SINGAPORE — Passengers affected by the upcoming suspension of train services between Tanah Merah and Tampines stations from Dec 7 to 10 should expect crowds at the stations and shuttle bus points, and plan for longer journeys, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and rail operator SMRT said on Dec 4. The four-day stoppage of services, announced in early November, will allow track work to be carried out to connect the East-West Line (EWL) to the new East Coast Integrated Depot. A shuttle bus service, Shuttle 7, will ply the route between Tampines, Simei and Tanah Merah stations at a frequency of three to five minutes, and up to 55 double-decker buses will be deployed each day. Fares for Shuttle 7 will be the same as that for an MRT journey along the stretch. «The affected stations and shuttle bus points are expected to be crowded,» LTA and SMRT said in their joint statement. They advised commuters to plan ahead for their journeys and consider alternative routes via the Downtown Line (DTL) and other MRT lines, as this may result in shorter travel times.

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has been named the new secretary-general of the People's Action Party, succeeding Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Desmond Choo, Lam Pin Min, Ng Chee Meng and Sim Ann were additional members co-opted on Wednesday (Dec 4). The party's Central Executive Committee also elected the following office holders: Chairman: Heng Swee Keat Vice-chairman: Masagos Zulkifli Secretary-general: Lawrence Wong Assistant secretaries-general: Chan Chun Sing, Desmond Lee Treasurer: K. Shanmugam Assistant treasurer: Ong Ye Kung Organising secretaries: Grace Fu, Edwin Tong Members: Chee Hong Tat, Desmond Choo, Indranee Rajah, Lam Pin Min, Lee Hsien Loong, Ng Chee Meng, Sim Ann, Dr Tan See Leng, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan Observers had expected Ng to be co-opted at the CEC's first meeting, given the traditional symbiotic relationship between the labour movement and the PAP. Ng is NTUC's secretary-general.

Even primates need a year-end holiday, it seems. Multiple visitors spotted two monkeys walking around Changi Airport Terminal 2 on Tuesday (Dec 3), and some shared videos of the animals' antics there. One video posted to TikTok on the same day shows the pair climbing up a staircase railing at the terminal. Two staff members from a nearby eatery are also seen trying to block the primates' path by using a pole and a cleaning signboard as passers-by watch. Another TikTok clip shows one of the monkeys sitting on the floor near the check-in counters as a male airport staff member tries to shoo it away with a broom. The primate refuses to budge, however, only taking a few steps before sitting back down. https://www.tiktok.com/@summer88959/video/7444057071969930513 'Real customer service' In a different TikTok video, a female airport staff member is seen taking a different approach while dealing with the «special visitors». To get one of the monkeys to leave the building, she ushers it towards the door as if guiding a visitor to their destination.

SINGAPORE — The Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Gaia, the largest wooden building in Asia, bagged the top Unesco prize for architecture and design under the world's most beautiful campuses category on Monday (Dec 2). Changi Airport Terminal 2 also won the special prize for its interior at the series of competitions known as the Prix Versailles World Architecture and Design Award 2024, under the world's most beautiful airports category. This award is one of the top three world titles — namely the top Prix Versailles prize and separate special prizes for interior and exterior — that finalists in each category competed for. The Prix Versailles is an international series of architectural awards that celebrate contemporary projects worldwide by recognising innovation, creativity, reflections of local heritage, sustainability and design.

SINGAPORE — After 19 years on the run over an embezzlement case involving more than US$51 million (S$68 million), a rogue Singaporean tycoon and his wife were arrested in Malaysia on Tuesday (Dec 3). Ng Teck Lee, 58, was the chief executive officer and president of then listed recycling firm Citiraya Industries. The company was in the business of recycling and recovering precious metals from electronic scrap, such as used computer chips. Its clients included semiconductor giants like AMD, Intel and Infineon. Ng Teck Lee faces one charge for criminal breach of trust. PHOTO: BT FILE But instead of crushing items to recover precious metals from the scrap, Ng allegedly sent the products overseas to be sold. The Straits Times reported in 2008 that investigations revealed he had purportedly made more than US$51 million, which was worth around S$72 million at the time, from his schemes.

SINGAPORE - The police are seeking assistance from overseas authorities to locate a man connected to the death of a woman in an HDB flat in Dover Road on Monday (Dec 2). The death has been classified as murder, the police said on Dec 3 when contacted. «Investigations are ongoing against the 34-year-old man for alleged involvement in the murder of the 30-year-old woman,» the police said, adding that it is seeking help from foreign authorities to get more information about the man and to locate him. The body of the woman was found inside an 11th-floor flat at Block 1 Dover Road, with the police notified at about 5.10pm. The police said on Dec 2 that the man and woman were known to each other, and that he had left Singapore before they were alerted. About 10 plainclothes and uniformed police officers were seen outside the unit when The Straits Times arrived at about 8pm on Dec 2.

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday (Dec 3) - his first time being down with the virus. In a Facebook post uploaded at 6.52pm the same day, Mr Wong said that he had woken up in the morning with a bad sore throat, after a stretch of overseas work trips. He thought initially that he had caught the flu but took a Covid-19 test to be sure. «Turns out, I've finally succumbed to Covid after all these years!» he said in the post. «I'm feeling fine overall, and will self-isolate while working from home,» said Mr Wong, who turns 52 on Dec 18. He also advised people to stay updated with their flu shots and vaccinations, especially with many Singaporeans travelling during the holiday season. He added that they should wear a mask and take the necessary precautions should they feel unwell. Mr Wong was previously the co-chair of the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19 during the pandemic.

Did you know that there is a 'Singapore' in Johor, Malaysia? Located near the eastern coast of Kota Tinggi district, Kampung Singapura is about an hour and a half's drive from JB. A street sign marking the land which Kampung Singapura occupies. PHOTO: Google Street View Some hundred-odd families call the village home, reported Malaysian media outlet Sin Chew Daily. But why the name Singapura? According to village resident Fatimah (transliteration), many Singaporeans had moved into the area in the 1960s, when there was ease of travel between the two countries as a passport was not needed. They purchased land there and subsequently obtained Malaysia citizenship, said the 59-year-old, who runs a tailor shop in the kampung. According to her, many of those who live in the village work in palm oil or coconut production industries.

SINGAPORE — A 44-year-old man involved in various vehicle businesses has been fined $1.5 million for fraudulent evasion of duty and goods and services tax (GST) on 427 motor vehicles imported into Singapore between January 2019 and October 2020. Jason Liang Huan Shuo, a Singaporean, was also sentenced to five weeks' jail on Monday (Dec 2) for underpaying the additional registration fee — the main tax imposed during the registration of the vehicles — the Singapore Customs and Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement. Liang, the sole proprietor of JDM Automobile and a partner at Autogallery@JDM, pleaded guilty to three charges, two of which were under the Customs Act for fraudulent evasion of duty amounting to about $245,674 for the import of the motor vehicles. The third charge was for giving incorrect information under the Road Traffic Act in relation to the value of 219 motor vehicles.

A man was found dead at Tanjong Hall, a hostel at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The police told AsiaOne that they received a call for assistance at 64 Nanyang Crescent at about 7.45am on Tuesday (Dec 3). A 21-year-old man was found lying motionless at the scene. He was pronounced dead by a Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedic. Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play. Investigations are ongoing. AsiaOne has contacted NTU for more information.

Seven children at Little Seeds Preschool (Calvary Baptist Church) were hospitalised after 24 of them fell ill with gastroenteritis symptoms. Four of the children have been discharged from hospital while three remain in stable condition, said the Ministry of Health (MOH), Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) in a joint statement on Monday (Dec 2). The authorities added that no similar outbreaks have been reported in other Little Seeds Preschools. «ECDA is monitoring the situation and working with the preschool operator to ensure the well-being of the children,» they said. «ECDA has also reminded the centre to ensure compliance with MOH's guidelines to further mitigate the spread. »Preschools are required to adhere to the food hygiene requirements spelt out in the Early Childhood Development Centres Code of Practice." Preschool assisting investigation Anglican Preschool Services (APS), which manages the preschool, told CNA that there were three confirmed salmonella cases as of Nov 30. Salmonella is a bacteria commonly found in raw meat, dairy products, poultry and eggs.

US oil major Exxon Mobil Corp is weighing a sale of its petrol stations in Singapore, a deal that could raise about US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion), Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday (Dec 3), citing sources. Exxon operates 59 petrol stations in Singapore under its Esso brand, according to Esso's website. A sale would allow Exxon to raise cash to deploy in other areas of higher growth potential, the report said, adding that players in the energy industry and investment funds had shown preliminary interest in the disposal. Exxon declined to comment on the report. The company has been operating in Singapore for more than 130 years. Its facilities in the country include a refining complex, a lubricant plant, a fuels terminal and a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottling plant. A potential deal would become the oil major's second divestiture in Southeast Asia in recent months. Reuters reported in July that Exxon had agreed to sell its Malaysian oil and gas assets to state energy firm Petronas, exiting the country's upstream sector where it used to be a dominant producer.

SINGAPORE - The body of a 30-year-old woman was found inside an HDB flat in Dover on Monday (Dec 2). In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police said they received a call for assistance at around 5.10pm at a residential unit in Dover Road. When they arrived, a woman was found lying motionless inside the unit, and was later pronounced dead by paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force. «Preliminary investigations revealed that a 34-year-old man, who is believed to be able to assist with investigations, had left Singapore prior to the call for assistance,» the police said. «The man and the woman are known to each other.» About 10 plain-clothes and uniformed police officers were seen outside the 11th floor unit at Block 1 when ST arrived at around 8pm. ST understands that officers from the Criminal Investigation Department were at the scene. The area had been cordoned off. Two police cars were spotted at the foot of the block. ST also saw two officers carrying boxes and leaving in a Crime Scene Investigation vehicle at about 8.10pm.

SINGAPORE - A motorcyclist was taken to hospital following a collision involving a lorry, a motorcycle and a sambar deer in Mandai on Monday (Dec 2). The deer subsequently died. The police said they were alerted at about 6.35am to the accident in Mandai Road towards Mandai Avenue. The Singapore Civil Defence Force, which was alerted at about 6.40am, took the conscious motorcyclist, a 66-year-old man, to Woodlands Health. Responding to queries, the National Parks Board (NParks) said its team found the deer's carcass at the scene. It has since been cleared. A post on the Love Sambar Facebook page, shared on the same day, said the male sambar deer had attempted to cross Mandai Road from open ground towards the forested area around Upper Seletar Reservoir. According to the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), this marked the second case of roadkill involving a sambar deer in 2024. In July, a sambar deer was found dead after an accident involving a taxi in Mandai Road. Just days ago on Nov 29, a video of a herd of sambar deer grazing at the side of the BKE was posted online.

A personal mobility device (PMD) was spotted speeding in Queenstown before it skidded on the wet road and crashed. In dashcam footage posted to Reddit on Saturday (Nov 30), the PMD can be seen wobbling as its rider zooms along the leftmost lane of Alexandra Road. The PMD rider then cuts through two lanes to make a sudden right turn along Commonwealth Avenue, nearly hitting a car. This causes the PMD to skid and crash into the kerb near a pedestrian crossing. The driver who shared the clip said that he was travelling at about 60km/h and the PMD rider matched his speed.  

Soiled sanitary napkins littering the air-con condenser unit of a flat in Ang Mo Kio is making a resident see red. The resident, surnamed Zheng, said he has faced this issue for the past six months. «Before March, it only happened occasionally. Now, it happens every month,» the 61-year-old told Shin Min Daily News. Besides landing on the air-con condenser units of the several flats at Block 623 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9, the soiled sanitary napkins would also end up on the plants hanging outside his unit, Zheng added. «I can see them as soon as I open the window,» he said. Nowadays, the resident doesn't dare to open his windows for fear of the sanitary napkins landing in his room. Upset by the situation, Zheng made several reports to his town council and the National Environment Agency (NEA).

One Chinatown resident is at her wits' end after enduring years of noise disturbances from her next-door neighbour who appears to be upset because she cooks at home. The 70-year-old retiree surnamed Li, who lives at Block 536 Upper Cross Street, told Shin Min Daily News that her neighbour started knocking on the wall in 2019, claiming that Li's cooking caused her flat to become «extremely hot». While woman initially pounded on the wall during mealtimes, Li said she now does it more often and at odd timings. «She is unhappy when I pray at home and when I watch TV. Sometimes I hear the harsh knocks at 1am or 5am, and the noise makes my heart pound in fright,» Li added. When Li confronted her neighbour over the noises on Nov 12, the latter came out of her house holding a laundry pole. «Since last year, I've called the police numerous times, complained to the authorities and approached my MP for help. »But the problem has gotten worse. She even told me: 'If you cook, I will continue to knock'," said Li. Li added that they were supposed to attend mediation last November, but her neighbour did not show up.

Singapore's central bank said on Monday (Dec 2) it fined US lender JPMorgan Chase $2.4 million for failing to prevent and detect misconduct committed by its relationship managers. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said JPMorgan's relationship managers provided inaccurate or incomplete information to clients in 24 instances of over-the-counter bond transactions, charging them spreads above the agreed rates. MAS said in a statement that JPMorgan Chase did not have adequate processes and controls to ensure that relationship managers adhered to pre-agreed spreads with clients. The central bank said the bank had admitted liability for its failure to prevent or detect the misconduct and had paid MAS the civil penalty. «The bank has refunded the overcharged fees to affected clients. The bank has also enhanced its pricing frameworks and internal controls to prevent the recurrence of such misconduct,» MAS said. JPMorgan Chase said in a statement it was pleased the matter had been resolved and that it «represents a very small portion of the total trades processed during the related period».

No one likes being honked at — but getting violent is probably not the answer. A driver got out of his car to hit a bus after getting honked, according to a recent post on Facebook group Singapore Roads Accident. The incident involving the driver and bus service 81 took place along Hougang Avenue 3 at around 10.20pm on Nov 29. In a video taken by passenger in the double-decker bus, the driver can be seen exiting his Audi S5, storming over to the bus behind him. He then takes a swing at the bus' windscreen, causing a loud thump that made passengers shout in surprise. According to the passenger, the driver hit the bus four to five times before driving off. After viewing the clip, many netizens called for the driver to be punished, expressing distaste for his behaviour. «We cannot tolerate people who act in road rage and bully others,» a Facebook user commented. Another stated that drivers who succumb to road rage shouldn't be allowed to drive «for the safety of all other road users». «[He merely got horned at and he's already] angry... that's how vehicles signal and communicate,» a netizen pointed out.

In 1963, villagers in the northern coast of Singapore built Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang at Jalan Mempurong. Today, the mosque remains standing, surrounded by nature — even as the villages around it gave way to HDB blocks. «We still carry out prayers at the mosque but we do not hold religious classes as nobody wants to make their way to the mosque, which is rather secluded and surrounded by wooded areas,» 74-year-old Mohd Amin Abd Latip told Berita Harian. «We open the mosque for visits during inter-faith activities. You can still feel the village atmosphere here. The mosque is not fenced up and sometimes you can see wildlife in the compound. The charm attracts city dwellers to visit the mosque.» Amin remembers accompanying his dad to help build the mosque. He recounted how the villagers contributed 50 cents each for the building of the mosque. Lee Foundation donated $10,000 towards the project. «We built the main prayer hall first and everything else was added in phases,» said Amin.