Tampines residents complain of ceiling leaks, mould; HDB says solar panel installation not the cause

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SINGAPORE: When a storm persisted for time during the rainy season next December, Mr David Mohan was dismayed to discover water dripping from his house roof for days on end.

Tubs placed below the hole may be filled within “three to four hours”, which meant that Mr Mohan and his family had to take becomes waking up during the night to clear the tubs.

“It was like raining in my house, ” said the 66-year-old retiree, who lives on the top floor of one of the Housing and Development Board ( HDB) blocks along Tampines Street 21.  

At that time, solar modules were being installed on the building’s top.

“Before the ( installation ) works, there were no leaks. We don’t know what happened, ” Mr Mohan told CNA at his apartment last quarter.

He turned to the city council and afterward HDB for support. While his leaking roof was patched in January, Mr Mohan remains worried about whether the hole had caused any damage to the bogus roof in his house, as well as a built-in government located near the hole.  

Mr Mohan intends to get a company to do a thorough test when the installation of solar panels at his wall is completed.  

At least three different residents who live on the top floors of some stones in the area told CNA that they experienced leaking, casting development and water areas on their roof as the installation of solar panel was carried out.

In response to CNA’s queries, HDB said on Monday ( Oct 7)  that inspections by the solar panel installation contractor for HDB blocks in Tampines Street 21 had identified ceiling cracks and leaks, among other issues, before installation commenced.

These were being fixed on a “goodwill” basis by the contractor, sometimes in tandem with the installation works.  

HDB also said that contractors commissioned for all its solar panel installation projects “are not allowed to drill or puncture ” the rooftops of HDB blocks.

“Instead, it is mandatory for the solar panels to be weighed down by concrete ballasts placed on felt pads, ” its spokesperson added.

These felt sheets serve as a “protective membrane ” for the roof and create an additional layer “aimed at preventing water leakage into the rooftop surface underneath”.

“Therefore, any subsequent ceiling leakage is unlikely the result of solar panel installation and more likely due to the natural deterioration of the roof’s existing waterproofing membrane or coating, ” HDB said.

The HDB blocks at Tampines Street 21 were built between 1982 and 1987, with the majority built in 1984.

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Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2025 could test bloc’s unity and ties with China

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After the trip, Sultan Ibrahim praised China ’s stance on Israel with regards to the current conflict in Gaza, and said Malaysia was aligned with China on the issue of serenity in Palestine.

At the same time, but, China claims about the whole South China Sea, while some ASEAN members including Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam have overlapping claims.  

Mr Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations in the US, told CNA that Malaysia may be forced to compromise pursuing stronger ties with China and leading efforts to defend its and ASEAN members ’ sovereign right in the South China Sea.  

“There will probably be some place, such as a disagreement over stones of oil or gas growth in the South China Sea, at which Malaysia’s internationalism and comfortable strategy to China will be tested, ” said Mr Kurlantzick.

Ms Lin outlined that Malaysia, as both the latest state representative for ASEAN-China relations and a respondent position, has a substantial stake in advancing the Code of Conduct negotiations, which ASEAN aims to finalise by 2026.  

“Malaysia will probably prioritise pushing these conversations forward, emphasising ASEAN’s shared interest in ensuring a rules-based approach to the sea problems, ” said Ms Lin.

“However, if Malaysia is perceived as leaning very closely toward China, it may encounter challenges in maintaining the respect of other plaintiff claims, especially the Philippines and Vietnam, which are more assertive in defending their regional states, ” she added.  

MALAYSIA TO BE MORE OUTSPOKEN ON MYANMAR CRISIS 

At activities and on social media in May and June this year, Mr Anwar stressed that ASEAN member states need to join in facing the issue in Myanmar.  

He hinted he may push for ASEAN to get tougher on Myanmar, where pro-democracy rebels and ethnic minority military forces are battling the land ’s defense, which took strength in 2021 after ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Weeks after seizing energy during the 2021 revolt, the junta agreed to a “five-point discussion” program aimed at restoring harmony, but ignored it and carried out a terrible crackdown on dissent and military opposition to its rule.

Ms Lin of the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute posited that Malaysia, unlike the current chair Laos, is likely to advocate for stronger actions by ASEAN, in line with its historically vocal stance on human rights.

“ Unlike some of its more reserved ASEAN counterparts, such as the current chair Laos, Malaysia has been outspoken about the crisis in Myanmar, particularly following the 2017 Rohingya repression, where it criticised ASEAN’s weak response, ” she said.  

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Iswaran placed in single-man cell to protect him from those who might harm him, say legal experts

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SINGAPORE: Original transport secretary S Iswaran was placed in a single-man mobile in jail to shield him from those who might want to hurt him due to his previous jobs as secretary, legal experts told CNA.  

Iswaran, 62, began serving his sentence on Monday ( Oct 7 ) after announcing that he will not appeal  his 12-month prison word, handed down by the High Court next Thursday.  

Iswaran had previously pleaded guilty to five fees, comprising four of accepting useful products as a public servant, and one of obstructing fairness.  

In response to CNA’s queries, the Singapore Prison Service ( SPS) had said that Iswaran had been housed in a single-man cell due to “higher safety and security risk” if he were to be housed with other individuals. The authority  did not elaborate on what these challenges may get.  

Professionals not linked to the situation told CNA that Iswaran would be at higher risk of harm according to his position as a former legislator and secretary.

” There may be individuals who may be motivated to produce him damage or fear of harm because they are not content with him, be it for what he stood for when he held business or for the fact that they feel offended that a man of his position committed for crimes,” Mr Sanjiv Vaswani, managing director of Vaswani Law Chambers.  

Concurring, former prosecutor Ramesh Tiwary, who has an namesake law firm, said that the authorities would not want to home Iswaran with inmates who may abuse him.

He disagreed with the possibility that Iswaran may seep state secrets during his period of incarceration.  

” The way I see it: There are people serving imprisonment or ( who are ) remanded who may not be very happy with the establishment, with the system, and who may try to pick on him,” said Mr Tiwary.  

” You ca n’t keep your eyes on somebody 24 hours. I think to be on the safe side, they are really segregating him at this moment. “

The attorney added that segregating an criminal was not uncommon, particularly if there was a risk to the child’s safety.  

He gave the example of a jail agent who commits a crime and is jailed.  

” You may have people in prison who are very angry with you,” said Mr Tiwary, adding that SPS would then have to take precautions.  

Another prisoners could be placed in single-man cell to prevent the spread of disease, like during the COVID-19 crisis, or simply because that was the only battery accessible, he said.  

“ It is not an unusual issue. I’ve known several of my clients to be in single-man body maybe, for a period of time. And they might move ( Iswaran ) after a while, you never know. “

Mr Vaswani said that while jail conditions are elegant, they are not meant to be a” abuse”.  

” Captives are treated fairly. Where there is a recognized possible threat to their health, it just makes sense for them to become segregated,” he said.  

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33 people arrested at Geylang coffee shop during multi-agency anti-vice operation

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The police claimed that the multi-agency effort included officers from the Ministry of Manpower, Bedok Police Division, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and the Criminal Investigation Department ( CID ).

Between 21 and 54 years old were the offenders.

They were detained for allegedly managing a spot of assignment while working without a true work go and for violating the Women’s Charter.

This refers to any area where contact is established with any person, either straight or through an entity, for any evil purpose. The infraction carries a prison term of up to five years, a fine of up to&nbsp, S$ 100, 000, or both.

Follow criminals may face fines of up to S$ 150, 000, jail time for up to seven times, or both. &nbsp,

Those found guilty of using a valid work permit to work can face fines of up to S$ 20,000, jail time for up to two years, or both. &nbsp,

ILLEGAL LOTTERY

During Monday night’s activity, the policeman even found three persons, aged between 31 and 59, reportedly conducting unlawful contests. &nbsp,

Soldiers seized more than S$ 140 in money and betting-related accoutrements, the authorities said, adding that studies against the three individuals are continuing. &nbsp,

In contrast, a 66-year-old owner of a wine licence may be investigated for supplying liquor outside the corporate licensed premises.

People who conducts illegal lotteries is subject to a fine of up to S$ 500, 000 and a seven-year sentence under the Gambling Control Act 2022. &nbsp,

A wine distributor who delivers alcohol outside the designated premises will face fines of up to S$ 10,000.

” The police may continue to cooperate with other federal departments to halt unlawful activity in the area.” Offenders may be dealt with solemnly in accordance with the law, according to Superintendent Lim Hao Jun, the head of CID’s specialized offense branch. &nbsp,

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PSD advises board members of statutory boards on their roles as public servants in wake of Iswaran case

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SINGAPORE: &nbsp, The Public Service Division ( PSD ) sent a letter to the chairs and board members of statutory boards on Monday ( Oct 7 ) – the day former transport minister S Iswaran began his jail term&nbsp, –&nbsp, making clear what to do with gifts.

A committee member of a state legislative committee is referred to as a common servant in the letter’s response to questions from CNA on Tuesday in response to questions from CNA.

The email also pointed out that legal boards have “prevailing rules” on how to handle presents, said PSD. &nbsp,

” In the statement, PSD even expressed our gratitude to the people for their work in making Singapore better,” it continued. &nbsp,

The state includes legislative bodies like the Central Provident Fund Board and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). They are in charge of governing vital industries and providing essential services.

Iswaran’s trial clarified Section 165 of the Penal Code, which forbids public officials from receiving gifts from events where they engage in formal business activity.

Private-sector people may be deterred from serving on public-sector boards in the midst of his trial because they would be subject to laws that apply to public workers, lawyers, and legitimate observers, according to a statement from the Business Times last year. &nbsp,

Iswaran turned himself in at the State Courts on Monday, just before the 4pm date, and he began his 12-month prison term. &nbsp,

The 62-year-old was handed the sentence&nbsp, for obtaining gifts worth about S$ 403, 300 ( US$ 313, 200 ) over seven years from two businessmen he considered his friends.

He entered a guilty plea on the first day of his trial, eclipsing what was expected to be a drawn-out legal battle between 56 trial testimony.

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IN FOCUS: What the ‘gifted’ label means to children, and the adults they become

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OF ANYTHING TO BE PROUD OF

What I heard in my discussions caused me to indicate on what I went through when I was told I had a gift.

After Primary 6, I was accepted into my first choice of supplementary school and took the train to young college. That, I got into another careful educational program. After I left the GE P’s official boundaries, things started to go off course.

The A-Levels were the time I realized how challenging steady effort had become for me. &nbsp,

When I was in young college, I spent my time doing nothing but studying for the test, and I recognized Mr. Yee’s worry of trying and the ensuing mitigation.

I continued to get into college after realizing I had been relying heavily on having a membership in elite programs to maintain my self-esteem for decades.

I had to put this down for an even longer time to realize that I had overly influenced my self-awareness from other people’s intelligence.

There were many variables that affected this. However, I believe that reading that I was a” perfect person,” with more than just academic skills, and receiving assistance with challenging emotions, would have helped me as a young person.

Years after I was in college, I was not the only one who gained quality.

After being asked to leave the GEP, Mr. Yee occasionally considered ending his life. He credits screamo songs with helping him deal with his pent-up thoughts, despite having no confidants.

He was permitted to continue in a non-GEP school at his extra school. But, as his parents could never afford the fees, he had to move to another institution.

At this fresh class, not much changed for him professionally. But physically, he experienced” a pretty extreme change” as he suddenly found people he may connect with. His instructors responded to his inquiries with enthusiasm and openness.

” Every time I wanted to have certain debates with them, they would engage me, which was nice” .&nbsp,

Although he was a move pupil, his classmates made attempts to contain him, and he made great friends.

He received grades that were appropriate for a private college after graduating from junior school. After federal assistance, he started working otherwise, as he still disliked college and had financial obligations. &nbsp, Without a education, he worked 18-hour time in his first work to show himself.

I inquired about Mr. Yee’s current importance of being a brilliant or intelligent person.

He said,” I would rather be proud of something I accomplish through my own work.” ” The lottery of life is generally how smart you are, just like how you were born.”

Instead, he was glad of how his occupation had advanced without a degree. &nbsp, Then a vice chairman at a real estate technology business, he is studying for a bachelor’s degree and has programs for a mentor so he can move further up the professional ladder.

If he had a baby in the future and was offered a position in the GEP, I asked what he would do. &nbsp,

I was surprised at his comment despite my expectation that he would have reservations about this.

” Having experienced that mental turmoil in the growing years, I know exactly what I need to do to ensure that they grow up healthy and with the right approach to succeed,” said one woman.

” The most important stage is, I may ascribe all their achievement to hard work, not because they’re wise or because they’re talented. I’ll also promote the significance they need to strive for in everything they desire.

” No matter if it’s easy for them, or it’s difficult for them, I did not attribute it to their normal tendencies”.

He added that if children have been let down by what they perceive as a lack of attention, they will immediately stop asking the questions of those around them.

” I think that was a bit of what I even went through”, he said.

” I will make sure that no matter how hectic or consumed I am with life, I will often make it a point to join them whenever they express some kind of curiosity.”

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China’s e-payment systems WeChat, Alipay dominate its cashless society. Can they repeat their success in Southeast Asia?

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In May, the lodge started accepting digital payments on WeChat Spend and Alipay in its bars, restaurants, resort resort and gift shop – as well as for suite stays. The hotel confirmed there had been a rise in the number of customers using Taiwanese e-payment techniques, despite declining to disclose official statistics.

Another Taiwanese firm that has benefited is nearby bike-sharing controller Anywheel, whose fresh “mini-app” registered over 4, 500 new customers from China within its first quarter of launching in September. There were” three times more people registered with 86 amounts over a period of six times”, the company said, referring to China’s region code.

However, it has n’t just been big-name businesses that have been accepting digital yuan. Around 10,000 hawkers were accepting payments on WeChat, according to official records from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). &nbsp,

Ms. Rachel Chua, 50, who runs a consume stall in the Maxwell Food Centre, claimed that Taiwanese tourists may use Alipay “even for something as little as 30-cent cell boxes.” To draw their attention, she displays important WeChat Spend and Paypal evidence at the front of her barn, she said. &nbsp,

But some Taiwanese visitors, like Ms Li Xiang, 36, from Guangxi, who travelled to Singapore with her partner during Golden Week, also rely on cash and cash to pay for their little payments”. Just in case, we exchanged some cash. We can use WeChat and Alipay in the shopping malls but smaller places, like some hawker stalls, do n’t accept it,” Ms Li told CNA. &nbsp,

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‘I want him to come home quickly’: Father of Thai worker captured by Hamas a year ago longs for his return

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ADVOCATING FOR Transfer OF Victims

The Thai Foreign Ministry reiterated its ongoing efforts to bring the captives back home in its media briefing last year, but it did not release any new information regarding the remaining victims.
 
According to Nikorndej Balankura, a spokesman for the Thai government,” I would like to emphasize that the Thai government will continue to make every effort possible to support our remaining Thai captives in Gaza.”
 
We are in contact with important people in the area to discuss and ask for their support for the transfer of Thai captives. That is also the justification for our ongoing demands for a full resolution to the conflict, an immediate peace, and the discharge of all victims, including Thai nationals, in Gaza.
 
According to Wilas, Thai authorities immediately checked in on his missing child and paid the family about US$ 750.
 
Since then, he has heard much information, despite repeated and expensive follow-ups.
 
” There were dozens of times that I had to revise the documents ( for legal proof ) and they were being sent back and forth”, said Wilas, who has spent more than 7, 000 baht ( US$ 212 ) on legal fees alone.
 
” I have made so many journeys and I had to lease a vehicle to go to the Provincial Labour Office in Buriram, which cost me 1, 200 baht every day, to send the papers. These are all costs and I did n’t have enough ( to cover them ), so I had to borrow”.
 
However, his biggest want is for his child to gain alive.
 
” If my son is alive, whenever Israel can get the hostages released, I want ( him ) to come home quickly to ( his ) hometown”, he said.

” Most important, I want my child to become ordained ( as a Buddhist monk ) for his grandmother who died when he was apart”, he said, as he wiped away a tear. &nbsp,

After a terrible struggle, Thai people believe a religious festival did purge the spirit of sin.

” This is the deepest desire in my life”, said Wilas. ” If he comes back, I did number the priesthood ceremony”.

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Dyson did not break Singapore laws in layoffs but may have damaged its reputation, experts say

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SINGAPORE: When Dyson conducted” shock” layoffs&nbsp, in Singapore last year, it received a reprimand from the coalition representing its employees about the one-day see it gave to tell the union of the downsizing.

Although the customer appliances company complied with the law, business analysts told CNA that the way the layoffs were conducted may have had an impact on its popularity.

According to Professor Lawrence Loh of the National University of Singapore ( NUS) Business School,” It is not just about the letter of the law, but also the spirit of being a good employer.” The company &nbsp, needs to upkeep its broader reputation” .&nbsp,

Because Dyson claimed in July that the Singapore company would not be directly affected by task cuts in Britain, people were probably caught off guard.

” What the company says at that point in time is appropriate, it had&nbsp, no programs”, Prof Loh said. ” But when ( the announcement ) comes — 24 hours, one email, one meeting — you’re out”.

With only one week notice, the federation had no time to engage the events for discussions&nbsp, or to find a better way to handle the cuts.

According to Prof Loh, Dyson should n’t have “skimped on this last mile,” especially considering that in 2022 the company moved its headquarters from the United Kingdom to Singapore.

The United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries ‘ notice period was negotiable, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower ( MOM), because the retrenched employees were not unionized.

The technology industry’s representative, &nbsp, reported last week that the union’s representative was reportedly receiving a settlement offer of one month’s pay for each year they worked.

But, it claimed to be uncertain whether the package had a cap and that it had not been given more details about the affected employees ‘ identities from Dyson.

The firm claimed to have “respectfully informed” the coalition in progress and that it was adhering to MOM’s prevailing rules.

In Singapore, the magnification are not good for Dyson, Prof Loh said, noting that its “overall brand” — as a business with some buyer products for sale — may be affected.

For “business reasons that only the company can answer,” said Assistant Professor Jared Nai, who teaches organizational behavior and human resources at the Singapore Management University ( SMU), &nbsp.

These actions “do damage the morale of its existing employees and the status of the company with upcoming potential employees,” he continued, noting that the compensation is comparable to the recommended norm.

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), a top affiliate at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), stated that the organization wants to become informed by businesses before they retrench employees, not because it wants to interfere with a control choice, but because it wants to assist them in finding new jobs or offer support in different way.

Dr. Chew, who has written publications about collectivism and labor policy in Singapore, suggested that the Singapore National Employers Federation may also play a role because businesses may feel more connected to the union than NTUC and MOM.

LAYOFFS IN FOREIGN Corporations

The electronics workers ‘ union reported that Dyson’s case had been escalated to MOM, making Dyson the second foreign company to be subject to a ministry-related retrenchment investigation this year. &nbsp,

After the e-commerce firm retrenched its employees without notifying or consulting the union, the Food Drinks and Allied Workers Union escalated the situation to MOM in January.

But, experts said&nbsp, it is not that unusual companies do not understand or had trouble&nbsp, going along with the nature of tripartism in Singapore— where unions, employers and the federal labor up.

” I do n’t think it’s a systemic problem, as of now”, Prof Loh said. ” It’s circumstance by situation”.

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