SINGAPORE – A bus driver who held delusions that his wife of 28 years was cheating on him and stabbed her to death in their Loyang condominium in 2017 pleaded guilty in the High Court on Tuesday (July 28) to a reduced charge of culpable homicide.
The prosecution is seeking 12 years’ jail for Krishnan Raju, 53, while the defence is asking for eight years.
Krishnan was originally charged with murder for repeatedly stabbing Madam Raithena Vaithena Samy, 44, an operations executive, on the night of Oct 26, 2017, at their Loyang Gardens home.
She suffered 13 stab wounds, including five to the chest which were fatal.
The charge was reduced after he was diagnosed by an Institute of Mental Health (IMH) psychiatrist with a type of delusional disorder in which the sufferer is preoccupied with the thought that his spouse is unfaithful, without any real proof.
Dr Cheow Enquan found that Krishnan’s disorder, which is also known as morbid jealousy, had substantially impaired his mental responsibility for the killing.
SINGAPORE – Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh said on Tuesday (July 28) that he will contribute half of his salary as Leader of the Opposition towards his party, programmes for residents in the party’s three constituencies, as well as charitable causes.
After the Government announced the duties and privileges that will be accorded to him in the role, Mr Singh said in a Facebook post that he had discussed the appointment with his wife and they both “felt strongly that a percentage of the salary should be used for a greater purpose”.
As Leader of the Opposition (LO), Mr Singh will get double the allowance of an elected MP, and his annual package will be $385,000.
He said he would allocate 50 per cent of the salary, after taxes, to any of several uses, including to the WP Community Fund or WP Grassroots Committee to help low-income residents in Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC, community programmes in the three constituencies, charitable or worthy causes, and specific needs of the WP.
His post drew more than 400 comments from netizens, who expressed their respect and thanks.
SINGAPORE: On Saturday (Jul 25), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced a new Cabinet which included a reshuffle of portfolios for fourth-generation (4G) leaders, six promotions and three retirements.
Former Minister of Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu will move to the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, which has now been renamed the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE).
Explaining the rationale behind the ministry’s new name, PM Lee noted “sustainability has become an increasingly important part of our national agenda”, which now includes climate change defence and managing the island’s carbon footprint.
COVID-19 has also shown Singaporeans how fraught food security and safety is, highlighting the importance of the work of sustainability and climate adaptation.
The rebranding of the environment ministry is timely because it acknowledges the new challenges of this generation.
The focus of the Ministry has similarly shifted over the decades in keeping up with Singapore’s evolving environmental priorities, with changes in its designation reflective of such changes.
MSE began in 1972 as the Ministry of Environment, which took on pollution control, sewage management and environmental health protection.
With the establishment of NEWater as a key strategic water source, the ministry was aptly renamed in September 2004 the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR).
File photo of NEWater plant. (Photo: PUB)
Singapore now faces greater pressure on water and energy resources as global population and demand increases. Climate change is a long-term and high-priority issue that has not diminished, COVID-19 or otherwise.
MSE will be committed to providing Singaporeans with a clean and sustainable environment, and resilient supplies of safe food and water. It will continue to work through its three statutory boards – the National Environment Agency (NEA), national water agency Public Utilities Board (PUB) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
Minister Grace Fu is the 12th minister to take over this portfolio, and is the first female minister in Singapore to be in charge of the sustainability and environment portfolio.
She joins Senior Minister of State Dr Amy Khor, who has been with MEWR since 2006, first as Senior Parliamentary Secretary, then as a Minister of State before her current role as Senior Minister of State.
But Minister Fu is not new to the environment portfolio. In 2011, she was appointed Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and in August 2012, assumed the role of Second Minister. She was put in charge of the Municipal Services Office in 2014.
In a Facebook post following the Cabinet reshuffle, Minister Fu noted that the renaming of the Ministry is “meaningful and significant, as sustainability has always been a part of Singapore’s DNA”.
She cited the vision of Singapore’s pioneer generation of leaders who laid the “solid foundation for the green and liveable city that we enjoy today”.
The Ministry’s renaming suggests environmental issues have become more complex, requiring greater interdependency with other ministry portfolios.
For example, MSE would have to work with other agencies and research institutions to generate new green jobs and business opportunities for Singapore.
A view of public housing blocks, with solar panels affixed to the roof of some blocks, in Singapore on Jun 27, 2019. (File photo: Reuters/Kevin Lam)
Sustainability already is an important part of Singapore’s national agenda, but even more so as the Government tries to support the diverse needs and growing aspirations of Singaporeans. This will necessitate an evolution of the rules of engagement.
Environment and sustainability are key areas of empowerment and action for individuals, communities and businesses. In recent times, Singapore youth have shown to want to take greater ownership of sharing their perspectives on climate action.
The National Youth Survey 2016 revealed that one in four youth have participated in environmental conservation efforts. This number is likely to have increased in the last few years.
Under Minister Fu’s leadership as Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, the SG Youth Action Plan announced in 2019 laid the foundations as a platform for youth to co-deliberate and co-deliver policies together, particularly in areas concerning the environment, the future of work and social issues.
A series of Youth Conversations held throughout 2018 highlighted that these specific topics were among the top concerns of Singaporean youths.
In her Facebook post, Minister Fu also thanked outgoing Minister Masagos Zulkifli, who will be heading the Ministry of Social and Family Development, as well as previous Environment Ministers for their contributions.
Under Minister Masagos, 2018 was declared Singapore’s Year of Climate Action, generating over 800 climate action events and more than 340,000 pledges of climate action from individuals and organisations.
In 2019, the Ministry pushed for a Year Towards Zero Waste and launched the country’s inaugural Zero Waste Masterplan which maps out Singapore’s key strategies to build a sustainable, resource-efficient and climate-resilient nation.
The landmark Resource Sustainability Act was also passed in Parliament, to encourage resource sustainability and the adoption of the circular economy.
As a low-lying island, Singapore is especially vulnerable to the “grave threat” of rising sea levels, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has warned. (File photo: AFP/Roslan RAHMAN)
MSE will also continue to play a key role in efforts to protect Singapore against rising sea levels, as announced by PM Lee at the National Day Rally 2019.
Last year, MEWR announced a S$10 million National Sea Level Research Programme to boost the understanding of sea levels around Singapore and develop more robust projections of this threat to Singapore.
The new Climate Science Research Programme Office set up under the Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) and new Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions at the National University of Singapore are also part of plans to boost climate science capabilities to allow Singapore to better address climate change and sustainability in the future.
MSE will also play a key role in ensuring food security. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) was established last April to put all food issues under one agency, and to ensure a safe and secure supply of food for Singapore.
In late 2019, a multi-agency workgroup was setup to tackle the twin issues of food waste and food insecurity in Singapore. This was co-led by then Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee, whose portfolio will be taken over by Minister Masagos Zulkifli.
The new MSE will benefit from placing more emphasis on collaborative action and partnership. MEWR has already led the way in 2019 by engaging multiple stakeholders on measures to address Singapore’s key waste streams.
Over 250 companies were engaged, and 1,300 respondents had taken part in an online public consultation, followed closely by two focus group discussions co-organised in partnership with two local civil society groups – Zero Waste SG and LepakInSG.
In tackling waste management in Singapore, MEWR was intentional about co-creating and implementing zero-waste initiatives with stakeholders.
Blue recycling bin with new label design unveiled on Friday, Aug 30, 2019, at the launch of Zero Waste Masterplan pictured next to 800 Super’s blue recycling truck. (Photo: Darius Boey)
In the coming months, the National Environment Agency (NEA) will be convening a new Citizens’ Workgroup to address the excessive consumption of disposables in Singapore.
This will be held from September 2020 to March 2021, and is in line with the SGTogether movement, where the Government aims to partner Singaporeans in new ways to design and implement ideas, programmes and policies together.
ALL HANDS ON DECK
With the progressively more intricate and demanding challenges from climate change and growing resource constraints, Singapore needs all hands on deck to rally partners and other countries in mitigation efforts while adapting to climate change.
Singapore is also seeing a more active citizenry when it comes to environmental policy. Partnership has started to go beyond co-organising events and support for one another and toward building greater trust and transparency.
One example is the MEWR-NYC Youth Circle, where youth leaders are working with MEWR on policy recommendations, such as on reducing food waste.
But improvements can be made to share more information and demonstrate how feedback and engagement have been incorporated into policy and programmes.
After all, Singapore must harness the energy and knowledge of our people, so as to find new ways to solve increasingly complex environmental challenges.
Melissa Low is a Research Fellow at the Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore.
SINGAPORE – The police are investigating a case of a baby boy found in a private residential estate near Upper Paya Lebar Road on Monday (July 27).
A police spokesman said on Tuesday that they received a call for assistance at around 7.45pm at a semi-detached house in Tai Keng Gardens.
Police officers at the scene found a baby boy at the location.
“There were no visible injuries on the baby and his condition was stable,” the spokesman added.
The baby was then taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
According to residents in the area, the baby was found after he was heard crying in a bin.
Speaking to The Straits Times, a resident who only wanted to be known as Mr Lew, 65, said his son-in-law discovered the baby shortly after a family dinner.
“He heard a strange noise coming from the recycling bin, and asked some of us for help to check it out,” said Mr Lew on Tuesday.
“No one dared to open the bin because they thought it might be a cat or a dog, so they called me for help,” he added.
Yes, you read that right. As the newly minted Leader of the Opposition (LO), the Workers’ Party’s (WP) Pritam Singh will be getting double the pay of an elected MP — a cool $385,000 annually.
But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Singh’s pay raise also comes with extra responsibilities and duties, according to a joint press release by the Office of the Speaker of Parliament and Office of the Leader of the House today (July 28).
SINGAPORE – A Maserati driver whose car dragged a police officer for more than 100m along Bedok Reservoir Road in 2017 was sentenced on Tuesday (July 28) to four years and seven months’ jail with a lifetime driving ban.
District Judge Ng Peng Hong, who said that Lee Cheng Yan’s offences “warranted a retributive and deterrent sentence”, also ordered him to pay a fine of $3,700.
In December last year after a five-day trial, the judge found Lee, now 36, guilty of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to the policeman, Staff Sergeant Khairulanwar Abd Kahar, 26.
The policeman had stopped Lee on Nov 17, 2017 for driving without a seat belt. He approached the car to speak to the driver. Lee, who was under a driving ban at the time, instead fled the scene in his white Maserati.
Staff Sgt Khairulanwar was dragged along the road when his uniform got caught in the driver-side door of the car. When he fell onto the road, Lee sped off without rendering help.
Staff Sgt Khairulanwar was treated for pain over his right knee, neck and lower back in hospital. He was later given more than 20 days of medical leave.
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) is inviting public feedback on Grab’s request to impose a platform fee on riders for its ride-hailing services in Singapore.
The proposed fee amounts to S$0.30 per ride, or S$0.32 with goods and services tax.
In its application to CCCS, Grab said the fee will enable it to maintain and enhance various safety measures, as well as cover relevant operating costs. A third of the funds collected will be committed towards providing benefits for driver welfare, according to Grab.
Grab noted that it “invests heavily” to provide passengers and drivers with a “safe and pleasant experience on its platform”, and that the imposition of a platform fee will be in line with the industry norm.
In September 2018, the competition watchdog issued an infringement decision on the merger of ride-hailing giants Uber and Grab, and fined them more than S$13 million.
Singapore has weathered Covid-19 for over half a year, and the battle against the virus is increasingly becoming a mental one.
Psychological fatigue and a false sense of security are behind the crowds gathering at beaches, restaurants and shops, say experts.
This is particularly since community cases remain low despite many businesses opening again.
After months of facing the strain of Covid-19, it is inevitable that individuals start to let down their guard, become complacent, or simply frustrated, said Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
And this can lead to careless behaviour.
This was clearly the case on Sunday, when crowds gathered to watch Red Lions parachuters land at a grass patch next to Sengkang General Hospital, and some people ended up arguing with safe distancing ambassadors trying desperately to maintain the rules.
SINGAPORE: The number of babies born in Singapore rose slightly in 2019, after an eight-year low, according to data released by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Tuesday (Jul 28).
A total of 39,279 babies were born last year, a 0.6 per cent increase from 2018, according to the annual report published in June.
The crude birth rate in 2019 remained the same as 2018, with 8.8 per 1,000 Singapore residents.
Crude birth rate refers to the number of live births per thousand population, based on Singapore residents only.
In 2019, Malays registered the highest birth rate of 14.0 per 1,000 residents, followed by Indians at 8.7 per 1,000 residents. Chinese registered the lowest rate of 7.6 per 1,000 residents.
(Graph: ICA – Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2019)
The number of babies born to teenagers aged 19 and below has also continued to fall, with 280 live births recorded in 2019.
This is a 3.1 per cent drop compared to 2018, with 289 babies born to teenage mothers.
The report also showed a rise in the median age of mothers having their first, second and third child.
“Based on the resident birth order figures, it seems that women have been delaying the birth of children till a later age,” said ICA.
The median age for first time mothers was 30.8 years in 2019, compared to 29.8 in 2010.
(Graph: ICA – Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2019)
CANCER AND HEART DISEASES COMMON CAUSES OF DEATH
A total of 21,446 deaths were registered in 2019, a 0.8 per cent increase from 2018.
According to the report, ICA said malignant neoplasms, or cancerous tumours, and heart and hypertensive diseases were the two common causes of death in Singapore.
“Altogether, they accounted for more than half (51.8 per cent) of total deaths,” said ICA.
Lung and respiratory diseases were third on the list, causing almost the same number of deaths as heart and hypertensive diseases.
In 2019, the median age at death was 77.4 years.
ICA said the median age at death has been “gradually lengthening” over the years, with the median age at 74.4 years in 2010.
According to the report, females lived longer than their male counterparts – with the median age at death for males at 73.7 years, and 80.7 years for females, a difference of 7.0 years.
It’s been a very strange year so far and 2020 just got a bit more absurd after Johnny Sins — a world-renowned actor in a specialised industry — yelled out “Hormat NS, ORD oh”.
The 41-year-old adult film performer was hired to do a shout-out to those who’ve finished their stint in National Service (or as Johnny puts it, “mandatory army conscription”) this year.
He congratulated all former full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) for completing their two-year service and wished them luck for future endeavours in university.
He ended the clip with a salute to National Service, saying “ORD oh” — a phrase familiar to anyone who has served before. ORD, or Operationally Ready Date, is when a Singaporean male ends his compulsory service to the nation.
