SINGAPORE – Mr Liew Mun Leong has stepped down as chairman of Changi Airport Group and Surbana Jurong, days after the High Court acquitted his former maid of theft and raised questions about his motivations in lodging a police report against her.
He has also resigned from his positions as senior international business adviser at Singapore investment company Temasek and as a board member of Temasek Foundation.
In a statement on Thursday (Sept 10), Mr Liew said he had decided to bring forward his retirement from these roles.
“Those who know me, will know I am passionate about the roles and missions of these organisations,” he said.
“I do not wish my current situation to be a distraction to their respective boards, management and staff, amidst their many critical priorities.”
Mr Liew added that should it be required, he and his family will continue to provide full co-operation to both the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and the police in their review of the case.
Following an accident on Aug 23 in which a woman sustained bruises and scratches on her back and arm, local dog waterpark Wag & Wild has apparently been hit with a list of demands amounting to $30,000, the company said in a public Facebook post on Tuesday (Sept 8).
The company added it initially had no intention to go public with the matter, but was “compelled” to come forward with its side of the story after “judgement of inconsideration and irresponsibility on [its] end by the public”.
The compensation requested by the woman was not feasible, Wag & Wild said, especially in the business climate of a pandemic.
The woman, who had visited the waterpark with her labradoodle, Freddy, was hit by a falling metal gate, she recounted in a Google review on Sept 3.
According to the woman, the gate required three adult men to lift.
She added: “It was a miracle that I got away with only bruises and scratches to my back and arm and thankfully, Freddy was unharmed.
“Given the weight of the metal gate, I believe I could have been very severely injured and Freddy could have been crushed under the massive gate.”
The number of employees affected, however, may be reduced to about 2,400, after taking into account recent moves like a hiring freeze and voluntary departure schemes.
File photo of a Singapore Airlines plane.
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SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group announced on Thursday (Sep 10) that it will cut around 4,300 positions across its three airlines as the aviation industry continues to be hit by the impact of COVID-19.
However, the number of employees affected may be reduced to about 2,400 -“mitigated” by measures like the recruitment freeze implemented in March, the early retirement scheme for ground staff and pilots, as well as a voluntary release scheme for cabin crew, it said.
“Collectively, these measures have allowed the Group to eliminate some 1,900 positions,” said SIA.
“As a result, the potential job cuts across the Group may be reduced to around 2,400 in Singapore and across SIA’s overseas stations,” it added.
“Discussions have begun with our Singapore-based unions. The Group will work closely with them to finalise the arrangements as soon as possible for those affected, and try to minimise the stress and anxiety on our people.”
In a media release, SIA said the decision was taken in light of the “long road to recovery for the global airline industry due to the debilitating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic”, adding that there is an “urgent need” for its airlines to adapt to an uncertain future.
It noted that industry groups have also forecast that passenger traffic will not return to previous levels until around 2024.
“Relative to most major airlines in the world, the SIA Group is in an even more vulnerable position as it does not have a domestic market that will be the first to see a recovery,” it said on Thursday.
In his message to employees, SIA CEO Mr Goh Choon Phong said nobody could have predicted the “devastating impact” of COVID-19 on the global aviation industry,” it added.
“From the outset, the SIA Group s priorities were to ensure our survival and save as many jobs as possible,” he said.
“Given the expectation that the road to recovery will be long and fraught with uncertainty, it has come to the point where we have to make the painfully difficult decision to implement involuntary staff reduction measures.
Mr Goh added that having to let go of valuable and dedicated employees is the “hardest and most agonising decision” he has had to make in his 30 years with the company.
“The next few weeks will be some of the toughest in the history of the SIA Group as some of our friends and colleagues leave the company,” said Mr Goh.
“We will conduct this process in a fair and respectful manner, and do our best to ensure that they receive all the necessary support during this very trying time,” he added.
SINGAPORE: Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung on Thursday (Sep 10) spoke about the new Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) on-board units (OBUs) that will be rolled out to Singapore-registered vehicles in 2021, citing “quite a number of feedback and questions” since the units were announced earlier this week.
The OBUs will be used when Singapore switches to the next-generation ERP system – based on the Global Navigation Satellite System – in mid-2023. This replaces the gantry system, which is more than 20 years old.
Existing Singapore-registered vehicles will receive their first OBU for free and it will replace the current in-vehicle units in an installation exercise starting in the second half of next year.
In a Facebook post, Mr Ong addressed the top seven questions about the OBU.
WHY THE NEED FOR A THREE-PIECE OBU FOR CARS?
For motorcycles, the OBU is a single-piece device designed to be mounted on the vehicle. However, all other vehicles will have a three-piece design installed, which includes an antenna and a touchscreen display attached to the windscreen. There is also a processing unit that can be mounted beneath the dashboard.
A new on-board unit on a motorcycle. (Photo: LTA)
Mr Ong said that while “technically there is no problem having an integrated unit”, “the issue is heat”.
“From time to time, we park our cars under the hot sun and a processing unit on the dashboard could not function without a big cooling unit. Hence, the contractor designed it to be a separate module under the dashboard, instead of making it part of a much larger integrated OBU on the dashboard,” said the minister.
WHY IS THE OBU WINDSCREEN UNIT SO BIG?
The photos of the OBU unit “might be a bit misleading”, Mr Ong said.
He clarified that the dimensions of the windscreen unit are 152mm by 80mm, compared to the current in-vehicle unit (IU), which measures 121mm by 78mm, making the new unit “only slightly bigger”.
“We will be doing consultation with workshops soon and will discuss how best to install the new units so that it minimises blockage of the windscreen,” he said.
Other than providing information on ERP charging locations and rates, the OBU will also provide real-time road traffic updates, as well as locations of nearby school zones and silver zones.
However, it was raised that some motorists would prefer using their phone to navigate the roads and that the new display unit would only be distracting.
The new on-board unit for all other types of vehicles that are not motorcycles. (Photo: LTA)
“We recognise that most motorists will still prefer to use their own navigation devices, but the display is a functionality that is useful to incorporate.
“Other than showing real-time ERP transaction information, LTA (Land Transport Authority) can use it to pump out other important traffic-related information when there is a need to. Best to provide it now so that other good uses can be incorporated in future,” said Mr Ong.
CAN I NOT HAVE THE DISPLAY?
“The display is standard issue,” said Mr Ong.
“We are also mindful that even if there is a simpler unit without display available, motorists may first choose the simpler unit and then want to change back to the unit with the display screen later as we will want to know how much is deducted, what’s the balance left,” he said, adding that this “always happens”.
CAN THE SMARTPHONE BE USED INSTEAD OF THE DISPLAY UNIT?
Another issue that was raised was the possibility of continuing to use the smartphone in place of the display unit, seeing as motorists can now pay their car park charges using their smart phone.
Mr Ong said this is a “possible future upgrade”, but that “to start the new system”, it is “better to have a standard issue”.
“Data security (was) a key consideration when we decided to on a standard issue instead of using our individual smartphones. Further, if we use our own smartphones for ERP, there will be operational issues like battery running out, forgetting to bring smartphones,” he said.
WHY IS THERE NO DISTANCE-BASED CHARGING?
While the new system is capable of utilising distance-based charging, “as a policy we are holding back”, said Mr Ong.
“As the system cuts over in 2023, it is much better to continue congestion pricing in a way that has been effective and motorists are used to,” he said.
“Distance-based charging is a significant policy change, which has many implications and should be studied carefully.”
WHY WAS THERE NO CONSULTATION ON THE DESIGN OF THE OBU?
Mr Ong said that LTA had some “practical constraints”.
“It called an international tender and various proposals came including this current one. LTA then had to choose the best system to replace the old ERP system. After that LTA is contractually bound.
“There can be consultations and change of design but it will affect the contract.
“We will have to see how to do this better next time,” he said.
In a time where publicly available seats and tables are scarce, thanks to necessary social distancing, some students are drawing ire for allegedly leaving their belongings behind overnight to “chope” tables for themselves.
Pictures taken at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) by a Twitter user yesterday morning (Sept 9) showed bags and files strewn across several tables.
“Everything is occupied at 7.20am,” he said. “Students are leaving their stuff overnight at [Tampines hub] tables just to chope for [tomorrow].”
Another user alleged that she had seen people sleeping overnight too.
SINGAPORE – The precautionary measures put in place to protect voters during the Covid-19 outbreak had reduced voting efficiency and led to long queues at some polling stations, the Elections Department (ELD) said on Thursday (Sept 10).
For instance, allocated time bands given to voters in the July 10 election did not succeed in spreading out voter turnout throughout the day.
More resources should have been devoted to large polling stations, the ELD added in a statement, noting there were long queues at 22 out of 25 polling stations that each served more than 4,400 voters.
It set out the findings of its review into the reasons behind unusually long queues seen at polling stations on Polling Day, as well as the measures it will take to “put them right” for future elections.
Following the election, the department apologised for the inconvenience caused to voters and pledged to study the matter.
On Thursday, it said longer than usual queues were seen at about 18 per cent of polling stations – 199 out of a total of 1,097– in the morning, but the situation had improved at most stations by 11am.
SINGAPORE: Six “party buses” have been impounded over the last two months during several operations against “irresponsible service providers”, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Thursday (Sep 10).
LTA said it received feedback that some party buses began offering services at nightlife areas such as Boat Quay and Clarke Quay when Phase 2 of Singapore’s reopening started.
“Party buses are often heavily modified and they typically cater to groups of party-goers,” said LTA in a Facebook post.
“Besides potentially thwarting Singapore’s efforts to limit COVID-19 transmission during this crucial period, some modifications also threaten passenger’s safety.”
Some of the vehicles feature modified seats without proper safety restraints, said LTA, adding that passengers could be “flung forward during sudden braking”.
Six party buses were impounded by the Land Transport Authority. (Photo: Facebook/LTA)
Besides the “illegal modifications”, LTA officers also found other offences such as driving without a valid bus driver’s vocational licence, insurance coverage and road tax.
“Investigations into these offences are ongoing,” said the authority.
“We would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to be responsible and continue to abide by safe management measures.”
Under Phase 2 of Singapore’s reopening after the COVID-19 “circuit breaker”, most businesses have resumed operations, but some entertainment venues like nightclubs and karaoke outlets are not allowed to reopen.
SINGAPORE – A Taiwanese woman, who purposely sneezed at a security guard after she was denied entry into Ion Orchard shopping mall amid the Covid-19 outbreak in April, was sentenced on Thursday (Sept 10) to 11 weeks imprisonment.
After sneezing at the guard, Sun Szu-Yen, 46, said: “You get it? You get it already!” She then took her passport out of her bag and added: “I am China. I am Taiwan.”
Sun, who was in Singapore on a long-term pass, pleaded guilty in a district court in June to one count of performing a rash act and an unrelated harassment charge.
After Sun admitted to the offences, the judge called for her to be assessed for a mandatory treatment order (MTO), where offenders receive treatment for their mental condition in lieu of jail time.
But she was not found to be suffering from any mental illness.
She was also assessed for her suitability for a community service order (CSO), which entails supervised community service for a given period, and a day reporting order (DRO).
SINGAPORE: When Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) rescuer Sergeant (SGT3) Muhammad Faris Mohammed finally reached the casualty, he knew that immediate medical attention was needed.
“That person was suffering from quite a severe injury,” the 33-year-old, a member of SCDF’s Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART), told reporters on Thursday (Sep 10).
“There was an open wound on his left leg, from below the hip all the way down to near the ankle.”
But SGT3 Faris was not attending to any normal medical emergency. He was crouching on a narrow platform, barely enough space for two people to stand side by side, suspended 10 storeys high.
He did not have the luxury of laying out his medical equipment and the windy conditions made things trickier. Everything, including his body, was attached to a harness that would prevent a fatal free fall.
In the late afternoon on Monday, SCDF firefighters and DART rescue specialists rushed to a construction site on How Sun Drive after a man working on a 40m-tall crane had injured his leg and was stuck.
SCDF said the team is used to rescues from height, as responders are commonly deployed to residential units when people are at risk of jumping.
But the fact that this was a medical emergency on a crane, made it one of the more complex operations, said SCDF.
At the construction site, four DART rescuers stayed on the ground to prepare a stretcher for the casualty.
Another four, including SGT3 Faris, climbed a ladder to the top of the crane before traversing 15m of the narrow platform to where the man was sitting.
“I tried to make him comfortable by letting him lie down and provided him with some oxygen,” said SGT3 Faris, who is also trained as an emergency medical technician.
SGT3 Faris assessed that the man needed treatment immediately as the rescue operation would take some time, adding that the man was cooperative and moved as he was told.
SGT3 Faris bandaged the wound to prevent infections while his colleagues set up a rope and pulley system for the stretcher. “We tried our best to shorten the time needed to bring him down,” SGT3 Faris said.
An SCDF rescuer and an injured worker on a stretcher are lowered to the ground. (Screengrabs: Facebook/SCDF)
With that done, DART teams on the crane and on the ground hoisted the stretcher to where the man was and secured him firmly on it. The stretcher’s multiple straps prevented any slipping out regardless of the casualty’s movement.
SGT3 Faris said patient safety is a priority. “We ensured that we have good anchorage,” he added. “We ensured all our attachments are clearly secured before we helped the patient into the stretcher itself.”
Even before the stretcher was lowered, a DART rescuer first rappelled off to test the strength of the rope system. The man was brought to the ground about an hour into the operation.
An SCDF paramedic assessed the man before he was sent to Sengkang General Hospital. The Ministry of Manpower is investigating the incident.
NO FEAR OF HEIGHTS
Recounting his story, SGT3 Faris seemed unfazed by the dizzying height and claustrophobic conditions involved in the operation. He has been with the SCDF for 11 years and had also served as a firefighter.
“Before we even enter the DART unit, we have a fair share of training where we have to overcome these challenges,” he said.
After all, DART specialists are trained for complex operations like urban and water search and rescue as well as heli-bucket operations. Some are also deployed overseas for major disaster relief efforts.
SGT3 Faris said his wife, two sons and a daughter understand the extra risks that come with him being in DART.
“I explain to my family that safety is our first priority,” he added. “This helps them have peace of mind when I am at work. SCDF prepares us for these types of situations.”
DART commander Lieutenant-Colonel Lok Wee Keong, 43, said rescuers do a lot of hoisting and lowering while training on a hose tower, which is almost as tall as a crane.
“Frankly speaking, everyone has a fear of heights,” he added. “It’s about overcoming the fear. With proper training, I think you will get more used to it.”
