Singapore
Tuesday, February 27, 2018 – 09:36
Man jailed 34 years, caned for sexually abusing lover's daughter
The Straits Times
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Fire at Ubi industrial building forces workers to evacuate
SINGAPORE: Workers were evacuated from an industrial building at Ubi in the early hours of Tuesday (Feb 27) after a fire engulfed two storeys of a unit, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said.
No injuries were reported.
SCDF said it responded to the fire at the unit at 191 Ubi Avenue 4 at around 2am and extinguished the flames within two hours.
Eleven workers had evacuated themselves from the unit before the SCDF arrived while others were evacuated by police, SCDF said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
Fire engulfed two storeys of the affected unit at 191 Ubi Ave 4. (Photo: SCDF)
The fire involved stockpiles of party supplies, such as balloons and inflatables, on the upper levels of the unit, it added.
SCDF added that firefighters faced “dark and smoke-logged conditions” and had to negotiate narrow stairs leading up to the mezzanine storage platform.
“Firefighters deployed two water jets as an immediate offensive firefighting tactic to control the blaze from within the building. Two additional water jets were also deployed to protect the adjacent units,” SCDF said.
SCDF respond to a unit fire in a light industrial building at 191 Ubi Ave 4. (Photo: SCDF)
Firefighters putting out the fire at an industrial building in Ubi. (Photo: SCDF)
Commentary: Millennials need a stronger grasp of personal finances
SINGAPORE: The financial picture millennials face today is vastly different from that of their parents.
With higher life expectancies, a higher cost of living and greater market volatility, the stakes are higher when it comes to the kinds of financial decisions a young adult has to make today compared to 50 years ago.
No doubt many would have picked up rudimentary knowledge about budgeting, saving and spending from their parents.
However, to make educated financial decisions about investing money and saving for the future, more in-depth knowledge is clearly required.
TIMELY FOR SCHOOLS TO PICK UP THE PACE
Financial literacy starts at home, but for a generation where past advice on personal finances don’t neatly apply to our experiences, a more deliberate effort is needed to equip young adults with relevant knowledge and skills.
With the advent of fintech, cryptocurrency and as societies embrace cashless payments, ours is a complex world with more financial opportunities but greater uncertainty.
Where education should prepare our youths for the practical challenges of modern life, it seems schools should play a bigger role in helping students understand money matters, alongside teaching traditional education curriculum.
So Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat’s announcement at Budget 2018 that a new financial education curriculum will be piloted at polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) colleges is a timely move.
A STRUCTURED PROGRAMME
Developing financial capability among young adults can help uncover blind spots and inform savings, investment and insurance decisions that contribute to one’s longer-term financial well-being.
In an effort to raise the level of financial literacy of young adults, Citi Singapore and Singapore Management University (SMU) launched the Citi-SMU Financial Literacy Programme for Young Adults in April 2012 with the support of the Citi Foundation.
It is Singapore’s first structured financial literacy programme for young adults, a brainchild of Jeremy Goh, an Associate Professor of Finance at SMU.
Through lectures, workshops and course curriculum, the programme seeks to equip young adults between the ages of 17 and 30 with essential personal finance knowledge and skills applicable to their life stage to give them a firm foundation in managing their money and a financial head-start early in their lives.
The Citi-SMU Annual Financial Literacy Awareness Day Carnival is an annual event organised by student trainers from SMU and partner institutions to impart financial literacy knowledge in a fun carnival setting. (Photo: SMU)
The programme utilises a unique peer-to-peer training model in which selected students from SMU, polytechnics and ITEs are trained by SMU faculty members, industry practitioners and government agencies including CPF Board and HDB to be financial literacy coaches.
They in turn, with the Citi-SMU programme team, conduct interactive workshops and creative initiatives including games, carnivals, camps and competitions to engage young adults from the ITE Colleges, polytechnics and community organisations including the Association of Muslim Professionals and the Chinese Development Assistance Council.
Since its launch, close to 210 SMU students and more than 120 students from five polytechnics and three ITE colleges have been trained as financial literacy coaches.
The programme has also engaged over 18,000 young adults on a wide range of topics including basic money and credit management, financial and retirement planning, home and car ownership as well as principles of investment.
From an introduction to the CPF system, to understanding of housing and healthcare insurance, the programme has provided them with an insight into the very issues they will find themselves concerned soon – saving to buy a house and starting a family.
Apart from high outreach, an impact assessment on 700 participants conducted by Assistant Professor Aurobindo Ghosh from SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business and Principal Investigator (Research) of the programme demonstrates the efficacy of the programme.
60 per cent of participants said they improved their basic understanding of financial literacy concepts. 86 per cent strongly agreed on the need to start a regular savings plan compared to 66 per cent before attending the programme.
40 per cent said they have also been able to develop and use a simple personal budget to manage their expenditure and increase their savings by at least 10 per cent.
Furthermore, the programme saw a 20 per cent increase in the number of students who said they were now investing more prudently.
The Citi-SMU Annual Financial Literacy Symposium 2017 is an annual flagship event to facilitate success sharing and maintain thought leadership in the area of financial literacy for young adults. (Photo: SMU)
It seems trainers who have graduated from the programme are generally more confident in managing their money, follow prudent investment strategies with their savings, and share knowledge with their peers. Many become leaders in advocating financial awareness among their peers.
If this model is to be scaled up, the hope is that it reaches more young adults – and delivers not just an understanding near-term issues like how much to save for your Built-to-Order flat but also a stronger grasp of longer-term challenges that youths tend to discount, including what makes for sufficient retirement adequacy.
EDUCATION IS KEY
Financial literacy is a critical life skill today.
Greater focus should be placed on teaching young adults how to plan their finances for their unique situations and aspirations.
More can also be done to motivate them to apply these newly acquired skills to take action. There is a gap between knowing what to do and doing the right thing. The closing of this gap is the next stage in the financial literacy movement, to progress from financial literacy to financial capability.
Where the goal is to give millennials the confidence in their financial future, a financial education curriculum may be the key.
Ultimately, it’s up to millennials to figure out modern life and how to live within their means, but they can be given a leg up if armed with a basic understanding of the mechanics of personal financing.
Vivian Quark Zhi Xian is a student trainer in the Citi-SMU Financial Literacy Programme for Young Adults.
MSF and HDB respond to 'false allegations' made by woman whose family lives at Changi Airport
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) have responded to ‘false allegations’ made by a woman who is currently staying at Changi Airport with her 74-year-old mother and 13-year-old son.
In a joint statement on Monday (Feb 26), MSF and HDB stated that the woman, Jolene Phea Hui Eng, has “continued to misrepresent her circumstances, and made false allegations against colleagues from various agencies and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs)”.
In an earlier article by Lianhe Wanbao, Phea said the family had been moving between two-room rental flats since the sale of her flat in 2016.
She said that in December 2017, the authorities arranged for her family to move to a transitional shelter, but they decided to ‘move’ to Changi Airport after six days, as they were unhappy wth the living conditions.
Phea also posted lengthy posts on her personal Facebook page, describing the sequence of events that led to her present circumstances.
The statement by MSF and HDB addresses and rebuts Phea’s claims.
It clarified that while Phea and her family are facing housing challenges, the family has been receiving monthly monetary assistance of $650 and continued help from social workers.
Addressing the allegation that the shelter was unclean with faulty windows and washing machine, the spokesperson said the shelter had been found to be in a clean and hygienic state on multiple occasions during inspections. The faulty windows had been repaired and the washing machine was also found to be in working order.
It was also revealed that Phea has “not been forthcoming” in providing the basic documentation needed to process her application for a 2-room rental flat in Punggol which the family is seeking, even though they have been found to be ineligible.
Phea has also been emailing “public figures including Members of Parliament, sometimes on a daily or even hourly basis,” regarding her case, the statement added.
Below is the statement by MSF and HDB in full:
“We refer to your report on Ms Phea Hui Eng. Regrettably, despite the help rendered to her, Ms Phea has continued to misrepresent her circumstances and make false allegations against colleagues from various agencies and VWOs. We are therefore setting out the facts to correct these inaccuracies.”
“While Ms Phea and her family are indeed facing housing challenges they have been assisted by Punggol Family Service Centre, which referred them to the transitional shelter in December 2017.
“We understand that they are still residents in the shelter run by New Hope Community Services, contrary to the impression Ms Phea has given that they have no choice but to stay at the airport.
“The social workers from the transitional shelter have also been working with Ms Phea and her family on their housing and employment issues.
“The family has also been assisted by the Social Service Office at Punggol and is receiving ComCare assistance of $650 in cash per month from January to March 2018.
“Ms Phea had alleged in a series of Facebook posts and to the media that the transitional shelter was unclean and unsafe and that the windows and washing machine in her unit were faulty.
“Before she had made these allegations, New Hope Community Services that runs the transitional shelter had inspected the unit which Ms Phea and her family are living in on multiple occasions. The unit they were provided with was found to be in a clean and hygienic state.
“The windows of the unit which were previously faulty have been repaired and the other household items such as the washing machine are in working order.
“When her social worker from New Hope Community Services met Ms Phea last week, she acknowledged that the window and washing machine were in working condition and she had no further issues with the cleanliness of her unit.
“This is a different account from what she has conveyed publicly in her Facebook posts. The transitional shelter service provider conducts shelter inspections and works closely with the families living there to ensure a clean environment in the shelter, as well as to manage any safety concerns raised by them.
“Any suspected criminal activity is also reported to the police by the service provider. We would also like to provide more details on Ms Phea’s housing history, to give your readers a complete picture of her case.
“From Jan 2011 to Jul 2016, Ms Phea owned a 2-room flat in Punggol. She bought it in 2011 for about $88,000. She sold it in July 2016 soon after the Minimum Occupation Period of 5 years was met, at$216,000.
“Just a few months later in November 2016, she approached HDB to request for a public rental flat.
“Given the considerable sales proceeds she received from her flat and her monthly income of $2,100, Ms Phea did not meet the eligibility criteria for a public rental flat.
“Her estimated housing budget at that point was sufficient to buy another 2-room flat.
“Nonetheless, we had explained to her that, in view of the family’s circumstances, HDB would be prepared to consider her request for a public rental flat if she could provide documentary proof of how her cash proceeds of $158,000 had been used between July 2016 and November 2016.
“However, between November 2016 and August 2017, Ms Phea did not submit the relevant documents for HDB to assess her application, despite repeated reminders.
” In August 2017, Ms Phea applied to buy a flat from HDB under the Re-Offer of Balance Flats (ROF) exercise.
“However, just before she was due to select her flat in January 2018, she informed HDB that she was unemployed and was thus unable to obtain a housing loan to buy the flat.
“Together with her social worker, HDB staff spoke to her on the same day of her ROF flat selection to assess what assistance she would require.
“We encouraged her to provide the relevant documents so that we could consider her earlier request for a rental flat.
“It was only then that Ms Phea started providing some documents to us, but in a piecemeal manner via multiple emails.
“We are currently in touch with Ms Phea and will continue to work with her social worker who has been assisting her with her family’s needs, including employment for Ms Phea.
“It is regrettable that Ms Phea has chosen to exploit the media to pressurise VWOs and agencies to give in to her requests, as stated explicitly to be her intent in her Facebook post.
“In recent weeks, she has also emailed public figures including Members of Parliament, sometimes on a daily or even hourly basis, even though she had not been forthcoming in providing the basic documentation needed to process her application.
“The Government and community groups remain prepared to do our best to assist her, if she is prepared to do her part to act responsibly, for the sake of her own wellbeing and that of her family.”
Singapore
Tuesday, February 27, 2018 – 00:00
Stomp and AsiaOne
Others
Robot production facility launched in Singapore in partnership with Fortune 500 company
SINGAPORE: A robot production facility was launched by Singapore precision engineering firm PBA Group and Korean industrial robot company Hanwha Robotics on Monday (Feb 26).
The partnership is the first of its kind between a local precision engineering small- and medium-sized enterprise and a listed Fortune 500 company.
The new Singapore-based facility, located at Yishun Industrial Park, will manufacture the Hanwha Collaborative Robot, touted as an “affordable yet high performance robot”.
It is able to perform simple tasks such as picking and placing items, palletising, screw-driving, polishing and dispensing – helping companies automate manual work as well as cut their investment and operating expenses.
Currently, most robots and automation equipment in Singapore are manufactured overseas in places such as Europe, Japan and China, said PBA.
However, the robots could take more than months to arrive in Singapore due to limited order volumes, it explained, adding that in comparison, locally-made robots can be delivered within four weeks and can be serviced locally as well.
The new Singapore-based facility will manufacture robots that automate manual work. (Photo: Brandon Tanoto)
Meanwhile, PBA Group has also inked an agreement with ST Kinetics to cooperate on marketing, sales, and production of robotics and automation projects.
Under the agreement, both parties will pursue and undertake new robotics and automation projects in industrial and logistics automation here in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Singapore companies have been encouraged by the Government to adopt robotics and automation to achieve productivity growth.
For one, the Economic Development Board (EDB) and SPRING Singapore provide such support through initiatives like the National Robotics Programme, Industry Transformation Maps and grants like the Automation Support Package.
Speaking on the sidelines of the facility’s launch, labour chief Chan Chun Sing said the new development is a “very good testimony” to the kind of value-add Singapore companies can bring to the global stage.
“What both companies realise is that they bring to the table different complementary strengths. This is the kind of spirit that will encourage our small and medium enterprises in Singapore to say that size is not a hindrance,” said Mr Chan.
“So long as we have the ideas, so long as we have the drive, even the larger companies from overseas will want to come and partner us. Not just for the Singapore market but more importantly, for the global markets as well,” he added.
Mr Derrick Yap, CEO of PBA Group echoed Mr Chan’s comments but also noted that small- and medium-sized enterprises need to identify their strengths carefully before approaching the multinational corporations to collaborate.
“You need to know where your strength is. Multinational companies have a lot of resources, be it monetary resources or human resources, so they must find a reason why they need to work with an SME,” said Mr Yap.
“If you are able to find that reason, then you’re able to pitch it. So the key part is (to) know what you have and what you don’t. Don’t pitch something that you know you’re relatively handicapped compared to the MNCs.”
Mr Yap added that local companies should also have their own initiative.
“We took our own initiative to go and if the Government gives us the support then that’s a bonus. But it shouldn’t be that we don’t go if they don’t give us the support.”
Guest at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza asks for photo of Jeff Goldblum next to bed, hotel delivers
Singapore
Monday, February 26, 2018 – 17:00
Guest at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza asks for photo of Jeff Goldblum next to bed, hotel delivers
The Straits Times
Others
The Weinstein Company to file for bankruptcy
The board of directors of The Weinstein Company said late Sunday the New York film and TV studio planned to file for bankruptcy after talks to sell it collapsed, several media outlets reported.
The company had been seeking a deal that would spare it from bankruptcy after more than 70 women accused film producer Harvey Weinstein, its ex-chairman and once one of Hollywood’s most influential men, of sexual misconduct including rape. Weinstein denies having non-consensual sex with anyone.
“The Weinstein Company has been engaged in an active sale process in the hopes of preserving assets and jobs,” the board said in a statement, reported by newspapers including the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times.
“Today, those discussions concluded without a signed agreement.”
The board had “no choice but to pursue its only viable option to maximise the Company’s remaining value: an orderly bankruptcy process.”
There was no immediate confirmation of the plan on the company’s website or Twitter feed.
Here are the actresses who’ve accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, abuse
Monday, February 26, 2018 – 16:15
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Fewer fresh graduates get jobs within first six months: Survey
SINGAPORE: While the overall employment rate of graduates from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Management University (SMU) remained high, a smaller percentage of them found jobs within six months of completing their final examinations last year, according to a survey conducted by the three institutions.
The survey results, which were released on Monday (Feb 26), showed that 88.9 per cent of those who were actively looking for jobs found employment in that period, compared to 89.5 per cent in 2016.
The number of graduates that secured full-time permanent employment also fell last year, with 78.4 per cent of them landing such jobs – a drop of 1.5 percentage points from the previous year.
Freelance employment, however, increased – 2.4 per cent of successful job hunters secured freelance gigs, compared to only 1.7 per cent in 2016.
According to the survey, fresh graduates with full-time permanent jobs drew a mean gross monthly salary of S$3,613 in 2017 – higher than the S$3,509 the previous year. The median gross monthly salary was S$3,400, compared to S$3,300 in 2016.
Malaysian actress-singer Kilafairy denies pole-dancing in music video
Actress and singer Kilafairy denied doing pole dance moves in her new music video, Kosmo! reported.
The 26-year-old, whose real name is Syakila Nisa Jahangir Khan, said her dance routine was choreographed especially for the video.
“Lion Music Group, Paranormal Records and I looked at many dance styles before doing the choreography (for the video),” she told the daily.
Kilafairy’s dance accompaniment for Put The Word In was criticised by netizens, claiming that it was akin to pole dancing.
Some also claimed that the dance was “too sensual”.
She said the criticism was just based on the negative perspective of certain quarters.
“I am still a Malaysian. So, why would I dance too sensually?
“It does not make sense,” she said, adding that the dance merely followed the beat and groove of the song.
Put The Word In is a collaboration between Kilafairy, DJ Aku Ash and international singer-songwriter Sean Kingston.
Monday, February 26, 2018 – 12:39
Others
More #MeToo sexual misconduct claims made against S Korea's big-name actors
With a spate of #MeToo accusations spreading through the Korean entertainment scene, local broadcasters and production companies are grappling with the repercussions of the global movement as they witness a cascade of sexual harassment accusations made against big-name actors.
On Friday, actors Cho Jae-hyun and Oh Dal-soo were accused of sexual harassment after online posts by victims and witnesses about their misconduct surfaced online.
Accusations against Cho, 52, came after actress Choi Yul wrote via her Instagram account that the popular actor, who is now starring in tvN drama series “Cross,” had sexually abused her.
Choi said she had been waiting for Cho’s case to “explode” someday and she still had more to reveal about Cho’s alleged sexual abuse.
Oh, who is scheduled to star in upcoming tvN drama series “My Mister,” also joined the list of actors accused of sexual abuse after two anonymous online commenters accused the 49-year-old actor of sexually assaulting them in the past, only referring to him by his surname.
One person said that Oh, who was once part of the now-defunct Yeonhee Theatre Troupe founded by embattled stage director Lee Yoon-taek, also recently accused of sexual abuse and rape, had sexually harassed young women of the group habitually in 1990 at Gamagol Small Theater in Busan.
Media reports later revealed that Oh was the actor referred to in the posts. Earlier Tuesday, veteran actor Jo Min-ki, also a professor at Cheongju University, was accused of having used his authority as an educator to sexually harass students.
Following a flood of revelations, broadcasters and production companies are mulling how to deal with the blows.
According to staff of “My Mister,” Oh’s first drama in six years and which is set to premiere on March 21, the production team is still waiting for Oh to issue a statement. While sparing details on how they would handle the show with regards to Oh’s scandal, a production team member said, “We acknowledge the seriousness of the issue. But we are not at a stage to reveal our future plans.”
Cho, contrary to Oh who has been maintaining silence, admitted to his misconduct and issued an official apology Saturday.
“I confess. I’ve been living a wrong life. Throughout my nearly 30-year career, I’ve made so many mistakes, said and done so many bad things. I am a sinner. I bow my head in apology,” he said in the statement.
Later in the day, the production team of “Cross” announced it would be inevitable for Cho to drop out of the drama. As eight episodes have already aired and Cho plays a major role in the series, it has been reported the production team is rushing to create a scenario that could naturally lead to Cho leaving the series.
Jo, who resigned from his university post after the accusations, also stepped down from his role in OCN’s new series “Children of a Lesser God,” set to air on March 3. On Thursday, the channel stated that actor Lee Jae-yong would replace Jo. Lee will refilm for Jo and parts originally featuring Jo will not be aired, the channel said.
Monday, February 26, 2018 – 10:52
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