Singapore Morning News For December 8

Singapore’s AsiaMalls adopts QR payment
In much of Asia, including Singapore and Hong Kong, merchants have multiple options to accept customer payments: cash, credit card, and stored value facilities in the form of e-wallets.
— Telecom Asia

Bike-sharing provider oBike suffers global data breach
Local bike-sharing service provider oBike had suffered a global security breach that lasted at least two weeks, resulting in user data being leaked online.
— Channel NewsAsia

Singapore overtakes US as most attractive destination for Chinese overseas investments: EIU report
Singapore has surpassed the United States to emerge as the top destination for overseas investments from China in this year’s China Going Global Investment Index 2017.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Higher minimum salary for bringing dependants to Singapore, effective Jan 2018
From 1 January 2018, the minimum fixed monthly salary required for EP and S Pass holders in Singapore to bring in family members on Dependant Passes (DP) will be increased to S$6,000. This is an increase of 20 per cent from the current qualifying salary of $5,000.
— Asia One

NTU and M1 to develop traffic management system for drones on faster 4.5G mobile network
A research partnership inked on Thursday (Dec 7) could one day enable hundreds of drones to safely deliver parcels, or survey and inspect a given area, along pre-determined routes at the same time.
— Today Online

Singapore: Fullerton Fund to manage $17b NTUC Income portfolio
Singapore-based insurer NTUC Income has forged a strategic partnership with Temasek-owned Fullerton Fund Management Company that will see the latter become the investment manager of its portfolio assets estimated at S$23 billion ($17.05 billion).
— DealStreetAsia

What’s in the New Singapore-Indonesia Counterterrorism Exercise?
A closer look at a recent defense interaction between the two sides.
— The Diplomat

Singapore invited to attend G-20 summit
Singapore has been invited by Argentina to attend the annual meeting of the world’s top economic leaders next year.
— The Straits Time (paywall)

Singapore remains the world’s no. 1 exporter of ornamental fish
Despite having very little agricultural land, Singapore happens to be the world’s top exporter of decorative and ornamental fish.
— Mothership

Why are companies struggling to go digital?
Amongst firms that can’t go digital, 20.8% said a lack of talented staff with the right skills is hindering them from doing so, ICT firm Fujitsu Asia revealed.
— Singapore Business Review

More men choosing to pursue nursing as career in Singapore
The nursing occupation is, by and large, dominated by women. However, the profession is seeing a growing pool of men choosing to pursue nursing as a career.
— Channel NewsAsia (video)

ComfortDelGro lost 11% of its value while waiting for Uber
ComfortDelGro has lost US$370 million (S$500 million) in just four months – on track to become Singapore’s second worst-performing stock in 2017 – as investors lose patience over a planned venture with Uber Technologies.
— Today Online

Singapore studies funding options for Terminal 5
Singapore’s transport ministry is evaluating options on funding for the Changi East development, which will include the country’s largest terminal.
— FlightGlobal

Wealth Management Institute to roll out new programmes, develop industry talent
Training for wealth managers in Singapore is set to receive a boost with the rollout of new programmes to develop talent in the industry.
— Channel NewsAsia (video)

LTA set to hike vehicle registration fees by 36% and more than double transfer fees from 20 Dec
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced today that it will be hiking 24 vehicle-related fees out of a total of 61 such fees with effect from 20 Dec 2017.
— The Independent Singapore

Asian regulators grapple with bitcoin and cryptocurrency regulation amid ICO growth
Cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings (ICOs) have continued to divide regulators worldwide and Asia is no exception. In a bid to manage and mitigate the risks associated with cryptocurrencies, regulators in the region have offered a range of reactions from outright bans to more nuanced responses.
— DealStreetAsia

80% of tech firms in Singapore took base in CBD since 2016
Transport, fintech, and online payment businesses are the most active in looking for space.
— Singapore Business Review

Singapore is on the brink of a ‘demographic time bomb’
Over the last decade, low fertility and widespread aging contributed to an ailing economy in Japan, which economists have dubbed a “demographic time bomb.”
— Business Insider

Singapore’s first winter Olympian Cheyenne Goh looks forward to 2018 games in Korea
Singaporean speed skater Cheyenne Goh may be used to training at a more forgiving time back in Canada, where she has been living since she was eight.
— Channel NewsAsia

From dispensing medicine to launching rockets: How SAF changed the life of one woman
Captain (CPT) Kwan Siew Ling, 30, used to be set on living a civilian life.
— Channel NewsAsia

Feature photo Falco Ermert

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Singapore morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Singapore news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Singapore Morning News For December 8 added by Leakhena Khat on December 8, 2017
View all posts by Leakhena Khat →

Bio
Latest Posts

Leakhena Khat

Leakhena is a junior journalist at AEC News Today who is also currently studying International Relations, which she finds adds perspective to her work reporting on the Asean Community.

“I love what I am doing so much as it gives me a lot of great experience and provides challenges to my mind.