Plans to partially restore train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista MRT stations on Friday (Sept 27) have been dropped, to prioritise repairs for the full restoration of the East-West Line. This was announced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and train operator SMRT in a late-night media statement on Sept 26. A return to full service is now targeted for Monday (Sept 30). Earlier in the day, LTA and SMRT had said that they were exploring a single-line shuttle train service running every 20 minutes between Jurong East and Buona Vista. In the statement, they said that they have since determined that while it could be done if they expedited repairs on one of the tracks, it would mean slowing down the repairs on the other damaged rail, as repairs cannot be done when the shuttle-train service is in operation.

On the second day of train service disruption along the East-West Line, several commuters at Jurong East MRT station were seen trying to find the way to their destinations.  Those entering the MRT station on Thursday (Sept 26) evening scrutinised the various signages put up around the platform, before asking SMRT staff for directions.  One of them was 22-year-old nursing student Joyce Ji, who was travelling to her gym at Marina One.  After approaching an SMRT staff member for help, the young woman stood at the MRT platform as she tried to decide if she wanted to continue heading to the gym.  SMRT staff guiding commuters at Jurong East MRT station. PHOTO: AsiaOne/Claudia Tan "I found out about the disruption yesterday, and I wasn't sure where to go at first. Now I'm contemplating if I should take the train or Grab. 

On the second day of train service disruption along the East-West Line, several commuters at Jurong East MRT station were seen trying to find the way to their destinations.  Those entering the MRT station on Thursday (Sept 26) evening scrutinised the various signages put up around the platform, before asking SMRT staff for directions.  One of them was 22-year-old nursing student Joyce Ji, who was travelling to her gym at Marina One.  After approaching an SMRT staff member for help, the young woman stood at the MRT platform as she tried to decide if she wanted to continue heading to the gym.  SMRT staff guiding commuters at Jurong East MRT station. PHOTO: AsiaOne/Claudia Tan "I found out about the disruption yesterday, and I wasn't sure where to go at first. Now I'm contemplating if I should take the train or Grab. 

On the second day of the East-West Line train disruption, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and transport operator SMRT said that they are aiming for the partial restoration of train services by Friday (Sept 27). In a statement on Thursday (Sept 26) evening, they said: «We are still unable to resume train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations in both directions today.» They are aiming for a partial restoration of train services on Friday, with a single line shuttle service running every 20 minutes between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations. «Restoring train services safely and promptly is our top priority, and we will continue to provide updates as the situation progresses,» they added. Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat also gave an update on the situation on Thursday evening. «The engineers from SMRT and LTA have been working throughout the night to assess and to carry out repairs to the damaged tracks and equipment,» he said.

SINGAPORE — Five pupils who sat the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) were late because of the MRT disruption on the East-West Line (EWL) on Thursday (Sept 26), said the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB). In response to queries, SEAB said that about 41,000 school candidates sat the PSLE English and Foundation English written papers, with five of them affected by the train disruption on Thursday morning. They arrived before the end of the paper and were given time to settle down and get the full duration of the paper. «Of the five candidates, one sat for the examination in a different examination centre,» SEAB said. Candidates have been advised to contact their schools if they are affected by the train disruption, and the board added that it will work with schools to support pupils.

Amid the rush to secure Malaysia's Vehicle Entry Permits (VEP) before the Oct 1 deadline, some Singapore drivers have fallen prey to scams that offer help with VEP applications.  Several drivers said they've received fake RFID tags after engaging these services, Shin Min Daily News reported on Wednesday (Sept 25). Wang, an employee of Zhou Xiaobao Singapore-Malaysia Towing Services, which helps Singaporean drivers apply for VEP, told Shin Min that the company has received at least three complaints of fake RFID tags over the past three weeks.  His company charges around $200 for VEP application, while the fraudsters are offering the same service for $130.  «When car owners submitted their information [to the scammers], they were given RFID tags. »But when the car owners took the RFID tags to the installation centre, they were told the tags were fake," he said.  Wang explained that his company charges more for services as some car owners also consult them on specific problems regarding the RFID tags, which they will try to resolve. 

Have you ever paid more than an additional $1 for takeaway at a foodcourt? A customer was surprised to be charged a «whopping» $1.20 takeaway fee in addition to the $6 chicken wings he bought at a Woodlands foodcourt on on Sept 21. The wings were $1.50 each from the western food stall in the Cantine Corner by Kopitiam foodcourt at Admiralty Place. The takeaway fee cost almost as much as a wing. Stomp contributor PKJ shared a photo of the receipt, which showed a total of $7.20 for four wings, inclusive of the takeaway fee. «In this day and age, it is normal to be charged extra for takeaway food,» said the Stomp contributor. «The reason we would think is to pay for the cost of plastic takeaway packaging. You can imagine our surprise to be charged $1.20 for a plastic bag and a wax paper bag for four pieces of fried chicken. »Fifty cents is still acceptable, but a whopping $1.20 is practically daylight robbery. «Tell me am I wrong to think like this?»

As train service disruptions on the East-West Line (EWL) stretch into the second day, some taxis offered free rides to affected students sitting for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) on Thursday (Sept 26). Five Strides Premier taxis were spotted waiting near Jurong East MRT station at about 7am to ferry PSLE takers to nearby examination centres, reported 8world. SMRT staff at the taxi stand that morning also shouted «are there any students here?» to alert them to the free rides. Announcements urging students to head to the taxi stand were also played at the MRT station, according to Lianhe Zaobao. Students waiting for the free buses and bridging buses were also brought to the front of queues by SMRT staff. Strides Premier taxi driver Wen Jinchang (transliteration), who was stationed at Clementi MRT station, said drivers had earlier received a message from the cab operator which asked those interested in ferrying PSLE students to wait at the affected MRT stations at 6.15am.

SINGAPORE — Pupils sitting the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) written papers, starting on Sept 26, will be given the full duration of the paper if they reach the examination centre before the end of the paper. Responding to media queries on Sept 25, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) said: «There are existing arrangements which students have been briefed [on].» The board added that candidates would not be penalised for being late for the examination due to train service disruptions. This comes after an hours-long disruption to train services on the East-West Line (EWL) on Sept 25, affecting the stretch of stations between Boon Lay and Queenstown. Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post on the same day that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and train operator SMRT «will assess and confirm during engineering hours tonight» whether normal train service can resume on Sept 26.

SINGAPORE - Train service is still not available between Jurong East and Buona Vista MRT stations as at 5am on Sept 26, following a traction power fault that took place a day earlier. In an update at about 4.40am, transport operator SMRT said on X that shuttle train services and free regular bus services are available between Boon Lay and Jurong East MRT stations. Bridging bus services are also available between Jurong East and Buona Vista. It advised commuters wanting to continue their journeys to follow instructions from station staff. One commuter who wanted to be known only as Ms Wong told ST that she was headed to Jurong East MRT station where a company bus would pick her up at 6.55am. The previous day, she said that she boarded a feeder bus which took her 1hr 10min from Jurong East to Queenstown. “I normally leave the house at 6.25am but I left the house one hour earlier today,” the 56-year-old, who works at a data centre, said. “I was concerned… there are no instructions. I’m not sure what time the train is leaving.

What does it take to be a submariner in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)?  Most of my knowledge of submarines is limited to what I've seen in the movies, so I was excited to get a taste of life as a submariner when we were invited to the Submarine Trainer Centre located at Changi Naval Base on Sept 16.  Over there, we were introduced to three training platforms: the Submarine Command Team Trainer, Submarine Dive Trainer and Submarine Maintenance Trainer, which were built to simulate the various aspects of operating an actual submarine.  With these trainers, submarine crew can conduct training for newer crew members without physically stepping into a submarine. To become a submariner with RSN, candidates have to undergo a nine-month qualification course. This centre has been in operation since last year.

Days after YouTuber IShowSpeed's first livestream in Singapore was abruptly halted, the 19-year-old American returned to much fanfare as eager fans showed up in droves to greet the online personality. IShowSpeed, known as Speed for short, had visited Universal Studios Singapore on Sunday (Sept 22). Shortly after the livestream started, however, he was told that live-streaming on attractions is not allowed and the stream was soon taken down. On that same day, Speed left for a whirlwind visit to Johor Bahru and met the Johor Crown Prince, before heading to Cambodia and subsequently returning to Singapore on Tuesday (Sept 24). Broadcasting his journey through Bugis and Chinatown, the streamer occasionally interacted with an increasing crowd of people, who followed him on foot and on bikes through town. And as Speed tried his hand at the activities offered at the sports attraction Trifecta in Somerset, an even larger crowd of fans had gathered outside the facility.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has urged commuters to use alternative transport arrangements, following a train service disruption on Wednesday (Sept 25). In a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon, LTA said: «Due to the extent of the damage, train services will not be available on the East-West Line between Boon Lay and Queenstown MRT stations for at least the rest of the day, in both directions». Besides the free regular buses and bridging buses that started operating between the affected stations since this morning, there are also arrangements to accommodate commuters during the evening peak period. From 5pm, SMRT will run separate train shuttle service between Buona Vista and Queenstown stations, as well as between Jurong East and Boon Lay stations, at 10-minute intervals. LTA added that it has activated additional support from bus operators to improve bridging bus service ahead of the evening peak. «Commuters can also board the regular bus services calling at designated bus stops at the affected stations,» the authority said.

Imagine surviving an ordeal like this. A Star Qisna coach travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore crashed into a ditch in Johor on Sept 22 just before 4am. The driver and four passengers were injured. Eleven passengers were trapped in the vehicle and the windshield had to be cut open to rescue them. PHOTO: Stomp Stomp contributor Sandy, who was on the coach, said she was not badly hurt, but her body ached since the accident. After the crash near Ayer Hitam, according to her, the Stomp contributor and another female passenger were driven by car to Johor Bahru. «I think the rescue team arranged it,» said the Stomp contributor. Since her coach trip was cut short because of the accident, the Stomp contributor contacted Star Qisna about a refund via WhatsApp.

SINGAPORE – Four men, aged between 32 and 44, will be charged on Sept 25 for allegedly causing public nuisance and using abusive language against police officers. In a statement on Sept 24, the police said officers were preserving a murder scene in Sam Leong Road on Sept 22 at about 5.10am when the four men approached the cordoned-off area and tried to cross the police tape. They were advised to take an alternative route. Three of the men then allegedly taunted and used abusive language against the officers, while the fourth man filmed the interactions with his mobile phone. The officers tried to de-escalate the situation, and the men eventually left via the alternative route, but only after much persuasion, said the police. A video of the incident later made the rounds on social media. In the video, three men can be seen engaged in a verbal dispute with two police officers standing on the other side of a police cordon. A third officer later arrives and can be seen gesturing as he appears to try and de-escalate the situation. Through investigations, the police identified the four men, and they were arrested on Sept 23.

SINGAPORE — Singapore's total population stood at 6.04 million as at June 2024, a two per cent rise from June 2023, the Government's latest Population in Brief report showed. This is the first time the figure has crossed the six million mark. The increase was due mainly to a five per cent increase in the non-resident population, which grew from 1.77 million in June 2023 to 1.86 million in June 2024, said the annual report released on Sept 24 by the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD). The increase in non-resident workers, including work permit holders and migrant domestic workers, helped to provide much-needed services to meet Singaporeans' social and economic needs, for instance by supporting caregiving needs, and by filling occupations that residents are typically not keen on, such as construction jobs, said the NPTD in a statement.

During former transport minister S Iswaran's trial on Tuesday (Sept 24), defence counsel Davinder Singh addressed his client's disgorgement of the money involved in the charges against him. In a turn of events at the start of the trial, the prosecution amended the charges, choosing to proceed with four charges of obtaining valuable items as a public servant under Section 165 of the Penal Code and one charge for the obstruction of justice. Iswaran, 62, then pleaded guilty to the amended charges. The 30 other charges against him will be taken into consideration during sentencing. Iswaran was accused of obtaining items worth more than $400,000 from Ong Beng Seng, billionaire hotelier and chairman of Formula One (F1) race promoter Singapore GP, as well as David Lum, managing director of mainboard-listed construction company Lum Chang Holdings.