SINGAPORE: The first of 91 four-car trains for the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) was delivered to Singapore on Friday (May 25), the Land Transport Authority said.
The fully-automated train is the first in Singapore with five doors on the side of each car. This will facilitate smoother boarding and alighting of passengers, LTA said.
The train, which bears a livery representing the TEL’s brown colour, will undergo further testing in preparation for passenger service when the first stage of TEL opens in end 2019.
The remaining trains will progressively arrive between now and 2022, said LTA.
The first of 91 four-car trains for the Thomson-East Coast Line was delivered to Singapore on May 25. (Photo: Land Transport Authority)
The fully-automated train is the first in Singapore with five doors on the side of each car to facilitate smoother boarding and alighting of passengers. (Photo: Land Transport Authority)
The first of 91 four-car trains for the Thomson-East Coast Line was delivered to Singapore on May 25. The fully-automated train is the first in Singapore with five doors on the side of each car to facilitate smoother boarding and alighting of passengers. (Photo: Land Transport Authority)
The first of 91 four-car trains for the Thomson-East Coast Line was delivered to Singapore on May 25. (Photo: Land Transport Authority)
The fully-automated train is the first in Singapore with five doors on the side of each car to facilitate smoother boarding and alighting of passengers. (Photo: Land Transport Authority)
SINGAPORE: Some policyholders of Prudential have encountered erroneous deductions from their bank accounts, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) confirmed on Thursday (May 24).
“Customer accounts of multiple banks were affected. This was not a cyber attack but an operational lapse,” said MAS in a media release.
Multiple affected customers approached Channel NewsAsia and took to social media on Thursday to complain about “unauthorised fund transfers” and erroneous premium deductions from their bank accounts.
A Channel NewsAsia reader, who wanted to be known only as Ms Huang, said she was notified of an unauthorised fund transfer of more than S$50,000 from her HSBC bank account at about 3.45pm.
When she called the bank, they advised her that they had received numerous phone calls from customers reporting unauthorised transactions on their bank accounts.
She added that her advisor sent her a message of apology from Prudential around 8pm.
The message read: “Good evening. We apologise for the technical error on the billing. Some clients are over-charged today. Currently they are already investigating on the matter and will get it rectified ASAP.”
A message of apology sent by Prudential to Ms Huang’s advisor, as provided by Ms Huang.
A Facebook user named Terence Tan said a total of S$32,634 was deducted from his wife’s bank account when it should have been S$326.34.
The 41-year-old operations executive told Channel NewsAsia that the money was later credited back into his wife’s account around 9.30pm. He added that no explanation has been offered to him or his wife so far.
Screenshot of the deductions made in the account of Terence Tan’s wife. The amount was subsequently credited back. (Photo: Terence Tan)
Another user, Angela Lee, said S$3,230 was deducted from her sister’s bank account, instead of S$32.30. When she called Prudential regarding the mistake, she was told it was an “IT glitch”.
An industry insider who requested anonymity said it seemed “like Prudential keyed in two more zeros by accident for the premium deductions.”
ERRONEOUS DEDUCTIONS A TECHNICAL ERROR: PRUDENTIAL
MAS said in its statement on Thursday that it has directed Prudential and its payment bank, Standard Chartered Bank Singapore to return the customer funds without delay, to keep customers updated, and to investigate the root cause of the incident.
“We take a serious view of such operational lapses and will take follow-up supervisory measures where appropriate.”
In an email to Channel NewsAsia, Prudential confirmed that “a number of our customers experienced a GIRO deduction in excess of their insurance premium or a failed GIRO deduction”.
“We have investigated the matter and found that this is due to a technical error,” said a Prudential spokesperson.
“This was not a cyberattack. We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused.”
The spokesperson added it was working with its bank partner to resolve the issue as quickly as possible” and to credit the relevant amount deducted back into customers’ accounts within the next 24 hours.
“Any interest lost will be refunded and any erroneous charges will be reversed as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added.
OCBC bank addressed its customers on Facebook saying that they have rectified the accounts of those affected “by an error in GIRO deduction requests by Prudential”.
“Customers who were affected should already see the erroneous transactions reversed in their bank accounts,” added the bank.
This story came from a reader tip-off. If you would like to send in photos or videos of something newsworthy, WhatsApp our Mediacorp news hotline at +65 8218 8281 or message us on Facebook.
SINGAPORE: Sengkang residents can expect a more comfortable commuting experience with the upgrading of the Sengkang MRT and LRT stations, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Friday (May 25).
The enhancement works include improved barrier-free access to the station, new dual-speed escalators leading to the platforms, and an additional lift for the MRT, LRT and mezzanine levels of Sengkang station.
LTA said it will also expand the current LRT train platform to create a more spacious area for commuters.
“The upgraded Sengkang MRT Station will serve existing commuters, upcoming residential developments in the vicinity of the train station as well as the Sengkang general and community hospitals,” LTA said.
The contract tender is expected to be awarded by end-2018, with works expected to be completed by 2022.
To minimise inconvenience to commuters, the majority of enhancement works will be carried out during non-service hours.
LTA said it will also ensure that a lift at Sengkang MRT Station remains operational throughout the construction period.
An artist’s impression of Sengkang Station’s LRT platform before upgrading works. (Image: LTA)
An artist’s impression of Sengkang Station’s LRT platform after upgrading works. (Image: LTA)
EVER since Uber sold its majority stakes of its Southeast Asian operations to Grab, the Singapore-based company has been dominating the ride-hailing industry in the region. But new plans by Indonesia’s popular Go-Jek threaten that monopoly.
The company on Thursday announced it would invest US$500 million in its international push, according to Reuters, with its first venture to involve ride-hailing services in key Southeast Asian countries before expanding to other sectors.
“People in Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines don’t feel that they’re getting enough (choice) when it comes to ride-hailing,” CEO Nadiem Makarim was quoted as saying.
The company said that it will provide “technological support and expertise” to local founding teams in each of the four markets, CNBC reported. Those local companies would work to gain traction and “determine their own brands and identities”.
“We visited all those countries and we felt like the solutions that we provided in Indonesia will probably be suitable to some of these countries,” Andre Soelistyo, president of Go-Jek, was quoted as saying.
Starting off as a ride-hailing company that offered motorbike rides, Go-Jek moved into other services like takeaway food delivery, groceries and payments.
A Go-Jek driver shares jokes with his colleague while waiting for customers along a street in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 15, 2017. Source: Reuters/Beawiharta
According to CNBC, Go-Jek bought three financial technology, or fintech, companies last year to boost its presence in Indonesia’s digital payments sector. Backed by Singapore’s Temasek Holdings and Chinese tech giant Tencent, the company’s services are used in 50 cities across Indonesia.
In April, Uber Technologies Inc sold its Southeast Asian operations to local competitor Grab, leaving a void in competitors in the region of expanding markets.
Go-Jek said it was working with regulators and other stakeholders across the region to prepare for the new operations.
The expansion follows Go-Jek’s latest round of fundraising, which brought investment from companies including Astra International, JD.COM, Tencent and Temasek.
This article originally appeared on our sister website Tech Wire Asia.
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is investigating two videos that show a “ragging incident” at the old Jurong Fire Station in early 2017 and which were brought to its attention by Channel NewsAsia.
The videos, lasting 16 seconds and 40 seconds, respectively, were provided to Channel NewsAsia by a member of the public on Monday (May 21), and come after news of the drowning of SCDF Corporal (CPL) Kok Yuen Chin in the Tuas View Fire Station pump well on May 13.
The person who sent the videos to Channel NewsAsia did not want to be named, and said that they were taken between January and February 2017 at the old Jurong Fire Station, which closed late last year. In a Facebook post on Thursday (May 24), SCDF confirmed those details, describing the content of the videos as a “ragging incident”.
The first video shows what appears to be an SCDF officer being dragged along the floor by several colleagues. The second involves what appears to be the same officer struggling in a water-filled well.
The officer being dragged along the floor.
In the first video, an officer wearing a “crew” T-shirt, work pants and boots is seen being dragged along the floor by two similarly dressed officers. Two other officers, one wearing an SCDF T-shirt, are seen following them.
The officer appearing to plead with colleagues.
When they reach a flight of steps, the officer being dragged sits up and appears to raise his hands, saying: “I’m not doing it.”
But his colleagues continue to drag him by the arms and ear down the steps and past a fire engine. Laughter can be heard in the background.
The officer being dragged by the ear.
The second video also opens with laughter, with what appears to be the same person struggling in a well, with water reaching up to his neck.
The officer can be seen holding on to edge of the well with one hand, while holding onto an SCDF life jacket with the other.
A voice in the background can be heard saying: “You’re still operational you know.”
The officer trying to hoist himself out of the well.
Later in the video, voices can be heard saying: “ORD (operationally ready date) already is it?”
The video ends with the officer in the well grimacing and saying: “This is deep.”
Someone is heard replying: “Do you know how deep it is?
“Deeper than what I told you.”
Replying to questions from Channel NewsAsia, an SCDF spokesperson said on Wednesday that it is “aware of the videos, and are investigating into the matter”.
In its Facebook post on Thursday, SCDF said it “will not tolerate any ragging or unauthorised initiation activities”.
While investigations into how CPL Kok ended up in the well are still ongoing, SCDF has said that it was part of activities to celebrate his impending ORD.
Following the incident, Channel NewsAsia reported on SCDF ragging rituals that former personnel said were associated with milestones like ORD.
One of the rituals, called “kolam” (Malay for pool), involves pushing ORD personnel into station pump wells.
SCDF announced on Wednesday that it would introduce stiffer penalties and other measures to guard against unauthorised activities like ragging.
The person who sent the videos to Channel NewsAsia said he was a fireman during National Service.
“These rituals are a real act of nuisance and fun to those who are the bullies. It has never been fun to those who are getting bullied or the victim of the hazings,” the person said.
“If any digital token exchange, issuer or intermediary breaches our securities laws, MAS will take firm action,” says MAS assistant managing director for Capital Markets Lee Boon Ngiap.
The logo of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is pictured at its building in Singapore. (Photo: Reuters/Edgar Su)
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SINGAPORE: Eight digital token exchanges based in Singapore have been warned not to facilitate trading in digital tokens that are securities or futures contracts without authorisation, said regulator Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Thursday (May 24).
It has also warned an initial coin offering (ICO) issuer to stop the offering of its digital tokens to Singapore investors, the press release said.
MAS said it reminded the token exchanges, which were unnamed, to seek its authorisation if the digital tokens traded on their platforms constitute securities or futures contracts under the Securities and Futures Act (SFA).
Digital token exchanges commonly allow the buying and selling of digital tokens using fiat currency, and also facilitate the exchange of digital tokens between their clients, according to the press release.
“The number of digital token exchanges and digital token offerings in Singapore has been increasing. We do not see a need to restrict them if they are bona fide businesses,” said MAS assistant managing director for Capital Markets Lee Boon Ngiap.
“But if any digital token exchange, issuer or intermediary breaches our securities laws, MAS will take firm action.”
The regulator also directed an ICO issuer to stop offering digital tokens to Singapore-based investors, after assessing that the issuer had contravened the SFA as its tokens represented equity ownership in a company, which would be considered as securities under the SFA.
The offer was made without a MAS-registered prospectus, it added.
The ICO issuer has since ceased the offer and taken remedial actions to comply with regulations, as well as returned all funds received from Singapore-based investors, the regulator said.
“The public should be aware that there is no regulatory safeguard if they choose to trade on unregulated digital token exchanges or invest in digital tokens that fall outside the remit of MAS’ rules,” Mr Lee said.
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is investigating two videos that were brought to its attention by Channel NewsAsia.
The videos, lasting 16 seconds and 40 seconds, respectively, were provided to Channel NewsAsia by a member of the public on Monday (May 21), and come after news of the drowning of SCDF Corporal (CPL) Kok Yuen Chin in the Tuas View Fire Station pump well on May 13.
The first video shows what appears to be an SCDF officer being dragged along the floor by several colleagues. The second involves what appears to be the same officer struggling in a water-filled well.
The officer being dragged along the floor.
In the first video, an officer wearing a “crew” T-shirt, work pants and boots is seen being dragged along the floor by two similarly dressed officers. Two other officers, one wearing an SCDF T-shirt, are seen following them.
The officer appearing to plead with colleagues.
When they reach a flight of steps, the officer being dragged sits up and appears to raise his hands, saying: “I’m not doing it.”
But his colleagues continue to drag him by the arms and ear down the steps and past a fire engine. Laughter can be heard in the background.
The officer being dragged by the ear.
The second video also opens with laughter, with what appears to be the same person struggling in a well, with water reaching up to his neck.
The officer can be seen holding on to edge of the well with one hand, while holding onto an SCDF life jacket with the other.
A voice in the background can be heard saying: “You’re still operational you know.”
The officer trying to hoist himself out of the well.
Later in the video, voices can be heard saying: “ORD (operationally ready date) already is it?”
The video ends with the officer in the well grimacing and saying: “This is deep.”
Someone is heard replying: “Do you know how deep it is?
“Deeper than what I told you.”
Replying to questions from Channel NewsAsia, including on when the incidents may have taken place, an SCDF spokeperson said on Wednesday that it is “aware of the videos, and are investigating into the matter”.
While investigations into how CPL Kok ended up in the well are still ongoing, SCDF has said that it was part of activities to celebrate his impending ORD.
Following the incident, Channel NewsAsia reported on SCDF ragging rituals that former personnel said were associated with milestones like ORD.
One of the rituals, called “kolam” (Malay for pool), involves pushing ORD personnel into station pump wells.
SCDF announced on Wednesday that it would introduce stiffer penalties and other measures to guard against unauthorised activities like ragging.
The person who sent the videos to Channel NewsAsia did not want to be named, and claimed that they were taken between January and February 2017 at the old Jurong Fire Station, which closed late last year.
“I was a fireman during my National Service. We get treated badly especially on our new days in the fire station until ‘you get to know them better’,” the person said.
“These rituals are a real act of nuisance and fun to those who are the bullies. It has never been fun to those who are getting bullied or the victim of the hazings.”
SINGAPORE: Mando-pop star Jay Chou, Dutch DJ sensation Martin Garrix and American rock band The Killers will be among the hottest international acts taking to the stage at the Marina Bay Street Circuit from Sep 14 to 16.
The star-studded line-up was unveiled by event organisers Singapore GP on Thursday (May 24).
The Formula 1 2018 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix will also see performances by Liam Gallagher, Dua Lipa, Simply Red, The Sugarhill Gang, Bjorn Again, Japanese pop-rock band Sekai No Owari and Young Fathers.
Chou is slated to perform hit songs from his 14th studio album, Jay Chou’s Bedtime Stories, at the Padang stage on Sep 14.
The Taiwanese superstar will also share the limelight in a special collaboration with Singaporean jazz vocalist Joanna Dong, who Chou recently mentored in the reality television singing competition Sing! China.
Dong will also join eight other Singaporean trailblazers in electrifying the atmosphere at Circuit Park. Revellers can look forward to local acts Abby Simone x MMLD, Miss Lou, Picks, M1LDL1FE as well as DJ acts Myrne, EATMEPOPTART, EMONIGHTSG and Matteblacc.
Other critically acclaimed international acts include European and African-based collective Afro Celt Sound System, United Kingdom’s House Gospel Choir, Indonesia’s folk-pop duo Stars and Rabbit, China’s rising star DJ Lizzy Wang and Australia’s charismatic Boys in the Band.
Also putting up performances are bone-breaking dance duo Bonesthemachine & Drewdollaz, American street percussionist The Bucket Boy and UK’s knife-juggling duo, Two Gentlemen.
Single-day grandstand tickets for the Padang Grandstand and Pit Grandstand range from S108 to S$888. Single- and multi-day Walkabout tickets and Group Booking Specials are also available.
More information is available at the Singapore GP website.
SINGAPORE: A new online learning portal will be rolled out to all schools, from primary to junior college level, by the end of May, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) in response to media queries.
The Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS) was piloted at 62 primary and secondary schools in August last year, and the portal has been progressively rolled out to other schools in phases since February.
The platform aims to enhance the learning of various subjects including science, history, social studies and mathematics.
Feedback from teachers and students have been positive so far, the ministry said.
English language teacher Lu Suxin at East Spring Secondary School has been using the portal during its pilot phase to teach students how to analyse language and text. She said she has seen improvement in her students’ work since the portal was introduced.
“In the recent mid-year examinations, I saw some improvement in the quality of their answers on how they are able to answer questions and interpret the different literary devices given to them,” said Ms Lu.
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
One of the features of the SLS is that it promotes self-directed learning. Students can learn at their own pace, revisit concepts and read up on other areas of interest.
One of the features of the SLS is that it promotes self-directed learning. Students can learn at their own pace, revisit concepts and read up on other areas of interest. (Photo: Tan Si Hui)
Secondary 3 student Ngiam Li Jia at East Spring Secondary School said she prefers the individualised form of learning on the SLS compared to old-school methods of teaching, which sees a teacher-student ratio of 1:20.
“I can log in to the portal any time, anywhere, and I can look at classes again,” she said.
“It also helps deepen my understanding of a subject because it’s a personalised platform. It tells me where I went wrong and what I don’t understand, allowing me to focus on my weaker areas.”
The online portal also encourages collaborative learning through peer assignment assessments.
Students can discuss their answers with other students through the portal and teachers can give feedback and bridge learning gaps.
Feedback and responses are presented in the form of a heat map that consolidates students’ responses and allows teachers to assess their understanding.
The map is colour-coded for efficient monitoring – red means the answer is wrong, green shows the answer is correct and orange signifies that the answer is partially correct.
A red danger sign will also appear if more than half of the students do not get the right answers.
Fengshan Primary School teacher Veronica Guo, who co-designed a common mother tongue language lesson in SLS for Primary 3 and 4 students, said the platform has helped to keep the students engaged.
“For primary school students, we need to get their attention and we need to keep them engaged. The engagement level that students have now is definitely higher when children get to collaborate easily,” said Mdm Guo.
LIMITATIONS OF ONLINE PORTAL
But East Spring Secondary School staff developer Noreha Nordin, who co-designed her school’s lessons, said there are limitations to the online platform.
“We had to link up to a third-party tool like Google Docs in order for groups of students to collaborate in real-time while using SLS. Perhaps in the future, we can see all these tools being incorporated into SLS.”
In response, MOE said it will continue to gather feedback from students and teachers and work towards enhancing the portal further.
