SINGAPORE — Median household employment income grew to $11,297 in 2024, while income inequality fell to its lowest level in 25 years, after accounting for government assistance and taxes. Figures from the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) also showed that resident households got more money from government schemes, due to support measures rolled out in 2024. SingStat's Feb 13 report showed that among resident employed households, median monthly household employment income grew by 3.9 per cent in nominal terms, before adjusting for inflation. This was up from $10,869 in 2023. This is the third year in a row that this figure has breached the $10,000 mark. This figure was $10,099 in 2022. Median monthly household employment income rose 1.4 per cent in real terms, or after adjusting for inflation, in 2024. Household employment income includes employer Central Provident Fund contributions. This is a slight drop from 2023, when the figure increased by 1.7 per cent.

For the past decade, Suresh Vanaz has been carrying his brother to temples during Thaipusam, which fell on Feb 11 this year.  The 46-year-old Singaporean is the sole caregiver to his brother, 41-year-old Gunaseelan, after their mum succumbed to an illness in 2009. Gunaseelan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of three and is wheelchair-bound. On Thaipusam this year, Suresh carried Gunaseelan, who weighs almost 70kg, as the brothers followed the four-kilometre kavadi procession to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple at River Valley. There, Suresh prayed for his brother's health and happiness.    «I have been carrying my brother like a kavadi,» said Suresh, who expressed that he has been caring for Gunaseelan for as long as he can remember.  

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will establish a new statutory board, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA), on April 1, 2025. According to a statement released on Thursday (Feb 13), the CDA will serve to consolidate public health functions for the detection, prevention and control of infectious diseases, previously distributed under MOH headquarters, the Health Promotion Board, and National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). The formation of CDA will allow the government to quickly respond to disease outbreaks as one concerted public health effort, and will play a pivotal role in safeguarding Singapore from infectious disease threats. Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung previously announced plans to establish such an agency in 2023 during the COVID-19 White Paper debate, reported CNA. At the time, the White Paper called for a «dedicated set-up where expertise in surveillance, disease prevention, preparedness and response, epidemiological analytics and modelling can be enhanced and sustained».

A woman discovered a lottery ticket at a temple in Loyang on Monday (Feb 3) and decided to hand it over to the police, after the winning combination struck $10,000 later that weekend. Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Chen Yiming (transliteration) said that she had visited the Loyang Tua Pek Kong Temple on the sixth day of Chinese New Year to watch a lion dance performance when she spotted the 4D ticket on the ground after the show. As the temple was crowded at the time, the 63-year-old hawker was unable to identify the owner of the ticket and brought it home with her. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the ticket had been purchased that day and was for the Feb 8 and 9 draws later that weekend. The owner of the ticket had placed $2 small and large bets on the numbers 3388 and 8833.  According to data from the Singapore Pools website, 3388 struck first prize on Feb 9, with the lucky punter walking away with $10,000.  Upon seeing the draw results, Chen decided to hand the ticket over to the police at Sengkang Police Station on Feb 10. 

The People's Action Party (PAP) has appointed four new chairpersons in the Workers' Party-held constituencies of Aljunied and Hougang. Lawyer Marshall Lim, a former deputy public prosecutor, will take over from Jackson Lam to be branch chairman of PAP Hougang division, the party announced in a statement on Thursday (Feb 13). Lam had assumed the chairperson role of PAP Hougang division in October 2023. In Aljunied GRC, Dr Adrian Ang has been appointed chair of Bedok Reservoir-Punggol, while Daniel Liu will take over Paya Lebar and Dr Faisal Abdul Aziz will be chair of Kaki Bukit. Dr Ang, Liu and Dr Faisal will replace Victor Lye, Kenny Sim and Shamsul Kamar respectively. Lye has been chairman of PAP's Bedok Reservoir-Punggol branch since 2012 and contested in Aljunied GRC in the 2015 and 2020 General Elections (GE), while Shamsul has been Kaki Bukit chairman since 2015 and contested in GE 2020.

SINGAPORE — Changes in education must be accompanied by a shift in mindsets and culture to have lasting impact, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said. Structural reforms alone — such as changes in the Primary School Leaving Examination scoring system or the removal of mid-year exams — will not ease academic pressure or broaden the definition of success unless societal attitudes evolve as well, he said on Feb 11. Chan was speaking at a lecture organised by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Institute of Policy Studies and National Institute of Education (NIE), as part of celebrations marking SG60 and MOE's 70th anniversary. Addressing about 500 graduating student-teachers from NIE and guests, he said that having consistency and conviction in carrying out policies is important. «Timing is everything. We must have the shrewd instincts to know when to lead the way with conviction and the wisdom to know when to pace ourselves with society's shifts,» he said in a nearly hour-long speech tracing how Singapore's education system has evolved over the years and the challenges ahead.

From 97 to 126 — the number of new drug abusers aged below 20 arrested in 2024 has increased by 30 per cent as compared to 2023, said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Tuesday (Feb 12). Data from the Singapore Drug Situation Report released on Tuesday showed that out of the 3,119 drug abusers arrested in 2024, 966 were new offenders. Among them, 507 — 52 per cent — were aged below 30. This is the second year in a row where more than half of new drug abusers arrested were aged below 30, said CNB. Overall, the total number of drug abusers arrested in 2024 declined by one per cent, as compared to the 3,122 arrested in 2023. «While Singapore's drug situation generally remains under control, worrying trends in youth drug abuse persist,» said CNB Acting Director Leon Chan. «In 2024, the youngest abuser arrested was a 13-year-old.»  Citing a 2022 survey conducted by the Institute of Mental Health, Chan noted that the arrested teen was far younger than the average onset age of drug abuse of 16 years old.

Four drivers were nabbed by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Tuesday (Feb 11) for illegally providing ride-hailing services within Singapore, and to/from Malaysia. In a Facebook post, LTA said the drivers' foreign-registered vehicles have been impounded. A video accompanying the post showed several Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) being towed away from housing estates. LTA reminded the public to avoid using illegal ride-hailing services, which do not have proper licencing and insurance. This poses «serious risks» to passengers when accidents happen. «We will continue to take action against drivers who provide illegal hire-and-reward services, including cross-border trips without a valid Public Service Vehicle Licence (PSLV),» said the authority. Offenders may face a fine of up to $3,000, a jail term of up to six months, or both. Their vehicles may also be forfeited.

A cyclist died in an accident with a car in Tampines on Monday (Feb 10) morning. The deceased's family, via a family friend, made a social media post appealing for witnesses or dashcam footage of the accident. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the accident, which occurred along Tampines Avenue 9 towards Tampines Avenue 2, at around 7.45am. The accident involved a 61-year-old male cyclist and a 47-year-old male driver. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) conveyed the unconscious cyclist to Changi General Hospital, where he subsequently died. The police arrested the driver for driving without reasonable consideration causing grievous hurt. Investigations are ongoing.

SINGAPORE — A woman who fell while climbing the stairs of a double-decker bus has lost a civil negligence suit against transport operator SBS Transit (SBST) and the bus driver. In a written judgment published on Feb 11, a district judge said it was unfortunate that the woman was injured and that he sympathised with the pain and suffering she experienced. The judgment did not give details of her injuries. «Nevertheless, the fault did not lie with the second defendant's driving,» said District Judge Samuel Wee. He said that based on the video footage from the bus, it appeared that the woman missed a step, lost her balance and fell as the bus moved off from the bus stop. When she was cross-examined in court, she confirmed she was fit, robust and did not require any mobility aid to get to the upper deck of the bus. Judge Wee also noted that she had chosen to find a seat on the upper deck instead of the lower deck, which had available seats. The passenger, Madam Tran Thi Phuong Nga, was in her late 60s when she boarded the bus on Feb 17, 2020.

SINGAPORE — A woman who hit a neighbour with a mop until its aluminium handle broke into three pieces, and told her own teenage son she was going to kill his father in his sleep, has been sentenced to jail. Jessinta Tan Suat Lin, 50, was sentenced to four weeks' jail and fined $4,600 on Feb 11. Her lawyer said she suffers from anxiety and depression, but she was found to be unsuitable for a mandatory treatment order. Such an order mandates psychiatric treatment for offenders with mental health conditions in lieu of a jail term. District Judge Crystal Goh said a psychiatrist found that Tan's conditions did not have a contributory link to her offences. Tan had admitted on Jan 2 to three charges — one each for committing a rash act, voluntarily causing hurt and harassment. Two other charges, for harassment and another rash act, were taken into consideration in sentencing. The housewife is a former journalist who previously worked with news platforms, including Today.

SINGAPORE — Bidadari residents are divided over the fate of four stray dogs in the neighbourhood park, after the National Parks Board (NParks) said it would remove the pack from the area for public safety. Since Bidadari Park opened in September 2024, some 50 park-goers have complained of the dogs' «territorial behaviour», prompting the authority to intervene, said an NParks spokesperson on Feb 10. Trappers are in the process of «humanely capturing» the dogs, said NParks, adding that it would work closely with animal welfare groups to manage the animals after they are caught. Options include fostering and finding new homes for them, it said. But residents are in two minds about the move. Some are appealing for the animals — likely the mix-breed Singapore Special dogs — to stay, saying the stress of eviction would kill the old and unusually skittish canines. An online petition to save them has over 3,000 signatures. Others, who were at the park on the evening of Feb 10 when The Straits Times visited, said the «big dogs» were frightening, with «fierce» barks and a habit of chasing people — a hazard that should be removed.

Singapore has come out on top as the least corrupt country in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the 2024 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report released on Tuesday (Feb 11).  This is the first time since 2010 that Singapore has received the accolade, beating out New Zealand which held the position for 14 years. The report also ranked Singapore as the third least corrupt country in the world.  The CPI ranked 180 countries globally and measured them by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. Each country is given a score between zero, for highly corrupt, and 100, for very clean. 13 expert assessments and business surveys were used for the 2024 index. Singapore scored 84 points, up by one point from 2022 and 2023. The nation was ranked fifth least corrupt country in the world in the 2023 index. 

Up to $727,000 for a four-room Prime BTO flat — that's how much one can expect to pay for the most expensive Prime flat in Tanjong Rhu, which was among the 5,032 BTO flats launched in February's BTO sales exercise. Tanjong Rhu Parc Front in the Kallang/Whampoa precinct is only one out of the five projects that is classified under the Prime category in February's BTO exercise, said the Housing Board in a press release on Monday (Feb 10). Prime, along with Plus flats, have superior locational attributes, and are priced with more subsidies than Standard flats to ensure affordability. They also come with with tighter restrictions on resale, such as the subsidy clawback which is set at nine per cent for Tanjong Rhu Parc Front, said HDB. Several property experts told AsiaOne on Tuesday that the four-room BTO flats in Tanjong Rhu, at 90 sqm, are expected to be a hit with home buyers, despite the relatively high prices. Prices of the Tanjong Rhu flats, excluding grants, go for up to $364,000 for a two-room Flexi flat, $399,000 to $519,000 for a three-room flat and $548,000 to $727,000 for a four-room flat.

A Malaysian PR and his Iranian wife will be deported and banned from entering Singapore after they were discovered to be engaging in activities that threaten Singapore's security. The long-term visit pass of Parvane Heidaridehkordi, 38, has been cancelled and her 65-year-old husband Soo Thean Ling's permanent resident status has been revoked, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday (Feb 10). According to MHA, Parvane was involved in the operations of a Singapore-registered travel agency which sponsored visa applications by terrorism-linked foreigners looking to enter Singapore. Investigations found that the travel agency — which has since been deregistered — was a front for an operation directed by a foreigner based overseas.  Soo also attempted to register a new company to undertake their travel agency business in Singapore on two occasions after the authorities started investigating the above-mentioned travel agency. He intended for his wife to operate these businesses, which would «likely have facilitated Parvane's continued involvement in supporting the entry of terrorism-linked individuals» into Singapore, said MHA.