SINGAPORE – A total of 23 food and beverage outlets were caught flouting Covid-19 safe management measures during stepped-up checks by government agencies over the weekend.
Many of these breaches involved groups of more than five people seated together or mingling between tables, as well as serving and consuming alcohol past 10.30pm, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said in a statement on Tuesday (Sept 15).
A total of 149 F&B outlets in known hot spots were inspected over the weekend. Police officers were also involved in the checks.
The MSE said that the agencies are reviewing the breaches and “appropriate enforcement actions will be taken, including temporary closure of the outlets and the issuance of fines”.
This comes after Education Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry Covid-19 task force, said last Wednesday that enforcement agencies will be stepping up checks on F&B outlets that flout Covid-19 rules.
SINGAPORE: A couple who euthanised their dog for apparent aggression did not fail in their duty of care or commit animal cruelty, while the veterinarians who performed the euthanasia did not breach the Code of Ethics, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) said on Tuesday (Sep 15).
In its investigation findings, AVS said the owners had explored various options before euthanasia, including medication, training and rehoming, and did their best to care for Loki the dog.
The owners and vet did not breach COVID-19 safety measures by euthanising Loki during the “circuit breaker”, as veterinary acts that uphold public safety were deemed an essential service during that period, the AVS found.
The findings come after the AVS opened investigations into the case in May following a complaint by Exclusively Mongrels, the dog welfare group from which the owners had adopted Loki. The group said Loki was healthy and would have turned three around the time of the euthanasia.
The AVS, formerly known as the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, is a unit under the National Parks Board.
The case sparked outrage among some netizens who felt the euthanasia was not justified. Some have identified and exposed the owners, and criticised the Mount Pleasant Veterinary Group that conducted the euthanasia.
In its findings, AVS said Loki was adopted in December 2017 and was timid, afraid of loud noises, averse to men and nervous around children. Between 2018 and 2019, it grew to be about 25kg, and became “more confident and confrontational”.
The dog also had panic attacks with no known triggers, with more frequent and severe bite or attack incidents, AVS said. Loki was eventually euthanised on Apr 20.
AVS listed 12 occasions between 2018 and 2020 when Loki had bitten other dogs, the owner, the owners’ relative, the owners’ friends and children of the owners’ friends. On separate instances this year, Loki had bitten a child on her face and the owner on his lip. Both visited the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department at a hospital.
A list of incidents involving Loki biting others. (Photo: NParks)
OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED
In January 2019, a blood test was done on Loki to rule out hormonal causes of aggression, while medication was given to manage potential separation anxiety, which could be causing the aggression. The owners also visited vets regularly to ensure Loki was healthy, AVS said.
Loki was sent for training between November 2019 and February this year. During the first session, the trainer assessed Loki to have medium to high levels of anxiety and reactivity, and was nervous around strangers.
AVS said Loki’s behaviour did not improve from training, pointing out that Loki had bitten the child when training was ongoing.
During the final training session in February, Loki’s owners told the trainer they wanted to euthanise Loki. The trainer tried to convince them to consider other options, including behaviour modification, mood altering medication and rehoming.
In March, the owner and a Mount Pleasant vet discussed options for Loki. They decided Loki could be rehomed, rehabilitated with behavioural modification drugs and training, or euthanised as a last resort.
Loki was given behavioural drugs as an interim measure. The vet reached out to the trainer, who said he was open to rehabilitating Loki with the drugs. But the trainer said Loki would need at least another six months of training before it could be reassessed.
The vet then persuaded the owners to try to rehome Loki. However, AVS said the trainer and owners were unsuccessful in finding new owners for Loki despite “multiple efforts”.
“We understand that what the owners did was to approach their own acquaintances. We also understand that the trainer himself tried to look for rehoming options and even the vets chipped in,” an AVS spokesperson said.
“In the end, it was only (an) animal shelter in Malaysia that came back as an option, and unfortunately that couldn’t be put into action because of the COVID-19 situation.”
The Mount Pleasant vets suggested that the owners send Loki to a shelter in Malaysia, but after the owners agreed, Malaysia implemented its movement control order. Plans to send Loki there were shelved, and the owners decided to keep him in the meantime.
AVS said that the owners did not approach Exclusively Mongrels for help in rehoming. The group has commenced legal proceedings against the owner for what it said was a breach of the adoption agreement.
“That’s a decision by the owners,” the AVS spokesperson said. “It wasn’t part of our investigation, in the sense of why the owners chose certain methods of rehoming and not others.”
He added: “The adoption agreement is a private agreement between Exclusively Mongrels and the owner, so it was not part of our investigation.”
TIPPING POINT
In early April, Loki’s owners had a newborn child. The owners noticed that Loki was uncomfortable and nervous around their child, AVS said.
On Apr 19, the husband reached over Loki to get a cover that the dog was lying on, something he had done many times before, when Loki bit him on his lips. The husband went to the A&E and got stitches, a tetanus vaccine and a course of oral antibiotics.
The next day, the wife made several calls to a vet and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for Loki to be euthanised, but was rejected or redirected.
The wife called the AVS to clarify if euthanasia was allowed during the circuit breaker. The AVS said it was allowed as an essential service if it was carried out in the interest of public safety.
The wife reached out to the Mount Pleasant vet who had been involved in Loki’s case. She told him that that Loki had attacked a family member, and that their family’s safety was of “great concern”.
The vets agreed that they had explored all other options and that Loki’s aggression and unpredictability was a risk to the family’s safety, AVS said. The euthanasia was scheduled that evening. Loki was put to sleep with the owners present, having given written consent.
OWNERS REPEATEDLY SOUGHT HELP
AVS said the owners did their best to care for Loki and had “repeatedly” sought help for Loki’s behavioural issues, trained Loki and looked for rehoming options.
There was also no evidence of animal cruelty, as Loki had been observed to get along with the owners, with no evidence of abuse or mistreatment.
The vets who performed the euthanasia did not breach the Code of Ethics for Veterinarians, AVS said, noting that they had worked with the owners over several weeks to explore rehoming, training and use of modification drugs to help Loki.
The vets also contacted the dog trainer to explore the use of medication for rehabilitation and contacted an overseas animal shelter on their own initiative, AVS added.
“Euthanasia was performed as a last resort to safeguard the family’s safety,” AVS said.
For many of us, power banks have become as essential as our mobile phones. But are they 100 per cent safe?
A woman was rudely awakened when a power bank which was not being used exploded and caught fire in her Tampines condo in the wee hours on Saturday (Sept 12), Lianhe Wanbao reported.
The woman’s husband, 47, who did not want to be identified, said his wife was sleeping in the master bedroom where the incident took place at about 1am.
He was working in the study, while his 15-year-old daughter and dog were in the living room at the time, he related to the Chinese daily.
His wife was awakened by a sudden boom when the power bank, which was placed in a plastic box in their bedside table drawer, suddenly exploded, he said.
After seeing that the power bank was in flames, she immediately rushed to the toilet, wet a towel and used it to retrieve the power bank from the table.
But the flames grew even bigger after she threw the power bank on the floor, he said.
Actor-singer Aliff Aziz is facing possible jail term after being found unfit for a mandatory treatment order (MTO), The Straits Times reported.
An offender is sentenced to an MTO in lieu of imprisonment — they’ll undergo psychiatric treatment to address their condition. However, it was not mentioned in court on Monday (Sep 14) why Aliff wasn’t eligible for MTO.
Aliff, 29, pleaded guilty last month to one count of theft. He stole $300 and one million rupiah (S$94) from Indonesian actress Raja Yunika Perdhana Putri.
The scandal-ridden Singaporean also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of behaving in a disorderly manner in public.
Aliff met the actress in her hotel room in June. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how she could help push his singing career further in Indonesia.
When she went to rest, Aliff stole $300 and one million rupiah (S$94) from her handbag before leaving the room. Raja Yunika phoned him after she woke up and noticed the missing cash, but he denied stealing from her.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Siaw said Aliff later admitted to the theft. He has since repaid the money.
Aliff garnered fame after winning Anugerah 2007, Suria’s version of Singapore Idol. He also made the headlines last year for his divorce from his wife, 26-year-old Malaysian actress Bella Astillah.
However, in May, it was reported that he had reconciled with Bella and the couple were expecting a second child.
Offenders convicted of theft can be jailed up to seven years and fined.
First-time offenders convicted of behaving in a disorderly manner in public can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $2,000. Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $5,000.
As fancy, upscale and lavishly priced as a stay at the W Singapore in Sentosa Cove may be, folks are expressing their willingness to splurge in support of inclusivity.
It costs over $500 for a night’s stay, mind you.
The five-star luxury resort hotel is being widely praised online after its social media team reposted an image of local fashion model Andee Chua and his Taiwanese YouTuber boyfriend Hugo Liu enjoying a staycation there.
The post on W Singapore’s Facebook and Instagram accounts on Monday (Sept 14) has quickly become one of the hotel’s most engaged posts, garnering hundreds of comments, shares and thousands of likes.
SINGAPORE: A total of 23 food and beverage outlets were found to have breached COVID-19 safe management measures during enforcement checks conducted by government agencies over the last weekend, said the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) on Tuesday (Sep 15).
These breaches involved groups of more than five people being seated together or intermingling between tables, as well as outlets serving and allowing consumption of alcohol after 10.30pm.
At one F&B outlet, enforcement officers found beer being served from metal teapots after 11pm.
Government agencies conducted additional patrols of nightspots on Sep 12 and Sep 13 as part of stepped-up checks for compliance with COVID-19 safe management measures, said MSE. A total of 149 F&B outlets in “known hotspots” were inspected.
A restaurant at Orchard Road was found to have served alcoholic drinks from metal teapots to 13 patrons after 11pm.
“Investigations revealed that the teapots contained beer, and the bottles of beer sold by the restaurant were concealed at the bottom of the fridge storing drinks,” said MSE.
Enforcement officers also visited another F&B outlet in Orchard Road around midnight and heard loud conversations from the locked premises.
They “gained entry” to the outlet after issuing verbal warnings to the operator to open the door, and found six patrons seated separately within the premises with no signs of drinks on their table.
However, CCTV footage showed that the patrons were drinking just before the officers arrived, and that the patrons and owner had cleared the glasses and hidden the alcohol bottle just before opening the door.
Other breaches included an F&B outlet at Chinatown accepting a booking of 10 patrons and seating the group in two tables within a private dining room.
“When asked, outlet staff claimed that persons at the two tables did not know each other,” said MSE.
A group of 15 people were also spotted at another F&B outlet at Boat Quay. The patrons were seated across four tables for a pre-planned dinner event and were intermingling, said MSE.
Another F&B outlet at Jurong East was also found to have allowed eight customers to sit together at a long table within the premises.
An F&B outlet at Jurong East was found to have allowed eight customers to sit together at a long table within the premises. (Photo: Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment)
MSE did not name any of the 23 F&B outlets that flouted the safety measures.
“The agencies are reviewing the breaches and the appropriate enforcement actions will be taken, including temporary closure of the outlets and the issuance of fines. More details will be provided when ready,” said the ministry.
“COVID-19 REMAINS A GRAVE THREAT”
These stepped-up enforcement checks involved officers from seven government agencies, including those from the Singapore Police Force, said MSE.
The other government agencies include the National Parks Board, National Environment Agency, Urban Redevelopment Authority, Singapore Food Agency, Singapore Tourism Board, and Singapore Land Authority.
The checks come on top of routine inspections conducted daily at F&B outlets, including coffee shops and hawker centres, throughout Singapore. More than 3,000 inspections of F&B outlets were conducted over the weekend, said MSE.
“COVID-19 remains a grave threat. Dining out is an activity that involves considerable risks because it entails gathering in enclosed spaces, without masks on, and for a prolonged duration,” said MSE.
It added that while the majority of F&B operators and premise owners ensure safe management measures are properly implemented, there are still F&B outlets that continue to breach these measures.
In a Facebook post, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu urged F&B operators and patrons to observe the safe management measures.
“We must do what we can to contain the spread of the virus, safeguard public health and livelihoods, and help Singapore to return to a COVID-safe world,” she said.
MSE said government agencies will continue to step up enforcement checks to ensure that F&B establishments comply with the COVID-19 safety measures and that it will not hesitate to take “firm enforcement action” if the measures are breached.
“We would like to remind F&B operators and premises owners that breaches of safe management measures constitute a serious offence … We also urge all members of the public to be socially responsible and observe the safe management measures,” it said.
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Tuesday (Sep 15) launched two parcels of farmland in Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Tengah for sale by public tender, it said in a media release.
The Lim Chu Kang plot is meant for general food agriculture and may be used to farm food crops, seafood, quail eggs, cattle or goats for dairy milk and food frogs. It covers an area of around 10,000 sq m along Neo Tiew Crescent.
The other land parcel on Sungei Tengah Road – to be used for vegetable farming – is about 11,917 sq m in size.
“With less than 1 per cent of land set aside for agriculture food production, our farms have to make efficient use of scarce resources such as land, water and energy,” said SFA.
“Farms should leverage technology to increase productivity and be sustainable and resilient against climate change.”
This is the sixth tranche of farmland tenders in Singapore since 2017.
“Proposals that can achieve high production levels sustainably will have a higher chance of being awarded these new land parcels,” said SFA.
The agency added that it will assess the proposals on their production capability, track record, relevant experience and qualifications as well as innovation and business sustainability, including waste management.
Senior director for food supply resilience Melvin Chow said SFA will plan and schedule future land tenders to support promising farms that can achieve the high food production levels required to meet the “30-by-30” goal.
“SFA is also studying how the larger Lim Chu Kang agriculture area can be redeveloped to enhance our food production, considering feedback from farm operators for centralised facilities and services, as well as circular economy principles,” said Mr Chow.
“SFA will work with farms, including successful tenderers in the land sales exercises, towards an exciting vision for Lim Chu Kang.”
SINGAPORE – Freelance writer Sng Ler Jun has been taking on more writing assignments since March to earn extra money for his family and himself.
His 55-year-old mother was retrenched from a part-time job as a food promoter in February and his father, a 59-year-old taxi driver, has seen earnings fall since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, the 24-year-old, who is doing a communications degree from the University at Buffalo at the Singapore Institute of Management, said he feels “pressured to work harder”.
The worry of finding a stable job after he graduates in December keeps him up at night. “I’m doing unpaid writing work to beef up my resume so it’ll help in my job hunt,” said Mr Sng, who is an only child.
Still, he feels “plagued by the uncertainty” as he does not know when the economy will improve. “It’s demoralising thinking about it and I feel burned out.”
Because of this, his mood and energy has been low and he no longer enjoys the walks he used to take in the neighbourhood.
SINGAPORE: A mall in Changi, which has remained empty nine months after it was built, is not allowed to have restaurants due to residents’ feedback about traffic and parking problems.
CNA reported last Saturday (Sep 12) that the developer of Liv@Changi mall, which was completed in December last year, has struggled to attract tenants due to the COVID-19 “circuit breaker” and planning restrictions imposed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).
The Liv@Changi mall at Mariam Way. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
The entrance to the mall. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
In February, the URA rejected a request by the developer to turn some of the shop units on the first and second floor into restaurants, leading some netizens to question the rationale behind the decision.
“URA conveyed to the developer in 2015 that restaurants, bars, health centres or nightclubs cannot be allowed in the development,” the authority told CNA on Tuesday.
“We reiterated the requirement in February 2020 when the developer requested to turn shop units into restaurants. This was in response to local feedback that these uses would exacerbate the traffic and parking problems in the neighbourhood.”
The mall developer, Fortune Assets Changi, had rued the decision to prohibit restaurants.
“The planning guidelines restricted certain desired trades, such as cafes and restaurants, which are essential for the mall to draw traffic,” said Fortune Assets Changi director Keev Tan previously.
He added that the objective of the mall has been to “provide quality amenities and services” to residents in the area.
HONG KONG – Chinese gaming and social media group Tencent said on Tuesday it would open a new office in Singapore that will be its regional hub for Southeast Asia.
The move, adding a Singapore base to offices in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, comes as Tencent presses on with a global push despite recent app bans in India and the United States.
Southeast Asia has proved an important market for Tencent, with some hit games, including ‘Arena of Valor’, performing well there. Its cloud computing arm, Tencent Cloud, is also making inroads in the region as the company seeks to tap into a growing demand for remote IT services for home-based workers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Singapore office will also enable us to capture potential from the rapid pace of digitisation and meet the demand for internet-based services and solutions in Singapore,” the company said in a statement.
Singapore in recent years has ramped up efforts to attract tech firms and investors.
