We have all heard Singaporean parents complaining about how early school starts for their children, with many expressing concerns about how this affects their physical development.
The concern has sparked conversations in the education sector that lead to schools to take initiative to start school at a later time.
However, recently, a different kind of complaint about school times sparked debates online when an anonymous parent expressed disappointment on their child’s school – not for starting early – but for ending early.
In a note that was posted on Facebook’s All Singapore Stuff page, the parent expressed concerns at how ending classes 10 to 15 minutes everyday before the stipulated time meant a losing “one day of his lessons” in one month.
ViewQwest has done pretty well for itself as a local Internet Service Provider (the fastest one, too) and today the company announced that its venture into the realm of smart homes.
But slow your roll, it’s not exactly home automation in the sense of switching off the lights by itself after you leave the house or launching a robot vacuum when the floor gets filthy. ViewQwest wants to kick off a hassle-free solution in the form of a smart monitoring service which alerts users of unwanted intrusions.
It’s called the Vesta Shield, a subscription-based service that comes with device installations, maintenance, and 24-hour support. At launch, what the Vesta system basically does is sense — sense when and what time a door or window was opened; sense when a member of the family needs assistance; sense motion, temperature and illumination in a location.
Popular US YouTuber Mikey Chen has one thing on his must-eat list when he sets foot on our sunny island. Surprise, it ain’t chilli crab.
In fact, it is our humble McSpicy that has captured the tastebuds of the intrepid American-Chinese food vlogger, who tried the burger on a previous trip here.
Given the abundant food choices here, ordering McDees in Singapore might be seen as a strange decision — along with the fact that the Golden Arches originated from the States.
But Chen explains in the video caption that he loves trying McDonald’s from different parts of the world. And honestly, we understand because so do we.
SINGAPORE – Changi Airport Group (CAG) has awarded its liquor and tobacco concession tender to South Korean company Lotte Duty Free.
This is the first time that a new operator is being awarded the category, and comes after the DFS Group said in August that it was pulling out of the airport after 38 years of selling liquor and tobacco.
The contract awarded to Lotte is for six years from June 9, 2020.
The tenancy contract covers all 18 liquor and tobacco stores across Changi’s four terminals, spanning more than 8,000 sq m of retail space.
DFS’ duty-free stores will close next June, when its lease expires, to make way for Lotte.
In a statement on Thursday (Oct 24), CAG said that passengers at Changi can look forward to a wide range of liquor products and brands housed within Lotte’s 18 liquor and tobacco stores.
The liquor and tobacco duplex store at Terminal 3 will see a complete revamp of its store facade for greater visibility into both levels of the store.
SINGAPORE: Gojek is looking to expand its range of services in Singapore, said the Indonesian ride-hailing giant’s new leadership on Thursday (Oct 24), but will take a “fairly deliberate approach” when doing so.
Gojek co-CEO Kevin Aluwi said this is because its rival Grab, which operates in eight Southeast Asian countries and is based in Singapore, is “a lot more entrenched” here.
“We definitely do have plans to launch other products in addition to transportation,” he said, when asked about the firms’ plans for the Singapore market.
He noted though that as a start, Singapore users can expect “a lot more features on the transportation side” sometime within the next quarter.
Together with co-CEO Andre Soelistyo, Mr Aluwi – who founded Gojek with former CEO Nadiem Makarim – spoke to international media via phone conferencing from Gojek’s Jakarta headquarters.
It was the pair’s first interview since assuming the helm at Gojek this week. Mr Makarim left the firm this month to take up the role of education and culture minister in Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s new cabinet.
The Indonesian firm – whose name is derived from ojek, the Indonesian term for motorcycle taxis – is reported to be valued at about US$10 billion.
Last year, it launched a US$50 million expansion plan that saw it move into three other countries in Southeast Asia – Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore – following Uber’s exit from the region.
Beyond ride-hailing, the firm offers services such as payment methods, food and grocery deliveries, and concierge services such as cleaning and massages. But these services remain limited to Indonesia and have yet to be introduced in its other markets.
While Gojek previously said it intends to enter the food delivery sector in Singapore, it is not in a rush to do so, said Mr Aluwi.
“There (are) already five other players, all competing with 30 per cent, 40 per cent discounts,” he noted.
“That means that the only thing we could actually do (to compete) is offer a 50 per cent discount. That’s not something we want to do from a long-term strategy perspective.”
The firm is researching how it can offer a different food delivery service in Singapore given the more concentrated market here, he added.
During the briefing, Gojek indicated that it has about 800,000 active monthly users in Singapore – the smallest among the four countries it operates in.
Mr Aluwi said that while Singapore is the Indonesian firm’s smallest market, it is a “very valuable” one, noting that consumers here spend more on its services.
“We’re quite happy with the growth we’ve seen in Singapore,” he added.
Indonesia remains Gojek’s stronghold, said Mr Soelistyo, with 80 per cent of its users there.
The firm intends to expand its international presence, he noted, and hopes to have 50 per cent of its customers from outside Indonesia within the next few years.
New Gojek co-chief executive officers Kevin Aluwi and Andre Soelistyo (Photo: Gojek)
GOJEK NOT AN “UNSUSTAINABLE UNICORN”
Gojek is aiming for an initial public offering (IPO), Mr Soelistyo confirmed, though it has not set a date to go public yet.
In the meantime, it is preparing by improving its governance and processes. It aims to defy the impression that unicorns – startups valued at more than US$1 billion – are “unsustainable”, said Mr Aluwi.
Ride-hailing startups Uber and Lyft lost US$6.2 billion and US$1.7 billion respectively in their first two quarters as publicly traded companies.
“For us, we’ve always aimed to create an enduring, sustainable company,” he said.
This means moving away from growth led by promotions and incentives – which characterised the rise of Gojek as well as its rivals Grab and Uber – to building loyalty among its customers based on the quality of its products, said Mr Soelistyo.
Gojek confirmed earlier this week that despite leaving the company, Mr Makarim continues to have a stake in the ride-hailing firm, although it did not comment on the size of his stake.
He will not have to put his shares in a trust, said Mr Soelistyo, noting Indonesian regulations allow for government officials to hold shares as long as they have no “special ability to dictate or direct the company”.
“He has no position at all in the company, and we will maintain it that way,” he added.
Mr Makarim is a passive investor who will not play a role in the company, “officially or unofficially”, the co-CEO added.
Addressing Mr Makarim’s departure, Mr Soelistyo said his appointment to Mr Widodo’s cabinet was a validation of Gojek’s work and defied the negative perception of chief executives in high-growth companies.
“I think we are definitely very proud, but we’re sad at the same time because he is a dear friend. We’ve been together since day one,” he said.
SINGAPORE – A total of 1.4 million Singaporeans will receive up to three of the Bicentennial Bonus benefits this November.
These are the Goods and Services Tax Voucher (GSTV) – Cash (Bicentennial Payment), Central Provident Fund (CPF) Top-up, and Workfare Bicentennial Bonus, said the Finance Ministry in a statement on Thursday (Oct 24).
During Budget 2019, the Government had announced a $1.1 billion Bicentennial Bonus to commemorate Singapore’s Bicentennial and to support individuals who need more help.
SMS notifications for GSTV – Cash (Bicentennial Payment) and Workfare Bicentennial Bonus will go out by the end of this month.
The letters for the Workfare Bicentennial Bonus and CPF Top-Up will be issued in November.
Eligible Singaporeans will receive their Workfare Bicentennial Bonus this month, and the CPF Top-Up and GSTV in November.
AMOUNT OF BONUSES
Those aged 21 and above, who earned an income of up to $28,000 in 2017, are eligible for the GSTV.
Stomp contributor Benjamin had booked a ride from his home at Castle Green at Yio Chu Kang Road to Lotus Medical Clinic, where he works, at 155 Paya Lebar Road on Tuesday morning (Oct 22).
Benjamin told Stomp: “It was around 7.30am and I was running late that morning.
“Since it was also raining heavily, I decided to book a ride with Gojek from my home.
PHOTO: Stomp
“During the course of the trip, I noticed that the driver was not going in the correct direction and although I tried to tell her so, she insisted that she has to adhere to the route allocated to her by the GPS.
In a YouTube video Stomp contributor James shared, a man from ACRES can be seen rescuing the python from the drain.
According to ACRES’ deputy chief executive Mr Kalai Vanan, the python measured to be about 2.5-3 metres long.
Responding to a Stomp query, Mr Kalai said: “The ACRES wildlife rescue team received a call about a python at Jurong West between 5-6pm on Oct 17.
“We understand that the cat feeders in the area were looking for their community cat when they discovered the snake. Unfortunately, the python had eaten the cat.
“Pythons have adapted well to urban areas and mostly feed on rats. However, when the opportunity rises, they do go for cats who frequent drains.
Don’t waste it away by spending it at home because there are lots of activities happening around the island to enjoy with your friends and family. Weekends will never be the same again with this weekend planner.
SINGAPORE’S FIRST INDOMIE CAFE
There’s just something about instant noodles that bring comfort to the soul, albeit that not the healthiest choice of food to have all the time.
If you love instant noodles as much as I do, you’ll be happy to know that IndoBowl is coming to Singapore this Oct 25! It is the world’s first Indomie cafe to open outside of Malaysia, right here in Singapore.
FENI, Bangladesh – A court in Bangladesh sentenced 16 people to death on Thursday (Oct 24) over the murder of a 19-year-old female student burned alive in April that provoked outrage across the country.
Ms Nusrat Jahan Rafi was doused in kerosene and set on fire after refusing to withdraw a sexual harassment complaint against the head teacher of the seminary she attended.
“The verdict proves that nobody will get away with murder in Bangladesh. We have the rule of law,” prosecutor Hafez Ahmed told reporters after the verdict in a crowded courtroom.
Ms Rafi was lured to the rooftop of the seminary where her attackers pressed her to withdraw the complaint she had filed with police.
When she refused, she was tied up, doused in kerosene and set on fire.
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