Mediacorp announced in a statement on Wednesday ( Aug 28 ) that the digital media outlet TODAY will merge with the CNA digital newsroom starting on October 1. After the acquisition, Now will become the modern long-form weekends magazine of CNA. The merger, according to Mediacorp, will permit the bestContinue Reading
A fire that broke out in Potong Pasir on Wednesday ( Aug 28 ) resulted in the death of one person in Singapore. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was  , alerted to a fireplace outside a level at Block 107 Potong Pasir Avenue 1 at about 6.45am.Continue Reading
SINGAPORE: Having competed at six Southeast Asian ( SEA ) Games, three Asian Games and other international meets,  , wushu exponent Vera Tan is no stranger to top-level competition.
However, the 26-year-old had been anticipating the 4th World Taijiquan Championships, and it will be one she may stick around for a while.  ,
Tan clinched two of Singapore’s five medals – children’s additional taijijian and fresh yang type taijiquan – at the meet. She even won copper in the recommended taijiquan earlier in the opposition, which took place from August 24 to August 27 at the OCBC Arena.
” I… did not expect a medal haul like this. It’s something to be happy about”, she told CNA on Tuesday ( Aug 27 ).
It was about ten years ago that Tan even won a silver medal at the , additional taijiquan event.
The final model was supposed to be in 2020, but COVID had already been released, so this was postponed all the way to 2024. I’ve been really looking forward to it, and I’m happy I managed to pull it off”, Tan said.
Rising sun Zeanne Law, 18, won medals in the women’s additional taijiquan function as well as the additional taijishan. In the extra taijijian, she even won gold.
Singapore’s other gold was won by Charlotte Ng in the taijiquan ( 39 movements ) event.  , Besides the gold medal pull, there were also four golds and five statues for Singapore.
In the three jin fields, taijiquan uses bare arms, taijijian opponents use a sword, and taijishan rivals use a Foreign fan.
Speaking to CNA,  , Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance , Federation CEO Leow Meng Hong said the destination had been four medals and the players exceeded expectations.
” We wanted to have great results, we planned for it, and the players worked very hard for it”, he said. ” We knew they we could reach that, and they have produced the effects”.
Singapore’s jujitsu field has grown in the last four to five years, he added.
This is due to a larger talent pool, with more young people taking up the sport and competing at the National School Games and the National Wushu Championship.
We scouting for talent to join our national team and work with the national squad, he continued. ” We see younger children joining wushu”.
Rules serves as an illustration of this. She won the taijiquan competition at the World Wushu Championships in November of last year.
The Indonesian capital has been rife with information sharing past studies findings that show its geology makes it susceptible to sinkholes, landslides, and rockfalls.  ,
According to a 2017 study by researchers from the Universiti Teknologi MARA’s University of Architecture, Planning and Surveying, Kuala Lumpur has two distinct geological structures: The Kenny Hill Formation which consists of geological stones, and Kuala Lumpur Limestone Formation with “highly uneven karstic components”.  ,
According to the study, rapid development over the past 158 decades has resulted in” specific shifts in terrain and geologic such as the presence of sinkholes.”
Sinkholes can be carefully managed, the authors claim, such as by properly mapping hazard zones before any development takes place, even though they may be fully prevented.
Some cities around the world are, in reality, built on stone, said Dr Lim Choun Sian of the Geological Society of Malaysia.
” It is not really a red flag to build on limestone”, he told CNA. You may make sure that the design and structure are based on accurate studies and there are accurate prevention measures in place.
The cause of final Friday’s event is still not known, researchers noted.  ,
While the state’s common limestone rock is well-known, this does not apply to all places of Kuala Lumpur, noted Dr Nor Shahidah Mohd Nazer, an analyst in geographical architecture and ground mechanics.
Dr. Lim agreed that it has not been established that the Masjid India place was constructed using stone.  ,  ,  ,
” It is possible that it is, but we ca n’t say until there are checks. Because nearly half of Kuala Lumpur is made of limestone, he said, persons are guessing it’s true.  ,
“We have to establish the kind of geology and conduct thorough investigations.” Continue Reading
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil on Tuesday ( Aug 27 ) warned tech firms to comply with the government’s licensing regime if they wanted to continue operating in the country.
A partnership of tech companies sent its most recent available letter to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in which he urges the government to reconsider its controversial licensing program, a day later.  ,
Social media and messaging platforms with over 8 million users will need to obtain an annual operating license in accordance with the new framework, which could lead to fines of up to RM500, 000 ( US$ 115, 000 ) for non-compliance.
The Asia Internet Coalition ( AIC ), a trade organization established to address public policy issues and promote the growth of the internet economy in the Asia-Pacific region, claimed the regime would “unnecessarily burden businesses” and cause “undue burdens” for innovation.
” It will prevent continuous purchases and deter future people due to the complexity and expense of compliance”, said AIC, whose members include Meta, Google, Amazon and Apple.  ,
The proposed government has also been criticized by civil society organizations, including Malaysia’s Centre for Independent Journalism, as one that might stifle free speech and criticism of the government.
On the day of an Orang Asli creation event in Sepang on Tuesday, Mr. Fahmi addressed these remarks, stating that the implementation of the program, which is scheduled to begin on January 1st, 2025, will not be postponed.
” They are Big Tech, but our laws are bigger. But if they want to work in Malaysia, they must regard and cooperate with our regulations”, he said.
The secretary cited recent examples from the UK and France as proof that the Indonesian government’s decision to enact more stringent regulation of tech companies.
In the UK, widespread turmoil and protests broke out in the summer and August, while Telegram leader Pavel Durov was detained in France on Saturday as part of a spacecraft into child porn and drug trafficking on the well-known encrypted communications app.
According to Mr. Fami, there are “many stuff that we are concerned on,” particularly crimes that have migrated to social media.
When CNA questioned whether the government had considered a situation wherein tech firms would refuse to comply and step out of Malaysia, Mr. Fahmi claimed that his government had “examined all elements”.
He added that his conference with technology companies in Singapore in soon July on the licensing program was “positive,” in that they were prepared to talk about the subject.
” We will continue discussions … The government of Malaysia is very receptive to holding conversations, taking into consideration their sights”, he said.
The AIC claimed in the most recent version of its notice that an ecosystem that depends on creativity, flexibility, and openness could be destabilized by the introduction of the licensing program “without a clear roadmap or enough industry engagement.”
The lack of these important discussions has caused the economy to be very uncertain about the range of the responsibilities and what exactly these platforms would be signing up for, it said.
The AIC raised concerns about the regime’s legal responsibility for employees of licensed service providers and the “insufficient” five-month grace time for compliance before the plan begins.
Additionally, it raised questions about strict guidelines for content restraint, such as the condition that spiritual content been approved by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia.
Mr. Fahmi pointed out that CNA had reviewed the AIC’s three versions of its notice, which were all released after the AIC had reviewed them.
The second type, dated Friday, contained the symbols of all its 17 members and said the licensing program would be “unworkable” for the business.
Regional super-app Grab, one of its people, immediately issued a declaration distancing itself from the email, saying that the proposed legislation would not affect its functions.
Because Grab focuses on ride-hailing and food supply, it would not fall under the definition of a system that requires a license.
The AIC finally released the next version of its letter from Monday, which included the logos of only six businesses as “applicable picture.” The second type, even dated Monday, did not contain any organization logos.
The section that said the registration system may be “unworkable” was also omitted from the second and third types.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said that it had” consistently engaged with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including service providers, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, ( and ) law enforcement agencies”.
The last framework must be good, effective, and in line with the needs of both the business and the general, according to the statement.
Mr. Fahmi claimed that MCMC and AIC had discussed the government in May and that AIC had repeatedly requested more time to respond up until Friday’s opened email was made public.
He continued, adding that he continues to believe that software companies had responded favorably to discussions on the program.” What is apparent is that AIC does not reflect all the platforms, but only some of them,” he said.
Mr. Fahmi acknowledged that it was” strange” that AIC had distributed multiple versions of its open letter, and that Grab’s claim that it was not consulted on the letter made things “awkward.”
However, Mr. Fahmi stated that he continues to take an “open” stand by inviting AIC and any other business to join and express their opinions on the registration system.
” There is still room for discussion”, he said.
The Indonesian government continues to insist that social media platforms and messaging apps may be regulated in order to make the internet safer for Malay citizens, especially children and families.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil on Tuesday ( Aug 27 ) warned tech firms to comply with the government’s licensing regime if they wanted to continue operating in the country.
A partnership of tech companies sent its most recent available letter to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in which he urges the government to reconsider its controversial registration program, a day later.  ,
Social media and messaging platforms with over 8 million users will need to obtain an annual operating license in accordance with the new framework, which could lead to fines of up to RM500, 000 ( US$ 15, 000 )
The Asia Internet Coalition ( AIC ), a trade organization established to address public policy issues and promote the growth of the internet economy in the Asia Pacific region, claimed the regime would “unfavor innovation” and “impose undue burdens on businesses”.
” It will prevent continuous purchases and deter future people due to the complexity and expense of compliance”, said AIC, whose members include Meta, Google, Amazon and Apple.  ,
The proposed program, according to civil society organizations like Malaysia’s Centre for Independent Journalism, was stifle free speech and criticism from the state.
On Tuesday, Mr. Fahmi addressed these remarks on the outside of an Orang Asli growth function in Sepang, stressing that the regime’s implementation is scheduled to begin on January 1st, 2025, will not be postponed.
” They are Big Tech, but our laws are bigger. But if they want to work in Malaysia, they must regard and cooperate with our regulations”, he said.
The secretary cited recent examples from the UK and France as proof that the Indonesian government’s decision to enact more stringent regulation of tech companies.
In the UK, widespread turmoil and protests broke out in the summer and August, while Telegram leader Pavel Durov was detained in France on Saturday as part of a spacecraft into child porn and drug trafficking on the well-known encrypted communications app.
According to Mr. Fahmi, the accusations against Durov involved “many stuff that we are concerned about- that is, crimes that have migrated to cultural media.”
When CNA questioned whether the government had considered a situation wherein tech firms would refuse to comply and step out of Malaysia, Mr. Fahmi claimed that his government had “examined all elements”.
He added that his conference with technology companies in Singapore in soon July on the licensing program was “positive,” in that they were prepared to talk about the subject.
” We will continue discussions … The government of Malaysia is very receptive to holding conversations, taking into consideration their opinions”, he said.
The AIC claimed in the most recent version of its notice that an ecosystem that depends on creativity, flexibility, and openness could be destabilized by the introduction of the licensing program “without a clear roadmap or enough industry engagement.”
The industry is divided on the range of the obligations and what precisely these platforms would be signing up for, it said.” The absence of these important discussions has created a great deal of doubt in the industry.”
The AIC raised concerns about the regime’s legal responsibility for members of licensed service providers and the “insufficient” five-month grace time for compliance before the plan begins.
Additionally, it raised questions about demanding content moderation requirements, such as the condition that spiritual content been approved by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia.
Mr. Fahmi pointed out that the AIC had published three versions of its notice, all of which had been subject to CNA’s review.
The second type, dated Friday, contained the symbols of all its 17 members and said the licensing program would be “unworkable” for the business.
Regional super-app Grab, one of its people, immediately issued a declaration distancing itself from the email, saying that the proposed legislation would not affect its procedures.
Because Grab is focused on ride-hailing and food delivery, it would not fall under the definition of a platform that requires a license.
The AIC then released the second version of its letter from Monday, which included the logos of only six businesses as “applicable representation.” The third version, also dated Monday, did not contain any company logos.
The section that said the licensing regime would be “unworkable” was also omitted from the second and third versions.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said that it had” consistently engaged with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including service providers, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, ( and ) law enforcement agencies”.
The final framework must be fair, effective, and in line with the needs of both the industry and the general, according to the statement.
Mr. Fahmi claimed that MCMC had met with AIC representatives in May to talk about the regime and that AIC had repeatedly requested more time to respond up until the open letter was made public on Friday.
He continued, adding that he continues to believe that tech companies had responded positively to discussions on the regime.” What is clear is that AIC does not represent all the platforms, but only some of them,” he said.
Mr. Fahmi acknowledged it was” strange” that AIC had distributed multiple versions of its open letter, and that Grab’s claim that it was not consulted on the letter made things “awkward.”
However, Mr. Fahmi stated that he continues to take an “open” attitude by giving AIC and any other company the opportunity to meet and express their opinions on the licensing regime.
” There is still room for discussion”, he said.
The Malaysian government continues to insist that social media platforms and messaging apps must be imposed with a regulatory framework to ensure a safer internet for Malaysian citizens, especially for children and families.
Dhaka-based Financial Express, which quoted the ACC director, named several different elected members involved in the migrant workers recruitment industry being investigated by the government.
Prothom Alo, a Bengali-language everyday, had likewise reported extensively on the ACC assault and named another elected representatives.
Left activists and political analysts believe that the transplant assault on the so-called syndicates operating in the export of labor is a result of the broad and ambitious campaign launched by the new time government, led by Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus, to reform the court and police, and to clear up the government.
More than 400, 000 documented Bengal workers are present in the country, and a large number more are attempting to enter the country illegally. They make up for the country’s one of the largest numbers of foreign workers, who collectively make up almost 30 % of the country’s estimated 17 million people.
The main goal of the ACC’s crackdown is the dismantling of a network of Bangladeshi and Indonesian businesses that has a monopoly over the recruitment of overseas workers, according to Bangladesh journalists reporting on the corruption scandal and executives from Dhaka-based recruitment agencies.
Bestinet Sdn Bhd, a Kuala Lumpur-based company, is a key player in Malaysia.  ,
The main goal of the onslaught is to “move apart from dealing with Bestinet and its network of companies and others in the gang that work outside the law,” according to Mr. Md Rezaul Karim, the managing director of the Dhaka-based recruitment company Hope Human Resources, in a phone interview over the weekend.
He added that the Bangladeshi crackdown has caused the offices of recruitment firms and labor brokers engaged in the recruitment of employees for the Indonesian market to close.  ,  ,
” The ACC walk is very effective, and the winds of change are blowing in the Bangladesh workers business”, he said.
The lakes in Malaysia are being roiling due to the advances in Bangladesh.  ,
Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, the home secretary, is spearheading a separate plan to reform the government’s contentious foreign worker recruitment business. He has ordered ministries under his government to look into allegations of corruption raised by the Bangladesh authorities as well as their possible connections to Malaysian state officials and businesses engaged in labor selection.
CNA asked for comment on several occasions, but Mr. Saifuddin and Bestinet did not respond.
The dramatic moments that started in Southport and spread to Manchester, Plymouth, London, Belfast, and other places, which are harsh reminders not to get comparative social peace and stability for granted, are still a long way from Singapore in terms of range and political and social characteristics.
There are three important causes for this.
For example, Singapore is similar to the British in terms of being a melting pot of cultures, races and religions, and a state that has always welcomed expats and workers. To create a tranquil and functioning society, managing the passions, fears, and follies of these various parties has and always will be a challenging balancing act for the specialists.
Singapore’s population is largely embracing the most modern technologies in both the electric and cultural realms, making it an open and wired state. This enables Singapore to stay on top of the rest of the world in terms of innovation and development, but it also means it is susceptible to risks of misinformation and disinformation, as well as foreign interference functions, which are becoming more prevalent website and in the social internet realm.
Furthermore, regardless of what this means for national and social cohesion, more and more social actors are using nationalist and nationalist speech to join and energize their supporter base in an era of growing political contestation around the world.
This is made worse by the growing threat of hostile information campaigns being carried out by state and non-state actors who constantly seek to undermine this very unity in order to diminish their allies and rivals.
A situation similar to what the UK experienced in recent months could have devastating consequences for a small nation like Singapore thanks to these variables. The chance to social and economic security, and more important to cooperation between people, is not worth taking.
The Singapore Institute of International Affairs is an independent think tank led by Nicholas Fang, director for safety and world affairs. He founded Black Dot Research, a business and social studies firm with an independent fact-checking system, and is a former elected member of parliament.
For more analysis on the UK riots and their relevance to Singapore, watch CNA’s three-part special on Asia First from Aug 28 to 30.
A sheriff’s judge has been investigating the death of a baby that resulted in a person being charged in court, with the investigating official claiming that the parents gave contradictory records of what transpired before the baby died.
This scenario is not subject to a joke order.
Nur Misha Syaifa Mustaqim, a two-month old, was taken to a Bukit Batok one-room rented apartment and later declared deceased by ambulances on December 3, 2022.
Media reports in May last month stated that her father, Mustaqim Rosli, next 31 years old, was charged with causing the mother’s dying by suffocating her.
However, in a coroner’s inquiry that opened on Tuesday ( Aug 27 ), the investigating officer said this version of events was put forward by the baby’s mother.
The family has since refuted this claim, saying that she had said it because she felt loss and was concerned for the family.
On Tuesday, the lead investigating officer on the case, Deputy Superintendent of Police ( DSP) Tan Boon Kok shared his investigation report with the coroner’s court.
Around 1.05 am on December 3, 2022, doctors arrived at the flat, and Nur Misha’s family opened the door to let them in.
The child was lying on the couch while her father, a telephone operator, performed a CPR on her.
The father, who claimed he had found his daughter blue and hardly breathing at around 10 o’clock on December 2, 2022, was the one who took over and spoke to the paramedics.
He claimed that he had abandoned her because he believed she was sleeping. Nevertheless, he realised days after, on Dec 3, that she was not breathe and called for an ambulance.
The child was unresponsive when paramedics arrived and later died.
According to DSP Tan, her father gave conflicting explanations as to why he took so long to contact the authorities.
When the officers arrived, the situation was handed over to them. Mustaqim was interviewed by the police, but he was unable to provide a reliable account of the events.
What he claimed was also inconsistent with the cover block’s police surveillance images, so the case was turned over to the Singapore Police Force’s Criminal Investigation Department.
The flat was observed to be well-furnished, with two fridges stocked with food and beverages for the home, which comprised the pair, their other children and the child.
There were no symptoms to indicate neglect, and the smooth was observed to remain peaceful. After leaving Nur Misha’s maternal grandparents ‘ house, the family moved back to the house and spent about two months there.
DSP Tan examined the consideration that Nur Misha’s mother gave regarding what transpired that day.
At about 7.30pm on Dec 2, 2022, she was apartment with her father, the child and their two older kids.
She described carrying out different errands, changing her baby, and feeding the baby.
She claimed that Nur Misha put her in a vulnerable place rather than a recumbent one because he woke up because he had been crying. When one’s mouth and stomach are facing up, one is in a recumbent position.
This alarmed the family, who asked her husband why he did that. She claims that a disagreement broke out between them and that they began swearing at one another.
Nur Misha was placed on her before, but according to her husband, she attempted to put the baby in a vulnerable position.
After the girl stopped crying, her mother checked whether she was breathing before snoozing off in frustration. She claimed that her father was still present.
Nur Misha’s family afterwards woke up to the sound of locks rattling, which she recognised as her kids trying to go to their neighbour’s house to play.
She then saw that Nur Misha’s face and lips were orange. She claimed she tried to awaken the child while shouting at her father to light up.
The household gathered and cried when she afterwards informed her older children that her sister had passed away.
She claimed that her father was discussing what to tell the police with himself and that he had also spoken to her about what to tell the police and ambulances, but she was not speaking up because she was so distraught.
Her father finally called for an ambulance, and the controller instructed him to do CPR.
When the officers arrived, they interviewed Nur Misha’s family, who gave two versions of events. Eventually, she claimed that both variations were false.
According to one edition, she had woken up and witnessed her husband bolstering Nur Misha’s face until the child was indifferent.
According to DSP Tan, Mustaqim’s version of events stated that he was home with his wife and kids.
His partner fed and changed Nur Misha’s baby that night. The girl started crying around 8 o’clock, but he placed the girl on her before because he thought she was “tired of sleeping on her back.”
He therefore gently patted her until the newborn snoozed and his wife checked whether the baby was breathing. He claimed he was exhausted and asked his wife to take care of the child before putting the baby to sleep by lying mouth up in front of the mirror.
He woke his wife up at midnight when he heard his brother playing around.  , He finally turned on the lighting and saw Nur Misha lying on her entrance, with her face white.  ,
He called 995 after noticing she was breathing and could n’t stop him.
When the officers interviewed him, he claimed that he had been sleeping when his wife, who claimed that his right hand was blocking the mother’s head, woke him up.
He afterwards acknowledged that this series of events did not occur.
An examination of the girl found that she appeared to be a “well-nourished infant”, with no accidents or bleeding. Her cause of death was never ascertained.
DSP Tan claimed that Nur Misha’s kids gave various interpretations of the events that led to the child’s identification. Additionally, they had different opinions about the mother’s last resting place.
The kids ‘ initial discovery of her in an indifferent state cannot be confirmed or verified by studies.
However, the authorities said they do not suspect foul play, as studies showed no sign of ill-treatment, neglect or misuse of the child.
The kid was given food, clothes, medicine and toys, as well as all her important milestone inoculations.  ,
Adam Nakhoda, the state coroner, ordered the case adjourned and said he would take some time to create more in-depth conclusions.
Nur Misha’s parents and a person who presented herself to the press as Nur Misha’s mother attended the reading.
She had been referred to as Nur Misha’s uncle by the coroner in open judge.
When asked by CNA if Mustaqim’s court situation was still pending, she said it was and that she wanted to divorced him.
CNA has contacted the Attorney-General’s Chambers ( AGC ) on whether there has been any update to Mustaqim’s court case.
Authorities in communicable diseases told CNA that the health issues identified in the study frequently result from pre-existing problems.
According to Professor Ooi Eng Eong of the Duke-NUS Medical School’s Signature Research Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, “it’s a good idea to at least consult with a dentist on how to best follow up on those situations if they know that they have heart or other serious illnesses before they get chikungunya.”
According to Prof. Ooi, like fundamental factors are likely to increase the issue, making a closer investigation necessary.
A two-pronged approach is required, according to Prof. Ooi, focusing on keeping the malaria population small while also reducing the risk of complications due to efforts to preserve transmission levels lower in the community.
Just one mosquito vaccination, called Dengvaxia, has been approved in Singapore for those aged 12 to 45 who have previously been infected with mosquito.
The vaccination is not recommended for those who have not previously contracted mosquito. According to MOH, this is because of an increased risk of developing severe dengue if they become contaminated later in life.
Prof Ooi pointed out that Singapore’s lower rates of much COVID-19, compared with other countries like the United States, are due to its high vaccination rates.
” We have a unique situation where our severe dengue cases are (among ) older adults, and I think there, we can actually make a difference with vaccination”, he told CNA’s Singapore Tonight programme.