Singapore Morning News For October 4

Singapore to launch Industry Transformation Map for construction sector
Speaking at the launch of the Greyform building, an integrated construction and pre-fabrication hub (ICPH) by Straits Construction Group, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said that productivity remains a challenge for most construction industries worldwide.
— Channel NewsAsia (video)

Singapore Airlines, Grab announce tie-up
Travellers across Southeast Asia may now book a Grab ride to the airport via the Singapore Airlines (SIA) mobile app, the two companies announced on Tuesday (Oct 3).
— Channel NewsAsia

Govt making it easier for SMEs to adopt data analytics and AI: Yaacob
THE government is addressing barriers to get local companies to adopt technologies such as data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), said Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim in Parliament on Tuesday.
— The Business Times

Asean banks need to work harder on sustainable business practices: WWF
SINGAPORE’s three banks are ahead of their Asean peers in environmental, social and governance (ESG) business practices, but it’s far from adequate – and they need to step up their act urgently, said the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
— The Business Times

Singapore Tables Bill Supporting HSR Links With Kuala Lumpur
A bill to support the building and running of two future rail links between Singapore and Malaysia was introduced in Parliament yesterday, The Straits Times reported.
— Malaysian Digest

Singapore PMI rises to 53.7 in September
The Nikkei Singapore Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 53.7 in September from 53.2 in August, hitting the highest reading in just over three years.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

NGOs submit report on gender inequality
A coalition of 13 Singapore non-governmental organisations (NGOs) submitted a joint report on gender inequalities to a United Nations committee on Monday, despite earlier disagreements with other organisations over parts of the report.
— The New Paper

Singapore economy could top 3% growth in 2018: economists
While Singapore’s external environment still faces many downside risks, some bullish economists say 2018 headline economic growth could come in at between 3 and 3.5 per cent.
— The Business Times

New construction forecast will give tech requirements
Construction firms will now be told in advance about upcoming public projects that require higher levels of prefabrication, so they can make plans on whether to take them up.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Incentives to help ensure natural disasters don’t affect connectivity
Singapore will provide incentives to encourage more key submarine cables to be routed here, so users can still access the Internet in the event that undersea cables are cut by natural disasters like typhoons.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Singapore SMEs among gloomiest in world: Poll
Singapore’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are some of the gloomiest in the world, according to a new poll.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Singapore Regulator Teams With Asian Banks for Blockchain KYC Trial
Three Asian banks and a regulator in Singapore have developed a new blockchain proof-of-concept aimed at streamlining the know-your-customer (KYC) process.
— CoinDesk

Online printing startup Gogoprint launches in Singapore
GOGOPRINT, an online printing startup in Southeast Asia, has formally launched in Singapore.
— Digital News Asia

Singapore must guard against divisive religious teachings: Shanmugam
As the Government looks to tighten processes to ensure foreign preachers with divisive teachings do not come here to preach, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam showed two videos in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 3) of such preachers.
— Today Online

Personal Data Protection Commission of Singapore launches free online assessment tool for organisations
The Personal Data Protection Commission of Singapore (PDPC) released a free online assessment tool on September 29 to help organisations identify gaps in their data protection management.
— Open Gov Asia

LTA may be given powers to enter land, buildings in construction of cross-border rail
The authorities are set to be given teeth to conduct surveys or works on land or buildings in or outside areas required by the Singapore-Malaysia rail links, under proposed laws tabled in Parliament on Tuesday (Oct 3).
— Today Online

Polls, rankings do not always reflect reality of country’s situation: Shanmugam
Surveys that rank countries on press freedom, religious intolerance and the like should be taken with a pinch of salt, because they do not always reflect the “lived experience” of the people in that place.
— Today Online

Reserved presidential election was ‘policy decision’, says Shanmugam
The Government has always been “clear and upfront” about its objective for the hiatus-triggered mechanism of the elected presidency scheme, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, denying opposition Member of Parliament Sylvia Lim’s charge that it had “misled” the public.
— Today Online

GuocoLand’s S$1.62b bid won tender for Beach Road site
Property giant GuocoLand snagged a plum commercial site on Beach Road for S$1.62 billion, after its subsidiaries won the tender from the Urban Redevelopment Authority as top bidder on Tuesday (Oct 3).
— Today Online

Construction sector hardest hit by payment delays
THE construction sector continues to be hard-hit by a double whammy of sluggish demand and delayed payments, which is worsening the cashflow situation of the smaller players – and little relief is in sight.
— The Business Times

SembMarine calls off Oro Negro contracts for 3 jack-ups
SEMBCORP Marine said before Wednesday trading hours its rig-building unit, PPL Shipyard Pte Ltd, has terminated contracts with Integradora de Servicios Petroleros Oro Negro, SAPI de CV and its subsidiary Oro Negro Vastus Pte Ltd for three jack-up rigs.
— The Business Times

S’pore group working on Know Your Customer blockchain system
THE Republic is yet another step closer to using blockchain technology to improve Know Your Customer (KYC), currently one of the most tedious, complex and highly regulated of financial processes.
— The Business Times

US plant-based ‘seafood’ firm considers move to Singapore
The boss of US plant-based seafood firm Sophie’s Kitchen is considering moving his operations to Singapore, as he seeks to crack the region’s alternative protein market.
— Food Navigator-Asia

Foreign executive on trial for sexually assaulting son’s friend during sleepover
A 47-year-old father of three is on trial for molesting and sexually assaulting a nine-year-old boy, a friend of his youngest son, at a sleepover at his home on Oct 31, 2015.
— Channel NewsAsia

In Geylang, illegal sex drugs keep popping up
During most of the day and night, there is a non-stop flurry of activity at the junction of Geylang Road and Aljunied Road.
— Channel NewsAsia

One Team Singapore Fund kicks off with S$500,000 donation for elite athletes
The One Team Singapore Fund is off to a winning start, as the Government-led initiative pocketed S$500,000 from three donors – Fullerton Health, Deloitte Singapore, and Tiong Bahru Gardens Joggers – at its official launch at Swissotel the Stamford on Tuesday (Oct 3).
— Today Online

This Singapore-based startup tests Southeast Asia’s appetite for a member-funded journalism service
New Naratif, modeled loosely on the successful Dutch site De Correspondent, has started a crowdfunding campaign with the goal of signing up 3,500 members.
— Niemanab

Singapore third most-popular destination for Chinese tourists during Golden Week
Singapore is set to be the third most-popular destination for outbound Chinese tourists during the Golden Week from 1-8 October.
— Yahoo News

Feature photo cegoh
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 October 4 added by Leakhena Khat on October 4, 2017
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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.