SINGAPORE — Singapore is disappointed that the US has subjected its goods to tariffs despite the longstanding economic relationship between the two countries and their free trade agreement (FTA), said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on April 3. And it will engage the US to understand how they have calculated the tariffs, and to clarify any misunderstanding that has led to the 10 per cent levy, he added. «The US-Singapore FTA has been a very important FTA for both countries, and has benefited the US significantly. US imports to Singapore have enjoyed zero tariffs for more than two decades, and they have also enjoyed a significant, substantial trade surplus with Singapore amounting to $30 billion,» he said. «We are, of course, naturally disappointed. Under the FTA, we have recourse, we are able to take counter measures and also seek dispute resolution. However, we have decided not to do so because imposing retaliatory import duties will just add costs to our imports from from the US, and this will affect our consumers and our businesses,» he added.

Online voting will not be implemented in GE2025 due to risks such as impersonation and possible breach of voter secrecy, said the Elections Department (ELD) on Thursday (April 3). This is because online systems have to retain information on the voter's identity and choice to ensure that online votes are accurately recorded and can be verified through audits. Hence voter secrecy might be compromised. The ELD was responding to two letters published in The Straits Times forum page on April 1 regarding the voting process for overseas Singaporeans. In one letter, the writer suggested that ELD must enable voting through «the Singpass application or another secure digital platform» for Singaporeans who are travelling during the general election. In another forum letter, ELD was urged to make the voting process «easier» and to «not create extra and unnecessary hurdles» for Singaporean voters living overseas. In their forum reply published on Thursday, Bey Mui Leng, director of media and communications at ELD, said voting by paper ballot will continue as it remains the most transparent and secure method of voting.

After receiving news that her mother had gone missing in the devastating Myanmar quake last Friday (March 28), a maid in Singapore asked to return home. Her employers readily agreed and bought a plane ticket for her. They also gave the domestic helper an $800 red packet to support herself in Myanmar. Employer Chen Huiqin (transliteration) told Shin Min Daily News that her helper had cried after learning that her 62-year-old mother had gone missing after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the country. «We felt that she should be with her family in tough times like this,» said the 52-year-old obstetrician and gynaecologist. Aside from the $335 flight ticket to Myanmar, Chen also prepared $800 in cash for her helper. She explained: «She's only worked for six months and hasn't paid off her debt to the employment agency. She has no money, so I hope this sum can give her some support.» The maid agency, Best Home Employment, told the Chinese evening daily that they had verified the matter with their partners in Myanmar and learned that the helper's mother was likely to have perished in the quake.

Since getting its clinic licence revoked by the Ministry of Health (MOH) last year for providing teleconsultations that were too brief, MaNaDr says it has implemented more stringent protocols to avoid such lapses in service moving forward. During a press conference held on Wednesday (April 2), telehealth provider MaNaDr's co-founder and chief executive officer Siaw Tung Yeng said that doctors using the platform will now need to conduct teleconsultations for at least one minute before medical certificates can be provided to patients, reported CNA. At the same time, MaNaDr will also be tightening onboarding processes for doctors and clinics using the platform, he said. The firm has since employed the use of an AI-powered note-taker which will transcribe doctor-patient conversations and implemented mandatory audio recordings.

Craving for Hokkien mee, a cancer-stricken man had sought help from netizens online to purchase the dish for him, delivering it to his doorstep. Unfortunately, the 45-year-old man died last Wednesday (March 26), Shin Min Daily News reported on Monday. He had battled pancreatic cancer for at least five years. A day after his death, users on the Facebook group he frequented mourned his passing. User Leong Gwo Wei shared a eulogy dedicated to the man, Anthony Lee, in the Hokkien Mee Hunting Facebook group, remembering his time with Lee. «Though I didn't get to know him long enough, I admire and salute his strength to fight on for his wife and daughter, and enjoying good food was something that kept him going,» wrote Leong, who was one of the netizens who assisted Lee in obtaining his beloved Hokkien mee. «I was glad to have the chance to bring him some Hokkien mee,» the 42-year-old added. In a separate post on March 29, Leong indicated that he had also delivered a packet of Hokkien mee to Lee's wake to pay his last respects.

A woman was rescued by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers from the top of an overhead bridge near Nex mall on Wednesday (April 2).  SCDF and the police told AsiaOne they were alerted to the incident along Serangoon Central at 2.40pm.  In a TikTok video uploaded on Wednesday, the woman can be seen sitting on the roof of a sheltered overhead bridge, with her legs dangling over the edge. At least ten SCDF and police officers can be seen on the bridge as they attempt to reach her.  Eventually, a SCDF officer is seen on the roof of the bridge and he approaches the woman, 45, from behind before pulling her away from the edge.  @admirer1204 A good job by SCDF in saving a Sundial lady at Serangoon NEX overhead bridge.

Woodleigh bus interchange in Bidadari estate, which was originally slated to be ready by 2021, will open on April 20. Additionally, the new bus interchange located adjacent to Pasir Ris MRT station will open on April 27, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday (April 3). This will bring the total number of integrated transport hubs in Singapore to 14.  The underground Woodleigh bus interchange, located in Woodleigh Village with 330 HDB flats and a hawker centre, will be operated by SBS Transit. In a press release, LTA said that bus service 146 will be amended to operate from the new bus interchange and ply in both directions along Bidadari Park Drive to serve four additional bus stops near Woodleigh Mall and Alkalf CourtView Housing Board estate. A new service 148 will also call at the new bus interchange, added LTA. The loop service between Woodleigh bus interchange and Potong Pasir estate will connect residents to amenities including Woodleigh Mall, Woodleigh hawker centre, Bidadari Community Club and the upcoming Bidadari Polyclinic, as well as schools such as Maris Stella High School and St Andrew's Secondary School.

SINGAPORE — The mother of four-year-old Megan Khung who had been abused and humiliated for more than a year before she died was on April 3 sentenced to 19 years' jail. On Feb 28, Foo Li Ping, 29, had pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse, one count of allowing the death of a child, and one count of intentional disposal of a corpse to impede investigations. Another count of child abuse was considered in sentencing. Foo looked expressionless as the sentence was read out by High Court judge Hoo Sheau Peng. «For their own sadistic ends, the accused persons robbed Megan of her dignity,» said the judge.  The prosecution had on Feb 28 asked for 15 to 20 years' jail, saying the case involved a gross abnegation of parental duties. For more than a year, Foo and her boyfriend, Wong Shi Xiang, 38, caned and slapped Megan, deprived the girl of food and clothes, and made her sleep at the balcony of their rented condominium unit in Paya Lebar. Megan was also forced to wear soiled diapers over her head, forced to eat food from the dustbin, and forced to eat her mother's mucus - acts that were captured on video.

Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said his views on the Israel-Palestine conflict is «sharply different» from former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Calvin Cheng's.  While speaking to the media on Wednesday (Apr 2) at Maarof Mosque in Jurong West on the latest cases being handled under the Internal Security Act, Shanmugam was asked for his views on a Facebook post made by Cheng on March 13. In his post, Cheng wrote about a group known as the Monday of Palestine Solidarity, whose members have been accused of disrupting Meet-The-People Sessions held by the People's Action Party, including Shanmugam's. 

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of National Development (MND) are rolling out innovative methods to improve access to Active Ageing Centre (AAC) activities for seniors. Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung and National Development Minister Desmond Lee announced on Tuesday (April 2) that over the next two years the new initiatives are expected to bring AAC services closer to more than 20,000 seniors.  This includes a $800 million plan from MOH over the course of five years to expand and enhance the AACs.  Speaking at the launch of the Our Residents' Hub at Jalan Mas Kuning Playground in West Coast, Minister Ong highlighted efforts to enhance the accessibility of AACs, ensuring they reach seniors living in residential areas with less convenient access. «The Ministry of Health is devoting about $800 million over five years (FY24 to FY28), to expand the number of  AACs in Singapore, and also to give each centre more resources to organise more activities,» he said.  «Today, we have 223 AACs around Singapore, up from about 150 when we first started. Each centre now has almost double their budget to carry out more activities»

SINGAPORE — A potential WP candidate expected to fill the empty seat in Sengkang GRC has assured residents in Raeesah Khan's former ward of Compassvale that he will work to address lift issues in the estate. In an Instagram post on April 1, Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik, a senior property manager at Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC), said he will work closely with the WP MPs in Sengkang GRC to identify and address the root causes of these lift problems. Sharing photos of his house visits, he said Compassvale residents flagged these concerns about lifts, which «are a crucial mode of vertical transport in Singapore, especially for the elderly». The public promise to Sengkang GRC's residents is the strongest indication yet that Abdul Muhaimin, 35, could be fielded in the four-member constituency at the upcoming general election. Citing his experience in managing lifts in a town council for nearly a decade since August 2015, Abdul Muhaimin said he understands what it takes to keep lifts running safely and reliably.

SINGAPORE — Facebook parent company Meta is investigating unauthorised activity on the Facebook page of Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. The account was found to have «liked» a Facebook post by former Nominated MP Calvin Cheng, which proposed sending a group of activists to Gaza, as long as they never returned. The post was put up on March 13. The minister's press secretary said on April 2 that a report has been filed with Meta over the unauthorised activity. «Meta is investigating,» she added. In a post early on April 2, Dr Balakrishnan said he did not «like» the post. He added that he did not share the views put forth by Cheng and that he had taken measures to «enhance account security».

A sports car driver, suspected to be on nitrous oxide or laughing gas, was arrested along Killiney Road on Saturday (March 29) and is now assisting with investigations for a rash act. The 37-year-old was arrested around 1.10pm under section 64 of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010, according to police. No injuries were reported and police investigations are ongoing. According to a reader who informed Shin Min Daily News, several police cars and officers were seen along the road with a tattooed man being questioned by police. A black sports car was parked between two police cars on scene, the Chinese publication reported. A quick search on e-commerce platforms showed that that the price of cream chargers, which are canisters of nitrous oxide, is around $30 to $40 per 640g. Smaller canisters of about 8g — also known as whippets — may also come as a set in boxes which may go for around $50.  With a gas regulator and dispenser, a full set can be purchased for around $130. These implements, alongside the canisters themselves, are all easily obtainable through online stores.

Craving for Hokkien mee, a cancer-stricken man had sought help from netizens online to purchase the dish for him, delivering it to his doorstep. Unfortunately, the 45-year-old man died last Wednesday (March 26), Shin Min Daily News reported on Monday. He had battled pancreatic cancer for at least five years. A day after his death, users on the Facebook group he frequented mourned his passing. User Liang Guowei (transliterated) shared a eulogy dedicated to the man, Anthony Lee, in the Hokkien Mee Hunting Facebook group, remembering his time with Lee. «Though I didn't get to know him long enough, I admire and salute his strength to fight on for his wife and daughter, and enjoying good food was something that kept him going,» wrote Liang, who was one of the netizens who assisted Lee in obtaining his beloved Hokkien mee. «I was glad to have the chance to bring him some Hokkien mee,» he added. In a separate post on March 29, Liang indicated that he had also delivered a packet of Hokkien mee to Lee's wake to pay his last respects.

A 15-year-old Singaporean girl, who wanted to marry an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighter and fight for the terrorist group, has been issued with a restriction order under the Internal Security Act (ISA). The student, who was issued with the restriction order in February, is the first female youth to be dealt with under the ISA, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said on Wednesday (April 2). Separately, a 17-year-old Singaporean teenager was detained in March for plotting mass shooting against Muslims in mosques. ISD said the boy, who was radicalised by violent far-right extremist and racist ideologies, had been planning the attack since early last year. It added that at the point of arrest, he admitted that he had yet to carry out the attacks only because he was unable to procure a gun. Girl pledged allegiance to ISIS through online chatbot Meanwhile, the girl's path to radicalisation began in June 2023 after encountering ISIS propaganda online. Within weeks, she became convinced that ISIS was a legitimate religious army defending Muslims in Iraq and Syria.

A man was shown on video giving the middle finger to a driver after he narrowly avoided an accident with a girl, likely to be his daughter, who abruptly crossed the road outside St Andrew's Cathedral near City Hall. A video of the incident was uploaded to the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page last week. In the video, a group of three people, presumably a family, were seen jaywalking across the street. The man and woman were seen walking ahead and crossing the street while their daughter hesitated to make a move. She wavered for a few seconds before dashing across to catch up with her parents, unaware that a black car next to her was turning onto the road. 

A man who allegedly caused $15,000 worth of damages to a rented BMW car refused to pay for the repairs, claiming he only had $10 in his bank account.  In a TikTok video posted on March 21, MV Auto sales manager Darren Ang shared footage from his interaction with the man, stating that it had been two months since the accident. However, there was «radio silence» and «zero compensation» from the car renter, who was referred to as X in the video. Speaking to AsiaOne, Ang said no payment had been made as of April 1.  «We want to put it out there, and to let people know that there are consequences for their actions,» Ang said. He declined to share more information about the debtor, citing legal reasons.

The former executive director of the Envy companies cried on the stand on April 1 as he talked about how “the world came crashing down” on his family, who had invested more than $40 million in a nickel-trading scam. Mr Lau Lee Sheng was testifying in the ongoing trial of 37-year-old Ng Yu Zhi, the man accused of masterminding the alleged scam, which attracted $1.46 billion from investors through his companies Envy Asset Management and Envy Global Trading. Ng faces 108 charges over offences including cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, money laundering and fraudulent trading. The prosecution is proceeding on 42 of these charges in the current trial, which began in November 2024. Mr Lau, a former secondary schoolmate of Ng, whose companies he joined, told the court that he invested $26 million in the scam, while his father put in another $15 million to $16 million. His mother and two sisters were also investors. The sum of $500,000 that his mother invested was a very significant amount of her life savings, he said.

A man has been charged with criminal intimidation for allegedly threatening to kill a cabin crew member and grabbing a passenger on a flight to Singapore. Kolathu James Leo, a 42-year-old Indian national, was on Scoot flight TR3 travelling from Sydney to Singapore on Feb 27, according to court documents. He was charged in court on Tuesday (April 1) with one count each of using criminal force, criminal intimidation and being intoxicated onboard, jeopardising good order of an aircraft. Kolathu was allegedly drunk on the flight when he began shouting loudly. Between 11.59am and 12.10pm that day, he also allegedly attempted to detach a seat pocket and hit the seat in front of him. Kolathu is also accused of behaving aggressively when cabin crew intervened. He allegedly grabbed the wrist of a male cabin crew and verbally threatened to kill him at around 5pm. Kolathu complied only after he was told that the flight would return to Sydney if he continued with his disruptive behaviour, the police said on March 31. 

More lives can be saved in Myanmar, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Operation Lionheart team leader Colonel Tay Zhi Wei said on Tuesday (April 1). The Operation Lionheart team, which comprises rescuers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team and national servicemen among others, is involved in the rescue operations in the capital Naypyidaw from Saturday (March 29) morning following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake last Friday which has killed over 2,700 people. The team successfully freed a man from a collapsed building on Sunday after an eight-hour operation by cutting through the rubble before taking him to a local hospital. Speaking with media on Tuesday via a Zoom call, Col Tay said that one more person, a 60-year-old lady, was rescued on Tuesday morning, after the crucial 72 hours had passed since the start of the disaster. That period is crucial in a disaster — because after that, chances of survival are slim, he said. The lady was extricated from the rubble on Tuesday morning by local fire service before the SCDF arrived on scene, Col Tay said.

The housing market is showing early signs of price growth moderation amidst the rising economic uncertainty globally, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee. This is after flash estimates released by of Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Tuesday (April 1) showed slower growth in the price of resale flats and private properties. Resale prices of HDB flats rose by 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, making it the slowest growth in the last five quarters According to HDB's flash estimates, resale prices increased 1.5 per cent in the first quarter, down from the 2.6 per cent hike in the previous quarter and the average quarterly growth of 2.3 per cent in 2024. On the resale volume in the first quarter of 2025, HDB said that in tandem with slower market conditions, the figure of 6,392 is 7.7 per cent lower than in the same period last year. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (April 1), Lee said that the slow pace of growth can be attributed to the «sustained supply» of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, as well as the largest-ever Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise in Feb 2025.

During his recent walkabout in Bedok, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat met an inspiring and lively couple in their 90s who shared their secrets to living a long and healthy life.  A video of the heartwarming moment featuring the Lims was posted on DPM Heng's Facebook page on Sunday (March 30).  At the beginning of the clip, the elderly woman is seen speaking in Cantonese and telling DPM Heng, who is also the MP for East Coast GRC, how happy she is every time she sees photos of him. Displaying her sense of humour, the woman also joked about having «two boyfriends,» referring to her two walking sticks, to which DPM Heng laughed heartily and quipped that they must be «very supportive» of her. In the video, it was revealed that she is 96 years old while her husband, who was born in 1927, is 98. 

Medical professionals say they are concerned that young people may be abusing nitrous oxide to feel intoxicated, with buyers purchasing the gas from dubious sellers. The Straits Times was alerted to the illegal activity by a reader who gave her name only as Ms Pang. She had witnessed the driver of a luxury car unloading canisters at a condominium in the East in February. Ms Pang said the boot was filled with cartons of nitrous oxide, which is commonly used to make whipped cream and merengue. “It was concerning and suspicious because it was on the second day of the Chinese New Year, and all the baking of cakes and cookies would have been done before the new year,” she added. Ms Pang later spoke to the resident who collected the nitrous oxide canisters, and he told her that he gets weekly deliveries to his home to get his fix of laughing gas. On March 29, police arrested the driver of a sports car in Killiney Road for a rash act offence. The 37-year-old man was suspected to be intoxicated with nitrous oxide.

The housing market is showing early signs of price moderation amidst the rising economic uncertainty globally, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee. This is after flash estimates released by of Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Tuesday (April 1) showed slower growth in the price of resale flats and private properties. Resale prices of HDB flats rose by 1.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, making it the slowest growth in the last five quarters According to HDB's flash estimates, resale prices increased 1.5 per cent in the first quarter, down from the 2.6 per cent hike in the previous quarter and the average quarterly growth of 2.3 per cent in 2024. On the resale volume in the first quarter of 2025, HDB said that in tandem with slower market conditions, the figure of 6,392 is 7.7 per cent lower than in the same period last year. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (April 1), Lee said that the slow pace of growth can be attributed to the «sustained supply» of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, as well as the largest-ever Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise in Feb 2025.

SINGAPORE – Muslims make up more than half of the 80-strong Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) contingent providing rescue and relief in Myanmar following a devastating earthquake, even though it means they will miss out on spending Hari Raya Aidilfitri with their loved ones. Thanking the 48 officers and their families for their sacrifice during the festive period, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said: “It’s a very noble act to go out there, and help other people far away.” An 80-strong force and four search canines from the SCDF left for Myanmar on March 29 to assist with rescue efforts in the quake-battered country. Mr Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Law, was speaking on March 31 after a visit to the Ahmad Ibrahim Mosque along Sembawang Road, as part of community visits on Hari Raya Aidilfitri to mosques and prayer sites in Yishun.

SINGAPORE – Recently-resigned public servant Dinesh Vasu Dash accompanied East Coast GRC MPs for a mosque visit in Chai Chee on the morning of March 31. Mr Dinesh, whose last day as the chief of Agency for Integrated Care was on March 27, is the first former public servant spotted on the ground with PAP MPs since the recent string of resignations from the Government. The 50-year-old was seen walking into Al-Ansar Mosque in Chai Chee, accompanying Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong. This comes amid speculation that he has joined the ruling party and will be fielded in the upcoming elections. Madam Hazlina Abdul Halim, 40, the former chief executive of Make-A-Wish Singapore, was also with the group. The senior vice-president of strategy and communications at advisory firm Teneo had previously been spotted shadowing MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling and was formally introduced to residents and reporters at a Marine Parade GRC walkabout on March 22.

Under the Constitution, former Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) can join political parties and contest in the General Election, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam on Monday (March 31). His comments today come after former NMP Syed Harun Alhabsyi was seen with other Nee Soon GRC MPs at an event on March 27, fuelling speculation that Dr Syed might contest in GE2025. Dr Syed and former NMP Raj Joshua Thomas had both resigned from their posts on Feb 14. Thomas had said in a Facebook post on March 26 that he had stepped down to contribute to the People's Action Party (PAP).

A five-car chain collision on the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) left eight people injured, including five who were conveyed to hospital on Saturday (March 29). A video posted by Facebook page SG Road Vigilante the same evening showed footage of a yellow taxi crashing into the back of a grey car, which had come to a stop behind two other cars. Another car which was not able to brake in time collided with the taxi, and a second car can also be seen coming to a stop behind it. The first car in the chain, which appeared to be unaffected by the chain collision, then moved off.

While repainting the exterior facade of a HDB block in Geylang, a worker was shocked to see the skeletal remains of a person in the bedroom of a flat.  The police were called in to Block 63 Sims Place, where an elderly man who lived alone was found dead, reported Shin Min Daily News.  In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at about 2.10pm on Friday (March 28). A 71-year-old man was found lying motionless in a residential unit and pronounced dead at scene. A Shin Min reporter who arrived at the scene at about 4pm the same day noted that the windows in the flat were not fully shut, and the house was filled with clutter. A notice pasted on the ground floor of the block stated that renovation works are ongoing, and a gondola system was installed. One of the workers told the Chinese evening daily he was repainting the building facade and had detected a strange odour when the gondola passed by the flat. The 27-year-old immediately informed his supervisor and called the police.