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Joke of the day: Singapore happiest country in SEA

Thirmaha — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:39:19 +0800

S'pore ranked happiest country in Southeast Asia: World Happiness Report 2021

https://mothership.sg/2021/09/singapore-hap...southeast-asia/

Singapore is the happiest country in Southeast Asia, according to the World Happiness Report 2021, compiled by the Gallup World Poll team.

For the 2021 report, focus was placed on the effects of Covid-19 on happiness levels, and how governments have fared in handling the pandemic.

Multiple considerations, including level of GDP and life expectancy, and more intangible aspects, such as social support, freedom of choice, generosity or social good, and perception of government and/or business corruption, were also taken into account for the report.

The rankings are calculated based on the average of surveys taken from the three previous years, in this case, from 2018-2020.

#1 in Southeast Asia (2018-2020)

Singapore made it as the "happiest" country in Southeast Asia, scoring a 6.377 out of 8 in the report.

The report stated, however, that for Singapore, survey information from 2020 was not available. Hence, the averages were based on the 2018-2019 survey.

Globally, Singapore fared worse than our Western counterparts, coming in at #32 out of 149 countries studied.

However, the happiness score of Singaporeans was still generally higher than our immediate regional neighbours, such as Thailand, which came in at #54 with a score of 5.985, followed by the Philippines at #61 with 5.880, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and finally Myanmar at #126 with 4.426 points.

Within the East Asia region, only Taiwan surpassed Singapore, standing at #24 with 6.584 points.

"Role model" in fight against Covid-19

According to the 2021 report, which was published in March, countries that performed best in minimising the direct death toll from Covid-19 also performed better on many other fronts.

This included in income, employment, and mental and physical health of the rest of the population, which contributed to the rankings.

Mashable cited Singapore's reputation as a regional "role model" in the fight against Covid-19 as well, pointing to Singapore's high vaccination rate and the government's relatively consistent lockdowns (as compared to other nations in the region), in controlling the number of Covid-19 infections in the country.

Trust, especially in public institutions, was shown to be a key factor in linking well-being/happiness and the implementation of successful Covid-19 strategies in the report.

Comparison with other countries in the world

Finland came in first again as the happiest country in the world.

It scored a near perfect score of 7.842 points, gaining consistently high rankings across factors such as GDP, social support, and life expectancy.

According to the report, Finland's high level of happiness could mostly be attributed to its strong safety net, as well as the government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, which was of course also supported by the amount of trust the Finns generally placed in their government.

Other countries in the top 10, in order of rank, were: Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg, New Zealand, and Austria.

Afghanistan was ranked the least happy nation in the world with 2.523 points.

The nation saw recent chaos following the Taliban takeover of the country and withdrawal of U.S. troops.

I'm confident that Malaysians are in general much more happier than those down south Don't know what so happy living in a cramped pigeon hole and commuting in a cramped MRT train everyday.

Experts in Singapore disagree with government

Thirmaha — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 10:01:50 +0800

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/expe...infection-rates

SINGAPORE - Local infectious diseases experts have questioned the Government's plan to study giving Covid-19 vaccine boosters to younger adults to reduce infection rates, saying there is currently no evidence that this group of people need boosters.

They also reiterated that the purpose of the Covid-19 vaccine is to prevent severe illness rather than infection.

Their comments come after Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday (Sept 6) said the authorities are studying the possibility of giving booster jabs to younger adults to help slow down local transmission rates.

This was one of several measures that the co-chairman of the multi-ministry task force handling Covid-19 had outlined in response to the latest surge in Covid-19 cases. Singapore recorded 328 local cases on Tuesday (Sept 7).

Professor Dale Fisher, a senior infectious diseases consultant at the National University Hospital, said Singapore's current stance should not be to return to a full prevention of Covid-19 cases.

"It is understandable that with a strategy to exit the pandemic slowly, it's nice to put the brakes on for a bit while we gauge the impact of high levels of community transmission on hospitalisations," he said.

However, while more vaccinations may help to slow transmission, the process takes months and it is "not nimble enough" for an immediate slowdown.

"The ultimate aim... is to prevent severe disease and death. Vaccination is excellent at doing this, and very few people for this purpose would benefit from a third jab," he added.

Professor Ooi Eng Eong from the Duke-NUS Medical School's Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases said preventing infection would be "a bonus and not a necessity".

Data has shown that the Moderna vaccine has a 76 per cent efficacy rate in preventing infection from the Delta variant, while the efficacy rate is only 42 per cent for the Pfizer vaccine.

Professor David Allen, associate vice-president (health innovation and translation)
at the National University of Singapore, cited a recent study from Israel, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, that found the Pfizer booster dose is able to decrease the risk of infection by 70 per cent to 84 per cent after 14 to 20 days.

However, he noted that more than 80 per cent of the patients in the study were above 60, and it is not known how long this boost in preventing infection will last.

Prof Ooi said that while vaccinated individuals who are asymptomatic can still transmit the virus, the likelihood of viral transmission is still a lot lower than those who are unvaccinated.

He pointed to a recent study that showed it is difficult to find infectious Sars-CoV-2 virus in the airway of vaccinated Covid-19 cases - meaning the immune response produced by vaccination is effective in killing the virus.

"This reduces the risk of severe Covid-19 greatly... With the highest vaccination rate in the world... Singapore can live with endemic but mostly mild Covid-19," said Prof Ooi.

While silent viral transmission could still occur with high vaccination rates, especially to those who are more vulnerable and at risk of severe Covid-19, Prof Ooi pointed out that there is now a whole arsenal of Covid-19 therapeutics, ranging from antibody treatment to antivirals.

"Early diagnosis of Covid-19 and early treatment have been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of severe disease. Unlike in 2020, Covid-19 is now a vaccine-preventable and treatable disease," he said.

Prof Allen reckons the Government's aim in giving boosters to younger adults could be to "maximise whatever benefit a third dose can provide in preventing transmission to others, (as well as) to prevent mild disease and the risk of longer-term effects of Covid-19 in those already vaccinated".

While he is in favour of boosting the protection of the immunocompromised and possibly those 60 and above, Prof Allen said he is not aware of any data that shows boosters for healthy, younger people have an overall benefit to the individual or society, compared with the regular two doses.

Mr Wong on Monday said those aged 60 and above who had received their second jab six to nine months ago will begin receiving invitations for booster shots in two weeks' time.

Prof Ooi also called for a closer look at whether there are any benefits to booster shots for younger adults.

He noted that the second dose of the mRNA vaccines produces more, albeit temporary, side effects such as pain and fatigue. There is insufficient evidence to determine if these side effects would be more severe following the booster, he added.

"There is also no evidence that booster shots in younger adults, given so soon after the completion of a two-dose series, provide any additional benefit. Despite the vaccine's usefulness, it should only be used when its benefit outweighs the risk," he said.

Instead, he said, it would likely be more effective for countries with high vaccination rates and spare vaccines to help inoculate the unvaccinated in other parts of the world, said Prof Ooi.

Doing so would reduce the global Covid-19 burden and facilitate countries, including Singapore, to open up their borders safely, he added.

The World Health Organisation has called on countries to halt giving booster doses until every country has vaccinated at least 10 per cent of its population.

Singapore has participated in global programmes and bilateral arrangements to make vaccines available to both its neighbours and the global community, noted Prof Allen. For example, the Republic has given 500,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Australia, and these will later be returned.

Singapore government is so incompetent that their experts don't even agree with them. It's a good thing our government don't follow what they are doing and anyhow want to jab people's children or young adults. A sign of things to come.

Finally, Singapore going to donate vaccine to us

Thirmaha — Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:51:32 +0800

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/singap...ovid-19-2158671

JOHOR BAHRU: The Singapore Government will contribute more than 100,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Johor state, said Chief Minister Hasni Mohammad on Monday (Sep 6).

Responding to questions on vaccine supply in the state legislative assembly, the chief minister said: “As a sign of close ties between the state of Johor and Singapore, the Government of Singapore has contributed 20,000 Sinovac vaccine doses on July 29, 2021.”
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“In the short term, the Singapore Government will contribute 100,640 doses of Pfizer vaccine to the Johor state government,” he added.

He also said that the state government has accepted 300,000 doses of SinoPharm vaccine donated by the United Arab Emirates.

Mr Hasni also expressed thanks to Mr Hishammuddin Hussein, who is the former foreign minister, for his efforts in obtaining and facilitating the process to receive the vaccines. Mr Hishammuddin is now defence minister in the Cabinet led by Mr Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The chief minister also said in the state assembly that vaccines are a “key component” for Johor’s exit strategy from the pandemic.

Therefore, the state government has set a target of ensuring that 100 per cent of its adult population would receive one dose of vaccine by Sep 16 and both doses by the third week of October.

According to Malaysia's Special Committee on COVID-19 Vaccine Supply, 53.5 per cent of Johor’s adult population has been fully vaccinated as of Sunday, while 84.3 per cent of its adult population have received at least one dose.

Mr Hasni added that between Mar 1 and Sep 5, Johor has received more than 4.7 million doses of vaccines from the national immunisation programme, of which around 2.4 million doses are Pfizer, around 1.8 million are Sinovac and around 410,000 doses are AstraZeneca.

On Jul 6, it was reported that Johor ruler Ibrahim Iskandar had received 20,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine.

In a Facebook post at that time, he wrote: “We are working on getting more Sinovac and Pfizer-BioNTech doses in the near future. We hope the government and minister can help us and distribute more vaccine doses to the people. It's time for action. Serve the people.”

When interviewed by CNA on May 31, the chief minister said that the state government is keen to increase Johor's vaccine supply through various channels, including by procuring them from Singapore.

Johor is among the states that have consistently reported a four-figure daily increase in COVID-19 cases. The number of cases in the last 14 days totalled about 28,000 in the southern state.

Malaysia has recorded 1.84 million COVID-19 cases and more than 18,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Authoritarian Singapore to have robots at estates

Thirmaha — Sun, 05 Sep 2021 14:05:12 +0800

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/auto...n-the-heartland

SINGAPORE - An autonomous robot designed to help weed out bad public behaviour has made its way into the heartland.

Called Xavier, it will patrol the neighbourhood in Toa Payoh Central as part of a three-week trial starting on Sunday (Sept 5).

Two of these robots will be on the lookout for illegal hawkers, smokers who light up in prohibited areas, errant motorcycle and e-scooter riders on footpaths, and gatherings that exceed the current limits on group sizes.

With cameras that have a 360-degree field of vision and can see in the dark, the robot will be able to alert public officers in real time to these "undesirable social behaviours", the authorities said.

It will also be able to display messages educating the public against such behaviour.

This is the first time that an autonomous robot is being used to patrol and survey a public area with high foot traffic to enhance public health and safety, said the five public agencies involved in the joint project.

The agencies are the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), National Environment Agency, Land Transport Authority (LTA), Singapore Food Agency and the Housing Board.

They said Xavier, developed by HTX in partnership with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, will help to improve operational efficiency and reduce manpower needed for foot patrols.

This is especially so for manpower-intensive operations such as the surveillance of illegal hawkers.

It is similar to the police's Multi-purpose All-Terrain Autonomous Robots, or Matar, which have been deployed during large public events such as the National Day Parade, Marina Bay Countdown and Chingay.

These tireless "patrolmen" have also been used to enforce social distancing in a foreign worker dormitory and a government quarantine facility.

Other autonomous robots have also surfaced amid the Covid-19 pandemic, reminding the public to keep a safe distance apart in parks and near reservoirs.
Autonomous robots check on bad behaviour in Singapore's heartland

The agencies said Xavier is fitted with different sensors so it can avoid both stationary and dynamic obstacles, such as pedestrians and vehicles, along its patrol route.

The route is configured in advance.

More on this topic
Robots that clean floors, chase pigeons away being tested at Tampines food centre

Why do robots have smiley faces?

It can beam back images and videos to a command and control centre, where public officers are able to monitor and control multiple robots simultaneously.

These officers can respond to incidents remotely through Xavier's two-way intercom, or by using pre-recorded audio messages.

The data that Xavier collects is also put through a video analytics system developed by HTX that can help public officers gain better insight and activate additional resources if necessary.

For instance, these analytics could provide information on new hot spots for errant active mobility device users and help LTA to focus on physical enforcement efforts, said Mr Calvin Ng, LTA's director of enforcement and compliance management.

The aim of the three-week trial is to collect data to improve the video analytics system’s ability to identify undesirable behaviour and to fine-tune any kinks.

An autonomous robot is being used for the first time to patrol and survey a public area with high foot traffic. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

But the robots will be used mainly for education rather than enforcement purposes during the trial period, the agencies said.

They will be deployed along two routes daily except Saturday, from 8am to 10am, noon to 2pm and 5pm to 7pm.

The robots have a maximum speed limit of 5kmh, and can last four to five hours on a full charge.

HTX's robotics, automation and unmanned systems centre of expertise director Cheng Wee Kiang said: "With Xavier, we are able to force-multiply agencies beyond the Home Team by augmenting their workforce needs and achieve greater operational efficiency on a single robotic platform.

"This synergy enables government agencies to build a strong ops-tech ecosystem and continue enhancing public health and safety."

M'sian work permit holder arrested in Singapore

Thirmaha — Sat, 04 Sep 2021 02:48:10 +0800

SINGAPORE: A 46-year-old Malaysian man was arrested for his suspected involvement in a case of armed robbery at a pawnshop in Woodlands, police said on Friday (Sep 3).

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it was alerted to the crime at a pawnshop located along Woodlands Street 31 on Thursday at about 5.50pm.

According to preliminary investigations, the suspect had allegedly shown a female employee in the shop a handwritten note with Chinese characters, which stated, "Do not shout, I only need money. I have a knife on me, I do not wish to hurt people."

A handwritten note with Chinese characters stating "Do not shout, I only need money. I have a knife on me, I do not wish to hurt people." (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)

The female employee fled to the rear counter of the shop, added police at a press conference on Friday. The suspect allegedly grabbed the two pieces of jewellery from the tray - a gold chain and a gold bracelet. He then allegedly confronted a male employee with a knife measuring about 20cm.

Police added that the male employee complied with the suspect's instructions and handed the cash over to him. The suspect fled the scene with cash amounting to about S$24,400 and two pieces of jewellery valued at S$10,747.

The man was arrested the following morning at a residential unit along Sembawang Road; items seized included a knife, a handwritten note, two pieces of jewellery, a shirt, a pair of pants and a bag.
The items seized as case exhibits were a knife, a handwritten note, two pieces of jewellery, a shirt, a pants and a bag. (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)

Investigations also revealed that the suspect was believed to have gambled away a part of the stolen cash immediately after committing the offence, and used a portion of the stolen cash to repay debts to his friends.

"Cash amounting to S$4,454 was recovered, and efforts are under way to recover the remainder of the stolen cash," said the police in the news release.

The suspect is believed to have acted alone, added police. No one was hurt during the incident.

"Despite the suspect’s attempt to evade detection by escaping via various modes of transport such as bus, taxi and motorcycle, the police pursued all available leads to identify and arrest him within 16 hours of the reported crime," said Mr Ang Eng Seng, commander of Woodlands Police Division and deputy assistant commissioner of police.

"The forensics examination and analysis at the crime scene, coupled with CCTV footage, were instrumental in the quick resolution of the case."

The suspect will be charged in court on Saturday with armed robbery. If convicted, he faces five to 20 years imprisonment, and not less than 12 strokes of the cane.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/a...-police-2154821
https://mothership.sg/2021/09/police-catch-...ain-motorcycle/

M'sian woman (SG PR) jailed 3 weeks for going out!

Thirmaha — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 12:36:05 +0800

https://mothership.sg/2021/09/jail-stay-hom...reach-covid-19/

A 22-year-old woman in Singapore has been jailed three weeks on Sep. 1, 2021 for going shopping with her boyfriend and hanging out with her friend, after she was specifically instructed to stay home as her Covid-19 test result was not out.

Ang Siu Yen, a Malaysian and Singapore permanent resident, pleaded guilty to one count under the infectious diseases regulations for leaving her accommodation when she had already been ordered to stay home and issued with a medical certificate (MC).

Her MC, issued for an upper respiratory tract infection, came with the instruction for her to stay home.

In total, court documents showed she left her home on two consecutive days -- the first day was when she went home from the clinic only to go out again.

About the case

Ang visited Healthway Medical Clinic at Yishun on Oct. 24, 2020, at about 8:39am and was diagnosed with an upper respiratory tract infection.

She received treatment there for a runny nose, cough with phlegm, and dry sore throat.

The doctor informed Ang of the diagnosis and told her to go for a Covid-19 swab test and stay at home until she received a negative result.

Ang acknowledged the instructions.

She was then given a MC, which stated that she was required by law to stay at home for the duration as stated, or until her test result showed that she was Covid-19 negative.

The MC also excused her from work for four days from Oct. 24 to 27.

Ang left the clinic and took a swab test.

She then returned home.

But she then left the house several hours later.

She took a public bus to Yishun MRT station.

She then met her boyfriend Song Mun Jian at the Sheng Siong supermarket at Junction Nine mall.

She then went back home via public bus.

Went out the next day

The next day, Ang left her house again.

Details of her travelling around Singapore for the day were logged on her EZ-Link card records.

How she was found out

A doctor from Healthway Medical Clinic went to Ang's residence between 12.15pm and 12.50pm on the second day when she went out to inform her that her swab test sample was rejected.

Ang was required to do another test.

But she was not at home.

The doctor then contacted Ang through her housemate's mobile phone.

He told her she needed to take another test.

He also reminded her that she should not be outdoors.

Went to multiple locations while out on second day

On her second day out, Ang took a bus to the National Library at 2.07pm, where she met her boyfriend.

They went shopping at Bugis Junction, and then took public transport to Yew Tee MRT at 4.41pm.

Ang bumped into her friend near Block 761 Choa Chu Kang.

Both women walked two dogs and both women posed for photos.

Ang then headed to Yew Tee Point to have dinner with her boyfriend.

She then took public transport back to Yishun.

Ang eventually tested negative for Covid-19.

For breaching her stay-home requirements, she could have been jailed up to six months and/ or fined up to S$10,000.

Malaysia should lodge a protest against totalitarian Singapore for anyhow jailing our citizens for petty issues. Screwed up country.

Singapore give Australia 500,000 Pfizer vaccines

Thirmaha — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 12:46:24 +0800

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-31/pfiz...id-19/100421462

Singapore will soon send half a million Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses to Australia as part of a "vaccine swap" between the two countries, delivering a boost to the nation's vaccination program.

Key points:

The doses will arrive this week and be distributed next week
Australia will send half a million doses back to Singapore in December
The extra Pfizer will be distributed evenly around the country

Under the agreement, Australia will receive 500,000 Pfizer doses that are due to expire.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the doses would arrive this week, to be rolled out across Australia from next week, and would be shared equally with all states and territories on the basis of population.

"We need to vaccinate the whole country and we need for those doses to go from one end of the country to the other and for them to be taken up," he said.

The federal government will then deliver half a million Pfizer vaccines back to Singapore in December, when Australia is expected to have ample supplies.

"This will greatly assist the national vaccination program as it brings in two important age groups into the program — the 16- to 29-year-olds, which have already begun this week — and, of course, the 12- to 15-year-olds," Mr Morrison said.

"I said I'd leave no stone unturned on this and this is further demonstration that that has been the focus of the government."

Singapore has already fully vaccinated well over 80 per cent of its population against COVID-19 — making it one of the most inoculated countries in the world — and has begun the process of easing restrictions.

In a statement, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it might use the 500,000 returned doses from Australia for booster shots later in the year.

"These returned doses would come in more useful for Singapore then, potentially as booster doses for specific segments of our population that could benefit from such boosting," the ministry said.

Mr Morrison has hailed the vaccine swap as an example of international cooperation, saying Australia and Singapore were working together to make sure vaccines were used before they expire.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said as well as working with countries to share vaccines, Australia had dedicated millions to the region.

"We are securing vaccines for the Australian community from a range of sources and, at the same time, providing access to effective vaccines for our region, to underpin that shared recovery," she said.

"We have delivered over 2.1 million vaccines in our region now, particularly focused on the Pacific."

The extra doses are expected to further speed up the vaccine rollout, already set to be boosted in September by the arrival of Pfizer doses from elsewhere, as well as the first shipment of the Moderna mRNA vaccine.

The government is expecting 1 million doses of the vaccine to arrive next month.

Earlier this month the government secured 1 million Pfizer doses from Poland, which were directed to Sydney to help vaccinate younger age groups in hotspot areas.

Mr Morrison thanked Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the country's health minister for facilitating the swap.

The ungrateful Singapore, has decided to help Australia instead of their closest neighbour. Johor has helped provided cheap goods and petrol for years and this is how they return the favour when they are now struggling?

They really don't screw around down south

Thirmaha — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 15:16:24 +0800

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/cour...rs-to-infection

SINGAPORE - A woman who exposed others to the risk of Covid-19 infection after returning to Singapore from Britain last year was on Monday (Aug 30) sentenced to 12 weeks' jail.

Esther Tan Ling Ying, who arrived here in March last year, tested positive for Covid-19 a week later.

On Aug 16 this year, District Judge Ng Peng Hong convicted the 24-year-old Singaporean of an offence under the Infectious Diseases Act, after a trial.

Tan began her bachelor's degree course in acting in London in 2017, but was back here last year before completing her studies, following an advisory by the Singapore Government to return.

Prior to leaving Britain, she had flu-like symptoms and had lost her sense of taste and smell.

She did not see a doctor there and instead chose to self-isolate until the day of her departure from London.

Tan still had a blocked nose and no sense of taste or smell when she landed at Changi Airport Terminal 1 on March 23 last year.

She was issued a stay-home notice (SHN) and an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer told her to go home immediately. She cleared immigration at about 2.40pm.

But before heading home, she and her parents ate at the foodcourt in Terminal 1, spending about 30 minutes there.

They also took an MRT train to Clementi, before Tan and her mother went to the Clementi Family and Aesthetic Clinic in Clementi Avenue 3, near their home.

Tan, who saw the doctor at around 5.30pm that day, then lied about her travel history to get some medicine.

The doctor testified that Tan had told her she was studying at a drama school, but had claimed to have been in Singapore since January last year, having returned for Chinese New Year.

She said Tan claimed to not have gone back to Britain because her parents were concerned about the virus, and had said she "dodged a bullet".

Tan tested positive for Covid-19 on March 30 last year.

During the trial, the court heard that Tan claimed she did not suspect she had the virus, and that the SHN instructions were confusing.

In his submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Lim rubbished this, saying she was fully aware of the crucial points of the SHN and knew that she was a potential Covid-19 case.

On Monday, DPP Lim urged the court to sentence Tan to the maximum of six months' jail, stressing that her conduct had been "egregious" and she had lied to a doctor about her travel history.

Defence lawyer Tan Cheng Kiong pleaded for a lighter sentence and told Judge Ng that his client had committed the offence before she was diagnosed with Covid-19.

The lawyer also said there was no evidence to show that Tan was a carrier of the virus when she visited places, including the foodcourt and clinic.

For exposing others to the risk of a Covid-19 infection, an offender can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000.

Johor desperately calls to open border with SGP

Thirmaha — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 14:05:52 +0800

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/j...etween-malaysia

JOHOR BARU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Opening up the two land borders in Johor with Singapore that have been closed for more than a year due to Covid-19, must be among the top priorities of newly appointed Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, said Johor leaders and experts.

Leading the call is Umno Youth executive committee member Bastien Onn, who said that Datuk Seri Ismail must do whatever he can to convince the Republic that the pandemic, especially in Johor, is being managed well.

The Segamat division youth chief called on the new administration to discuss putting in place a proper mechanism to allow Malaysians to cross the border daily, with its Singapore counterparts.

"Prior to Covid-19, an average of 200,000 Malaysians crossed the border daily due to work commitments.

"Once our government is able to convince Singapore that Malaysia can overcome Covid-19, then our cross-border travel should resume," he said when contacted on Sunday (Aug 29).

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Azman Hashim International Business School Associate Professor L. Nanthakumar said getting the Causeway and Second Link reopened as soon as possible is key to both nations' economy.

"We should hasten our vaccination effort and introduce a green lane to allow those already vaccinated to travel between both countries.

"We depend on Singapore investments to drive up our economy," he said, adding that the Republic has already opened up its border to several countries.

Johor South small and medium-sized enterprise adviser Teh Kee Sin noted the importance of Singapore as one of Malaysia's main partners in foreign direct investments in the past decade, especially in the southern region.

"In addition, Singaporeans are big spenders and among the biggest group of tourists visiting many states in Malaysia, helping to grow our tourism sector," he said.

Mr Teh said many are hoping to enter Malaysia once infections are brought under control.

"We hope fully vaccinated Singaporeans and Malaysians are allowed to travel in and out of both countries so that we can see economic activities in Johor and our city area thrive again," he added.

Last Monday, two days after he was sworn in as Malaysia's ninth Prime Minister, Mr Ismail received an invitation from Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to visit the Republic.

In a separate congratulatory letter to Mr Ismail, PM Lee said the two governments have worked closely on shared challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic and he looked forward to expanding their cooperation for mutual benefit.

SG PM Lee: Locals must get minimum $1400 (4400MYR)

Thirmaha — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 03:14:37 +0800

NDR 2021: Firms hiring foreigners to pay all locals at least $1,400; progressive wages for retail, more sectors

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/poli...-1400-per-month

SINGAPORE - Firms employing foreign workers will soon be required to pay all their local employees a monthly salary of at least $1,400.

This tightened Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) requirement is among efforts the Government will undertake to support lower-wage workers, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 29).

It is one of three strategies recommended by a tripartite workgroup on lower-wage workers which the Government has accepted.

The other two strategies are extending the progressive wage model to more sectors and cover specific occupations across all sectors, as well as introducing a scheme to recognise and accredit companies that pay workers progressive wages.

At the same time, the Government will be increasing its annual spending on the Workfare Income Supplement to $1.1 billion in two years, PM Lee said.

The scheme, which tops up the incomes of lower-wage employees and self-employed people in cash and Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions, benefits almost half a million workers currently.

Taken together, these moves mean that almost all lower-wage workers can look forward to higher incomes within the next two years, PM Lee said.

The Government now spends about $850 million a year on Workfare.

The increased spending on Workfare will allow for higher payouts for all recipients and extend the scheme to those aged 30 and above, said PM Lee. Recipients currently have to be 35 years old or older on Dec 31 of the work year to qualify for Workfare.

In his speech, PM Lee noted how lower-wage workers currently receive aid through subsidies in housing, healthcare, education and retirement.

Despite the help, they have less job security and less savings to tide them over hard times, and their situation has been precarious during the pandemic, which is why extra help for lower-income households was included in every Covid-19 Budget package, he said.

"Beyond emergency assistance, lower-wage workers need longer-term support," he said.

Lower-wage workers refer to the bottom 20 per cent of income earners. The 20th percentile of gross monthly income, including employer CPF contributions, of full-time employed residents in Singapore was around $2,300 in 2020.

The new requirement for companies hiring foreign workers to pay all their local employees at least the LQS of $1,400 each month is a step up from current regulations.

Today, companies have to pay the LQS to some of their local workers, depending on the number of foreigners they hire. It determines the number of local employees who can be used to count towards a firm's quota for hiring foreigners on work permits and S Passes.

The LQS will also be adjusted from time to time, PM Lee said. It was last raised by $100 to the present $1,400 in July 2020.

More on this topic
Fair employment guidelines to become law, new tribunal to deal with workplace discrimination
Fresh thinking on baseline salary for lower-wage workers

The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) will be extended to cover more sectors, starting with retail from next year and food services and waste management to follow, he added. It will also cover specific occupations that cut across sectors, starting with administrative assistants and drivers.

The PWM is a wage ladder that sets out the minimum basic wages an employer must pay, based on the worker's skills. Cleaners, security guards, landscape workers and those in lift maintenance are currently covered by the model.

"It has raised their skills and productivity, and boosted their incomes and job progression," said PM Lee.

The extended progressive wages and the tighter LQS will cover about eight in 10 lower-wage workers, he noted.

Besides raising wages, the Government will also introduce a Progressive Wage Mark to accredit companies that are paying all their workers progressive wages.

The mark will tell consumers which companies are paying all their workers decent wages, PM Lee said, adding that the public sector, as a major buyer of goods and services, will take the lead and purchase only from such businesses.

Taliban: We caught 2 Malaysians fighting for IS-K

Thirmaha — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 11:43:06 +0800

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021...r-is-k-in-kabul

KUALA LUMPUR: Two Malaysian militants believed to be fighting alongside the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan Province (IS-K), have been detained by Taliban authorities.

Britain's The Times quoted Taliban's CID chief Saifullah Mohammed saying that six militants – four Afghans and two Malaysians – were detained following a gun battle on the western side of Kabul on Thursday (Aug 26) night.

"Four are Afghans but it seems the other two are Malaysians.

"They aren't as tough as they think they are. We've just beaten the armies from 36 Nato countries so we know we can capture and kill the IS wherever we find them," he said.

However, the report did not identify the Malaysians.

Battles between Taliban and IS-K fighters have been raging in Kabul following a suicide attack at Kabul airport which saw 200 dead, including American troops.

IS-K aims to establish an Islamic caliphate in what was once known as the Khorasan region, made up of present-day northeastern Iran, parts of Afghanistan and some parts of Central Asia.

The IS-K is a branch of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS) active in South Asia and central Asia.

ComfortDelGro to operate NZ's Auckland metro

Thirmaha — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 09:46:41 +0800

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/tran...-in-new-zealand

SINGAPORE - Singaporean transport giant ComfortDelGro Corp has clinched a $1.13 billion deal to operate rail services in Auckland.

This marks the group's first foray into the New Zealand land transport market, and its first move overseas as a rail operator.

In an announcement on Friday morning, ComfortDelGro - which operates buses, trains and taxis in Singapore, and taxis and buses in places such as China and Britain - said it clinched the Auckland franchise with Australian rail operator UGL Rail Services after a 12-month tender process.

The pair formed a 50:50 joint venture - Auckland One Rail (AOR) - which will start operating the Auckland metro from Jan 16 next year. The contract is for eight years, with the possibility of extensions, ComfortDelGro said.

The Auckland rail network is the largest in New Zealand, and comprises four lines with 185km of track, 42 stations and 72 electric three-car trains and eight diesel multiple-unit trains. This will grow to 44 stations and 95 trains with the opening of Auckland's new City Rail Link in 2024.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the network had an annual ridership of 21 million - or about one-tenth of the pre-pandemic annual ridership of Singapore's North East Line, which is operated by ComfortDelGro subsidiary SBS Transit.

ComfortDelGro managing director Yang Ban Seng said: "This marks a very significant milestone in our history. It not only represents our first rail operation outside of Singapore but also our maiden entry into New Zealand."

UGL managing director Doug Moss said: "We recognise the challenges and opportunities facing the network as Auckland experiences unprecedented and growing demand for transport services."

Under the contract, AOR's operations will include the provision of drivers and other train staff, development of timetables, station operations and maintenance and security.

It will maintain the rolling stock from 2025 - after the eight diesel trains are replaced when the Papakura-to-Pukekohe section of the network is electrified in 2024.

Last year, ComfortDelGro announced it was bidding for rail contracts in Paris. It is understood to be vying for similar contracts in Sydney.

Shares of ComfortDelGro rose by five cents to hit $1.65 in early morning trade on Friday, before ending the day at $1.63.

I emotional hear anthem in Malay at Tokyo 2020

Thirmaha — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 04:43:20 +0800

Finally, we get to hear a national anthem in the Malay (Riau Malay dialect) language at Tokyo 2020. (From around 4 min mark)

[YOUTUBE]pieDKmPUebE[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]Lp3Y74vBacY[/YOUTUBE]

You can see she also got very emotional during the anthem. Congrats to the anthem of our former state. Hopefully we hear it again in subsequent events or our Negaraku.

Singapore no more safest city in the world!

Thirmaha — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 00:41:57 +0800

SINGAPORE — Tokyo and Singapore have been knocked off first and second spots respectively in a ranking of the world's safest cities by Copenhagen and Toronto after environmental security was added as a criterion in the ranking. Meanwhile, Covid-19 forced a rethink of what it means for a city to be safe.

Both Copenhagen, which took top spot from Tokyo, and Toronto, which pushed Singapore from second to third position, performed significantly better on environmental security — dealing with sustainability and climate adaptation measures — than either Tokyo or Singapore.

Singapore had been in second spot in the ranking, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) every two years, ever since the first edition in 2015.

The fourth edition of the Safe Cities Index was released on Monday (Aug 23). The other four criteria used to rank the 60 cities were: Digital security, health security, infrastructure security and personal security.

The other Asia-Pacific cities in the top 10 are Sydney (fourth), Tokyo (fifth), Hong Kong and Melbourne (both tied for eighth).

The EIU said the change in rankings this year did not indicate a “tectonic shift” but rather a reordering of cities which have always been near the top of the ranking.

The top 10 cities in 2021 are:

1. Copenhagen

2. Toronto

3. Singapore

4. Sydney

5. Tokyo

6. Amsterdam

7. Wellington

=8. Hong Kong

=8. Melbourne

10. Stockholm

How has Covid-19 changed the world rankings?

According to the report, Covid-19 has “changed the whole concept of urban safety” in several ways:

For health security, there needs to be a rethink of health systems preparedness, by integrating health emergency planning more fully into urban resilience measures, for example.
Read also
Singapore is best in Asia for quality of living, personal safety: Survey

Digital security is now an even higher priority due to more work and commerce moving online.

On the infrastructure safety front, there have to be adjustments made by authorities given the changes in travel patterns and where residents consume their utilities.

For personal security, Covid-19 lockdowns have shifted crime patterns and this also has to be addressed by policymakers.

Environmental safety is also a concern as Covid-19 shows how unexpected certain crises can be.

HOW DID SINGAPORE DO?

The study said that Covid-19 has provided a “clear reminder of the need for a more holistic approach” in how the cities' authorities perceive the population they are serving. For instance, the biggest Covid-19 outbreaks in Singapore were among foreign and migrant workers.

Singapore also had to contend with online scams which were more rampant during the pandemic, the report noted. The already low crime rate here dropped by 16 per cent without scams, but rose by 6 per cent overall if scams were also included.

For personal security, Singapore in particular has been able to combine “low levels of input with excellent results in the field”, especially when it comes to the judicial system capacity and crime levels.

WHY DID COPENHAGEN AND TORONTO TAKE THE TOP SPOTS?

The study said that both Copenhagen and Toronto were stronger on environmental security than any of the top three cities in the previous iteration, including Singapore and Tokyo.

Copenhagen had put in extensive effort into reducing energy consumption, investing in green energy and encouraging green mobility, while Toronto was able to fund partnerships between the consumer and private sector to encourage environmentally friendly practices such as recycling.

HOW IS THE NEW ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY CRITERION SCORED?

The environmental security pillar is scored based on indicators such as a city’s sustainability master plan, incentives for renewable energy, green economy initiatives and waste management.

Aside from environmental initiatives, the pillar also looks at the outcomes that are yielded, such as the amount of sustainable energy produced, the air quality levels and the amount of waste generated.

Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/copen...-3rd-eiu-report

Hope their ranking drop further and further every passing year

If U.S. can't even defeat Taliban

Thirmaha — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 11:15:00 +0800

Russia took Crimea and no one cared. China took Hong Kong and no one cared.

What if Malaysia retook Singapore, I can guarantee you no one will stop to help them.

With their port, Malaysia will become much more developed, and eventually the superpowers (China and U.S) will don't mind it.

Singapore contributes 100,000 doses to Brunei

Thirmaha — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 21:35:32 +0800

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/heal...ccine-to-brunei

SINGAPORE - Singapore has contributed 100,000 doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to Brunei, as part of bilateral efforts to tackle the pandemic.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday (Aug 21) in a statement that Singapore High Commissioner to Brunei Heng Aik Yeow handed over the vaccines to Brunei Health Minister Mohd Isham Jaafar on Thursday.

"This contribution is part of both governments' intent to deepen cooperation and extend mutual support to combat this pandemic together," said the ministry.

Singapore has met its target to have 70 per cent of the population fully vaccinated by National Day on Aug 9. As at Friday, 77 per cent of the nation's population have received both doses.

Around 27 per cent of Brunei's population of around 433,000 people have been vaccinated as at Aug 17, according to statistics from Reuters.

Why is Brunei acting poor?

Singapore National Day Parade 2021

Thirmaha — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 20:06:38 +0800

[YOUTUBE]T4Mvtww43_w[/YOUTUBE]

Lee Kuan Yew saw the writing on the wall about AFG

Thirmaha — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 08:32:33 +0800

https://mothership.sg/2021/08/lee-kuan-yew-afghanistan/

Lee Kuan Yew on Afghanistan in 2009: Trying to make a country out of Afghanistan is a distraction

The Taliban has retaken Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, with barely any shots fired.

The situation on the ground, in a country that hasn't known real peace for decades, saw American efforts in the last 20 years to remake Afghan society in its own image fall apart in a matter of hours.

But not that this outcome was not imagined or talked about before.

Lee Kuan Yew interview in 2009

In a wide-ranging, almost hour-long sit-down studio interview with Charlie Rose in October 2009, the first prime minister of Singapore had already talked about how American intervention in Afghanistan will come to naught.

On hindsight, Lee's prescient and far-sighted views on foreign policy has proved incisive and spot on yet again, some 12 years after he made his comments on what he thinks about the United States' approach to the Middle East, and making clear he was not a believer in having one nation conduct nation-building activities in another.

Lee's remarks on Afghanistan appear from the 34min 12sec mark in the YouTube video below, and go on for about 6 minutes in his exchange with Rose:

The original interview can be viewed here in high-definition.

Bootleg copies of the interview are also prevalent on YouTube, such as this one here.

What Lee said about Afghanistan

Lee, who was Minister Mentor at that time when he spoke to Rose, was already sceptical that the U.S. can stay the course in Afghanistan for the long haul.

Lee more or less said even the Russians could not do it previously.

When Rose insisted that the U.S. "has to stand for something and it has to show it’s prepared to stay", Lee replied curtly: "No."

As Lee saw it, Afghanistan was a country that had been facing internal strife for decades, as warlords and different factions have been vying for land and power.

He also made it clear that he would not be drawn into any conversation that would have him articulate a solution for the Americans' Middle East problem.

Lee asked rhetorically: "How on earth are you going to put these little bits together?"

He added: "It’s not possible."

Candid moment

When probed further to provide his take on how the Middle East can solve its problems, Lee laughed, almost exasperated, and said: "You can't solve all the problems in the world."

This moment occurred at the 37min 33sec mark in the video.

Earlier interview in 2008

Lee's views on Afghanistan were also made known in earlier interviews, such as one with with Arnaud de Borchgrave of UPI on Feb. 2, 2008 at the Istana.

In this instance, Lee was more candid and gave a partial solution to the Afghanistan problem.

He proposed for the warlords in the country to sort it out when a power vacuum was established, but to not let it fall back into a Taliban state.

This could be achieved with the U.S. looming large in the background and threatening intervention and regime change if things took a turn for the draconian in Afghanistan.

He also said no country can undertake nation-building in another country.

Question: Can I perhaps conclude, sir, by asking you the same question that I asked you when I was last here in 2001 about what concerned you most about the next 10 years, whether it's Al-Qaeda, whether it's the Islamist bomb, whether it's China, India? How have your views evolve since 2001?

Lee Kuan Yew: I think my worry is first whether America will go through this rough patch without losing heart and losing the will to see this problem through. Afghanistan was not of your choosing and if you've stuck in Afghanistan, not attempt it so much, just pacify it and let the warlords sort it out in a such a way that you do not try to create a new Taliban state, you cannot do that. The British tried it and they didn't succeed. Nobody has succeeded. In Iraq, you should have gone in and just, you know, just appoint the next man and finish with it and if you behave like Saddam, I'll come back. That's enough. But to remake societies is beyond the capacity of any nation. But having gone in, if you lose heart and say, look, I can imagine an America that says, to hell with it all. Europeans not helping, Japanese half-hearted, opposition is blocking this, that, tokenism from all the others. Look, we just protect ourselves.

Here is a transcript of Lee Kuan Yew's take on Afghanistan in an interview with Charlie Rose in 2009:

Charlie Rose: When you look at the U.S. and its relationship and its concern about oil and its politics in the Middle East, do you think it’s a distraction? You think that...

Lee Kuan Yew: No, I’m not saying the Middle East is a distraction. I think trying to make a country out of Afghanistan is a distraction. There was no country for the last 30, 40 years. There’s just been fighting each other since the last king was chased out.

Charlie Rose: Right.

Lee Kuan Yew: How on earth are you going to put these little bits together? It’s not possible.

Charlie Rose: So, therefore, you do what?

Lee Kuan Yew: I’m not an expert, but in my simple mind it strikes me that you won in Afghanistan not because you fought the Taliban, but because you got the Northern Alliance (referring to the Afghan Northern Alliance) to fight them, and you provided the Northern Alliance with intelligence and the capabilities to bomb them and target them. And they captured the south.

Charlie Rose: Yes, but they have governance problems there, too.

Lee Kuan Yew: That’s all right. But that’s their problem. Why do you want to make it your problem?

Charlie Rose: So what do you do? Would you pull all the troops out and let whatever happens to Afghanistan, happen to Afghanistan? It’s not that threatening to the United States, is that the argument?

Lee Kuan Yew: I don’t know about that, because I think it cannot be more difficult for the United States to have their troops stuck there. The Russians are a brutal, ruthless lot of army people. 120,000 of them were there, but they had to leave.

Charlie Rose: And we helped that because we supported the Mujahideen. The Mujahideen had a lot of support from around the world who wanted to see the Soviet Union take it.

Lee Kuan Yew: But whether or not the Soviets help them to get the Americans out, I think the Americans and the NATO troops — the NATO members are very sceptical of the outcome.

Charlie Rose: Even to the point of not wanting to send their troops to certain kinds of combat areas.

Lee Kuan Yew: Quite right. Yes, of course, because then you get shot for nothing.

Charlie Rose: But those who argue if Afghanistan is abandoned. First of all, the world will say or people will say, look, you left Afghanistan once before after the Soviets left, and now you’re leaving again. The United States has to stand for something and it has to show it’s prepared to stay. You don’t buy that at all?

Lee Kuan Yew: No.

Charlie Rose: You must have a wonderful conversation with your friend Henry Kissinger then?

Lee Kuan Yew: No, no.

Charlie Rose: Where do you and Henry Kissinger differ on the look or view of the U.S. role in the world?

Lee Kuan Yew: I don’t think we have any difference.

Charlie Rose: Is that right? How would you define it then?

Lee Kuan Yew: I think the U.S. can be a benign stabiliser of the world order. Without the U.S., East Asia would never have grown. You brought peace and technology, trade and investments and East Asia flourished.

Charlie Rose: That's clear that's happened to East Asia, you talk about Singapore and South Korea. How do we do that in the Middle East? How do you do that when we have that kind of conflicts that's taking place?

Lee Kuan Yew: [Laughs] You can't solve all the problems in the world.

Charlie Rose: Ah.

Lee Kuan Yew: Some problems just got to be resolved by...

Charlie Rose: So what are your priorities?

Lee Kuan Yew: For Singapore?

Charlie Rose: For United States.

Lee Kuan Yew: [Holds head in both hands] I cannot think... I'm not an American, I do not calculate in American terms. I calculate what Americans are likely to do in relation to what will happen to me.

Charlie Rose: That's why they listen to you.

Bersatu wants Muhyiddin made ‘minister mentor’

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 07:30:00 +0800

Faster pick a PM, ringgit in free-fall

Thirmaha — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 09:48:00 +0800

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...m-looms/1997950

SINGAPORE, Aug 16 — The Malaysian ringgit fell to a one-year low on Monday and stocks in Kuala Lumpur slipped as an expectation that the prime minister will resign turned investors cautious.

Malaysian Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to step down on Monday, media reports say, after losing his majority in Parliament.

The ringgit last traded at 4.2410 per dollar, its lowest since July 2020, while the FTSE Bursa Malaysia index fell 0.6 per cent in the first few minutes of trade. — Reuters