SINGAPORE: An accident involving around nine vehicles occurred on the East Coast Parkway (ECP ) on Thursday ( Oct 3 ) afternoon, resulting in a pile-up that affected two lanes. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) responded to CNA’s inquiry by reporting that it was called at around 5.20pm toContinue Reading
According to him,” The prosecutor is meant to apply the law and commute the sentence based on the facts and the costs of the case.”
” He is not bound by what events submit. He has a right to disagree that the prosecution’s higher limit is too small, or the defense’s lower limit is also high in any given situation.
Mr Chooi, who just left Mr Eugene Thuraisingam’s law firm to set up his own namesake company, said the trial has judgment solely in terms of what expenses are preferred.
The judge is supposed to be assisted by the prosecution and the defense in the punishment exercise when this discretion is exercised, but he is not bound to take those claims, according to Mr. Chooi.
Andy Yeo, a seasoned attorney with his own process Andy Yeo Chambers, said he was surprised by how much more severe Justice Hoong had imposed than what was demanded by both edges.
But, Mr Yeo- a former administrative officer and assistant people prosecutor- felt that the judge’s decision was justified.
” I think Justice Hoong is justified in what he sees as a case to establish as a law for punishment and apparent signaling for any subsequent events,” said Mr. Yeo, who has a background in business management and white collar crime.
He added that the court in this case was evidently indicating its critical opinion of the crime and that it was unusual for a judge to establish a word higher than what the parties had requested.
” Given that there was no precedent, I thought that this in turn afforded the court a good opportunity to lay down what will be a clear decision on what it perceives to be a most serious case in terms of culpability, ( compared with ) the amount of gifts involved, ( and ) how ( the offence ) had arisen”, said Mr Yeo.
Sunil Sudheesan, a lawyer for the criminal defense team Sunil Sudheesan, said the judge probably “wanted to lay down a marker for public workers” and that such a move is” never seen frequently.”
Mr. Adrian Wee, managing partner at Lighthouse Law, described the court’s” settled rules” as” moved rules” because it has the choice to commute sentences higher or lower than the proposed amounts.
” However, in practice this is not common”, said Mr Wee.  ,
According to him, accused people typically choose to pursue a particular course, taking into account the prosecution’s position on sentencing and their likely sentence. ” An accused person may not be as confident in their likely sentence as they do”
Mr. Wee argued that the court’s decision to take public statements into account during the course of the case was also significant.
Iswaran had initially released statements in which he defended his innocence and denied the allegations.
Although it was unusual for the court to take into account such statements, Mr. Wee argued that the court should take into account Iswaran’s claim that he had intended to plead guilty right away.
SINGAPORE: The countrywide online method is being refreshed under Singapore’s Smart Nation 2.0 program to keep up with changing requires in an ever-evolving environment.
Strategies include a new firm on virtual harms, a S$ 120 million ( US$ 90 million ) funding in artificial intelligence for knowledge, and fellowships for instructors to teach AI much in schools.
Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo sits down with CNA’s Glenda Chong in a wide-ranging discussion on the country’s modern change.
Q. Why the need to update Singapore’s Smart Nation eyesight then?
It has been 10 years since we started the smart society excursion, and from a systems point, the landscape is certainly quite different.
On a day-to-day base, modern technologies have permeated our life. For instance, e-payments were not a rule but today, they are readily available also at stalls centres.
Thus, we are considering the future environment, and if we play our cards correctly, there are many possibilities. There are times when tech fails and disappoints us, just as much of our lives are carried out with the aid of technology.
The question is: what can we do about that? In light of these factors, we felt it was appropriate to update the Smart Nation plan and determine some of the crucial areas that we should be focusing on.
Q. How does Singaporeans be enthralled by the modern transformation?
We observe that when people are given the chance to work in electronic skills, they are typically responsive.
Take our Elders Get Digital program, for instance. One senior woman I spoke with told me that she uses an application to determine the temperature before bringing the laundry in. Another said she uses an software to guide hospital visits. Another claimed that he checks online to see if his brother has given him his quarterly allowance.
Therefore, when technology is used in a way that people feel it improves their level of convenience, next … they are not being forced to learn to use electronic resources… more, technology ( has been useful ) for them.
Instead of just adopting technology or using a digital tool just for the sake of it, we normally try to follow that path.
Q. How does the state safeguard Singaporeans from harm done online?
We have a law that deals with fake information and misinformation, a law against unfriendly information activities that could be carried out against Singapore, a legislation that deals with damages such as online legal activities, etc.
( There are plans to do more. ) For a start, we’re looking at cyber bullying and intimate image abuse. Users ‘ feedback indicates that these two types of harms are the most prevalent. There is room for us to look at other kinds of harm once we establish the agency and are able to effectively enforce these kinds of harms. But this process, this building up of capabilities, is something that will take time.
Q. Tell us about the S$ 120 million investment in AI for Science initiative.
There have been a lot of enthusiastic users of AI to improve company processes since we released the National AI Strategy 2.0. This gives the impression that the AI ecosystem is doing quite well.
We believe that the research community has a chance to take advantage of advances in AI. If researchers could use AI tools, their quality of research and the rate with which they could potentially uncover new, crucial knowledge that would be useful to humanity would greatly improve. We want to give AI tools to the research community.
Q. How will this position Singapore globally?
When I travel internationally, I am very pleasantly surprised at the high regard colleagues around the world have for Singapore. They believe that we have made excellent use of technology to boost the competitiveness of our industries and to enhance the quality of life for our citizens.
It would be a real shame if we do not build on it fully to allow us to advance, but I would say we have very solid foundations. From that perspective, the Smart Nation 2.0 plan gives us a chance to position Singapore more strongly for the future.
Q. What is Singapore’s competitive advantage in the AI for Science initiative?
For scientific research, there is always the competitive as well as the collaborative dimension. Being able to use AI for scientific research, including collaboration with researchers from other countries, is a valuable contribution to this process.
In Singapore, I think we have the ability to get ourselves better organised. For example, in terms of making compute resources available to researchers, that is a bottleneck many countries are trying to break. We ought to be able to accomplish that more effectively.
The ability to access reliable data is just as crucial. Because of the availability of high-quality data, we hope to continue to grow in strength and enable our researchers to do more.
Q. Tell us about the Smart Nation Educator Fellowship, which will influence the curriculum of the country.
We identified that our teachers are at the heart of the educational system in order to prepare the next generation of Singaporeans for this digital future, especially one in which AI-enabled tools will be so heavily integrated into their daily lives.
The goal is to develop a course that will allow teachers to immerse themselves in an environment where they can observe how technology is transforming. Teachers will be able to speak at international conferences, speak with ( industry experts ), and have much better understanding of what needs to be done during the students ‘ education process so that they can be best prepared when they graduate and enter the workforce. Then these educators can design the ( curriculum ) to meet the challenges of the future.
The idea is to train the trainers. Once a group of teachers has this experience, they can make arrangements to share it with their coworkers. In this process, every teacher potentially could be enabled.
Public vehicle providers like as SMRT, SBS Transit and Tower Transit told CNA that they conduct their personal in-house training for individuals, and so , are unaffected , by the lack of driving training games.
The waitlists for securing teaching slots for private business businesses could last for up to a year.
The high turnover rate for local vehicles sooner in 2024 led Mr. Farid Khan, CEO of Singapore Cab Booking, to think about employing foreigners instead.
For his ships of 12 trucks, he now employs 15 native drivers.
However, Mr. Khan’s ideas were put on hold after learning about the lengthy waiting periods.  ,  ,
The disruptions, which began earlier this year, were disclosed to him by the foreign worker recruitment companies he had spoken to for assistance in finding employees.  ,
” We need to find a time and date for the exam so that it coincides with their stay around.” It’s very difficult, the demand is there, but the supply ( of drivers ) is less”, Mr Khan added.  ,
The condition was harsh on businesses like his, according to the director of a different bus charter company that has a fleet of 90 buses.
The vehicle has no other options. During this time, he’s never supposed to do anything and just wait for the licence”, he reiterated.  ,
Employees usually only have two years to complete their work permits, and they could lose the Class 4 driving test after waiting ten times for a test time. By the time they wait for their next evaluation time, their allows might be nearer to expiring, said the chairman.  ,
Although foreigners and work permits do never make up the majority of his staff, he has stopped hiring new vehicles for the moment because it is “impossible to wait that long.”  ,
” We think that people who require driver’s licenses for their jobs may become prioritized,” he continued.  ,
SINGAPORE: While laid-off workers at Dyson’s global head office in Singapore were believed to have received the usual one month’s pay for every year worked, the union speaking out on their behalf said it remains in the dark over any possible limit to this retrenchment package.
In its second public statement on Tuesday’s (Oct 1) layoffs, the United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries (UWEEI), via the union’s executive secretary Patrick Tay, said it was still trying to confirm details of the package.
“We understand from some affected employees that they were told to keep it confidential or risk affecting their retrenchment package,” said Mr Tay in a Facebook video posted on Wednesday.
“As far as we know, it is in line with the UWEEI norm of one month per year of service. But we do not know if there is a cap on this retrenchment package.
“That is why we are concerned that we have not received more information from Dyson on who the affected workers are or their job levels as Section 30A of the Industrial Relations Act also allows UWEEI to represent executives individually on retrenchment benefits.”
Mr Tay – who is also the assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), the umbrella organisation UWEEI is affiliated to – reiterated the disappointment it had initially expressed about the short notice it was given, despite Dyson being a UWEEI unionised company.
“This is unacceptable, as it does not give sufficient time for discussion between Dyson and UWEEI to ensure not just a fair, but also a responsible and progressive retrenchment exercise,” said Mr Tay in the video.
If UWEEI had been informed earlier of the retrenchment exercise, he said, this would have allowed the workers affected to be better supported as well as ensured that their interests and welfare were looked after.
By not informing UWEEI earlier, Mr Tay said that Dyson was going against the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Excess Manpower and Responsible Retrenchment.
The union has formed a “taskforce” to support affected workers, added Mr Tay, who ended his video message with a call for workers in Dyson to join the union.
“Together, we are stronger,” said Mr Tay.
When asked by CNA on Tuesday, Dyson said it had “respectfully informed UWEEI in advance”, adding that the company was “following all prevailing (Ministry of Manpower) guidelines”.
Tuesday’s layoffs came three months after Dyson said Singapore was “not directly impacted” by a global restructuring that involved 1,000 job cuts in Britain.
The number of retrenched workers from the Singapore office remains unknown.
SINGAPORE: Employers who want to hire disabled people should not do so out of empathy or sympathy, said Ms Ho Geok Choo, CEO of human resources and training firm Human Capital Singapore.
“We want (firms) to be able to recognise these people for who they are and what they could contribute,” said Ms Ho, who champions inclusive hiring.
She noted that local firms need a lot of encouragement and possibly more exposure to people with disabilities to hire them. At the same time, “it takes two parties to tango”, she told CNA’s Deep Dive podcast.
She also pointed out that when given employment opportunities, people with disabilities should deliver on time and produce quality work.
“As much as employers would like to give them a chance, PWDs (persons with disabilities) would have to really try and sell themselves because they believe in their own capability,” she added.
Ms Ho’s firm launched a programme called HR Power Bank in 2021 which supports the employment of persons with disabilities.
Her comments came as the government announced new recommendations under the Enabling Masterplan 2030, a national roadmap for the government and community to work together to support people with disabilities.
These include funding support for employers to implement inclusive hiring practices and gig jobs to help people with disabilities return to the workforce.
SINGAPORE: There may be longer wait times for appointments at HDB Hub after a fire broke out in the building on Wednesday (Oct 2) afternoon. “We seek our customers’ understanding that they may experience longer wait times for appointments, due to the disruption caused by the fire,” said the HousingContinue Reading
“This is another new opportunity, because in terms of fruit wise, consumers (prefer) freshness. So fresh durian is a very new thing for consumers, and definitely, we have a lot of big demand from the China market,” said Mr Tan Sue Yee, CEO of Malaysian durian supplier Top Fruits.
“The biggest challenge is fresh durians have a shorter shelf life, so we need to do it in a very fast way, and we are only able to do it by air shipment,” he added.
For more than a decade, the company has been shipping frozen durians to China, which has become its biggest overseas market and accounts for about 60 per cent of its total exports.
Mr Tan said the chance to export fresh durians has opened doors to introduce more varieties to the Chinese market.
It could also inspire more local entrepreneurs to invest in agribusiness, as well as encourage farmers to adopt better farming practices and improve the quality of their products, he added.
He said that while the most popular varieties are Musang King and Black Thorn, the company will “slowly focus more” on premium ones like D198, Golden Phoenix and IOI.
“(In) Malaysia, we have about 200 types of variety for the Chinese consumers, but we have to find the right variety and the right quantity for us to export,” he said.
While neighbouring countries such as Thailand and Vietnam have had a head start in exporting fresh durian, Malaysian farmers told CNA they are confident in the unique quality of their thorny fruit.
Durian Academy founder Lim Chin Khee said: “We are going for the premium market. That’s why I think it’s good that … we (sell) much more expensive (durians).
“Malaysia focusing on the premium market is the right path.”Continue Reading
More people – up to 1.1 million Singapore residents, according to MOH – will benefit from increased subsidies.
The increased subsidies for community hospitals also aims to encourage “right-siting” of patients, which refers to providing appropriate medical care wherever cost is the lowest possible.
In a speech on Monday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung noted that some patients could be reluctant to move to community care settings because they feel more assured of government financial support in acute hospitals.
The latest changes, along with increased community care capacity and the rollout of Healthier SG and Age Well SG, point to a significant shift in focus from hospitals to community and home settings, said Mr Ong.
Plans for the higher subsidies were actually announced earlier this year, during the Budget by then-Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He said then that the changes will cost the government an extra S$300 million a year.
Public health specialist Jeremy Lim said that in the grand scheme of things, this additional spending is not a “large sum” compared to the overall national budget for healthcare. MOH’s revised expenditure for last year came up to nearly S$18 billion.
“What’s important is that the monies help to allay citizens’ concerns about healthcare affordability and increase accessibility,” said Assoc Prof Lim.
“Ideally, citizens then access these services earlier, have better outcomes and have the peace of mind about affordability.”
And on a wider level, this could improve efficiency and lead to savings from avoiding late diagnosis and complications, he added.
When Rodrigo got to Vampire, her third song of the night on Tuesday, the whole stadium was knee-deep in their feelings, screaming their lungs out to her lead single from Guts about being taken advantage of, lied to, and ultimately used by a lover. I imagine it was sheer catharsis for anyone nursing a recent heartbreak, with a whole stadium full of people seemingly in the same boat.
Even within the realm of heartache and histrionics, Rodrigo finds a way to showcase her range – vocally, emotionally and even theatrically.
Switching up the tempo several songs later with the more upbeat Love Is Embarrassing, in which she turns to self-deprecation by deriding herself for being attracted to her crush, her confidence and self-assuredness on stage far belied her young age.
Judging by her mini soliloquy before beginning Teenage Dream too, you wouldn’t be able to tell she was just 21. Having written the song a few days before her 19th birthday, she opined that if she could give her 18-year-old self any advice, she’d want her to know that she has no idea how many “magical things” were around the corner for her.
I only developed the same gratitude for life’s ups and downs a decade later than she did, so I knew from once being a teenage girl that her words were like gospel to fans around me. And I found myself wishing they realised how lucky they were to have someone they idolise remind them of life’s core truth: It works itself out.