Indonesia plans oil storage facility near Singapore to improve energy self-sufficiency: Minister

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JAKARTA: Indonesia plans to build an oil backup service on an area near Singapore- connecting with President Prabowo’s goals for energy self-sufficiency- amid political uncertainty, according to a government minister. &nbsp,

The new storage facility will be designed to house various types of oil, according to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia on Wednesday ( Dec. 11 ), but he did not specify the location and details of its construction. &nbsp,

At a Golkar party event in Jakarta, he was quoted as saying,” The storage facility will be able to store oil for up to 30 to 40 days, and Pertamina will purchase oil ( from the facility ) at global economic prices so that we can achieve energy sovereignty.” &nbsp,

In light of the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, which have hampered global oil and gas supply chains, the new facility will allow the state-owned energy company Pertamina to buy oil in bulk, reducing its dependence on the dangerous world market. &nbsp,

Putra Adhiguna, managing director of the think tank Energy Shift Institute, applauded this action, stating that the new facility might have” strategic buffer ( oil ) reserves” and adding that the reserves Indonesia currently have are for operational use.

” This is an important move, considering Indonesia is a major oil supplier so having proper cushion reserves is essential for security, especially with the government’s plan on power security”, Putra told CNA. &nbsp,

According to an Antara record in April, Pertamina’s primary energy trade sources are Singapore, comprising 56.58 per cent of overall energy imports, followed by Malaysia at 26.75 per cent and India at 6.28 per cent. &nbsp,

However, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are the primary solutions of Pertamina’s imported liquefied gas fuel. &nbsp,

The new center therefore also seeks to reduce Indonesia’s heavy emphasis on Singapore, as reported by The Jakarta Globe. &nbsp,

Indonesia imports 60 % of its fuel from Singapore, despite the fact that it does not have any fuel. This is extremely mind-blowing to me”, Bahlil, who is the Golkar party president, said on Oct 11, while quoted by Antara. &nbsp,

The program is also expected to reduce expenses related to third-party store, transport and entity taxes, thus facilitating more cost-efficient fuel purchases. &nbsp,

Despite having none of its own oil and gas resources, Singapore is one of the world’s top three export refining centres, according to the country’s Economic Development Board. &nbsp,

The city-state imports crude oil from countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

In addition, Bahlil also highlighted Indonesia’s low oil supplies which he considered a concern, emphasising the importance of increasing storage capacity to enhance energy resilience. &nbsp,

” This is a geopolitical issue. His statement was quoted by the Jakarta Globe as saying,” Our oil reserves and storage can only last for 21 days if our country goes to war.” &nbsp,

With plans to reduce regulations, reactivate idle wells, and increase output, the new Prabowo administration reportedly intends to revive oil and gas production in an effort to reverse a ten-year decline in output. &nbsp,

” We must have energy self-sufficiency and we are capable ( of being ) self-sufficient”, Prabowo said in his inauguration speech on Oct 20, citing geopolitical tension. &nbsp,

He also intended to leverage efforts made by the previous administration, led by former president Joko” Jokowi” Widodo, to boost massive gas discoveries in South Andaman and reduce biofuel use. &nbsp,

In October, Bahlil said that the Indonesian government planned to maximise the use of existing oil fields to reduce crude oil imports, which have reached a value of approximately 500 trillion rupiah ( US$ 31.4 billion ) annually. &nbsp,

The government intends to revive oil fields that have been idle by roking licenses in order to accomplish this goal, he added.

According to him,” I asked why these wells are not being operated, and the answers were unclear. It seems that I will start revocation of business licenses as we are looking at the potential to reorganize wells that are not being worked on by contractors, including state-owned enterprises,” he said on October 9 as quoted by the Jakarta Globe. &nbsp,

Based on data from Bahlil’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia has nearly 45, 000 oil fields, with 16, 600 considered inactive. &nbsp,

Among these idle fields, around 5, 000 are seen to have the potential to be revitalised to boost national oil production. &nbsp,

” For wells that are not being optimised, we will revoke their license and offer them to those capable of increasing our national production, we should not hold on to them, our country needs this”, Bahlil added. &nbsp,

Indonesia’s oil production, which was formerly an Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC ), decreased to less than 600,000 barrels per day in 2024 from a peak of roughly 1.6 million barrels per day in the 1990s, which is attributed to declining investment and aging blocks. &nbsp,

In addition, the country’s oil consumption has more than doubled to 1.5 million barrels per day, leading to imports of fuel and oil, which have cost the US$ 28 billion annually over the past ten years. &nbsp,

According to the Jakarta Globe, this oil issue has contributed to the rupiah’s fluctuating value.

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Property agents may have to meet minimum transactions to remain registered

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CAN BE DIFFICULT TO Fixed BLANKET STANDARD: AGENCIES&nbsp,

OrangeTee, the government’s third biggest property firm, considers those who have not completed a transaction in a year as dormant. This year, about one-third of its officials fell under that group.

Although Huttons Asia’s CEO Mark Yip reckoned that the number of inactive agencies ranges from 30 to 50 % across the industry, the other companies that CNA approached did no supply numbers.

Industry figures acknowledged that less effective officials may not be able to maintain up-to-date knowledge of the most recent regulations and business trends, which could have an impact on their service levels.

Brokers may not be closing deals constantly for a variety of reasons. &nbsp, Some maintain full-time work abroad or decide to take a tear.

But others who remain in the industry &nbsp, include those with full-time tasks in house firms, developers and consultancies “where their experience in this business is important, but they may not be directly involved in sales”, said Orange Tee CEO Justin Quek.

Some brokers who have become group officials may opt to concentrate on guiding and mentoring new hires.

Agents must remain active and appropriate in this business, according to Mr. Quek. ” That said, the nature of real property is influenced by seasonal and continuous factors, as well as personal situations, which may affect transaction levels in any given time”.

Transaction figures represent” only one aspect of an owner’s activity”, he added.

Although the requirement of a minimum number of transactions per month may indicate a determination to competence in the sector, it is crucial that for a policy be put into action carefully and with consideration for its wider implications.

Echoing that, Mr Yip said it may be “difficult to established a cover normal” in terms of purchase figures for the entire market.

Industry figures claimed that they regularly provide instruction and various forms of support to keep their agents current. &nbsp,

They even made the point that agents who aren’t committed to their work are already being weeded out by the latest requirements.

For one, Eugene Lim, ERA’s chief executive officer, said the necessary exam for all new property agents “is not easy.”

Property agencies will also need to complete 16 hours of instruction per month, an increase from the latest six to nine hours, before they can maintain their CEA registrations. In order to boost professional specifications in the sector, CEA’s work begin in October of next year.

We think that the increased ( training ) requirement will eliminate a significant number of inactive agents who aren’t committed to their careers, according to Mr. Lim.

This will work in conjunction with the real estate salesperson examination to ensure that certified and dedicated agents are employed by the sector.

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Insufficient evidence that Singapore PR wanted by China committed offences to justify probe: SPF

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Singapore Police Force ( SPF ) spokesperson said on Thursday ( Dec 12 ) that there is currently insufficient evidence to warrant inquiries into a permanent resident ( PR ) who is wanted by Beijing over money laundering charges.

Chinese national Hua Zhenxing&nbsp was detained on December 2 in Indonesia after flying to Batam for a vacation with his community. &nbsp,

In response to CNA’s questions on whether Yan was wanted in Singapore, SPF said:” To time, we do not have enough information that Yan does have committed money-laundering offences under Singapore’s laws, that would enable us to begin official investigations against him”.

After receiving an Interpol Red Notice, Yan reportedly helped transport and dirty about US$ 18 million from a legal online gambling group in China.

There was, however, no Interpol Red Notice against him at the point when his Marketing position was granted, according to the authorities. &nbsp,

Additionally, the police recently told CNA that there hasn’t been any support request from Chinese authorities.

” If we later receive trustworthy evidence of Yan’s reported crimes, we will deal with him in accordance with our laws, including the review of his Marketing position”, they said.

An Interpol Red Notice, according to the police, is not an arrest warrant but rather an international alert for a wanted person that was made available at a member nation’s request.

Therefore, an Interpol Red Notice does not grant the police the authority to detain a fugitive wanted by a foreign country. The police would only be able to do so in accordance with an extradition request made under a treaty, SPF said.

The police, however, claim that they continue to monitor Interpol Red Notices even when the nation that published the notice has not contacted them for assistance.

The authorities will “keep the person under close watch and begin investigations if there is evidence that he or she has committed offences under Singapore laws” if a person with connections to&nbsp, Singapore, is subject to an Interpol Red Notice.

The authorities will consider the negative aspects of the Interpol Red Notice when deciding whether to renew the individual’s immigration facilities.

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ASEAN aims to boost intra-regional trade through better transport connectivity

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TAPPING EACH OTHER’S Capabilities

Thailand has stated that it is enthusiastic about enhancing communication between nations.

For starters, it is expanding to a twin track rail system. &nbsp,

Additionally, it is pushing for the construction of a land bridge that connects the Thai Gulf and the Andaman Sea in southwestern Thailand.

The premier job, scheduled to be prepared by 2028, aims to create a new global trade route and reduce travel occasion for vessels, said Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit. &nbsp,

There is now” a lot of overcrowding” in the Malacca Straits, he noted. &nbsp,” We foresee that in the future, a lot of transport lines will have to rush and lane. But if there is a property bridge, it is ( be used as an alternative )”.

But system alone is not enough, market players noted.

” The key question now is, can they get it ( to be ) seamless, can they get it ( to be ) affordable”? said Westports ‘ executive president Ruben Emir Gnanalingam, &nbsp, who runs the largest mentioned port operator in Malaysia.

” Because then you didn’t promote it, you can’t showcase it as an opportunity, because it’s going to cost you more”.

Southeast Asian nations must work up, according to experts, in order to benefit from financial connectivity.

” When you look at ASEAN member states, yes, they are unified. Yes, ( there is ) ASEAN importance. But they’re generally competing with each other”, said Mr Chris Humphrey, executive chairman of the Singapore-based EU-ASEAN Business Council. &nbsp,

” They’re competing with each other for FDI ( foreign direct investment ) flows. They’re competing with each other for business. We need to make sure that rather than competing, we do perform to each other’s advantages”.

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Man arrested for murder after knife attack on woman in Hougang

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Block 210 in Hougang, which is next to Kovan Market and Food Centre, is a four-storey tower with outlets on the first floor and flats above.

Around 1.50pm, CNA arrived at the scene, and a portion of the earth floor was closed out, causing some retail spaces, including a fruits kiosk, a gold shop, and a hardware store.

In the closed area, at least nine officers officers were spotted.

A fruit stall associate who works at the fruits kiosk told CNA that he entered the hardware store after witnessing an explanation and a guy stabbing a lady at least seven to eight times.

He claimed that the sufferer has been employed by the hardware store for between one and two years. &nbsp, A contractor who tried to intervene was injured in the process, said the fruit stall associate.

After hearing what transpired, an observer who went to the scene with a friend reported hearing a man stabbed a lady at the hardware store with a knife. &nbsp,

Further reporting&nbsp, by Koh Wan Ting

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Man arrested after knife attack on woman in Hougang

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After hearing an argument, a fruit stall associate who works at the fruit barn admitted to going into the hardware store.

According to him, a man, thought to be in his 30s, stabbed a person at least seven to eight times after 11 am.

He claimed that the sufferer has been employed at the hardware store for between one and two times. &nbsp,

A worker who tried to intervene was injured in the process, said the berries stall associate.

After hearing what happened, another witness who went to the scene with a friend reported hearing a man stabbed a woman who works there with a weapon. &nbsp,

A worker in the area who declined to get identified claimed he saw an emergency arrive at around 12pm.

CNA has contacted the police for more information.

Further reporting&nbsp, by Koh Wan Ting.

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Training provider FirstCom Academy offered money for new learners, vouchers for Google reviews

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SkillsFuture Singapore ( SSG) stated after FirstCom Academy was suspended for three weeks because of its marketing techniques that education providers may not provide incentives for people to recommend others to enroll in classes. &nbsp,

This is against SSG’s conditions for training companies, the expert said in response to CNA’s concerns.

A former FirstCom employee who worked with instructors claimed that these incentives included complimentary food and products as well as shopping vouchers.

A consultant who previously taught FirstCom Academy courses at the college sent CNA an email from 2022 mentioning the bank’s referral program. For each new person they referred, it provided 20 % of the training fee to the trainers.

SSG received people opinions, so FirstCom Academy has been under inspection since earlier this year.

The education company was made aware on November 27 that they would be fired from January to March 2025 due to concerns relating to the use of a referral program for promotion.

Besides subsidies for recommendations, the academy also offered tickets for Google evaluations. &nbsp,

In exchange for purchasing tickets, the former staff and the original trainer showed CNA slides requesting course participants to write reviews.

In response to CNA’s queries, SSG said on Monday ( Dec 2 ) that such practice is unprofessional.

It told CNA,” We highly discourage opportunities in exchange for favorable reviews on websites like Google, as it goes against expert conduct.”

Companies should continue to review and improve our advertising guidelines so that they can clearly promote their services without inducing learners.

As of Dec 9, FirstCom Academy has close to 50, 000 testimonials, with a 4.9-star score. The business features its Facebook standing on its site, describing itself as the “most publicly-reviewed instruction academy in Singapore”.

The business claims to have a “proven track record of ensuring our educators stay competitive in the current work market” on its profile section on the Skillsfuture website. &nbsp,

It cites the reason for this as its great Google ranking from tens of thousands of learners.

When contacted by CNA, FirstCom Academy declined to comment. &nbsp,

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Singaporean tourist dies after massage at Phuket’s Patong beach

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SINGAPORE: A Taiwanese person has died in Phuket following a massage&nbsp, at Patong Beach while on holiday. &nbsp,

The 52-year-old visited a massage shop at the popular tourist spot&nbsp, on Saturday ( Dec 7 ), said the Bangkok Post citing Thai police. &nbsp,

Mr Lee Mun Tuk, who was given an “oil body treatment” for 45 days, stopped breathing quickly after the service. &nbsp,

According to Patong police main Chalermchai Hernsawad, the store’s staff requested assistance from the officers and medical personnel when Mr. Lee failed to regain consciousness after receiving CPR.

Khaosod English said Mr Lee had experienced breathing problems. His family informed the authorities that she did not believe there was foul play and that her husband had pre-existing medical problems. &nbsp,

Additionally, Mr. Lee’s family, according to Thai media, planned to bring her father’s body residence for religious rites and did not consent to an autopsy. &nbsp,

CNA has contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore for more details. &nbsp,

THAI SINGER DIES AFTER THREE Massage

The incident happened the same weekend as a Thai song died after receiving three massage in a month, though no cause of death has been determined for Mr. Lee. &nbsp,

According to the Bangkok Post, two of them involved the spinning of her spine.

Chayada Prao-hom claimed she had a bad brain ache and that she had contacted the massage parlor in Udon Thani to get treatment for it on Twitter in early November.

However, after the first treatment, she experienced pain in the back of her mind. Afterwards, when her arm started to grow cold, she returned to the massage studio for a minute session, which only made her worse.

She explained in her Instagram post that she continued to use the treatment because she had previously studied Thai massage and that her mother also used to massage. &nbsp,

After her next session, she experienced bruising and swelling that eventually led to dizziness in her neck and abdomen. She claimed that her body was only functioning at a lower 50 % and that she finally was unable to lift her right shoulder. &nbsp,

Around 6am on Sunday, Ms. Chayada was declared dead at a clinic in Udon Thani. She died from a blood infections and head swelling, said Bangkok Post. &nbsp,

Regulators are checking whether the place she went to has a license to offer these services. &nbsp,

The risk of negative effects from massage is low, according to the site of the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. &nbsp,

But, there have been rare reports of serious side effects, such as a blood clots, brain damage or spine fracture.

Such cases frequently involved strenuous types of treatments, it added. &nbsp,
 

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More businesses seek air-conditioned storage spaces to protect goods amid unpredictable weather

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Unexpected WEATHER Problems

The increasingly unexpected weather is a major factor in the desire, according to Mr. Wong.

Under uneven hot and humid conditions, some items, such as leather goods, electronics, clothes and closed food, may not last and can get wet, he noted.

” Often, clients will expect their products to become kept in a very picturesque problem”, he added. &nbsp,

By the end of the year, Work Store will include six times more air-conditioned store, or the size of six basketball courts.

Another supplier, Storefriendly, is also seeing a rise in demand for its great storage spaces as climate-controlled storage spaces are now in low supply.

Over the past six months, inquiries for these products, which are kept at 23 degree Celsius for 24 hours a day, have more than doubled, according to the self-storage options company.

Storefriendly CEO Jes Johansen told CNA that the current weather is causing the rise in demand. &nbsp,

” I do think the damp wind these days has an influence, because it’s just so obvious. We see it outside all the day right nowadays”, he added.

Wine needs an yet cooler 13 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a result of the growing need for climate-controlled store.

” If items are stored for a very long time, therefore air cooling- and the increases in moisture and all that- is a great advantage for long-term store”, said Mr Johansen. &nbsp,

Storefriendly intends to expand to 14 spots in two decades.

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