DSTA manager charged under Official Secrets Act for leaking info, including on S million project

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SINGAPORE: A programme manager with the Defence Science and Technology Agency ( DSTA ) allegedly leaked information about three projects to another man, including DSTA’s S$ 3 million ( US$ 2.3 million ) budget for a renovation project.

Hsu Yee Chern, a 52-year-old Singaporean, was handed four charges under the Official Secrets Act ( OSA ) on Friday ( Sep 13 ) for communicating information he obtained- due to his position at DSTA- to Tan Kian Meng.

Tan, a 46-year-old Singaporean, was given four mimicking charges for receiving the protected knowledge from Hsu between December 2018 and May 2019.

DSTA is the&nbsp, main purchasing agency&nbsp, for the Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces.

According to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau ( CPIB ), Tan was a project manager for a business that had contacts with DSTA at the time.

Request sheets indicate that Hsu informed Tan around December 3 that three bidders had submitted unsuccessful bids for a project involving improvements and alterations to existing restrooms in four prevents along Clementi Loop.

Hsu reportedly informed Tan that DSTA’s funds for a power upgrade and construction project for an office tower at Stagmont Road was S$ 3 million.

Hsu reportedly gave Tan info about DSTA’s findings regarding a company’s sweet value and tendered cable length for the Stagmont Road initiative around April 5, 2019.

Hsu is also accused of revealing to Tan on May 3rd that a construction firm had a bad financial health when it submitted a tender for a job to add and alter four slabs along Sungei Gedong Road.

The people were instructed to adjourn the cases so they could hire attorneys. Second month, they will be heard once more.

If convicted under the OSA, the people may be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$ 2, 000, or both.

CNA has contacted DSTA for more information. &nbsp,

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Alleged abuse at welfare homes: Malaysia firm denies wrongdoing; neighbours say kids kept to themselves

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WELFARE HOME RAID

In Selangor condition, authorities rescued 201 kids and 201 women from 18 charity properties in the early days of Sep 11. Additionally, they rescued two people from properties in Negri Sembilan. &nbsp,

” The simultaneous raids at the charity homes at both states led to the arrest of 171 individuals including caretakers, ustaz ( religious teachers ) and the chairmen of the premises”, Mr Razarudin said on Wednesday, as quoted in the New Straits Times. &nbsp,

He added that authorities had arrested 66 people and 105 sexual offenders aged between 17 and 64-years-old.

According to Mr Razarudin, the victims, who were visitors, had endured several forms of exploitation and mistreatment including being sodomised by caregivers. At home, they were also instructed to perform the same functions on various kids.

The victims reportedly received punishment for touching inappropriately with cooked metal objects under the pretense of spiritual medical treatment.

According to Mr. Razarudin, as quoted in local media, “what we have seen is the education of children using spiritual equipment in a dangerous way.” &nbsp,

He added that the situation was being looked into in accordance with laws governing human trafficking and sexual crimes against children.

WHAT ARE THERE People WHO ARE NEIGHBORROW?

People of Kampung Seri Aman in Puchong, where one of the family’s houses that was searched by the police, who CNA spoke to, said they believed the house was connected to GISB.

They claimed that the house that was searched, which was designated as a happiness facility for orphans and less fortunate, just had girls and that the boys had come from a nearby, five-minute drive, a petting farm affiliated with GISB.

People said the kids, who are in their teens, often kept to themselves and often took part in community actions.

When they are seen in common, they are usually engaging in business actions, like manning a café at the women ‘ house, or peddling animal rides at a mosque near the petting land.

When CNA visited the ladies ‘ residence, it appeared to be clear and its doors were shut. The adjoining café, with banner advertisements mingled grain food at half price, was likewise closed.

One resident who merely wanted to be identified as Mr. Rozi said he witnessed numerous authorities cars while driving to work on Wednesday night, when the attack occurred.

Mr. Rozi claimed that he was unaware of what had happened and that he had always observed the female leaving the cafe.

” I’ve lived here for 13 years, I did not think that things were happening behind closed doors”, he told CNA, referring to claims that the kids were abused.

Another citizen who lives close to the residence claimed that the Kampung community had long been aware of GISB and its connections to the Al-Arqam sect.

” But we did not bother to try to find out more, as they did not mix with the community”, said the tenant, who just gave his name as Mr Jeffrey.

On Wednesday, Mr. Jeffrey claimed to have witnessed several officers cars while returning from work around 7.30am.

” I asked the police officer what was going on, but they did n’t want to say”, he said.

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Amid months-long wait for driving lessons, Singapore schools tackle scourge of booking bots

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Mr Gibbsen Omar, a senior teacher at Republic Polytechnic’s School of Infocomm, noted that machines have a “much higher opportunity” of booking games in volume as human beings don’t compare with their frequency.

” Bots can do online cutting, in essence, they access the website’s content and remove the relevant info,” he said.

They also employ “headless browsers,” which allow users to simulate authentic user behavior without having to visit the website directly, making interaction fast and succinct.

COMFORTDELGRO’S Work Give Of

ComfortDelGro Driving Centre claimed that their efforts to combat machines have been successful but significantly, claiming that fewer people have already used machines on their websites.

ComfortDelGro Driving Centre hired a contractor to create information on clients reporting bot-like activity, in addition to a rigid three-month suspension for those caught using machines.

Additionally, it began creating AI algorithms to stop students from using machines and beginning to open slots at different timings. Participants in training will also need to complete a CAPTCHA verification process.

Everyone will ultimately have a good opportunity to book their classes, according to ComfortDelGro Driving Centre CEO Vincent Tan.

When CNA contacted Bukit Batok Driving Center and Singapore Safety Driving Center, they declined to comment.

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Making workplaces safer: Some large firms appointed as advocates to encourage safety among contractors

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A strong regional WSH ecosystem will enable ASEAN to continue to be a desirable place for trade and investment. It will also give ASEAN companies an advantage in terms of price.

Mr. Tan noted that Singapore had a record-breaking low deadly injury rate of less than 1 % per 100, 000 workers last month. He added that there must be a commitment to uphold these requirements.

Abu Bakar Mohd Noh, the head of the WSH Council, argued that high security standards are beneficial for business. &nbsp,

” When you have security, a secure environment, a safe and healthy environment, normally, your people are able to perform better”, he said. &nbsp,

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR Architects

Mr. Choo of CNIM claimed that the new program may stimulate his company to continue abide by high safety standards.

” With a long term project and repair deal, there’s more balance in our organization”, he added. &nbsp,

Mr. Mr. Lim, a companion at SBS Transit, stated that his company has encouraged CNIM to continue to perform well by acknowledging its reputation at its annual health community. &nbsp,

According to Mr. Bakar, major contractors have the most sway over the businesses they work for and will be able to advise them.

” If you have like-minded organizations along with you in this journey, it actually helps”, he told CNA’s Singapore Tonight. &nbsp,

He added that the new program provides a framework for these health officials to follow, even though there are a number of individual businesses that may act as advocates on their own authority.

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Police investigating e-commerce platform Qoo10 over payment delays to vendors

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SINGAPORE: The police are investigating Singapore-based e-commerce system Qoo10 after nearby firms were hit by transaction difficulties, prompting some irritated vendors to turn to a claims court to get help.

When two of Qoo10’s Seoul-based systems failed to make repayments to South Korean merchants in July, warning signs of trouble started to show. The two systems -&nbsp, TMON and WeMakePrice- eventually filed for&nbsp, business treatment in the Seoul Bankruptcy Court.

North Korean economic officials have launched an investigation.

In response to CNA’s queries, the Singapore Police Force said on Thursday ( Sep 12 ) that reports were lodged against Qoo10 and investigations are ongoing.

One of the vendors who used Qoo10 since 2014 to buy child and maternity products, Mr. Liu Wei Guo, was one of the ones who filed a police report after the delays in payment negotiations raged on.

According to Mr Liu, it usually takes two to three weeks for payment to reach him, but it has been almost&nbsp, two months since he asked to withdraw around S$ 21, 000 ( US$ 16, 100 ) worth of sales proceeds from his Qoo10 seller account. The deadline for the money to travel through had been set for August 5, and the request was made on July 19.

Additionally, his bank account has n’t received the funds received from subsequent requests.

In contrast, Mr Liu said Qoo10 is likewise holding in payment more than S$ 11, 000 worth of his profits money that it has not made accessible for him to retreat.

Eight of the 11 contractors CNA spoke with confirmed that they were still awaiting payment from Qoo10. Some people are awaiting a few hundred dollars, while others are owed tons. &nbsp,

On Tuesday evening, a contractor who had been awaiting payment requests on August 18 and Sep 1 was paid. &nbsp,

Firms halt selling on QOO10.

When online purchasing gained popularity, Qoo10 was one of the first e-commerce systems in Singapore. &nbsp,

On its website, Qoo10 describes itself as Asia’s leading online industry that operates in five areas in the region.

As the repayment difficulties continue, many suppliers- big and small- have pulled products from the program.

Popular brands like Gold Kili, the moment drink retailer, and &nbsp are included. A worker claimed that the firm had a “dispute” and that it had decided to stop providing its services on Qoo10. She did not specify what the debate was.

Fragrance, which sells bak kwa and other local treats, has even removed products for sale on its Qoo10 website. &nbsp,

We may continue to monitor the situation and wait for more information from Qoo10, Fragrance told CNA, adding that purchases that have already been placed will be fulfilled. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Chinese Ban Niang, an employee who sells a range of traditional Chinese medicine and foodstuff, reported that it had even stopped placing orders on Qoo10 as a result of the delayed payment processing. &nbsp,

FRUSTRATED VENDORS FILE States

Smaller sellers, some of whom have contacted the State Courts ‘ Small&nbsp, Claims Courts to try to get their money back, are perhaps more difficult to hit.

Ms Angela Lee, the activities director of Amberlys Cakes &amp, Plants, has been waiting for payments requested in July, August and September. In overall, the unfulfilled payments amount to roughly S$ 2, 400. &nbsp,

She filed a small state against Qoo10 in soon August.

Vendors CNA spoke to claimed to have tried emailing the business, but instead received a common response and had no idea when the payment may be made.

Mr Liu, for example, sent four letters to Qoo10. Because the program owes him too much money to make a little claim, he turned himself in to the police in late August. &nbsp,

Workers ‘ Party Member of Parliament Louis Chua has been asked in a political question whether Singapore’s regulators are looking into the matter. &nbsp,

Gan Kim Yong, the minister for trade and industry, stated in his comment on Tuesday that the government had received feedback from a number of retailers regarding repayment difficulties.

We have alerted Qoo10 to these incidents and requested that they take immediate action to fix the difficulties with the damaged retailers, he said.

The state is also keeping tabs on innovations involving Qoo10’s companies in South Korea to see if and how this might impact its activities in Singapore.

Qoo10 did not respond to CNA’s messages for opinion. Calling to its business number went unanswered.

This writer was prohibited from entering Qoo10’s company on the 18th ground on Wednesday when CNA visited the tower where the company is located. A waiter said Qoo10 just asked the property’s management not to let any visitors to its business. &nbsp,

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Celebrated Singaporean chef Akmal Anuar on how his mod Malay restaurant is a way to carry on his family’s legacy

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Akmal developed his skills at exclusive fine dining restaurants in Singapore before moving to Dubai. He was hardly known in Singapore, despite serving as the head chef at the game German restaurant Iggy’s. Additionally, he prepared meals at Les Amis and Saint Pierre. In an earlier meeting, he admitted to feeling like I was underappreciated during those years in Singapore.

He began working as a restaurant at Zengo in Dubai’s Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort &amp, Spa in 2013 with a new problem. ” My living in Dubai was amazing”, he reflected. However, experience “lazy” and “tired of the relaxation area” after two and a half decades, he sought shift, marking the beginning of his restaurant trip.

In 2016, he sold his mother’s five-room HDB professional level to raise around S$ 500, 000 in cash to start his first diner in Dubai, 3Fils, with two partners – a move that he admitted, in hindsight, was “very impulsive”. The opportunity got off to a hard start. ” The first year was terrible. I was cracked. There were numerous breakdowns and fights. Also returning to Singapore to look for work was expensive. He said,” I was at the point where I was too good to be employed and not good enough to run a company.”

Describing himself as a “highly determined people”, Akmal decided to endure, putting in “endless time” at 3Fils. Finally, the organization became “very successful”. But, in 2020, Akmal exited the walk due to a debate that he prefers to keep secret.

After his departure, Akmal and his family Inez launched White Rice Co, a Dubai-based F&amp, B firm. ” She’s the best at negotiating with tenants”, he said slyly. Their world collection, which includes the modern Asian meal 53 Restaurant in New York City and the modern Japanese eatery Otoro in Abu Dhabi, is being developed in collaboration with various partners and investors.

Reflecting on his achievements, Akmal, who left school aged 10 to help at his parents ‘ stall, grew emotional. ” It’s a dream come true. I’m starting restaurants in cities where I wished I could have worked when I was younger. I’m a Malay boy with no education. My parents are hawkers. I’m going to start a posh Japanese restaurant in Paris very soon. It’s crazy, you know”? he shared.

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Couple in court over bruising beating of girl with special needs; defence asks for a few months’ jail

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On Thursday ( Sep 12 ), the defense attorneys for a couple who were taken to court for a brutal beating of an 11-year-old girl with special needs requested jail terms that were at least a third of what the prosecution is asking for.

The defendant’s attorney also revealed that the person responsible for the “discipline” with a baton, belt, and slaps was at the time suffering from significant depressive disorder and requested that the judge take this into account.

The girl has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) and high-functioning autism. To defend her identification, all parties in the case may be named.

The man began caning the target for alleged misbehavior about six weeks before the beating that led to the prosecution in August 2020, despite the victim’s first positive relationship with the victim.

The two 36-year-old Singaporeans, who were standing together in the port up, pleaded with the prosecutor to sentence the man to four months in jail and the girl to three months in jail.

The trial is seeking 12 to 14 weeks for the person and 10 to 12 weeks for the person.

As her attorney described how she felt she had failed as a family, the victim’s mother sobbed and wiped her tears with her neck while the man was stony-faced.

The prosecutor adjourned the situation for punishment, saying he wanted to acquire the sentences, mainly the weight he may give to the man’s depressive illness.

WHAT HAPPENED

According to the army, the defendant’s mother went through” a very tough marriage” and had problems managing her existence.

She met her co-accused in 2019, who became a part of her life and her mother’s career.

Initially, the man had a good relationship with the girl, who called him” Daddy” on occasion.

The pair knew that the woman had high-functioning dementia, moderate fluency disorder and dyslexia.

Nevertheless, she was diagnosed with ADHD only after the crimes, with the couple’s professionals saying they did not realize she had this problem.

From February 2020, the pair began beating the sufferer because they believed she was acting strangely.

Afterward, they started using a wood. They even considered removing her protections, making her publish lines, and making her stand in one position or face the wall.

In June 2020, the pair caned the girl’s hip because she had never completed her home-based understanding task.

The woman’s legs were caned by the man the following month because she failed to wake up or turn off her concern for college.

The woman was punished on August 10 that year by forcing her to walk for 30 minutes while carrying her bag.

Around Aug 11, he caned her arms and legs because of perceived misbehaviour. The wood signs were spotted by the girl’s professor, who scheduled a meeting with the woman’s family on Aug 26.

Because the girl complained about having to perform tasks, the gentleman caned her arms around August 13.

The couple then caned the girl because she had slept in class and did n’t get home right away.

Due to alleged misbehaviour, the person even caned the girl’s arms and legs on August 20. &nbsp,

Throughout the punishment, the woman’s mother was constantly present and allowed the man to continue.

THE Injury Event

Because the girl was struggling in college and asking her faculty for pocket income, which she had lost, the man caned the girl’s arms and legs around August 22, 2020.

The girl’s mom informed him that the cane had not function.

The gentleman lost his temper as a result. He fetched a leather belt, slapped the woman’s face and hit her about 20 days with the pulley, using the conclusion that did not have a lock.

The woman sat down to prevent the blows, but the woman was struck in the face.

Her face, hands, and legs were left bruised and with scars from the beat. Her mom was present the entire time.

The kid’s teacher spoke to her about it two days later after seeing extensive bruising on her.

The woman described the actions of the person as being extremely afraid to go back home. &nbsp,

The professor reported the incident, and the college received a call from the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

The victim was taken by a child safety officer to a doctor that day, and the hospital then referred the situation to the authorities.

The woman was hospitalised for 10 days.

The pair made it clear during the investigation that they had gone over and had severed punishment for the girl. &nbsp,

Eventually, the woman claimed in a report that she had been having nightmares and recurring thoughts about the abuse because she had been feeling unhappy and afraid since the misuse.

The man admitted to inflicting unnecessary bodily pain, suffering, and harm on the target as part of the Children and Young Persons Act.

The girl’s mom admitted to one matter of knowingly allowing her child to suffer from her partner.

SENTENCING Claims

Deputy Public Prosecutor Niranjan Ranjakunalan acknowledged on Thursday that his depression had an impact on his ability to exercise restraint and self-control. A psychiatric report from the Institute of Mental Health ( IMH) stated that the man’s ability to exercise self-control and restraint was affected by his depression.

He claimed that the prosecution’s response to the proposed statement was mitigated by taking this into account.

He claimed that the IMH physician discovered that the man was also informed of the wrongdoing in his actions.

The person’s word should have been lowered, the prosecutor said, noting that she did not intentionally hit her child in the last incident.

Nevertheless, she also did not possess a psychological condition like her partner did, he noted.

The woman was a “normal flow” in a “mainstream school,” according to the couple’s defense attorney, Mr. Murugaiyan, who claimed the few was conscious of her particular needs.

He said there was a” sort of increase” in terms of issues they were having with the child.

It started with writing ranges and having a predetermined program, but “unfortunately” progressed to punishment.

Because the man was suffering from significant depressive illness at the time and had been doing it for” some day even before the affair,” Mr. Murugaiyan claimed, this situation sets itself apart from other situations.

The attorney agreed when the judge inquired about whether he was saying that the sadness may justify a “downward correction of more than half” of the word.

At the time, he was emotionally very ill. It had contributed to why he behaved the way he did”, said Mr Murugaiyan.

He claimed that the defendant’s mother told her boyfriend about the issues she had with her daughter and when she was unable to control her in the desired way.

He claimed that the girl noticed that her boyfriend was beginning to discipline the child.

On the day of the last affair, the girl felt “helpless”, “blanked out” and on the cusp of a collapse, said the attorney.

” She feels… she has failed as a family, and is overwhelmed with guilt”, said Mr Murugaiyan, as the lady began crying in the dock. &nbsp,

She acknowledges that what has happened will continue to cause a long-term break in her marriage with her child, and she hopes to repair it.

Next year, the couple may be sentenced.

CNA has contacted the Attorney-General’s Tanks on what has happened to the target since.

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Police officer charged with drink driving, injuring motorcyclist in alleged hit-and-run incident

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SINGAPORE: A police officer allegedly drove while incapacitated, collided with a motorist and fled the scene.

Tan Bee Sen Bernard, a 52-year-old Singaporean, was handed five charges under the Road Traffic Act on Thursday ( Sep 12 ).

These include driving without due care and consideration, causing severe harm, and failing to stop after the incident, and having more than twice the alcohol control in his mouth.

According to command plates, Tan had at least 78 microgrammes of beer in 100ml of his mouth at 11.58pm on Aug 18 last month.

When reportedly veered left in the direction of a material wall before veering right into a bike, he was driving along Bartley Road East.

The 28-year-old women motorcyclist was egregiously injured, as a result.

After the crash, Tan reportedly failed to stop and supply his particulars. Rather, he is accused of “removing” his vehicle “without the power of a police commander”, when it had been involved in a road traffic crash.

He was offered bail of S$ 15, 000 ( US$ 11, 500 ) and will return to court in October.

If convicted of consume driving, he may be jailed for up to a year, fined between S$ 2, 000 and s$ 10, 000, or both.

He faces the same penalties as a driver who drives without paying attention and giving him the care that causes severe harm, and he may also become subject to a driving ban.

For more information, CNA has contacted the Singapore Police Force.

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AI in Southeast Asia: Innovation revolutionises healthcare but experts diagnose a need for greater trust in new tech

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Enhancing AND CANCER COSTS

However, major care centers in Asia have begun using AI-powered medical tools to help detect tuberculosis and lung cancer.

The use of AI-aided neck X-rays may help identify people with cautious heart markers and help their recommendation to ensure a diagnosis, according to Madam Sylvia Varela, vice-president of AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company behind for tools.

To enable algorithms to perceive imaging images, AI technology is integrated with convenient X-ray systems.

In order to save time, money, and resources for the healthcare system, she told CNA,” This technology can help doctors identify heart nodules in less than a second and manage the diagnosis and localization of up to 29 tumor markers, including those indicating possible lung cancer.” &nbsp,

She said that since the start of the project, over 2.5 million images have been performed worldwide, with more than 1.5 million images coming from Asia, particularly in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. &nbsp,

According to estimates from their recently launched Saving Life from Lung Cancer system, she said that based on data from seven geographies, including Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand, early testing programs and proper treatment could improve the patient’s five-year survival rate by 73 % in the first year of use. &nbsp,

Integrating AI into existing lung monitoring programs can help identify and possibly distinguish between different respiratory illnesses such as tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder ( COPD), asthma, and heart cancer more effectively, according to Mdm Varela, who is based in Singapore.

” For instance, patients with lung cancer are sometimes misdiagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. With the aid of AI-powered screening tools, patients can get the right diagnosis at a later stage of the disease, potentially turning lung cancer from a fatal condition to a treatable one, she said.

Lung cancer is the most fatal cancer worldwide, according to Mdm Varela, who recently surpassed breast cancer in incidence. &nbsp,

AI has also entered some nations ‘ efforts to combat declining fertility rates. &nbsp,

During the in vitro fertilization ( IVF ) process, the Virtus Fertility Centre Singapore (VFCS) claims that the embryo selection process is performed 10 times faster than the embryologist.

In a press release released on August 13, VFCS scientific director Dr. Liow Swee Lian stated that during an IVF cycle, embryos are grown in an incubator with time-lapse cameras to monitor them non-invasively throughout the five days of incubation.

” Traditionally, embryologists use a standard grading system to assess the appearance of each embryo under a microscope. &nbsp,

The AI-based software now uses time-lapse imaging data that is collected every ten minutes to identify the embryos with the best chance of developing a foetal heart by giving each embryo an embryo score.

The embryologist then chooses the embryo with the highest grade and transfers it to a new embryo.

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