CNA Explains: What could more voters mean for number of MPs, electoral boundaries in Singapore’s next GE?
What might the electoral boundaries of a city’s electorate be affected by more citizens?
With a voter turnout of 38,929, Hong Kah North SMC is now the only one to go beyond the 38, 000-vote control.
Independent observer Felix Tan, who has written about Singapore’s social environment, claimed it was possible to divide and unite a part of the SMC with a nearby GRC.
Then, he warned that it might be merged with a nearby GRC before the GRC might be restored to form two small GRCs.  ,
In 2020, what was then known as Sengkang West SMC had 47, 891 electors, far above the lower limit. In the end, it was transferred to a fresh Sengkang GRC.
Today, Ang Mo Kio GRC and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC are also nearing the 190, 000 upper limit ( for their five-MP wards ), with 188, 820 and 180, 319 voters respectively.
Both were originally six-member GRCs before being reduced in size in 2020.
With fresh SMCs and smaller GRCs carved out, authorities said they could stretch even more.
This was already the case with Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC prior to the next election, when a fresh Punggol West SMC and four-member Sengkang GRC were established.  ,
The average amount of Members per GRC has dropped- from five in 2011 to 4.75 in 2015 to 4.65 in 2020- while the number of SMCs has gone off ( from 12 to 13 to 14 over the same time ).
Among the individual votes, Yuhua is the smallest with 20, 362 citizens – just above the lower restriction of 20, 000.
It is the only SMC run by Grace Fu, the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, as its head.
Jurong GRC, which has no “anchor” minister at the moment, is bounded by Yuhua, which was bounded by former top secretary Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s victory in a presidential election next year.
An anchor secretary is the de facto GRC group leader, according to Ms. Kasthuri from SUSS, whose presence serves to comfort citizens and orient new candidates.
There “might get a great opportunity” Yuhua gets subsumed into a new or existing GRC, said Dr Tan.
However, not all political boundaries are redrawn at every large.
In 2020, 12 districts were undisturbed, Institute of Policy Studies research brother Teo Kay Key noted. Seven of them were left alive in 2015 as also.
Hougang SMC and the opposition-held Aljunied GRC are among them.
According to Dr. Tan,” It is probably an unwritten rule that unless the opposition wards fall, there are certainly no other strong reasons to ( redraw boundaries there” ), adding that any change in the boundaries at these wards may be viewed as “politically motivated.”
Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing said in parliament earlier this month that the EBRC features freely, without direction or power from the state.
Mr Chan, who is also Education Minister, added that the Committee prioritises the interests of voters and not any political party, including the ruling People’s Action Party ( PAP ).
The senior civil servants that make up the EBRC also do n’t have any political allegiances and can fervently suggest boundary changes, he said.
Far From Home: Migrant workers from Philippines, Indonesia chase higher wages abroad, but at what cost?
SAN ISIDRO, PHILIPPINES/KUNIRAN, INDONESIA: When Madam Gina Fabiano initially considered leaving her wooden house in the Philippines ‘ Rodriguez city to become a home contractor in Saudi Arabia 7, 000km aside, her children begged her not to go.  ,
They had never been separated, let alone been separated for such a long time due to their great length. Without her, they claimed, they may not be able to live their lives.  ,
But at the moment, the then 43 year-old mother of five- who gradually worked in the Middle East for three years between 2016 and 2019- felt that she did certainly had a choice.
Since the government decided to open a garbage near in 2002, her mother’s farmland has been losing steam.
Mdm Fabiano and her husband sifted through the thousands of tons of trash from the Metro Manila area, looking for metals, plastics, and other assets to market to recycling plants along with other families whose cropland were even destroyed.
The mother’s income was not stable. Mdm Fabiano and her husband would earn as little as 1, 000 to 2, 000 pesos ( US$ 17.10 to US$ 34.20 ) a month. The cost of her son’s education was hardly sufficient to cover the costs of meals.
Then her mother died in 2016 and Mdm Fabiano, as the next oldest of 14 relatives, had to play the role of mother for her brothers and sisters, some of whom were also in school at the time.
We did n’t have the money to take my mother to the hospital after she became ill. When I first started to worry about my mother passing away if I had worked worldwide sooner, I thought. Mdm Fabiano reached into her throat while caringssing the cross.  ,
But she jumped at the chance to work as a home worker in Saudi Arabia with a monthly salary of US$ 400.
According to statistics from the Philippines ‘ Department of Migrant Workers, 2.1 million Filipinos left their home country in search of work worldwide in 2016. This figure may decrease as a result of the pandemic before reaching a new history of 2.3 million in 2023.
The majority of them were from far-off places in remote areas and poor urban neighborhoods like Rodriguez’s San Isidro, where employment opportunities are limited, especially for those like Mdm Fabiano, who only has a junior high school certificate to her title.
Working abroad paid these Filipinos at least half the region’s minimum wage of US$ 10 per day, but it also came with some high costs.
Working abroad, for parents like Mdm Fabiano, meant missing out on significant events like the first weeks of class and graduations, as well as the chance to watch their kids grow up, commemorate special occasions like birthdays and Christmas, and watch their children grow up.
For those left behind, it meant losing someone they love, a caretaker, a coach and a shoulder to cry on.
The most challenging aspect was that I was unable to look after my only child, according to Mdm Fabiano, about her youngest baby, who was still in school when she left.
” What are you doing then?” was all I could do, so I dialed her on my phone and asked her. Did you eat? Are you going to college?’ That’s all. But the lady I took care of in Saudi: I may weave her hair, pull her correctly, tuck her to sleep”.
” I was able to take care of her, but I could n’t even take care of my own kids.”
Paetongtarn surveys flood damage on Nan visit
PUBLISHED: 25 Aug 2024 at 04: 00
As three people who just vanished in Nan’s northwestern province were discovered on Saturday, more than 20 000 homes in seven regions have been affected by heavy flood.
A full of 21, 971 homes have been affected by the flood, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, despite the fact that rainwater rates are currently declining.
Of the variety, 5, 381 families suffered injury in Chiang Rai’s 11 regions while 3, 500 in Phayao were also struck by flood.
Nan was the hardest hit, with a total of 10, 157 families affected, while 383 communities in five regions of Phrae, 1, 726 communities in Phetchabun’s three regions, and 255 in Udon Thani’s six regions, were also affected.
In Phuket’s Muang city, 209 families suffered from inundation and floods, with 13 fatalities and 19 accidents.
The worst flooding position in decades started to relieve on Friday night as the Nan River’s level remained low.
Since Friday night, ocean levels in Nan’s commercial and economic place have decreased by more than 30-40 centimetres. In some places, they have fallen by more than 1 inch. The Nan municipality’s area then allows motorcycles and cars to go. Residents were cleaning their homes and businesses as well as inspecting the injury.
But, water levels remained great in some low-lying locations along the water’s lenders as pumps were deployed to remove the excess.
The systems of three people who went missing on Wednesday were discovered after the waters dried up. Charan Tankab, 52, was found in Thung Chang city, while Yutthaphum Sirirat, 40, and Anan Chaisalee, 59, were found in Tha Wang Ha area.
Between Monday and Wednesday, Nan was hit by heavy rains, which caused flash floods and landslides in several places. These also damaged fields, fisheries and cattle. Numerous organizations visited disaster victims and gave them guidance and supplies for relief.
On Saturday, Nan’s Muang district’s flood victims were visited by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Nan’s Muang city.
The prime minister traveled by boat to explore people in impacted areas and give them food and products, along with Pheu Thai MPs. To avoid electric hazards during the flood, the Provincial Electricity Authority of Thailand shut off supply of electricity.
People were now experiencing a electricity shortage as a result of the flooding, according to Ms. Paetongtarn.
Citizens of our country were pleased to see us. We gave them social support. She said that the new government will take immediate steps to assist them as soon as possible once it actually takes business.
Illegal Chinese guide arrested in Pattaya
Vehicle taken from a man who claimed to have charged consumers B2, 400 each
PUBLISHED: 24 Aug 2024 at 18: 27
A Chinese nationwide has been detained in Chon Buri, where he is accused of working as an illegal trip link.
Wang Hao, 41, was detained on Thursday at the Pattaya Floating Market in Bang Lamung area, according to Pattaya holiday officers.
Even seized was a car used to bring travellers, they said on Saturday.
Mr. Wang allegedly behaved like a local guide while visiting the floating business with three Foreign tourists, who were not allowed to travel there.
According to reports, the suspect admitted to driving visitors to different locations in Pattaya while running a tour company and working as a tour link. He charged 2, 400 ringgit per man, authorities said.
He was accused of operating a tour company without authorization, performing as a tour guide without a license, and being an mysterious acting without authorization.
Nearly 300,000 Bangladeshis in emergency shelters after floods
FENI, Bangladesh: Nearly 300, 000 Bangladeshis were taking refuge in emergency shelters on Saturday ( Aug 24 ) from floods that inundated vast areas of the low-lying South Asian country, disaster officials said. At least 42 people have died in Bangladesh and India as a result of the storms, manyContinue Reading
Teen shot dead over online chats
14-year-old think apparently angered that target chatted with his partner
PUBLISHED: 24 Aug 2024 at 17: 53
LOB BURI: A 14-year-old child has been detained after shooting a 16-year-old child tragically in a bitterness spree prompted by online conversations.
According to Pol Lt Col Chayan Seekiang, an official at the Sa Bot authorities station, the incident occurred at the Nong Krathum crossing on Friday night.
Suphakit, the survivor, was found lying in a pool of blood with a bullet wound to the neck when police arrived. He died before reaching doctor, police said.
The victim’s companion claimed that they were attacked by two people while they were out shopping on another bike. One of them shot Suphakit, who he claimed was seated on the up.
Afterwards, when police located the shooter, they discovered that he was the other motorcycle’s driver and that his girlfriend was the traveler.
According to police, the shooting was motivated by resentment because the victim frequently exchanged website messages with the suspect’s sweetheart. Police have detained the partners for further questioning.
Black Myth: Wukong could drive Chinese investment in big-budget games
Then, Zhou sees a chance for the local industry’s environment to change. More money will definitely be injected into the field as a result of Black Myth’s success, which will encourage more game developers to try to create for large projects, he said.
However, it might not gain people equally.
” Intelligent investors may choose older clubs”, Zhou said. But resources will merge toward the best game designers.
The success of Black Myth “definitely gives Foreign game designers a boost in confidence,” said Olivia Qin, a Shenzhen-based mobile game designer specializing in model activities.
” It proves that even for those working on genres not considered as lucrative, it will still yield good results if ( developers ) put their hearts into it”, she said.
Qin, however, added that she will not acquire making AAA game herself. ” The price is too great and it takes to long”, she said. Not all small studios are eligible for Google purchase.
When China may see another AAA title, particularly one with the ability to become yet another world hit, game developers are cautious about speculating.
The success of Black Myth “may be able to been replicated, but that time could be very long”, Chan said. ” Game Science has spent about a century accumulating the knowledge and the capacity to create for game.”
Zhou said a few great single-player names are already under creation, and are expected to launch within three years. But for something else on the size of Black Myth: Wukong, “it may take nine centuries, optimistically”, he said.
This article first appeared on SCMP.
Ride-hailing motorcyclist held for attempted rape
Fresh German professor treated for injury following an incident in Ubon Ratchathani
PUBLISHED: 24 Aug 2024 at 16: 47
In the Muang city of Ubon Ratchathani, a motorcycle rider was detained after being accused of trying to murder a young German professor after she booked him on a ride-hailing game.
Police apprehended Thitiphong Thongsuk, 39, on a street in tambon Kham Yai at about 1am on Saturday, said Pol Col Khanongrit Darat, commander of the Muang authorities place.
The imprisonment followed a objection by a 22-year-old European female, a language teacher at a public institution in Muang area. She claimed that she traveled from the Central shopping mall, about a kilometer away, to her home on Friday afternoon using a ride-hailing application for a bike, which she claimed she used on Friday at around 7 o’clock.
She claimed that the horse changed his course on the way to the school after the rider arrived to pick her up at the store. She claimed that he then forced her to get off and forced her to lay down in a grassy place close to the wayside.
She resisted him by biting his hands, but he attempted to rape her. The male repeatedly punched her in the face because of this. The think snatched her head bag and fled when she loudly pleaded for assistance.
A bystander came to the victim’s aid and transported her to a local hospital to recover from her wounds. She instantly filed a police issue.
Along the way to find the suspect, who was later detained, officers looked at picture from security cameras.
Mr. Thitiphong apparently admitted to acting as alleged during questioning, telling police he had taken five rate supplements before going to work. When he saw the attractive buyer using his trip service, he became aroused and attempted to work on the spur of the moment.
The suspect had a urine test performed by officers, and the findings came back positive for drug use.
He was accused of embezzlement, obscene assault, and using illegal substances. He was being held by the authorities in exchange for legal action.  ,
Death toll from Phuket landslide jumps to 10
” Heavy rain which began at 2am ( on Friday ) caused a landslide that damaged homes. Local police chief Khundech Na Nongkhai told AFP that residents of the area were “apprehended off guard”.
This year, heavy monsoon rains have impacted Thailand’s southern coast and parts of the country’s north, primarily due to the country’s southern coast.
Firefighters, military personnel, and volunteers have been dispatched to provide supplies to those in need and to assist with cleanup efforts.
According to the state, more money has been raised to assist the victims, and a crew has been established to investigate the cause of the disaster.
While Thailand experiences monthly monsoon rains, man-made climate change is causing more severe weather patterns, which increase the risk of devastating landslides.
More than 500 people were killed and thousands of homes were damaged by common flooding in Thailand in 2011; this number exceeded 500.
Digital News Asia
- Tourplus CEO embodies leader hurry, with keen gaze for chance
- Owners have the highest duty, may convey optimism &, hope
.jpg "The partnership with Tourism Selangor will earn Rickson Goh revenue, expand his supply of products and give him market inroad.")
Some Malaysian startup founders have acquitted themselves as well as Rickson Goh, the gentle said founder of travel tech company Tourplus Technology Sdn Bhd, if you want to see how well they have handled the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the midst of a terrible halt in Malaysia’s tourism industry, he never merely raised eyebrows in the ecosystem with a powerful US$ 1 million seed capital fund raise, but he also went on to form some partnerships that will place his travel tech startup quite well when the tourism rebound occurs. Plus, he has also started talking to buyers on raising his second large as he projects profits for 2021 to reach US$ 1.65 million ( RM7 million )– almost none of it coming from vacation.
But what exactly is he smoking and what exactly is he spitting in his te sir? Turns out it is nothing more than leader rush and a strong desire for success.  ,
Cuts win-win cope with Tourism Selangor
Tourplus, which had no mobile application before this, announced in a simple press release that it had worked with Tourism Selangor to create a wireless application for the state agency.
The true story is that Tourplus and Tourism Selangor have a 50:50 revenue share contract under the name Get Selangor for any income made through the game. Better yet, the state agency will start promoting Tourplus to those interested in the state agency’s database by encouraging all manufacturers of travel-related products to start digitizing their operations ( though this is not an exclusive agreement ).
As Rickson points out, the majority of these vacation players are small businesses, which would have been nearly impossible for Tourplus to enter. Instead, then it gets a reputable position company to make the introduction.
” We expect the game does go sit in Oct 2021″, says Rickson. Tourplus did examine business arrangements and installation in the app, operate and make the payout, etc., he states.
As Selangor intensifies efforts to prepare the journey ecosystem for the post-pandemic go rebound, Go Selangor may serve as the state government’s official travel app.
A crucial part of the efforts to find habitat players, most of whom are SMEs, available, is to encourage them to digitalise so that their vacation packages, services and inventory may be added to Get Selangor.
Rickson, who first proposed the idea in March and was given approval by the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corp. in July, believes that this partnership will benefit more rural operators or “hidden gem providers” that are not in the main stream platforms like Klook.
It is also a sweet deal for Rickson, who is preparing himself for the post-pandemic rebound by adding new inventory to his database. The latest of his recent cutbacks to his fundraising efforts in October, 2017.
.jpg "Rickson Goh shows how you deal with a pandemic")
His back was against the wall by that point, so the timing could n’t have been better. It was not an easy time, he admits. There was little to no money being made, and the statement” We were running out of money then” was true.
Even Rickson ( pic ) struggled to see any light, and the team had lost hope. It was very difficult for me. Day and night, I was trying to figure out a way to survive. We founders have the highest responsibility. No matter how we feel inside, and sometimes I felt helpless, but we have to exude hope and optimism for the team”, he says.
A quick foray into providing frozen food to consumers was unsuccessful. The key moment, however, came when he made the decision to forgo any international travel for at least for 24 months. A startup that had built its future off of inbound travel to Malaysia made a chilling realization.
Hanging out in Parliament, getting TSP status, convincing investors
Rickson swung into action. In the early stages of the pandemic lockdowns, webinars rose in popularity, and Rickson started taking classes there to learn from other business owners. He also became aware of the benefits of local players going digital and learned about the various government initiatives that are being implemented to help businesses. This would serve as Rickson’s lifeline as domestic tourism was awaiting a return to life.
” I was able to persuade my investors that domestic tourism was the best course of action and that the various government Covid aid recovery programs offered short-term opportunities.”
One of his biggest advantages was the stable government relations he established over a short period of time. He claims that it was not from funding any projects but rather from supporting the government in digitizing brick and mortar businesses, particularly those in the travel industry. He had to travel to the Malaysian Parliament to meet with relevant ministers in order to make his pitch, which helped Tourplus become recognized as a TSP ( Technology Service Provider ).
With this recognition Tourplus was able to assist businesses in requesting the Digital Marketing Grant, which is a component of the Malaysian Government’s efforts to assist businesses in recovering from the effects of the pandemic. They were qualified for up to a RM5,000 grant, and we have already received 200 companies ‘ approval from an overall 800 applications for the grant.
This work not only keeps his 20-strong team ( 30 % are part-time ) busy but has helped with cash flow as well.
Key collaborations in China, instant access to 200k hotel rooms globally
One important collaboration between Rickson and the Chinese travel agency ChongQing China Youth Travel Service started in April of this year.
Even though we raised money, traveling is still our main business, according to Rickson, adding that income and cash flow must be closely monitored.
” We need to keep innovating as well and I need to hire tech people, UI/UX designers, product people which will also help us scale”.
Another exciting development, one that he has kept under wraps is a partnership he has struck with China’s largest OTA ( Online Travel Agency ), the Nasdaq listed Ctrip. Users of the Tourplus app can now now directly book 200, 000 hotel rooms from all over the world where Ctrip has hotel partners thanks to an API integration.
” It is a very exclusive priviledge to be given the trust of API integration with a business like Ctrip,” Rickson asserts. That likely cuts both ways because Ctrip, which was founded in 1999, likely sees a little of itself in the ferocious startup from Kuala Lumpur and its gritty founder.