Indonesia has taken inspiration from Singapore's successful policies, implementing them for its own benefit, Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto said at the joint press conference with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday (June 16).President Prabowo, 73, said that he spent «some years» as a child in Singapore, where he witnessed its development in the early days.«To be very frank, I've always admired the success of Singapore and especially the success of the early leaders of Singapore,» the Indonesian leader said.This is his first visit to the Republic since taking office in October.«In real life, we are allowed to copy... it's called 'copy with pride',» he said. «I learned this, and I think Singapore has initiated many successful policies.»He highlighted how Singapore has implemented policies that provide Singaporeans with low-cost housing, which Indonesia has copied and intends to continue pursuing «full speed ahead».

A 42-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound while cycling with his friends in a forested area of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve on Sunday (June 15), at around 11.40am.The incident occurred between Upper Seletar Reservoir and Upper Peirce Reservoir — an area that is restricted to the public and gazetted for Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) live-firing activities.In a news release, the police said that they were alerted by National University Hospital (NUH) at about 11.55pm on the same day, after a man with a gunshot wound was admitted.A bullet slug was lodged in the man's left lower back, but the injury was not life-threatening.He underwent a surgery to remove the bullet slug, and is reportedly in a stable condition.The Ministry of Defence and SAF said they are aware of the incident.According to the police, the forested area where the man had been cycling is marked with signage warning against unauthorised entry into a live-firing zone.

About 300,000 Pioneer Generation Singaporeans will receive MediSave top-ups amounting to over $160 million in July.In a statement released on Monday (June 16), the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced that the annual Pioneer Generation MediSave top-ups are provided on top of the regular GST Voucher for eligible Singaporeans aged 65 and above.Eligible Pioneers will receive enhanced annual top-ups ranging from $300 to $1,200 in July, up from $250 to $900 in 2024.Older Pioneers born in 1939 or earlier with serious pre-existing conditions will also receive additional top-ups of $50 or $200 to help cover higher MediShield Life premiums.«Pioneers born earlier generally receive larger MediSave top-ups as they typically have less savings than younger members of the generation and may need more support with their annual health insurance premiums,» the ministry said. The top-up will be automatically credited to the CPF MediSave Accounts of eligible Pioneers.MediSave funds can be used to pay premiums for MediShield Life, CareShield Life, ElderShield, and other MediSave-approved insurance plans. 

A 48-year-old woman has been arrested for her suspected involvement in using another person's credit card details to make over $262,000 worth of unauthorised transactions.In a statement on Sunday (June 15), the police said they received multiple reports on June 11 from victims of scammers posing as staff members from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.According to the police, money belonging to the victims were purportedly transferred to a credit card, which was then used to make unauthorised transactions. Follow-up investigations by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the credit cardholder, who was found to be another victim of a government official impersonating scam.He had been instructed by the scammers to apply for a credit card and provide them with the credit card credentials. The card was eventually traced to the 48-year-old woman, who was arrested on June 14 while attempting to make a purchase at a jewellery store.

A new quay crane has tipped over at Tuas Port, according to a joint statement by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and port operator PSA Singapore (PSA) on Sunday (June 15).In a video of the incident shared on Facebook group Safety Watch, the fallen crane kicks up a billowing dust cloud.A person can be heard repeatedly commenting in Mandarin: «The crane has collapsed!» MPA and PSA said that the incident took place around 1.20pm on Sunday as the new crane was being delivered to a non-operational berth.«There were no injuries or fatalities,» they said. «No damage has been assessed to port equipment and facilities.»All of PSA's currently operation berths are fully accessible, while port operations and development works are unaffected.

After an increase in Covid-19 cases in April, Singapore is finally seeing a dip in weekly cases and hospitalisation numbers.  Sharing the news in a Facebook post on Saturday (June 14), Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung said:  «I am happy to update that our recent Covid-19 wave is subsiding. »When the wave started in late April, we saw estimated weekly infections climb to about 26,400 cases.

An accident between a cyclist and a tipper truck along Tanah Merah Coast Road on Saturday (June 14) left the former lying face-down on the road, as seen in videos circulating online and on WhatsApp.According to videos posted by users on TikTok, the incident occurred along that road.The clips appeared to show the aftermath of an accident, with a man in a red top and black cycling shorts lying face down by the side of the road, next to a bicycle. A tipper truck is seen parked haphazardly, metres away.[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@badboy198211/video/7515618414111689992[/embed]Another photo showed a group of fellow cyclists standing next to the man.In a statement to AsiaOne, police stated that they were alerted to the accident involving a bicycle and a tipper truck on June 14 at about 8.55am.The incident occurred along Tanah Merah Coast Road towards Xilin Avenue.A 54-year-old male cyclist was taken conscious to the hospital and investigations are ongoing, police said.

SINGAPORE - TikTokers advertising themselves as debt consultants are charging debtors thousands of dollars to exploit a government bankruptcy avoidance scheme.Checks by The Straits Times showed that there are at least a dozen such consultants on the social media platform.One consultant said that for a fee, he can guide debtors through the Debt Repayment Scheme (DRS) to help them secure a discount on their debt.He said he had helped a client clear a debt of more than $100,000 with a repayment of only one-third of what he owed, or $35,000.«That's $65,000 savings, no shiok meh? (sic),» the man added.ST understands such firms charge debtors between $1,000 and $5,000 for their services.Credit Counselling Singapore (CCS), a non-profit organisation and registered charity, said it has seen a number of debtors falling prey to exploitative debt consultancy firms.CCS general manager Tan Huey Min said it had a debtor who approached the organisation after he paid a consultancy firm in hopes of getting on the DRS.The man had debts of more than $150,000, above the threshold for the bankruptcy avoidance scheme.

SINGAPORE - Singaporean students bound for Harvard University are still pressing ahead with their plans despite uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's ban on foreign students, even as some still do not have their visas.Ms Welly Tantono, the president of its Singapore alumni club, told The Straits Times on June 14 that as far as she is aware, none of the prospective Singaporean students have relinquished their offers.The Harvard Club of Singapore on June 14 organised a pre-departure meeting for the Republic's Harvard hopefuls, which ST understands was attended by more than 10 matriculating undergraduates and postgraduates.Among them, about half have yet to obtain their visas, said a Harvard Club Board member, who declined to be named.Some existing visa appointments at the local US embassy have also been cancelled, and new appointments are difficult to make, he added.A total of 22 people had indicated on the club's website that they would attend the annual event, which was held at Monk's Brew Club in Katong.Ms Tantono said the event had hoped to «offer comfort» to matriculating students.

A Malaysian teacher was found dead in her home in Johor on Friday (June 13) after reportedly missing work for several months.According to Lianhe Zaobao, the body of Lo Kwan Fong was found in an advanced state of decomposition.Her colleagues are now hoping to find her only relative who had migrated to Singapore some time ago.Lo, 39, lived in the Iskandar Puteri district and was a vice-principal at a primary school in Johor, reported Guang Ming Daily and Sin Chew Daily.One colleague who did not want to be named revealed that Lo had not reported to work for an extended period.The colleague also shared that Lo had lived alone after her parents died over 15 years ago, describing Lo as an introvert.Neighbours also noted that they had not seen Lo for a long time.They said that according to another co-worker who had worked with Lo for a longer time, her only known relative is her maternal aunt who migrated to Singapore many years ago and is estimated to be around 74 years old.

Singapore's 15th Parliament will hold its first session on Sept 5 at 5pm.The sitting would commence with the election of the Speaker and the swearing-in of Members of the Parliament (MP) who were elected during General Election 2025, said Leader of the House Indranee Rajah in a media release on Friday (June 13).Seah Kian Peng has been serving as Speaker since 2023.President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will then deliver his opening address, where he will outline the priorities, policies and programmes of the Government.Debates on the President's Address will subsequently occur between Sept 22 and 26.The 14th Parliament was dissolved on April 15 ahead of the General Election on May 3.The 15th Parliament will have 99 MPs consisting of 97 elected MPs and two Non-Constituency MPs comprising Andre Low and Eileen Chong from the Workers' Party.

Cashless payments are meant to offer convenience but for one customer at a porridge stall in Westgate, it led to a pricey mistake.While paying for his $5.40 meal at Mung Zuk in Westgate, a Caucasian customer accidentally transferred $540 instead, Shin Min Daily News reported.The transaction occurred on Tuesday (June 10) at around 2pm but it wasn't until later that staff realised the overpayment.In a Facebook post shared a few hours later, the eatery appealed for help locating the customer. «As soon as we realised the overpayment, our team searched around the mall to try and find him, but unfortunately, we could not locate him,» the Facebook caption read.

A Malaysian man's attempt to depart Singapore illegally was thwarted by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Thursday (June 12).Hiding in a Malaysia-registered grey lorry, the man was looking to exit the country via Tuas Checkpoint, said ICA in a Facebook post on June 13.However, ICA officers carried out enhanced checks at the checkpoint and discovered him lying flat in a corner of the lorry's cargo compartment.The man as well as the vehicle's driver and attendant have since been arrested and referred to ICA's Enforcement Division for further investigation. In the Facebook post, ICA stated that it takes attempts to enter or depart Singapore illegally as a serious matter.

A 63-year-old man has been rescued by the Police Coast Guard after ending up in the waters off East Coast Park on Thursday (June 12). According to Shin Min Daily, witnesses said that the man often swam there, and it was believed that the strong wind and waves pushed him away from the shore. It is understood that the man was clinging to the edge of a concrete structure near the jetty before the Police Coast Guard threw him a life buoy and pulled him towards their boat.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that a call for assistance was made at about 8.10am, alerting them to a man in distress in the waters near East Coast Park.The 63-year-old man was rescued from the waters by officers from the Police Coast Guard.The man has been assessed by SCDF for minor injuries but has declined to be sent to the hospital.[[nid:662493]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

SINGAPORE — A cultural group has released footage to clear the air over a handshake incident that led to online criticism of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang.Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng said it had invited Gan for a Cantonese cultural festival held at Peck San Theng in Bishan Lane on Saturday (May 17).Representatives of the 155-year-old cultural institution, which is managed by 16 Cantonese clan associations, were waiting to greet her when she arrived alone.The footage shows her alighting from the car, with a mobile phone in her right hand. She then slips the phone into her rear right trousers pocket as representatives of the group approach her.Among those who extended their hand was Leong Chee Leng.The 72-year-old is a member of the Kong Chow Wui Koon lion dance troupe, which was scheduled to perform at the Cantonese cultural festival.Leong can be seen extending his hand to greet her, but Gan is also approached by Edward Leong, the chairman of the cultural festival’s organising committee.

Tobacco enforcement officers from the the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) raided Club Slim, a nightclub in Excelsior Shopping Centre at Coleman Street, on May 15 and uncovered an active trade in illegal e-vaporisers and related accessories.This comes as the authority steps up enforcement and continues to combat the unauthorised sale and use of e-vaporisers at nightlife establishments, it said in a statement on Friday (June 13).The club's manager admitted to selling e-vaporisers to staff members and HSA linked him to an illegal distribution network after they searched his vehicle and residence. The 45-year-old man is currently assisting the authority in investigations.Three men and two women aged between 22 and 40, who were patrons of the nightclub, were also found to have e-vaporisers and components in their possession. They were issued fines by the HSA on the spot.Under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, the possession, use or purchase of e-vaporisers carries a maximum fine of $2,000.

Unable to reschedule flights and receive refunds, many Jetstar Asia passengers are voicing their frustrations as they try to adjust their travel plans.Jetstar Asia announced on Wednesday (June 11) morning that it will be ceasing operations effective July 31 after years of financial losses, and will be operating on a «progressively reduced schedule» for the next few weeks.In a statement on Wednesday, it said that customers with bookings after July 31 would be offered full refunds for their flights, but many are facing difficulties in claiming refunds.'Can't get through to anyone'Speaking to AsiaOne, an affected passenger, who wanted to be known as Megan, said that she has been unable to get help from customer service.The 27-year-old had booked a flight to Bangkok in August and received an email on Wednesday afternoon that provided a form to apply for a refund.