While the important and hard work that town council cleaners do often go unnoticed, their absence is noticeable to everyone, said Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim.He was sharing his thoughts on the estate cleaners of Anchorvale whom he treated to a farewell meal, according to a Facebook post on Monday (May 25).Associate Professor Lim, who is MP for the Anchorvale division of Sengkang GRC, explained that part of the team of conservancy contractors in the estate will be replaced after five years amid Sengkang Town Council contract renewals.«While I'm a little sad — having worked with some of these folks for more than five years now — I understand that (the) town council has to be prudent as it renews its contracts, evaluating past performance alongside other quality dimensions, as well as a competitive bid price,» he said.He added that he has «mixed feelings» about the cleaners' departure, and quoted William Shakespeare that «parting is such sweet sorrow». 

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) on Monday (May 25) released its findings into the Chong Pang Integrated Development (CPID) construction mishap, three weeks after a falling metal bar crashed through a nearby HDB roof.An investigation report submitted by the appointed Qualified Person (QP) stated that the incident happened during dismantling works when a metal bar slipped from the workers' hands. «The bar then struck a nearby material stacking rack, which caused the metal bar to deflect out of the work area and damage part of the roof of (the adjacent) Block 103 (Yishun Ring Road),» SLA said in its update issued on Monday night.A QP is a registered architect or professional engineer who is authorised to submit building plans to authorities, ensure regulatory compliance, and supervise structural works. In this instance, the QP's role was to investigate the incident and recommend remedial actions. 

Two days after a 36-second video was posted on Reddit showing a rat scurrying about on a train car on the East-West MRT line, rail operator SMRT has completed its «investigations».A tongue-in-cheek social media post by SMRT on Monday (May 25) reads: «Following our investigations, we have traced the rat's likely path. »It appears to have entered Lakeside station after emerging from nearby bushes and running through the fare gates.«But that's not all. SMRT went on to declare that »Master Splinter" had travelled without paying the correct fare.

Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday (May 25) met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the second day of his five-day visit to East Asian countries, including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea.Both have been in their respective roles for over a decade. Wang was first appointed to the role in 2013, while Dr Balakrishnan became foreign minister in 2015.In a social media post on Monday, Dr Balakrishnan shared a video showing the two leaders making their opening remarks, in which Wang said Singapore and China should continue to strengthen the strategic relationship and communication.«Singapore and China might differ in size, yet we remain steady in our resolve to confront turbulence and volatility of the prevailing international landscape.»

Household egg brand Seng Choon is among five farms that will be affected by land-use changes in Lim Chu Kang.The other farms are Bollywood Farms, Gan Aquarium, Gallop Kranji Farm Resort and Malaysian Feedmill Farms, CNA reported.The land-use changes were announced in a joint statement by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the Ministry of Defence, the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Singapore Land Authority on Monday (May 25).«These changes arise from ongoing reviews of land use to meet Singapore's evolving needs,» the statement read.Land north of Lim Chu Kang, currently designated for defence, will be reallocated for agricultural developments in the future.Meanwhile, land south of Lim Chu Kang will be repurposed for defence uses.The statement explained that «careful planning» of Singapore's limited land is necessary to meet national needs, such as housing, defence, jobs, infrastructure and food production.Strategic land use changes are necessary to optimise scarce land resources to meet evolving national needs and ensure Singapore's continued growth and development, the statement said.

The Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) on Monday (May 25) launched its Beijing Representative Office in a ceremony officiated by Minister for Law Edwin Tong.This marks the SIAC's second representative office in China, as the first — in Shanghai — celebrates its 10th year in China.In his speech at the office's opening, Tong, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, said the opening of SIAC's second representative office in China signifies a deepening connection with and in China.He noted that since the establishment of the Shanghai office, Chinese parties are now among the SIAC's most important users, while Chinese arbitrators and practitioners have become an «increasingly integral part» of the SIAC community.SIAC's value propositionAgainst the backdrop of China's rapidly expanding trade footprint, significant outward investments — reaching US$174 billion (S$222 billion) in 2025 — and its role in global infrastructure and engineering projects — reaching US$289 billion in 2025 — dispute resolution mechanisms become necessary.

Like other dog lovers, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong joined residents and their pets at a community event in Choa Chu Kang on Saturday (May 23), where dogs took centre stage.In a Facebook post on Sunday, PM Wong shared highlights from the event themed «Woof Woof Day Out» which took place at Stagmont Park as the usual venue at Limbang Park is currently undergoing upgrading.«The good news (is that) the refreshed park will include a new dog run when works are completed later this year!» said PM Wong who is also MP for the Limbang division of Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.A video shared on the prime minister's social media also showed him interacting with dogs and residents and joking with a resident whose pet was well behaved, prompting the owner to reply that it was «in front of you» that the dog was behaving.

Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh made an appearance at a Team Eunos grocery event, even joining in a birthday celebration for a team member.Photos of the event shared in a Facebook post on Saturday (May 23) showed Singh interacting with and packing groceries for residents. Singh shared that Team Eunos held one of their $10 grocery truck initiatives, targeting Blue CHAS card holders, at Blk 142 Bedok Reservoir Road in the Eunos ward of Aljunied GRC earlier that day. He added that they also celebrated a birthday with a cake from a neighbourhood bakery.  Despite the «hot and humid» weather, he thanked the team for putting in the hard work and effort. Singh is MP for the Eunos ward of Aljunied GRC.

SINGAPORE — More people in Singapore are using Singlish more frequently in everyday life, including at work, with 80 per cent of those who are younger saying they speak the colloquial language well.An increasing number also identify most with English or Singlish, while the proportion of people who identify most with their mother tongue or parents’ dialects has dropped, according to a new study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).In another finding, mother tongue proficiency has remained stable over the years based on self-reported figures, but ethnic Chinese respondents were more likely to perceive a drop in general mother tongue standards in Singapore.The increased identification with Singlish represents an attempt to describe a sense of national identity, said Dr Mathew Mathews, head of the IPS Social Lab and lead researcher of the study published on May 25.The Language Identity and Management in Singapore study draws from findings of the latest IPS survey on Race, Religion and Language, which surveyed 4,000 Singapore residents in 2024, for comparison with its 2013 and 2018 iterations.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), celebrating its Pearl Jubilee this year, on Monday (May 25) launched a travelling exhibition to commemorate 30 years of maritime heritage and to reimagine the nation's maritime future.Launched officially by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow, the exhibition was unveiled at Lot One's Shoppers' Mall in Choa Chu Kang. «Singapore's raison d'etre as a trading port dates back centuries, long before the establishment of our modern port. »By bringing this exhibition to community spaces, we hope Singaporeans will gain a deeper appreciation of our historical and ongoing contributions to global supply chains, and more importantly, our commitment to strengthening Singapore as a trusted and efficient global maritime hub," the acting minister said.Themed Voyage Beyond: Reimagining Maritime Singapore, the immersive showcase will bring visitors through Singapore's maritime evolution — from historical trade routes to its current status as a leading port and international maritime centre.

SINGAPORE — Singapore's key consumer price gauge rose 1.4 per cent in April from a year earlier, official data showed on Monday (May 25), below economists' expectations.The core inflation rate, which excludes private road transport and accommodation costs, was lower than the median forecast of 1.7 per cent in a Reuters poll. Headline inflation was 1.8 per cent in annual terms in April, also lower than the two per cent seen in the poll.In April, the central bank tightened monetary policy and raised its 2026 forecasts for both core inflation and headline inflation to a range of 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent, up from one per cent to two per cent previously.[[nid:736577]]

SINGAPORE — Singapore's central bank is working with the country's private banking industry group to shorten the time needed for wealthy individuals to open bank accounts, the bank's chief said on Monday (May 25).The Monetary Authority of Singapore issued a circular on Monday guiding financial institutions to establish a client's source of wealth in a «risk-proportionate» way in order to cut application times, said managing director Chia Der Jiun.The central bank has imposed stringent anti-money laundering controls in the wealth management sector, compelling banks to do extensive due diligence into account applicants.The guidelines are expected to cut the median time needed to open an account to within one month, from the current six weeks or longer for more complex cases, Chia said.Chia was speaking at the UBS Asian Investment Conference (AIC) Singapore Wealth Edition.«It provides further guidance for applying the principles of materiality and relevance, so that financial institutions can avoid unnecessary and excessive steps in the process and be more targeted,» he added.