The Public Service Division on Friday (Aug 29) announced one new permanent secretary appointment and re-designation that will take effect from Oct 1, 2025.Tan Chye Hee, 52, will be appointed Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs Development) at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and concurrently Permanent Secretary (Information and Development) at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) form Oct 1. He takes over the portfolios from Aubeck Kam, 54, and Chng Kai Fong, 46, respectively. Tan has been director of the Internal Security Department at MHA since 2020.He was formerly Deputy Commissioner of Police for Investigations and Intelligence at the Singapore Police Force (SPF) from 2015 to 2020, and previously held various appointments in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, MHA and SPF. 

SINGAPORE — Loh Kean Yew missed a golden opportunity to earn his second Badminton World Federation World Championships medal as he lost 22-20, 21-18 to unheralded Canadian Victor Lai in the men's singles quarter-finals on Friday (Aug 29).World No. 50 Lai, who was 100th at the start of the year before he became the Pan Am champion in April, is assured of at least a bronze. He was the only unseeded player left in the draw.World No. 9 Loh was the hot favourite even though the Singaporean was making a comeback after a bacterial infection that left him bedridden for weeks and kept him out of international competition in July.But following slow starts in his earlier victories over 233rd-ranked Mauritian Julien Paul, Finland's world No. 53 Kalle Koljonen and Japan's world No. 8 Kodai Naraoka, he was once again off-colour, committing numerous unforced errors to allow his opponent to score a mighty upset.Lai, 20, took the first two points after his more illustrious opponent smashed into the net before he played a sharp angled shot to signal his intent.

A Vietnamese-American man was sentenced to a jail term of 19 months and fined $239,065 after he was convicted of three counts of money laundering on Thursday (Aug 28).In news release, the police said that Nguyen Duy Khiem, a 61-year-old dual citizenship holder, was involved in a US$8.3 million (S$10.6 million) money laundering case.Between 2018 and 2019, he entered into arrangements with various overseas call centres that were promoting fake investments to potential investors.He worked with those centres to receive fraudulent proceeds from investors and transferred them to overseas bank accounts, said the police.Khiem set up various companies in Singapore and used their corporate bank accounts for these fraudulent activities.In 2019, he arranged for two Vietnamese women, Hoang Dinh Phuong Thao and Hoang Thi Thuy Hang, to incorporate two companies, Kaloca Asia and Wellington York Partners, respectively in Singapore. Khiem also arranged for the two women to set up bank accounts for Kaloca and Wellington in Singapore.

SINGAPORE — More companies are set to freeze wages over the next year as business confidence weakens because of ongoing economic uncertainties, a Singapore Business Federation (SBF) survey released on Aug 28 (Thursday) found.Business satisfaction with the current state of the economy has slipped to 33 per cent, from 35 per cent the previous year; more companies are now expecting conditions to worsen rather than improve over the next 12 months.This growing pessimism is translating into more cautious wage policies. The share of businesses planning to freeze wages has risen to 41 per cent, from 35 per cent; those intending to bump up salaries has fallen to 59 per cent, from 64 per cent in 2024's survey.The wage freeze trend is being driven primarily by smaller companies, with 43 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) planning to hold wages steady, against just 28 per cent of large companies.Just over half of companies increased wages in the past year and plan to continue doing so over the next 12 months, with banking and insurance companies alongside manufacturers leading the way in salary hikes.

Fire safety upgrades are a necessary requirement as part of the lease extension for Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre (PPWC) and Jurong Fishery Port (JFP) to 2040, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Friday (Aug 29).PPWC's lease expires in 2026. It is Singapore's largest wholesale centre for fruits, vegetables and dried goods.The lease for JFP, Singapore's only fishery port, expires in 2030.The SFA has worked alongside other agencies to extend these leases to 2040 as part of a continued effort to achieve a resilient food chain for Singapore.But to proceed with the extension, they must rectify all fire-safety non compliances by the end of 2026.The Authority said that approximately 200 shops in the centre must undertake fire safety compliance works, including installing in-unit sprinkler systems.«These rectifications are critical to ensure the safety of tenants, workers and the public visiting PPWC,» SFA said, adding that it has worked closely with tenants and the Singapore Civil Defence Force on fire safety.

Injuries and deaths from traffic accidents in Singapore grew in the first half of 2025, increasing by 4.3 per cent from the same period in 2024.In its mid-year report on the traffic situation in Singapore, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Friday (Aug 29) that there were 4,860 hurt and 79 killed on the roads from January to June this year.In comparison, there were 4,665 injuries and 72 deaths from January to June last year. «[The] increase in the number of road traffic accidents and casualties in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 — continuing the upward trend observed over the past three years,» said SPF.More accidents involving elderly pedestriansContributing to the hike is a rise in the number of accidents involving elderly pedestrians aged 65 and above, as well as motorcyclists and pillion riders, according to police statistics. The first half of this year saw an increase in the number of pedestrian-related accidents involving seniors, climbing to 116 from 98 in the same period last year.

SINGAPORE — A repeat drug abuser landed herself in deeper trouble in 2022 when she offered police officers a bribe of $1,000 in exchange for permission to smoke one more cigarette, after she already had a few.On Aug 28, Radika Rajavarma, 42, was sentenced to five years, eight months and four weeks' jail.She had pleaded guilty to multiple offences including drug consumption and offering a bribe.The Singaporean must also spend another 256 days behind bars after she breached a remission order.Court documents stated that Radika, who had been in and out of jail since 2018 for drug abuse, was last convicted of methamphetamine consumption in 2020. She was sentenced to three-and-a-half years' jail before she was released in June 2022.She was then placed on a remission order, during which she was supposed to keep herself out of trouble from June 18, 2022, to Sept 24, 2023.Radika was also placed on a drug supervision programme which was supposed to last for five years from June 18, 2022 to June 17, 2027.

The anti-vaping measures in Singapore may result in more tourism for Batam, according to Batam Tourism Agency head Ardiwinata, The Jakarta Post reported on Wednesday (Aug 27).Batam, an hour's journey from Singapore by ferry, could be an «alternative» for vape users, he pointed out.«If there are strict regulations from the Singaporean government, the public will have alternatives to enjoy them, with Batam being one of those alternatives,» he said.«As long as it does not violate our regulations, they can choose Batam.»Comparing the situation to the closure of several public golf courses here, Ardiwinata pointed out that Batam has since become a popular destination for golfers from Singapore.Sports such as badminton, pickleball and basketball have also seen similar trends, said Indonesian publication Teras Batam. Some of these courts have been reportedly flooded by Singaporeans.Between January and June this year, 738,186 foreign tourists entered Batam, according to data from the Riau Islands Central Statistics Agency, South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday.

A motorcyclist was spotted convulsing on the ground after a crash along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on Thursday (Aug 28).A video posted on the same day by the Singapore Road Accidents.com Facebook page captured the aftermath of the accident.In the video, the motorcyclist is being tended to by two men, presumably from the car involved in the incident.There appears to be blood splattered on the road around the motorcyclist, who is seen convulsing while two other men assist to lift the motorcycle away from the motorcyclist. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to an accident involving a car and a motorcycle along the AYE towards the Marina Coastal Expressway at 1.10pm on Aug 28.The 28-year-old male motorcyclist involved was taken conscious to the hospital, they added. The Singapore Civil Defence Force told AsiaOne that the motorcyclist was taken to National University Hospital.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:721818]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

Three winning tickets will be sharing the $12.5 million Toto prize money in Thursday’s (Aug 28) draw.Two of the three tickets were System 7 tickets, each costing $7. The third winning ticket was an $84 System 9 ticket. Of the three winning tickets, two were purchased online. One of the System 7 tickets was purchased at Singapore Pools’ Sim Lim Square outlet. The winning numbers were 10, 11, 16, 24, 34, and 35. According to Singapore Pools, the total prize money is the 16th highest since October 2014. Thursday’s draw is the ninth Toto draw of 2025 that had a jackpot of over $10 million, with the most recent one on July 31, where a sole winner won the $12.8 million prize. The next draw will be held on Sept 1, with a prize money of about $1 million. [[nid:721871]]editor@asiaone.com 

SINGAPORE - Singapore's Loh Kean Yew is one win away from clinching his second Badminton World Federation World Championships medal, after coming from behind to beat Japan's eighth-ranked Kodai Naraoka 5-21, 21-19, 21-19 in the men's singles round of 16 on Thursday (Aug 28).The 28-year-old will meet Canada's 50th-ranked Victor Lai - the 20-year-old Pan Am champion who is the lowest-ranked player remaining in the draw - in the quarter-finals on Aug 29. Another victory at the Adidas Arena in Paris would secure at least a bronze medal for either player.Returning from a bacterial infection that left him bedridden for weeks and kept him out of international competition in July, world No. 9 Loh had to suffer before he survived.He told The Straits Times: «It was a tough match and a lot went on on the court. (Naraoka) played very well in the first game and I couldn't follow the pace.»I picked up the pace a little in the second game and I'm glad it worked. It was very intense and crucial in the third game and it could have been anyone's game at the end and I'm happy and relieved to come away with the win."

SINGAPORE — Two men allegedly worked together to access a computer platform even though they were not authorised to do so and stole cryptocurrencies worth around US$6.5 million (S$8.4 million).On Aug 28, Singaporean Dai Yong, 36, and Chinese national Zhang Xinghua, 38, were each charged with one count of misusing a computer system linked to global cryptocurrency exchange SafeX.The pair and other unknown parties are accused of committing the offence on or around June 30.The police said in a statement that on Aug 22, officers received a report about a case involving multiple instances of unauthorised access to a cryptocurrency wallet, resulting in unlawful transfers of cryptocurrencies from it.Officers from the Cybercrime Command of the Criminal Investigation Department identified the two men and arrested them four days later.

A new government official impersonation scam variant has emerged.This time, scammers impersonating officers from the Commercial Affairs Department's Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office (STRO) would claim that victims are involved in criminal activities such as money laundering and that they are required to be investigated. At least 20 of such cases involving more than $408,000 in losses have been reported since April 2025, said the police on Thursday (Aug 28).STRO is Singapore's Financial Intelligence Unit. It receives suspicious transaction reports and other financial information such as cash movement reports and cash transaction reports, analysing them to detect money laundering, terrorism financing and other serious crimes.Given this nature of its work, some unwitting members of public have fallen prey to fake official documents such as STRO reports and even 'Anti-Money Laundering warrant' issued through WhatsApp.

A three-day island-wide enforcement blitz from Aug 18 to 12 led to 121 summonses issued to errant commercial vehicle drivers for a wide range of traffic offences.In a joint media statement with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday (Aug 28), Traffic Police (TP) said checks were carried out on a total of 166 commercial vehicles.The summonses issued by TP were for offences ranging from speeding and using a mobile communication device while driving, to failing to keep left, failing to properly secure load on vehicle and failing to display speed limiter label visibly at the top right portion of the front windscreen.During the three-day operation, LTA detected 93 violations, which included seven overloaded vehicles, and 19 excluded vehicles found travelling on expressways without a permit. Mobile concrete pumps, mobile cranes and ready-mix concrete vehicles are some examples of excluded vehicles. TP also detected 17 heavy vehicles which failed to display a speed limiter label during the three-day operation. 

SINGAPORE — A married couple accused of offences including methamphetamine consumption allegedly allowed the woman's 15-year-old son — the man's stepson — to smoke an illegal drug.On Aug 28, the 45-year-old man and the 51-year-old woman were charged with offences including methamphetamine consumption, being in possession of drug paraphernalia and permitting a young person to abuse narcotics.All parties in this case cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the minor's identity.Court documents stated that the couple were earlier sent to a drug rehabilitation centre (DRC) on separate occasions for abusing narcotics.The man went to a DRC in 2000 for consuming morphine while the woman was sent to one in 2020 after she abused methamphetamine.They allegedly did not learn their lesson after their release and are now accused of consuming methamphetamine on or before June 23.The pair were reportedly found with drug paraphernalia, including smoking devices, in a Yishun Housing Board flat on June 23.The mother is said to have two straws stained with methamphetamine and a heroin-related substance, in her possession.

Students caught for vaping and substance abuse will risk detention, suspension, and even caning from Sept 1 when new legislation surrounding e-vaporisers and etomidate abuse kicks in, said Education Minister Desmond Lee.At a joint press conference on Thursday (Aug 28), Lee said that the Ministry of Education (MOE) will be issuing a stricter framework to guide schools on possible disciplinary actions for vape-related offences.«The Ministry of Education takes a firm stand against vaping by students in our schools as well as our institutes of higher learning (IHLs),» said Lee, adding that MOE will stipulate baseline, school-based and institution-based disciplinary measures on top of the penalties imposed by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).Under the new framework, schools may adjust the conduct grade of the student offender and enforce rehabilitative measures, such as counselling.Student offenders will also face possible detention, suspension and/or caning.

The Government will be doubling down on its nationwide campaign against vaping by increasing fines for first-time offenders and and imposing mandatory rehabilitation for repeat offenders beginning Sept 1.From next month onwards, first-time offenders will be fined up to $700 and second-time offenders will have to attend rehabilitation for three months under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act (TCASA). Repeat offenders will face prosecution and will be subjected to a maximum fine of $2,000 under TCASA.Under current laws, first-time and repeat offenders caught possessing, using or buying e-vaporisers face a maximum fine of $500. These enhanced penalties were unveiled at a press conference co-chaired by Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education Desmond Lee, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua and Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash on Thursday (Aug 28).