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.

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), in Myanmar to aid search-and-rescue efforts following the massive earthquake that struck the country on March 28, helped rescue a man trapped under a collapsed three-storey building on March 30. The operation, which took about eight hours, was conducted with members of the Naypyitaw Fire Service Department, the SCDF said in a Facebook post. The force had deployed an 80-strong contingent and four search canines a day earlier to assist in rescue efforts in the country, which was struck by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay, its second-largest city. The death toll stands at over 1,600 in Myanmar and at least 17 in neighbouring Thailand. More than 3,400 have been injured in Myanmar, and at least 139 are still missing. In its social media post on March 30, the SCDF said it began search-and-rescue operations at around 1am in the Zabuthiri Township in Naypyitaw.

The Ministry of Law has committed about $3 million over the next two years to support registered charity Pro Bono SG’s key programmes, including The Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS). Originally a ground-up initiative, CLAS was established forty years ago to provide legal representation to accused persons facing non-capital charges in Singapore who cannot afford legal aid. The Law Society Pro Bono Services (now known as Pro Bono SG) took over the administration of CLAS in 2007. “Having a first-class [legal] system is one thing, but it being made accessible to everyone in our system and our society is quite something else,” said Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong at the Pro Bono SG Awards 2025 held on Friday (March 28). CLAS has been receiving government funding since 2015 to institutionalise and support the availability of volunteer lawyers providing legal aid.

A car crash along Jalan Kayu left a 55-year-old man injured after a tyre from a BMW reportedly flew into a nearby eatery, striking him. CCTV footage posted on Facebook by SG Road Vigilante on Saturday (March 29) shows the moment the tyre from the BMW crashes into the restaurant's outdoor seating area, hitting a diner sitting there.  The police told AsiaOne that they were alerted to the accident involving two cars along 246 Jalan Kayu, heading toward Sengkang West Avenue at 8.55am on Saturday (March 29). A 55-year-old man was conscious when taken to Sengkang General Hospital. A 52-year-old driver suffered minor injuries but declined to be taken to the hospital, police said. He is currently assisting with the police investigation. Lin, the 50-year-old owner of the BMW, claimed he was trying to overtake the car in front of him when it suddenly turned right, causing the two vehicles to collide, reported Shin Min Daily News. The driver of the other car said that the BMW suddenly emerged from behind and collided with his vehicle.

In the 2020 General Election, the incumbent People's Action Party (PAP) team in Sengkang GRC, consisting of three political office holders, lost to a Workers' Party (WP) team of fresh faces. Five years on, Dr Lam Pin Min, the only remaining member of the losing PAP slate, told the media on Sunday (March 30) that the «new and younger» line-up is looking to win back the hearts — and votes — of residents with sincerity and passion in the coming election. «We know there's always a challenge to win back a constituency, especially a GRC from the opposition, but I think the effort speaks for itself,» said Dr Lam before a walkabout in Sengkang GRC. The 55-year-old ophthalmologist and former senior minister of state was with 39-year-old Theodora Lai, a principal at private equity firm Tembusu Partners; Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, 43, who teaches communications and new media; and Bernadette Giam, 38, a director at local food and beverage enterprise Creative Eateries. They have an average age of 44, five years younger than the previous PAP team that contested in Sengkang, said Dr Lam. 

Jackson Lam, who is the former People's Action Party (PAP) branch chairman in Hougang SMC, will be an asset to the party, government and Parliament should he run in the upcoming General Election, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam on Saturday (March 29). Shanmugam was speaking at an event in Nee Soon GRC, for which he is also a Member of Parliament (MP), and described Lam as being «very good on the ground». The minister added: «I would love to see him contest the elections.» Shanmugam was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a community pop-up event by DBS Foundation. Lam, 40, was also at the event. When asked if Lam would contest in Nee Soon, he responded: «Well, from anywhere, he will be an asset to the party, to the government and Parliament, wherever he contests from. »Where he contests, and whether he contests, you have to wait and see." Apart from Shanmugam, Nee Soon GRC MPs Carrie Tan and Louis Ng were also present and were seen engaging with beneficiaries.

SINGAPORE — UOB has denied allegations of improper conduct made by the former boss of a former client which have surfaced online, calling them baseless and defamatory in a March 28 Facebook post. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said separately that it is looking into the allegations made by Koh Kien Chon, who is also known as Ken Koh. He used to be the chief executive of Yang Kee Logistics, a client of UOB. The company has since folded. The allegations made by Koh, who made a statutory declaration on Feb 25 on the matter, relate to improper conduct by UOB's executives dating back to 2016 pertaining to the sale of a property, as well as a breach of confidential information regarding the sale. A statutory declaration is a statement that is affirmed to be true. It is made before a commissioner of oaths, who may be a lawyer, court interpreter, government official or any individual who is authorised to administer oaths and affirmations. The bank said in a media statement later in the day that it has issued a warning letter to Koh.

As Singaporeans, we rarely have to think about earthquakes as their occurrence here is rare. But when travelling overseas-especially to places like Japan, Indonesia, or Taiwan — you may find yourself in an earthquake-prone zone. On March 28, an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 rocked Myanmar, sending tremors to surrounding regions like Bangkok, where witnesses said that people streamed out of buildings.  Getting caught in an earthquake can be a scary and disorienting experience, especially if it's your first time; however, a little preparation and knowing what to do can make all the difference in keeping you safe.

SINGAPORE - An 80-strong force and four search canines from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) left for Myanmar on March 29 to assist rescue efforts in the quake-battered country. The Operation Lionheart contingent departed around 1pm, at full strength for the first time since a mission to Turkey in 2023, also for earthquake relief, an SCDF spokesman told The Straits Times. A 7.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28 has killed at least 1,000 people in Myanmar and injured 2,300 others, with the death toll expected to rise, according to latest reports. SCDF is answering the military junta's rare call for aid with a force including the elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, fire stations, full-time national servicemen doctors, paramedics and search and hazardous materials specialists, it said in a Facebook post. The contingent was at the SCDF's headquarters in Ubi on the morning of March 29 for a briefing before it took off on a Singapore Airlines flight, arranged «on short notice».

SINGAPORE - Pang Gek Teng, who grew Surrey Hills Grocer from one to five outlets, is no longer chief executive officer (CEO) of Surrey Hills Holdings after it terminated her employment on March 26. In a media statement on March 28, it said she has admitted to «certain wrongdoings and fraud» committed against the company. It will be carrying out investigations to ascertain the extent of losses suffered. In the interim, the CEO duties will be assumed by Koh Chew Chee, director of the board of Surrey Hills Holdings. It added that daily operations and its businesses will continue without disruption. Pang told The Straits Times via WhatsApp on March 28: «While I am deeply disappointed with the current situation, I am immensely proud of what [my colleagues and I] have accomplished together.»  «From a single vision from Joo Koon (where she opened her first outlet in 2021), we cultivated a thriving business that has resonated with so many, and I am grateful for the unwavering support from our customers, partners and employees who believed in this journey.» 

The extended leave that parents will soon get will foster deep connections with their newborn, said an analyst on Friday (March 28).  With the first phase of a new scheme to begin on April 1, eligible working parents will have six weeks of shared parental leave. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said on Thursday (March 27) that this will apply to those with Singaporean children born on or after April 1. Under the shared parental leave scheme, eligible fathers will also be entitled to four weeks of mandatory government-paid paternity leave. Dr Mathew Mathews, head of the Social Lab and principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, told AsiaOne that the two weeks of paid paternity leave that fathers currently get «resembles a short vacation from work».  «A month off allows fathers— and businesses—to fully disconnect from work,» he said, adding that it is a genuine opportunity for them to immerse into caregiving.  «This extended leave not only fosters deeper connections with their newborn but also reinforces their vital role in parenting.» 

More than 950,000 Singaporean HDB households will receive rebates on their utility and conservancy bills in April. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced the latest tranche of rebates in a statement on Friday (March 28), and said that eligible households will receive up to $190 in U-Save rebates and up to one month of Service & Conservancy Charges (S&CC) rebates, both being dependent on their type of units. For example, those living in a one- or two-room flat will receive $95 in both GST voucher (GSTV)  and Cost-of-Living U-Save rebates. The same household will also receive one month of S&CC rebates. In total, eligible Singaporean HDB households will receive up to $760 of U-Save rebates, as well as up to 3.5 months of S&CC rebates for the financial year. The rebates in April will be the first quarterly disbursement for financial year 2025. They are part of the government's permanent GSTV and enhanced Assurance Package schemes that are meant to help lower- to middle-income households with the rising cost of living.

Electricity and gas tariffs for households will be unchanged until June.  On Friday (March 28), SP Group said electricity tariffs will remain at 28.12 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), while City Energy said gas tariffs will remain at 22.72 cents per kWh.  Both prices do not include the Goods and Services Tax.  SP Group said it reviews the electricity tariffs every quarter based on guidelines set by the electricity industry regulator, Energy Market Authority. Due to volatile global fuel prices, electricity tariffs may fluctuate between each quarter. The electricity tariff consists of energy costs paid to generation companies and network costs to SP Group for transporting electricity through the power grid. It also includes a market support services fee and costs of operating the electricity wholesale market and power system. From October to December 2024, the electricity tariffs were 29.10 cents per kWh.

SINGAPORE — After evading paying goods and services tax at Changi Airport for luxury items she bought in Europe, a woman went on social media to teach others how to do the same. On March 27, Cloey Tan Wan Qi, 27, was fined $18,000 after pleading guilty to a charge under the Customs Act. In sentencing, District Judge Eddy Tham said Tan not only evaded the law, but also had the audacity to publicise what she did and teach others how to circumvent the law. The court heard that in May 2024, Tan went to the Netherlands and Belgium with her family and boyfriend and purchased multiple luxury items there for her personal use. These included five bags from luxury brands Christian Dior, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, two luxury wallets, one pair of shoes from Michael Kors and an engagement ring from jeweller House of Gassan. The total value of the luxury items she purchased was more than $23,000, and Tan knew she was supposed to pay GST on these items when she returned to Singapore. However, when she landed in Singapore on May 10, she cleared immigration and collected her luggage at Changi Airport without declaring the goods she brought home.

The remains of Seetoh Kwok Meng, brother of renowned Singaporean food critic, KF Seetoh, will be repatriated to Singapore, three months after a fatal gas explosion took place at his home in Italy last December. Seetoh, 63, provided the update in a Facebook post on Thursday (March 27) after reaching Lucca, Italy, where he will collect his brother's remains. «Investigations on the cause is still ongoing but we need some closure for now,» said Seetoh. His brother, 68, and his wife, Chang Kai En, died after a suspected gas explosion on Dec 21, 2024 at their home in the Italian town of Molazzana.