Singapore Morning News For March 1

International Air Transport Association ‘disappointed’ with new Changi Airport passenger levy
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that it is “disappointed” with the decision to charge travellers flying out of Changi Airport with a new levy to fund the development of Changi East and Terminal 5.
— Channel NewsAsia

Singapore’s Chairmanship: Prospects for ASEAN in 2018
The Philippines had chaired the ASEAN four times since its inception with 2017 being its latest assumption, while Singapore had chaired three times before this year.
— Asean Briefing

Singapore draft law aims to censor reporting on terror attacks
Draft anti-terrorism legislation under consideration in Singapore would imperil press freedom by banning journalists from covering terror attacks, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
— Committee to Protect Journalists

Alibaba opens first joint research institute outside China with NTU in Singapore
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba opened its first joint research institute outside China in Singapore on Wednesday (Feb 28), in a collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
— Channel NewsAsia

Singapore’s Sea Reports Mounting Losses, President to Depart
Sea Ltd., operator of Southeast Asia’s biggest gaming platform, reported mounting losses amid investments for growth and said Group President Nick Nash will leave his position at the end of the year.
— Bloomberg

Singapore authority declares MyCafe Penang durian white coffee safe to consume
Singapore authorities have released a recall on a Malaysian instant coffee product, after checks and tests showed that it was safe to consume.
— Business Insider

Singapore’s City Developments focuses on fund management
Sherman Kwek, the new group CEO of City Developments, plans to add $5 billion to the company’s assets under management by 2023 and make the real estate heavyweight one of the top 15 real estate fund managers in Asia.
— Nikkei Asian Review

GovTech Singapore issues call to co-create innovative digital solutions for the public sector
Solutions being sought range from an AI and robotics solution to patrol an outdoor compound to a mixed-reality training simulation and a smart auscultation system to support telehealth initiatives.
— Open Gov Asia

Singapore: Key Employment Trends for 2018
We are pleased to share some “crystal ball” predictions on employment trends we expect to see in Singapore in 2018.
— The National Law Review

Singapore: The House That Lee Built
When the former British colony of Singapore became an independent nation in 1965, there were doubts about its survival. The tiny island state has no hinterland and few natural resources and few at the time thought it a candidate for any kind of success on the world stage.
— Al Jazeera

What are the new themes of the Singapore Policy History Project?
The Singapore Policy History Project (SPHP) curates materials such as newspaper articles, audio-visual clips and oral history interviews behind policy decisions made throughout the country’s history.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Unemployed and underemployed Singaporeans share their stories as photo of “jobless graduate” goes viral
A photo of an “unemployed graduate” sitting at Raffles Place holding a sign that she has been rejected by 78 prospective employers has been going viral online.
— The Independent Singapore

Inequality a threat to Singapore’s solidarity; needs to be looked into: Sylvia Lim
Addressing Parliament on day two of the Budget debate, Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim urged the Government to delve deeper into the sources of inequality in Singapore, saying the issue is a threat to the solidarity of the nation.
— Channel NewsAsia (video)

Parliament: Singapore adopts three-pronged approach to deal with wildlife trafficking
The Government has a three-pronged strategy to deter wildlife trafficking at Singapore’s border checkpoints.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Global automotive care specialist opens in Singapore
TYREPLUS, one of the world’s largest automotive care specialists with over 2,000 stores in 17 countries, opened its first outlet here at Wave 9 – an industrial development located at Woodlands Industrial Park – on Wednesday.
— The Business Times

Hats off to Singapore for raising taxes
As Singapore meddles with the ultimate taboo — hiking taxes — Lee Hsien Loong’s government is offering something truly shocking: leadership.
— Nikkei Asian Review (metered paywall)

Commentary: Carbon tax a conscientious approach for a sustainable future
There was a sigh of relief during Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat’s announcement at Budget 2018 that a carbon tax of S$5 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions will be imposed from 2019.
— Channel NewsAsia

Business slow at Westgate stall after confusion over halal status
Netizens on Tuesday posted photographs suggesting a halal stall in Basement 2 of Westgate mall in Jurong East was selling pork belly.
— The New Paper

Police put an end to cash vending machine that gives people $50 note in exchange for $3
Singapore police have put a stop to a cash vending machine that pays out $50 notes when customers slot in $3. The machine is part of a publicity marketing stunt where a man sitting inside the vending box dispenses $50 to eager customers, as part of the campaign called ‘Three Dollar Baller’.
— The Independent Singapore

Help SMEs to go beyond being sub-contractors and compete globally, MPs urge
MEMBERS of Parliament on Wednesday pitched a number of ideas to help small local firms scale up and compete with established global players.
— The Business Times

Singapore’s PSA inducts strategic partners in Indian terminal assets
Singapore-based global port operator PSA International Pte Ltd has inducted financial interest parties as strategic partners in some of the container terminals it runs in India, Group chief executive officer Tan Chong Meng has said.
— The Hindu Business Line

Paytm and Singapore Tourism Board have joined forces to promote Singapore Tourism in India
Indian digital payment company, Paytm has agreed to a strategic partnership with Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to promote Singapore tourism.
— The Drum

Feature photo Jakub Michankow

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 March 1 added by Leakhena Khat on March 1, 2018
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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.