Singha)

PHITSANULOK: Large quantities of weapons and ammunition were found during a police search of a house of a Youtuber in Muang district on Friday.

A combined team of officers from the Police Cyber Taskforce and local police searched the house at a housing estate in tambon Ban Krang. The operation aimed to boost public safety ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivals.

The officers showed a court warrant to search the premises to house owner Trinsak Wachirasrisirikul, who runs a YouTube channel about firearms titled Tacticool BoB.

The search found 87 guns of various types, 4,576 rounds of ammunition and seven magazines, said Pol Maj Nikhom Kheunopparat, chief of Phitsanulok police.

Mr Trinsak, 33, told police that he inherited these weapons from his father. All of them were legally registered in his father’s name, he said.

The police are now in the process of determining whether the ownership of these weapons has been officially transferred to Mr Trinsak. If there is no record of ownership transfer, he could face charges related to the unauthorised possession of firearms and ammunition, said Pol Maj Nikhom.

There have been unconfirmed reports that Mr Trinsak was detained following the seizure of the weapons.

Police display seized firearms and ammunition at a YouTuber’s house in Phitsanulok province on Friday. (Photo: Chinnawat Singha)

Continue Reading

Man takes Stevens Loft condo management to court over installation of zip blinds, fails in bid

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: A man who wanted to install zip blinds at two balconies of his top-floor unit in Stevens Loft found himself blocked by the management of the condo and took the latter to court to be granted approval.

However, the district court found in favour of the management of the condo near Orchard Road and dismissed his application. The High Court similarly dismissed his application to appeal against the decision in a judgment on Tuesday (Dec 19).

Mr Soo Hoo Khoon Peng is a subsidiary proprietor of a top-floor unit at Stevens Loft, occupying the fourth and fifth floors of the building.

According to the district court judgment, he wanted to install a brand of zip blinds known as Renson Fixscreen at his two balconies.

He sought permission from the management corporation of Stevens Loft, sending a renovation form to the management in late August 2022 asking for approval.

The management responded about two months later, informing that his request had been denied “in view of the uniformity of the building appearance”.

Mr Soo Hoo responded, disputing that installing Fixscreen would result in any issues with uniformity and asserting that he was “concerned with the safety of his children, and wear and tear of his balconies”.

On Mr Soo Hoo’s insistence, solicitors for the condo management responded saying that there was “an issue of appearance” and that the proposed installation would be to common property.

The management of the condo was defended by lawyers Daniel Chen and Enzel Tan from Lee & Lee.

Mounting any structure on common property walls would amount to exclusive use of common property, which requires approval by way of a 90 per cent resolution, the condo’s lawyers said.

They added that any issue of safety could be dealt with by invisible grilles, which was the condo’s standard design for safety barriers at balconies.

When the management of the condo stood by its refusal, Mr Soo Hoo filed an application in court, asking to be allowed to install the zip blinds, and for the management to pay damages of S$2,400 (US$1,810) to him along with interest and costs.

The district judge found that the proposed zip blinds would amount to exclusive use or enjoyment of common property, which would require 90 per cent resolution at a general meeting of subsidiary proprietors.

“The proposed Fixscreen would be attached to load-bearing walls, columns and beams, which are by definition structural elements and therefore fall within the definition of ‘common property’,” said District Judge Sim Mei Ling.

ZIP BLINDS WOULD REPEL INSECTS, PREVENT HARM TO KIDS, SAYS CLAIMANT

Mr Soo Hoo argued that even if installing the zip blinds amounted to exclusive use or enjoyment of common property, a by-law entitled him to install a screen or other device to prevent animals or insects entering his lot, or to prevent harm to children.

Judge Sim accepted that Fixscreen could prevent insects or animals from entering, based on marketing materials produced by Mr Soo Hoo, which advertised its insect-repelling qualities when the blinds are closed.

However, she was “not convinced” that the zip blinds would have the effect of preventing children from jumping or falling over the walls of his balcony.

Mr Soo Hoo’s lawyers, Mr Joseph Tay and Mr Lin Ruizi from Shook Lin & Bok, pointed to the existence of roller blinds, awnings and motorised blinds installed by other subsidiary proprietors to argue that the facade of the building was no longer uniform.

However, Judge Sim said there was only one other unit in Stevens Loft that had a motorised blind installed, and the management said it was taking enforcement action against this.

She found that the defendant did not act unreasonably in withholding its consent to Mr Soo Hoo’s request to install Fixscreen.

When the district court dismissed Mr Soo Hoo’s application, he turned to the High Court for permission to appeal against the decision, but was met with a dead end when the High Court dismissed his bid.

Continue Reading