SINGAPORE – Democracy is under pressure because some governments have failed to deliver, not because there is something intrinsically wrong with the system, said Law Minister Edwin Tong.Some governments have abused their power and have been elected by unfair means, and through these means, have remained in power and abused their position, he said at a dialogue on Jan 22 titled Is Democracy in Trouble? at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.This has caused many citizens to be cynical about the process, he said.Some governments have also failed to carry out and discharge their obligation to improve their societies, said Tong, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs.Trust in institutions has eroded, and there is now more misinformation than previous generations had to contend with that has undermined many elections.“So all these factors and forces, I think, are buffeting the process of democracy,” he said during the dialogue which saw politicians and an academic debate the future of the political system.

SINGAPORE – For Carla Castle, 29, a public servant, the City Direct bus journey from her home in Jalan Kayu to her workplace in Bugis takes about an hour.Previously, she relied on the MRT, a trip that could take between 1hr 20min and 1hr 45min.At a focus group discussion held by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Jan 23, she suggested running City Direct bus services – which ply express routes between housing estates and the city – more frequently, and extending Travel Smart incentives for train commuters into the evening peak.“That would incentivise people to travel at different times... I think that’s a good way to disperse the crowds,” she said.The Travel Smart Journeys programme is aimed at encouraging passengers to avoid the busier segments of the MRT network in north-eastern Singapore during the morning peak. By doing so, they can earn rebates worth up to 80 per cent of the journey fare.Castle said including the evening peak in the scheme would spread the office crowd over a few hours, adding: “It seems like that’s one of the more immediate solutions [to crowding on the MRT] that could be implemented.”

No threat was identified at Paya Lebar Air Base at the end of security sweeps after a bomb threat, said the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) on Jan 23. In a Facebook post at 11.35pm, RSAF said that it was made aware of online posts alleging a bomb threat at its air base. “Precautionary measures were taken and bomb sweeps were conducted at the air base. No threat was identified,” a Ministry of Defence spokesperson told AsiaOne at around the same time. The spokesperson added that investigations are ongoing. In a post made on a social media platform seen by AsiaOne, the user alleged that bombs were planted at various parts of the air base, including the security trooper squadron. Making a bomb hoax is a crime punishable by up to seven years' jail, a fine of up to $50,000 or both.AsiaOne has contacted the police for more information. [[nid:727082]]editor@asiaone.com

A 17-year-old male teenager will be charged in court on Saturday (Jan 24) for allegedly causing a  police officer to suffer facial injuries which required about 20 stitches.The police officer was responding to a case of noise disturbance caused by a group of youths at about 10.30pm on Thursday (Jan 22) at Block 305A Punggol Road.Police said in a statement on Friday (Jan 23) that the group began to disperse in various directions upon the officers' arrival. The teenager, who was seated on his personal mobility device (PMD) was stopped by the injured officer, who had held on to the PMD's handlebar and the teenager's arm.Despite this, the teen allegedly sped off, causing the officer to be dragged for some distance before falling off. He later crashed into a nearby pillar and was arrested.The officer sustained cuts on his forehead, left eyebrow and left cheek, and received about 20 stitches for his facial injuries. He was also given 13 days of medical leave.

A Malaysian man has been sentenced to 14 weeks' jail for attempting to smuggle e-vaporisers into Singapore concealed in groceries.Muhammad Amirul Iqbal Mohd Nazri, 21, pleaded guilty to one charge of importing an imitation tobacco product on Thursday (Jan 22).Amirul was caught by Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority officers at Woodlands Checkpoint when they uncovered 1,000 e-vaporisers in his rental car on Nov 15, 2025.He was working for a man named MK, who instructed him to import the vapes into Singapore in exchange for a cash reward of RM1,000 (S$320), reported The Straits Times.MK sent a worker who provided Amirul with instructions on how to smuggle the vapes into Singapore.Amirul was told to rent a car and fill it with groceries to conceal the vapes loaded into the car by MK's accomplice before entering Singapore.Amirul was caught that night, according to court documents.Under the enhanced penalties introduced on Sept 1 last year, those convicted of importing into Singapore will face a jail term of up to six months, a maximum fine of $10,000 or both for their first offence.

A 30-year-old man was arrested on Thursday (Jan 22) for allegedly stealing a car parked at a multi-storey carpark along Woodlands Street 83.The incident took place sometime between Jan 18 and 19.Police said the driver had parked his rental car at the said carpark on Jan 18, and based on preliminary investigations, he left the key unattended overnight on one of the tyres. After being alerted to the incident at about 11.45pm on Jan 19, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of the suspect through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras.The 30-year-old was arrested on Thursday and will be charged in court on Saturday (Jan 24). If found guilty of theft of motor vehicle, he may be jailed for up to seven years and fined.[[nid:728304]]editor@asiaone.com 

A 27-year-old Singaporean woman riding pillion and a 38-year-old Malaysian motorcyclist died on the spot after being run over by a trailer truck on a Johor Bahru expressway on Wednesday (Jan 21). The two were travelling to the JB city centre along the North-South Expressway when the incident involving a lorry, motorcycle and trailer truck took place, reported China Press. In a statement on Thursday (Jan 22), Johor Bahru Southern District police chief Raub Selamat said that the male motorcyclist was trying to overtake a lorry when he lost control and crashed into the left rear end of the vehicle.  Both victims then tumbled to the right most lane and were subsequently run over by the trailer truck, he added. Their bodies were taken to hospital for post-mortem examination.Police investigations are ongoing. 

The police are investigating after a man was spotted verbally abusing SMRT staff at Choa Chu Kang LRT station on Wednesday (Jan 21).In a video uploaded to Instagram page sgfollowsall, he can be seen shouting at four station staff members.At one point, he could be heard yelling, «You are nothing but a prostitute,» while one staff member covered her ears. Another video of the incident, shared on TikTok, shows him sitting on the floor as security personnel pat his shoulders in an attempt to calm him.Under the comments section, several netizens suggested that he could be mentally unwell and in need of help.«That's a special needs person. Something or someone must have triggered him,» said one user.Another added: «If he has special needs, unfortunately he does not know better. He has been triggered, (which) explains the reaction.»

A Chinese man allegedly filmed and uploaded a video of a restricted area at a Singapore border checkpoint, violating the Infrastructure Protection Act. Douyin user Hei Zai (transliteration) allegedly uploaded the video on the social media platform, which has since been removed on Jan 18, reported Lianhe Zaobao. The 28-second clip was allegedly filmed in what appeared to be one of the rooms inside a Singapore border checkpoint. A male voice with a Chinese accent was reportedly heard laughing and saying, «Landed in Singapore... detained in a small dark room by Singapore Customs.» Three other women and another man were also in the room, reported the Chinese daily. The room had warning signs on its wall and window forbidding filming.The man was seen smiling and laughing at the camera as he repeated that he was «detained in a small dark room as soon as I arrived in Singapore». Under the Infrastructure Protection Act, anyone convicted of unauthorised photography, filming or video‑recording of a protected area or protected place can be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.

A week-long enforcement operation resulted in 52 individuals being investigated for their suspected involvement in registering SIM cards for illicit purposes.In a statement on Friday (Jan 23), the police said that the operation was carried out between Jan 8 and Jan 16 by officers from the Anti-Scam Command and the seven Police Land Divisions.Twenty-two men and 13 women, aged between 16 and 38, were arrested during the operation while another 17 individuals are assisting with investigations.Those involved were allegedly instructed to purchase SIM cards in bulk from different retailers in exchange for cash rewards between $15 and $20 per SIM card, said the police.In total, between 30 and 69 registered SIM cards were handed over to the syndicate's courier.According to the police, local SIM cards are typically exploited by criminal syndicates as a channel of communication for scams, unlicensed moneylending and vice, among other illicit activities.Those convicted of knowingly providing a registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain will face a maximum fine of $10,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.

A Chinese man has been being accused of filming and uploading a video of a restricted area at a Singapore border checkpoint, violating the Infrastructure Protection Act. Douyin user Hei Zai (transliteration) allegedly uploaded the video on the social media platform, which has since been removed on Jan 18, reported Lianhe Zaobao. The 28-second clip was allegedly filmed in what appeared to be one of the rooms inside a Singapore border checkpoint. A male voice with a Chinese accent was reportedly heard laughing and saying, «Landed in Singapore... detained in a small dark room by Singapore Customs.» Three other women and another man were also in the room, reported the Chinese daily. The room had warning signs on its wall and window forbidding filming.The man was seen smiling and laughing at the camera as he repeated that he was «detained in a small dark room as soon as I arrived in Singapore». 

The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project has reached yet another milestone with the completion of the inner facade steel bands at the Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru.In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Jan 21), the Malaysia Rapid Transit Corp (MRT Corp) highlighted that the completion marks an important turning point in the station's construction.«With the roof structure now in place, works can progress more efficiently into architectural finishes, systems installation and the final phase of facade works,» the Malaysian rail operator said.It added that the progress brings the project «another step closer» towards targeted passenger service by 2027.Speaking at an event at the Redha Institute on Jan 15, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke revealed that the first train is scheduled to run on Jan 1, 2027. 

A 30-year-old man has been charged in court for allegedly trafficking almost 2,000 etomidate e-vaporiser pods into Singapore, said the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).In a press release on Thursday (Jan 22), HSA said that the operation yielded the largest haul of etomidate e-vaporiser pods — otherwise known as Kpods — since etomidate was classified as a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) on Sep 1 last year.The agency said that Muhamad Khairuddin Bin Abdullah had attempted to smuggle the Kpods into Singapore at Woodlands Checkpoint on the night of Jan 20.Muhamad was travelling with his 63-year-old mother and four-month-old niece in a rental car, and had hidden the 1,989 e-vaporiser pods in the car boot.Upon discovery of the hidden e-vaporiser pods, Muhamad was detained by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). HSA was also alerted, and subsequently conducted a raid at his residence, yielding three regular e-vaporiser pods. 

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has come out tops among its peers in Fortune's world's most admired companies list for 2026 released on Wednesday (Jan 21).It is ahead of Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM Group, United Airlines and Lufthansa Group, and outshone the wider aviation sector including Airbus and Lockheed Martin. SIA and Toyota are the only Asian companies in the top 25 —the automobile company is ranked 23rd overall, while SIA is ranked 24th — bettering its 28th spot in 2025.It is also the only Singapore-based company to feature in the top 50.According to consultancy firm Korn Ferry, which partnered Fortune, nine attributes were used to evaluate companies when determining the industry rankings: ability to attract and retain talented people; quality of management; social responsibility to the community and the environment; innovativeness; quality of products or services; wise use of corporate assets; financial soundness; long-term investment value; and, effectiveness in doing business globally. In an online statement, SIA said that it is honoured to be included in the list and for topping the industry.

A day after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it is resetting the Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) system for buses, the transport regulator announced that it has identified the root cause of the issues affecting the system.In an update issued on Thursday (Jan 22) evening, the authority said that its engineers and contractors discovered a memory cache build-up in the on-board systems of some buses.«This disrupted data transmissions between on-board bus systems and the central ETA processing servers, leading to missing bus arrival timings.» About 50 per cent of the bus fleet across all bus operators have been affected.Restoration process to take about four days: LTAAs part of the restoration process, technicians will need to reconfigure the ETA system and clear the cache on all the affected buses.Given that there were 5,841 public buses as at the end of 2024, technicians will have to physically service more than 2,900 on-board units.LTA said that this process is expected to take about four days to complete.

Most people are concerned about the need for security and growth in their careers, including the dignity of knowing that they are able to contribute in their roles, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. President Tharman, who also co-chairs the World Bank Group's high-level advisory council on jobs, was speaking at the World Economic Forum's session on the jobs challenge in emerging markets on Wednesday (Jan 21) in Davos.Speaking after Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank Group, who talked about concerns regarding the insufficiency of jobs in emerging markets for people coming of age, President Tharman agreed that geopolitics aside, most people would be most concerned about jobs.He said: «Ask ordinary people around the world what their main concerns in life are, what is on the minds of most people is the need for security and growth in their careers. »Not necessarily the same job, but the security of a career, growth through their lives, and the dignity of knowing that they are able to contribute." 

The supply of Certificates of Entitlement (COE) for the February to April period will drop by 1 per cent compared to the previous quarter, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Thursday (Jan 22).The total number of COEs will fall slightly to 18,824, down from 18,894 from November 2025 to January 2026 period, which saw a 1.5 per cent increase.Compared with the last quarter, the quota for Categories A and E will decrease by around 1 and 13 per cent respectively, while the quota for Categories B and C will increase by around 1.5 per cent and 3 per cent respectively.The quota for Category D will remain unchanged.LTA added that bidding under the new quota will begin on Feb 2.The COE quota for the bidding period of May to July 2026 will be announced in April.The upcoming COE quota consists of the following components: