IN FOCUS: Untangling Singapore-Malaysia food fights - what's it got to do with identity and pride?

By:
On:
In: Asia

“THE GREAT STOMACH”

Food rivalries, and the stream of public sentiments and “misconceptions” that accompany each episode, are part of the reason Dr Ong writes about food.

“Unfortunately, most of the people who made the comments, including the politicians, don’t know much about their local food, or the origins,” he said.

“We should all get together and promote our ASEAN dishes and talk about our local variations, similarities and differences.”

Across the Johor strait, Mr Ronald Gan, president of the Melaka Peranakan Association, is in the midst of the Wangkang – an 11-day ceremony recognised by the UN as intangible cultural heritage.

At the end of it, a Wangkang or deity’s barge is consumed by fire, giving deliverance to wandering souls on board the boat.

In his role, Mr Gan works with groups in China’s Xiamen city to preserve the traditions of the ritual. He believes a similarly collaborative approach is necessary for something as culturally significant as food.

Continue Reading

Heading into Johor Bahru? Top tips for crossing the Causeway

By:
On:
In: Asia

The current fare for a one-way ticket from Woodlands Checkpoint into Johor Bahru is RM17.80 (S$5) while it costs RM5 (S$1.40) to travel back to Singapore from the station in JB Sentral. 

The train, also known as the Tebrau Shuttle, currently makes 31 trips daily – 18 from JB Sentral to Woodlands, and 13 from Woodlands to JB Sentral.

Just remember to arrive early. Gates close at Woodlands 20 minutes before departure while the gantries at JB Sentral shut 10 minutes before the train leaves. 

Had a change in plans? Here’s a tip – you can cancel your ticket online for a partial refund. 

Get a 75 per cent refund for cancellations made more than 72 hours before departure and 50 per cent for cancellations made within the three-day window. 

The quickest way to handle payments is also via the platform’s KTM Wallet, which eliminates the need for multi-step security authentication when you are on the go.

BY BUS

Cross-border bus services are another pocket-friendly option – SBS Transit buses 160, 170 and 170X, as well as SMRT bus service 950.

Bus service 160 plies the route between Jurong Town Hall bus interchange and JB Sentral Bus Terminal.

Service 170 travels between Queen Street Terminal and Larkin Terminal in Johor Bahru, while 170X travels between Kranji MRT station and JB Sentral.

SMRT bus service 950 runs between Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange and JB Sentral terminal. 

More information on operating hours and arrival timings is available on the Land Transport Authority’s MyTransport.SG app or via the bus operators’ websites. 

But if just crossing the Causeway is your main objective, any bus will do, including the bright yellow Causeway Link buses operated by Malaysia. 

Continue Reading

Singapore acts to address cases of frozen remittances in China worth S$13 million

By:
On:
In: Asia

SINGAPORE: The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Monday (Dec 18) instructed remittance companies here to use only banking and card channels to transfer funds to China, after Singapore police received hundreds of reports of remittances being frozen overseas. 

From Jan 1 to Mar 31 next year, remittance companies cannot use overseas third-party agents of non-bank and non-card channels.

The measure will be reviewed after three months.

“This is necessary for the immediate protection of consumers, and to stem the number of reported new cases of beneficiaries’ accounts in China being frozen,” MAS and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a joint media release.

They added that as of Dec 15, SPF received more than 670 reports of remittances being frozen, with a total sum amounting to around S$13 million (US$9.8 million). About 430 of the reports were against Samlit Moneychanger.

Remittance companies typically engage a bank or an operator of a card network such as Union Pay International to assist in remitting the funds. 

They could also offer the option of processing remittances through third parties such as overseas licensed agents in order to lower transaction costs or get more favourable exchange rates.

“The cases affected make up a small minority of total remittance transactions through remittance companies,” said MAS and SPF.

“While such non-bank channels were not prohibited, recent actions taken by PRC law enforcement agencies with respect to such channels have made them more risky,” the authorities added, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

FROZEN FUNDS

The issue was first reported by Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao which said about 1,000 Chinese nationals were affected by frozen funds, and that more than 100 people had lodged reports at the Police Cantonment Complex on Nov 19. 

MAS and the police held an outreach session on Monday evening for people whose funds were affected, mostly Chinese nationals working in Singapore.

It was also attended by the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, as well as three remittance companies – Hanshan Money Express, Samlit Moneychanger and Zhongguo Remittance.

“These actions are part of a broader effort by the Singapore government to work with the PRC government and the relevant remittance companies in Singapore to help the remitters understand how they can get their monies and accounts in China unfrozen,” said MAS and SPF.

They noted that the Chinese Embassy had published a notice on Oct 24 advising Chinese nationals in Singapore to use official banking channels to remit funds to China, even though non-banking channels may offer more favourable exchange rates.

MAS said it has been engaging the remittance companies involved and instructed them to provide the necessary assistance to affected customers.

“This includes issuing a confirmation letter to affected remitters upon request, to prove that their monies had been remitted through them into China, with information on the source of funds, such as through employment, to facilitate the unfreezing of the accounts,” said the Singapore authorities.

They noted that the Singapore government has no jurisdiction over the beneficiary bank accounts frozen by Chinese law enforcement agencies.

“Nevertheless, we are in close contact with the PRC government on the information required to facilitate the PRC law enforcement agencies’ decision on unfreezing of the accounts,” said MAS and SPF.

“The Singapore government understands the frustrations faced by the affected remitters and is doing all it can to help.

“We urge the affected remitters to provide all the information necessary to facilitate the unfreezing of their accounts by the PRC law enforcement agencies, and to seek redress within the legal framework of Singapore.”

They added that the police will not hesitate to take enforcement action against anyone who breaks the law in Singapore, including organising or participating in a public assembly without a police permit. 

Continue Reading

Singaporean who ran Seoul-based drug trafficking ring jailed in South Korea

By:
On:
In: Asia

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man wanted for drug trafficking in the country has been arrested and jailed in South Korea where he was involved in a multinational syndicate selling narcotics on Telegram.

Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said on Thursday (Dec 14) that the 37-year-old man was arrested in Seoul on Apr 9.

The bureau told CNA that the man was sentenced to seven years in prison, although it did not comment on when his jail term began. 

He will be repatriated to Singapore after completing his sentence in South Korea, said CNB, adding that it will conduct further investigations into the man’s suspected drug offences here.

“The 37-year-old man is suspected to be involved in coordinating and supplying drugs to associates in Singapore for their subsequent trafficking and sale in Singapore using encrypted chat applications,” said CNB in a news release.

According to South Korean media, citing a media release by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Thursday, the 37-year-old man led a multinational drug network based in Seoul that distributed drugs to Singapore and Vietnam via Telegram.

The Chosun Ilbo reported that the man promoted drugs through the chat platform and conspired with associates in Singapore to modify the drugs into other forms such as candy or jellies.

South Korean media said this is the first time that local authorities have uncovered a foreign network based in the country selling drugs overseas using Telegram.

Three of the man’s associates – two Singaporean women and another woman of foreign nationality – were also arrested in South Korea, said CNB.

It added that immigration records showed that the man had left Singapore since Nov 12, 2021. 

In response to queries from CNA on how the two Singaporean women were dealt with, CNB said that it was unable to comment due to ongoing investigations. 

The other woman was sentenced to jail in South Korea. 

CNB said it contacted South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) for joint investigations into the man’s activities after receiving intelligence that he had set up a base in South Korea. 

He was eventually caught as part of South Korea’s crackdown on cyber drug crimes, said local media.

“Drug trafficking is a cross-border issue that affects many countries, and traffickers increasingly use encrypted chat applications to advertise the sale of drugs to new clients and to arrange for the delivery of the drugs,” said Deputy Director of CNB for Operations, SAC Leon Chan. 

“The successful arrest in this case is a testament to the good relationship and close cooperation between CNB, NIS and SMPA in tackling the transnational nature of drug trafficking. For drug syndicate leaders and members who choose to feed their greed by bringing harm to our people in Singapore, CNB will spare no efforts to bring them to face justice in Singapore.”

Continue Reading

China travellers keen to 'revenge travel', tour agencies expecting spike in demand with Singapore visa exemption

By:
On:
In: Asia

Managing director of Oriental Travel Stanley Foo told CNA that the agency has been badly affected by the drop in Chinese visitors. It saw a 50 per cent decrease in bookings from Chinese visitors, compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This group used to make up about 30 to 40 per cent of the tour agency’s bookings, but the figure now stands at less than 10 per cent, he added. 

“I don’t really see them anymore, except for business travellers. The group travellers have really reduced dramatically,” said Mr Foo. 

“Pre-pandemic, tourists from China are the top three visitors coming to Singapore. So it’s definitely affecting the tourism industry in Singapore badly, without them. We need their money.” 

In the hour after the announcement of the visa exemption agreement, online travel booking platform Trip.com saw an 80 per cent increase in the search volume for deals in Singapore, said Ms Ru Yi, the company’s general manager for Singapore. 

Searches for flight tickets and hotels also increased by 90 per cent and 50 per cent respectively, she added, noting that from January to October, 1.13 million Chinese tourists arrived in Singapore, making China the second-largest source of inbound visitors to Singapore. 

Tour agencies and industry experts pointed to several factors as to why visitor numbers have yet to completely rebound. 

Malaysia and Thailand also recently granted Chinese tourists visa-free access, and this new agreement will make Singapore more competitive on this front, said Ngee Ann Polytechnic senior lecturer in tourism Michael Chiam. 

“The rate of recovery for Chinese arrivals depends on many factors, and they include foreign currency exchange rate and the rate of economic recovery of the Chinese market. Visa-free arrangements is just one of them,” he added. 

Mr Foo also pointed to the stiff competition from Singapore’s neighbours, noting that spending a night in Singapore could be equivalent to spending three nights in Malaysia or Thailand. 

“The prices of hotels went up dramatically, and this will affect a certain group of visitors,” he added, noting that the price increase was about 20 per cent across the board. 

The frequency of flights between Singapore and China is currently at about 60 to 70 per cent of pre-COVID levels, said Ms Li. 

Singapore Airlines declined to disclose specific figures on demand for flights between Singapore and China due to “commercial sensitivities”. 

China is an important market for the SIA Group, which comprises Singapore Airlines and Scoot, said its spokesperson. 

As of December, the SIA Group serves 23 destinations in China, compared to its 25 destinations before the pandemic, they said. 

There are 150 passenger flights to and from China each week, with Singapore Airlines operating 70 and Scoot operating 80. This is an overall increase from about 132 flights in July, where there two airlines operated 49 and 83 flights respectively.

Research from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on China’s outbound tourism in 2023 showed that the country’s travellers tended towards revenge travel, with a “resilient eagerness” to go overseas, said Associate Professor Deng Xin with the university’s business school. 

The visa exemption agreement will eliminate the hassle of visa applications, she added. “I anticipate that the numbers will eventually reach or surpass pre-pandemic levels, although it might take some time.” 

Southeast Asia is China’s top outbound destination, she added. 

“Chinese travellers rank destination safety, unique scenery and being friendly to the Chinese as the top three destination considerations. They long to travel abroad, yet also want to feel at home when travelling in terms of the language and payment choices. Singapore meets all the criteria.”

Continue Reading

Singapore to remove melamine-related requirements for milk imports, including infant formula, from China

By:
On:
In: Asia

Singapore’s Food Agency( SFA ) announced on Monday, October 23, that it will no longer require imports of milk, milk products, or products containing milk from China due to melamine. Since 2008, when methanol, a plastic-making substance, was found in infant dairy products made in China, the government’s dairy industryContinue Reading

Singapore tops Southeast Asia in seeing different religions as compatible with society: Survey

By:
On:
In: Asia

According to the Pew review,” this” spiritual switching” has resulted in a decline in the proportion of Singaporeans who identify as Buddhists or adherents of Chinese traditional religions and an increase in that number of Christians or atheists.

Only 26 % of respondents currently identify as Buddhist, despite the fact that 32 % said they were raised as such. And while 15 % of respondents claimed to have grown up adhering to Chinese traditional religions, only 6 % do so today.

In contrast, while 11 % of those who are currently practicing are raised as Christians, 17 % are not. 13 percent of those who were raised without religion, but 22 % of the respondents do not currently practice any religion.

Federal Identification Signs

Pew also examined how federal pertaining intersected with religion and various markers of identity.

In Singapore, respondents were questioned about the significance of different identification markers for being a part of the country.

These included having been born in Singapore, belonging to the majority ethnic group( Chinese ), and practicing the predominant religion( Buddhism ).

According to the study, Singaporeans are much less likely than other people in the area to emphasize these nationalist aspects of national belonging.

Continue Reading

Air China says engine failure may have caused fire that prompted emergency landing in Singapore

By:
On:
In: Asia

SINGAPORE: The fire that forced an emergency landing at Singapore’s Changi Airport on Sunday( Sep 10 ) may have been caused by an engine mechanical failure on Air China flight CA403.

The airport added that investigations are ongoing and stated that this was based on a primary assessment.

Air China even stated in a Weibo post on Monday that staff people handled the affair in accordance with protocol and that travellers cooperated throughout the removal.

When dust was reported in the forward load hold and restroom at around 4 p.m., Flight CA403 was traveling from Chengdu to Singapore. & nbsp,

At around 4.15 p.m., the aircraft, which had 146 people and nine staff members, made an emergency landing at Changi Airport.

Continue Reading