Singapore morning news for January 1, 2019

SingHealth cyberattack: COI submits ‘unanimous’ report, to be published on Jan 10
AÂ Committee of Inquiry (COI) report into the SingHealth cyberattack, considered to be the most serious breach of personal data in Singapore’s history, was submitted to Minister-in-charge of Cybersecurity S Iswaran on Monday (Dec 31).
— Channel News Asia

Singapore’s Lee sounds alarm over trade tensions
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his New Year’s message expressed concern that the U.S.-China trade war will force others to choose sides.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Singapore SMEs branching out in Asean despite US-China trade war
Entering new markets in ASEAN is “on the agenda” for Singapore businesses, according to Alan Turner, head of commercial banking, HSBC Singapore.
— The Independent sg

In full: PM Lee’s New Year message 2019 – ‘Reason to be confident about our future’
It was a productive year for Singapore in 2018, with the economy growing above expectation at 3.3 per cent and the country playing host to the historic meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday (Dec 31) in his New Year message for 2019.
— Channel News Asia

Scoot passengers stranded in Taipei on New Year’s Eve after flight to Singapore delayed
More than 350 Scoot passengers may have to usher in the New Year in the skies, after their original flight from Taipei to Singapore was delayed for at least 28 hours.
— Channel News Asia

Singapore to deal with Malaysia matters ‘calmly and constructively’, says PM Lee in New Year message
Singapore and Malaysia must manage specific problems, however difficult, while preserving the overall relationship, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says.
— Channel News Asia

Year in review: Top 5 truly historic moments of 2018
Another year is coming to a close. In these late December days, people will be looking to the future and wondering what 2019 has in store for them. But before jumping to that, it’s worth taking some time to reflect on 2018 – and what a year it’s been!
— Asian Ccorrespondent

Brexiteers want Britain to ‘look east’. But their idea of Asia is a fantasy
21st-century Britain is very different from 1960s Singapore. Tories wanting a pivot to Asia must admit current realities.
–– The Guardian

SG strongman Lee Kuan Yew foresaw China’s rise and reform
The Reform and Friendship Award that was recently bestowed by the Chinese government on Singapore’s former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, is a robust pronouncement of their appreciation to his venerable support of China’s development.
— The Independent sg

Electricity, gas prices to go down in the first quarter of 2019 but netizens are not screaming in joy
From January to March 2019, consumers can expect lower electricity and gas tariffs due to lower cost of natural gas for electricity generation and a drop in fuel prices from the quarter before.
— The Online Citizen

Singapore bank lending flat in November
Bank lending in Singapore registered flat growth in November from a month ago, reflecting weakness in business lending, preliminary data from the Monetary Authority of Singapore showed on Monday (Dec 31).
— The Straits Times

Broadening Singapore’s tax base to sustain long-term growth
In 2017, the Committee on the Future Economy spelt out bold strategies to take Singapore forward over the next decade. Its report recognised that Singapore may have to raise tax revenue over time to meet rising domestic needs.
— The Business Times (paywall)

US insurer Aflac takes US$20m minority stake in insurtech Singapore Life
Fintech Singapore Life has found a new investor in US insurer Aflac, which invested US$20 million for a minority equity stake, Singapore Life told The Business Times on Monday.
— The Business Times

Pintaras Jaya secures RM103m piling jobs in Singapore
Pintaras Jaya Bhd’s Singapore unit has secured three piling contracts worth a total of RM103mil. The piling and foundation specialist announced on Monday its unit Pintary Foundations Pte Ltd had bagged the three contracts.
— The Star Online

Singapore economy: Five things to watch in 2019
Singapore is due for a bumpy 2019, with the US-China trade war threatening to derail the global economy. We spoke to economists Carmen Lee from OCBC, Lim Siew Khee from CGS-CIMB and Janice Chua from DBS for trends that could affect you.
— Yahoo Finance

Local telcos kept at ‘neutral’ by Maybank; prefers NetLink Trust
Maybank Kim Eng is keeping a “neutral” rating on the local telco sector as the new year is shaping up to be a trying one for the wireless sector with the upcoming launch of TPG, which teases with unlimited data plans, while StarHub and Circles.Life are aggressively launching SIM-only plans.
— The Edge Singapore

Another deadline extension for Hyflux to fulfil Tuaspring agreement with Maybank
Hyflux has been given more time, yet again, to execute an agreement with secured lender Maybank regarding the divestment of its single largest asset.
— Channel News Asia

Nobel Prize-winning economist cites Li Shengwu’s “Credible Mechanisms” as 2018’s most significant economics research paper
A paper co-authored by Harvard University’s Economics associate professor Li Shengwu was picked by 2012 Nobel Prize winner in Economics Alvin Roth as being the most significant economics research paper in 2018.
— The Online Citizen

Gojek introduces dynamic pricing; move will likely attract more drivers to join says expert
Indonesian start-up Gojek has introduced dynamic pricing – where prices increase or decrease based on demand – for its ride-hailing service here.
— The Straits Times

Lease buyback acheme extended to all HDB flats
Seniors living in five-room and larger flats will be able to sell part of their leases back to the Housing Board from today. This allows them to monetise their homes, while continuing to live there.
— The Straits Times

The Yearly Nibble: Best Stock Ideas
A look at some of the most interesting articles published on our website in 2018.
— Motley Fool sg

70 police reports on email extortion scams made since September: Police
About 70 police reports have been made since September by victims who were blackmailed by scammers claiming they had screenshots of them watching porn, police said.
— Channel News Asia

Monastery in Toa Payoh launches tome to commemorate its 120th anniversary
A compendium commemorating the 120th anniversary of Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery in Toa Payoh was launched at its Virtue Hall on Monday (Dec 31).
— The Straits Times

Now that Christmas is over, you can donate your trees to the River Safari’s Justin Beaver and his friends
So anyway, The Beavs and his buddies at Wildlife Reserves Singapore are apparently always on the lookout for natural goodies to gnaw on, scratch, sniff, or play with. And last Friday, one netizen put out a call for “real, lush and green Christmas tree[s]” on behalf of JBeav.
— Coconuts Singapore (paywall)

Banding digitally to battle pests
To wage an effective war against the pests that creep around Singapore’s urban jungle, pest control companies are banding together to use a smart rodent system.
— The Straits Times

Singapore ushers in 2019 with spectacular fireworks show at Marina Bay
As the clock struck midnight, Singapore ushered in the new year with a spectacular seven-minute fireworks display at Marina Bay on Tuesday (Jan 1).
— The Straits Times

Feature photo The Cabin Singapore

This week’s Singapore morning news feature photo focuses on the death, pain, and loss that typically occurs at this time of year on Asean roads due to drunk driving, speeding, and a failure to wear protective helmets when travelling on motorbikes.

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 January 1 added by Mark Roy on January 1, 2019
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Mark Roy

With a decade of experience as an editor and journalist, Roy has edited mastheads across Australia and Southeast Asia, from the remote island communities of the Torres Strait to Cambodia’s only award-winning newspaper, The Phnom Penh Post.

A a professional photographer since the days of film, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Photomedia and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism.