Fuelled by aggressive bids from Uber, certificates of entitlement (COEs) for cars ended higher at the latest tender yesterday, despite the prospect of a bigger quota two weeks from now.

COEs for cars up to 1,600cc and 130bhp ended 2.8 per cent higher at $47,300. Those for cars above 1,600cc or 130bhp finished 5.5 per cent higher at $49,602.

The Open category, which can be used for any vehicle type but ends up mostly for bigger cars, closed 4.2 per cent higher at $49,501.

Checks by The Straits Times revealed that Uber-owned Lion City Rental submitted 630 bids in the three categories, and succeeded in obtaining 510 COEs.

In the previous tender, it secured 270 COEs from 810 bids submitted.

Uber’s COEs yesterday constituted 14 per cent of total successful bids in the three categories – a disproportionately high percentage for a newcomer which entered the market barely four years ago.

Industry watchers said upward pressure on bids may also come from other private-hire companies such as Grab and SMRT’s new outfit, Strides.

Mr Neo Nam Heng, chairman of diversified motor group Prime, said: “Everybody is focusing on private-hire cars now. That is why premiums should have dropped, but have not.”

He said that besides Uber, many other private-hire players are waiting to secure COEs, too. “But over the longer term, with more COEs on the way, there should still be enough for consumers,” he added. “So, there is no need to rush or panic.”

Meanwhile, the commercial vehicle COE fell by 2.7 per cent to close at $43,002.

The motorcycle premium was flat at $6,501, just $2 lower than its previous price two weeks ago.

Overall, a total of 7,203 bids were submitted, 11 per cent fewer than two weeks ago.

This article was first published on April 21, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Dr Chee Soon Juan, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief and candidate for the upcoming Bukit Batok by-election, yesterday described the contest as a “mountain to climb”, and said he was confident.

In a call for volunteers put up on Facebook barely two hours after the Writ of Election was issued, he wrote: “We’ve got a mountain to climb and we will climb it. I’m looking forward to it.”

Dr Chee, 53, has been actively making his presence felt in Bukit Batok since People’s Action Party MP David Ong resigned on March 12 over an alleged affair.

His campaigning has taken him to Housing Board flats, kopitiams and even the Bukit Batok Nature Park, where he went for a run last weekend.

His team has also knocked on every door in the single-member constituency, and is going for a second round, he told The Straits Times two weeks ago. “We are in it to win. We want to make sure that we put in maximum work,” he had said.

Dr Chee has launched a campaign slogan, Now Is The Time, and his team also relies heavily on technology and social media to live-stream press conferences and post videos. He has assembled a four-man team that acts as a resource panel to advise the party on town council issues in the first 100 days if the SDP wins at the polls.

He said this showed the party has been making preparations “well in advance so we do not waste a single minute” if it wins and has to take over the town council. Bukit Batok is now managed by the Jurong-Clementi Town Council.

Among the four members of the team are lawyer Peter Low, 65, who will provide legal advice, and accountant Wong Hong Koon, 75, who will oversee financial issues.

The other two are Mr Yeo Yeu Yong, 67, who will be in charge of estate management, and Mr K. Siva Sankaran, 60, who will help with the handover of projects.

Dr Chee stressed last month that the productive management of the town council was a key priority, and the SDP’s goal was “to surpass current levels of performance of PAP-run town councils”.

Also, it would not engage a managing agent, and full-time staff will be hired for day-to-day operations, he had said.

Should he be elected, he said some of the most pressing issues he would raise in Parliament are retrenchment concerns amid a slowing economy, rising cost of living, and the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Minimum Sum scheme.

The SDP will also launch municipal initiatives to foster a community and “raise the quality of life of residents”, he added.

“A lot depends on our own fight, our own strategy rather than it being a by-election,” he said.

2nd bid in 8 months

The chief of the Singapore Democratic Party, Dr Chee Soon Juan, is making his second bid in eight months to get into Parliament.

The 53-year-old had led a four-man team to contest Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in last year’s general election but got 33 per cent of the vote.

That was his first electoral contest in more than 10 years. He could not contest in 2006 and 2011 as he was a bankrupt. He was discharged as a bankrupt in 2012.

Dr Chee, who is married with two daughters and a son, was a psychology lecturer.

He entered politics in the 1992 Marine Parade by-election, which he lost in a four-cornered fight.

He writes on his Facebook page that he “has been arrested and imprisoned more than a dozen times for political activities”.

He no longer appears to adopt his brand of adversarial politics. At last year’s polls, he pledged to find common ground and work with the ruling People’s Action Party.

This article was first published on April 21, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

May 7 is an important date for Bukit Batok residents, as it will be the day they decide who is the best person to represent their interests amid the gloomy economic outlook, lawyer Murali Pillai said yesterday.

Mr Murali, 48, the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate in the by-election, said he will release his plans for the single-member constituency (SMC) “between now and Nomination Day”, which falls on April 27.

He told The Straits Times his visits to the homes of the residents in recent weeks have shown that one of their main worries is adequate help when the slowdown threatens their ricebowl. Many people in the SMC live in rental HDB flats and they are concerned about how the economy could affect their job prospects, he said.

One- to three-room HDB flats make up almost one-third of housing in the SMC, which has about 46,000 residents. About 95 per cent of them live in HDB flats.

Mr Murali’s plans “are based on what we’ve learnt from Bukit Batok residents over the past few weeks when I was conducting house visits”.

These will cover such issues as help for needy families in the SMC, support for elderly residents and sprucing up the mature estate by improving connectivity between precincts, for instance, he added.

Mr Murali had previously told reporters that he would focus on giving employment help: both through government-linked agencies like the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), and at the community level.”We have government support like the Social Service Office and e2i, but beyond that, we can galvanise community support as well,” he had said.

The gloomy economic climate therefore means this by-election is a crucial one, he added.

He reiterated the point yesterday and said: “Obviously it is something very important for Bukit Batok residents, because they have to decide who should represent them in Parliament, represent their concerns and also look into issues that concern them as well.”

Mr Murali also said he would push for the Home Improvement Programme for residents as several HDB blocks, built in the 1980s, have yet to benefit from it.

“Being a mature estate with a number of seniors, (many) residents have asked how seniors can stay healthy,” he said.

On his preparations for the by-election, Mr Murali said he would continue to meet and listen to residents.

“This is not a box-ticking exercise in terms of covering the blocks. From my perspective, we need to have conversations with the residents and ask them what their concerns and aspirations are,” he said.

Long-time activist

A lawyer and long-time People’s Action Party (PAP) activist, Mr Murali Pillai is a familiar face in Bukit Batok.

The 48-year-old got his first taste of grassroots work in the ward when it was part of Bukit Timah GRC.

He was also the ward’s branch secretary from 2007 to 2011.

He gave free legal advice to Bukit Batok residents and helmed committees like its Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle.

Mr Murali, married and a father of four, is no stranger to electoral politics. He was in the five-member Aljunied GRC “suicide squad” that is credited with narrowing significantly the gap with the Workers’ Party in last year’s General Election.

The PAP got 49.04 per cent of the vote to the WP’s 50.96 per cent.

Mr Murali , who heads commercial litigation at Big Four law firm Rajah & Tann, was was an assistant superintendent of police before he entered the legal profession.

This article was first published on April 21, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Singapore – Online travel service Agoda and POSB’s mobile banking were proclaimed as readers’ top picks for Best Online Travel Service and Best Mobile Banking Service in the AsiaOne People’s Choice Awards (PCA) 2016 today.

The Best Online Travel Service and Best Mobile Banking Service are two new categories that were added to the annual awards this year to better reflect the changing consumer trends today.

Karen Lim, Acting Editor at AsiaOne said: “When it comes to services and information, consumers are shifting online to seek out tools to help them with their decisions. Companies know this and have embraced innovative solutions to address the needs of their customers.

“With the addition of such categories, we hope to provide our readers with better choices that reflect their lifestyle today and to acknowledge companies for their digital efforts.”

Three other categories were introduced this year: Best Fashion Retailer, Best Android Phone and Best Home & Electronics Retailer. Uniqlo, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Courts garnered the most votes in these respective categories.

A total of 30 brands received the coveted nod from readers after three months of voting and close to 200,000 votes were cast in the eighth year of the awards.

California Fitness Singapore was elevated to the Hall of Fame this year, after winning the number one spot in the health and fitness category five years in a row.

Meanwhile, three brands broke through to take the top spot at categories that were previously held by Hall of Fame winners. POSB was crowned the Best Bank while INSEAD Asia Campus took home the most number of votes in the Best Private Institute category. DBS Visa Credit was voted the Best Credit Card this year.

Other winners include Mazda 3 (Best Car), Singapore Zoo (Best Local Attraction), and Singapore Airlines (Best Full-Fledged Airline).

Another first for the PCA this year is its online pop-up store in collaboration with Qoo10, which was voted as the Best Online Retailer for the second year in a row.

From April 11 until May 13, AsiaOne readers can enjoy special discounts when they purchase the tech products nominated at the Shop the PCA Finalists microsite at www.qoo10.sg/pca2016.

Over 200 guests attended the ceremony held at the Singapore Press Holdings auditorium, where they were able to sample first-hand a selection of dishes from PCA award winner Carousel (Best Buffet Restaurant), Legendary Hong Kong roasted duck and UFC Refresh Coconut Water.

The list of top three winners for each category is below.

Best Health & Fitness Provider

California Fitness Singapore – WINNER

Amore Fitness and Boutique Spa

Fitness First

Best Shopping Centre

ION Orchard – WINNER

Nex

Vivocity

Best Luxury Shopping Centre

ION Orchard – WINNER

Ngee Ann City

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Best Fashion Retailer

Uniqlo – WINNER

H&M

Zara

Best Online Retailer

Qoo10 Singapore – WINNER

Lazada Singapore

Zalora Singapore

Best Private Institute

INSEAD Asia Campus – WINNER

Kaplan Singapore

Singapore Institute of Management

Best Bank

POSB Bank – WINNER

DBS Bank

OCBC Bank

Best Credit Card

DBS Visa Debit Card – WINNER

OCBC 365 Credit Card

POSB Everyday Card

Best Mobile Banking Service

POSB mBanking – WINNER

DBS mBanking

OCBC SG Mobile Banking

Best Car

Mazda 3 – WINNER

BMW X1

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Best Tablet

Apple iPad Air 2 – WINNER

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0

Best Laptop

Apple Macbook Pro – WINNER

Alienware 15

Asus ZenBook UX305

Best Point-and-Shoot Camera

Canon PowerShot G7 X – WINNER

Nikon Coolpix S9700

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV

Best DSLR Camera

Canon EOS 6D – WINNER

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Nikon D7200

Best Smartphone

Apple iPhone 6S – WINNER

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Sony Xperia Z5

Best Android Phone

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 – WINNER

LG G4

Sony Xperia Z5

Best Home & Electronics Retailer

Courts – WINNER

Gain City

Ikea

Best Low-Cost Carrier

Tigerair – WINNER

Jetstar Asia

Scoot

Best Full-Fledged Airline

Singapore Airlines – WINNER

Cathay Pacific

Emirates

Best Online Travel Service

Agoda – WINNER

AirBnB

trivago

Best Hotel

Marina Bay Sands – WINNER

The Fullerton Bay Hotel

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore

Best Nightspot

Zouk – WINNER

1-Altitude

Timbre @ The Substation

Best Local Attraction

Singapore Zoo – WINNER

Gardens by the Bay

Universal Studios Singapore

Best Western Restaurant

Astons Specialities – WINNER

Marche

Swensen’s

Best Brunch Restaurant

Kuvo – WINNER

P. Bistro

Wild Honey

Best Hawker Stall

Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee – WINNER

328 Katong Laksa

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

Best Chinese Restaurant

Din Tai Fung – WINNER

Crystal Jade Palace

Jumbo Seafood Restaurant

Best Asian Restaurant

Thai Express – WINNER

HJH Maimunah Restaurant

Muthu’s Curry

Best Japanese Restaurant

Tampopo – WINNER

Ichiban Boshi

Sushi Tei

Best Buffet Restaurant

Carousel – WINNER

Buffet Town

The Line

Singapore – Online travel service Agoda and POSB’s mobile banking were proclaimed as readers’ top picks for Best Online Travel Service and Best Mobile Banking Service in the AsiaOne People’s Choice Awards (PCA) 2016 today.

The Best Online Travel Service and Best Mobile Banking Service are two new categories that were added to the annual awards this year to better reflect the changing consumer trends today.

Karen Lim, Acting Editor at AsiaOne said: “When it comes to services and information, consumers are shifting online to seek out tools to help them with their decisions. Companies know this and have embraced innovative solutions to address the needs of their customers.

“With the addition of such categories, we hope to provide our readers with better choices that reflect their lifestyle today and to acknowledge companies for their digital efforts.”

Three other categories were introduced this year: Best Fashion Retailer, Best Android Phone and Best Home & Electronics Retailer. Uniqlo, Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Courts garnered the most votes in these respective categories.

A total of 30 brands received the coveted nod from readers after three months of voting and close to 200,000 votes were cast in the eighth year of the awards.

California Fitness Singapore was elevated to the Hall of Fame this year, after winning the number one spot in the health and fitness category five years in a row.

Meanwhile, three brands broke through to take the top spot at categories that were previously held by Hall of Fame winners. POSB was crowned the Best Bank while INSEAD Asia Campus took home the most number of votes in the Best Private Institute category. DBS Visa Credit was voted the Best Credit Card this year.

Other winners include Mazda 3 (Best Car), Singapore Zoo (Best Local Attraction), and Singapore Airlines (Best Full-Fledged Airline).

Another first for the PCA this year is its online pop-up store in collaboration with Qoo10, which was voted as the Best Online Retailer for the second year in a row.

From April 11 until May 13, AsiaOne readers can enjoy special discounts when they purchase the tech products nominated at the Shop the PCA Finalists microsite at www.qoo10.sg/pca2016.

Over 200 guests attended the ceremony held at the Singapore Press Holdings auditorium, where they were able to sample first-hand a selection of dishes from PCA award winner Carousel (Best Buffet Restaurant), Legendary Hong Kong roasted duck and UFC Refresh Coconut Water.

The list of top three winners for each category is below.

Best Health & Fitness Provider

California Fitness Singapore – WINNER

Amore Fitness and Boutique Spa

Fitness First

Best Shopping Centre

ION Orchard – WINNER

Nex

Vivocity

Best Luxury Shopping Centre

ION Orchard – WINNER

Ngee Ann City

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

Best Fashion Retailer

Uniqlo – WINNER

H&M

Zara

Best Online Retailer

Qoo10 Singapore – WINNER

Lazada Singapore

Zalora Singapore

Best Private Institute

INSEAD Asia Campus – WINNER

Kaplan Singapore

Singapore Institute of Management

Best Bank

POSB Bank – WINNER

DBS Bank

OCBC Bank

Best Credit Card

DBS Visa Debit Card – WINNER

OCBC 365 Credit Card

POSB Everyday Card

Best Mobile Banking Service

POSB mBanking – WINNER

DBS mBanking

OCBC SG Mobile Banking

Best Car

Mazda 3 – WINNER

BMW X1

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Best Tablet

Apple iPad Air 2 – WINNER

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0

Best Laptop

Apple Macbook Pro – WINNER

Alienware 15

Asus ZenBook UX305

Best Point-and-Shoot Camera

Canon PowerShot G7 X – WINNER

Nikon Coolpix S9700

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV

Best DSLR Camera

Canon EOS 6D – WINNER

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Nikon D7200

Best Smartphone

Apple iPhone 6S – WINNER

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Sony Xperia Z5

Best Android Phone

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 – WINNER

LG G4

Sony Xperia Z5

Best Home & Electronics Retailer

Courts – WINNER

Gain City

Ikea

Best Low-Cost Carrier

Tigerair – WINNER

Jetstar Asia

Scoot

Best Full-Fledged Airline

Singapore Airlines – WINNER

Cathay Pacific

Emirates

Best Online Travel Service

Agoda – WINNER

AirBnB

trivago

Best Hotel

Marina Bay Sands – WINNER

The Fullerton Bay Hotel

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore

Best Nightspot

Zouk – WINNER

1-Altitude

Timbre @ The Substation

Best Local Attraction

Singapore Zoo – WINNER

Gardens by the Bay

Universal Studios Singapore

Best Western Restaurant

Astons Specialities – WINNER

Marche

Swensen’s

Best Brunch Restaurant

Kuvo – WINNER

P. Bistro

Wild Honey

Best Hawker Stall

Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee – WINNER

328 Katong Laksa

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

Best Chinese Restaurant

Din Tai Fung – WINNER

Crystal Jade Palace

Jumbo Seafood Restaurant

Best Asian Restaurant

Thai Express – WINNER

HJH Maimunah Restaurant

Muthu’s Curry

Best Japanese Restaurant

Tampopo – WINNER

Ichiban Boshi

Sushi Tei

Best Buffet Restaurant

Carousel – WINNER

Buffet Town

The Line