Singapore morning news for March 19, 2019

Singapore’s 2019 GDP growth forecast to moderate to 2.4% on external headwinds
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) is expecting Singapore’s GDP growth to moderate to 2.4% in 2019 from 3.2% in the previous year, against the backdrop of a more challenging environment for exports and the manufacturing sector.
— The Edge Singapore

Singapore February exports snap three months of falls
Singapore’s domestic exports rose in February snapping three months of falls, showing “early signs” that south-east Asian economies could end up as beneficiaries of the US-China trade dispute.
— Financial Times

Chart of the Day: Singapore ranks 4th in the world as top sources for investments
The Asia Pacific region accounted for 50% of transactions in 2018.
— Singapore Business Review

Former Spring Singapore exec gets four years’ jail for duping agency of nearly $155,000
A former senior executive at Spring Singapore who duped the statutory board into disbursing nearly $155,000 and kept more than $77,000 was sentenced to four years’ jail on Monday (March 18).
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

No impact on Singapore’s water supply from chemical spill incident in Johor
Authorities have stated that there is no impact on Singapore’s water supply and no anomalies detected in local air and water quality from the chemical spill incident at Sungai Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang, Johor.
— The Online Citizen

Jail for NEA contractors who gave advance warning of mosquito breeding checks for bribes
Two men who worked for a National Environment Agency (NEA) contractor took bribes from a construction site manager in return for advance notice of mosquito breeding inspections.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Singapore knowledge-sharing startup lands $1.8m seed funding
Tigerhall, a knowledge-sharing platform based in Singapore, announced it raised US$1.8 million in seed funding. Participating in the round are US-based strategic learning firm WDHB, Singapore-based asset management firm Paladigm Capital, and a senior banking executive in Singapore as a private investor.
— Tech In Asia

Singapore banks to shine despite regional macros, competition from fintechs: Maybank
Maybank Kim Eng is keeping “positive” on Singapore’s banking sector while noting significant interest among Malaysian investors in Singapore banks from a flight-to-quality angle, and for their high dividend yields as the SGD appreciates.
— The Edge Singapore

NEA appoints new chairman Lee Chuan Seng to succeed Liak Teng Lit
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has announced the appointment of Mr Lee Chuan Seng as chairman of its board of directors with effect from April 1.
–– Straits Times (annoying popups)

From hardship to hope, Singapore’s migrant poets find their voices
In dorms on Singapore’s fringes or employers’ backrooms, a growing number of migrant workers are using poetry to shed light on their hidden struggles and reconnect with their roots.
— Reuters

Residents appeal for safer road after fatal accident at Marine Parade roundabout
An accident between a car and a pedestrian at a roundabout in Marine Parade left the 82-year-old pedestrian dead on Monday (March 18).
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore leaders express condolences over Indonesia flash floods
President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have written to Indonesian President Joko Widodo to express their condolences over the flash floods in Papua, Indonesia.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Raffles bicentennial stokes debate in Singapore over colonization legacy
The white polymarble statue of the British statesman Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (main picture) stands tall on the banks of the Singapore river. Raffles landed here on January 28, 1819. 200 years later, Singapore is fondly remembering his arrival with an extravagant bicentennial.
— DW

Singapore’s multi-religious harmony is ‘exception rather than norm’: ESM Goh
The Christchurch mosque shootings are a reminder that peace is both precious and fragile, said Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on Monday (Mar 18), as he urged Singaporeans to guard against religious extremism and segregationist practices.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Scoot adds PayNow payment option for online flight bookings
FROM Tuesday, customers of budget airline Scoot will be able to make payment via PayNow when booking flights on the FlyScoot website, Scoot announced on Monday.
— The Business Times

Reduction of CPF Investment scheme fees deferred to 1 Oct 2020
The second phase of reductions to the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) sales charge and wrap fees cap will be deferred by one year from 1 October 2019 to 1 October 2020 in response to industry feedback that financial advisors require more time to adjust to the revised CPFIS fees structure.
— The Online Citizen

Lee Chuan Seng appointed NEA chairman
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has appointed Mr Lee Chuan Seng as the chairman of its board of directors with effect from Apr 1.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Police looking into videos of PM Lee’s son, Li Yipeng, which were taken without permission
Police are investigating an incident of videos taken of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s son, Li Yipeng who was offered a ride in a private car. In a statement on Sunday, the police said a report was made regarding the videos and that the car was driven by a 31-year old Singaporean man.
— The Online Citizen

GIC concerned about ‘high uncertainty’ in global investment environment: CEO
GIC has been concerned about the “high uncertainty” in the global investment environment, given the increased market valuations and low volatility especially in developed markets, said its CEO Lim Chow Kiat.
— The Business Times

Tan Chuan-Jin to make first official visit to Kuala Lumpur as Speaker of Parliament
Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin will be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from Monday (Mar 18) to Wednesday for an official visit, said the Parliament of Singapore in a media release.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Resilience Campaign and Video aims to stop stigmatization of failure and people with disabilities
A recently released video by ‘Rebound with Resilience’ – a social campaign started by communications studies undergraduates from NTU – has generated some interest online.
— The Online Citizen

FairPrice to hold prices of 100 house brand products for a year, introduce Merdeka Generation discount
To help moderate the rising cost of living and protect shoppers from price fluctuations, FairPrice has pledged to freeze the prices of 100 FairPrice house brand products for the next 15 months.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Straits Times flamed for saying that Singaporeans’ trust in the Government and the media is up
In an article published on Monday (18 Mar) morning, the Straits Times reported that Singaporeans’ trust in the Government and the media is up.
— The Independent

Rifle training opened up to soldiers who are not combat-fit under new curriculum
Full-time national servicemen (NSFs) who typically go into non-combat roles are getting a feel of the rifles used by Singapore soldiers through using a shooting simulator.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

ST quoting Edelman’s survey: 67 per cent of Singaporeans trust the Government
Quoting the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer survey, local media, the Straits Times published a front page news today saying that Singaporeans’ trust in the government as well as the mainstream media has gone up (‘Singaporeans’ trust up in Government and media: Survey’, 18 Mar).
— The Online Citizen

OCBC wary of residential sector’s near-term outlook in spite of encouraging data
OCBC Investment Research is maintaining “neutral” on Singapore’s residential sector despite the recent recovery in Singapore developers’ stock prices and the announcement of a new Cross Island MRT line, which helped to boost Feb m-o-m private home sales volumes by 4.4%.
— The Edge Singapore

Returning CPF monies in full, cutting ministers’ salaries and implementing minimum wage among SDP’s 10-point plan to reduce Singaporeans’ living costs
Returning Central Provident Fund (CPF) sums in full, the sizing down of ministerial salaries, and the implementation of minimum wage for Singaporeans are among the reforms proposed in the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP)’s latest policy paper.
— The Online Citizen

New guidelines for earthwork contractors aim to reduce telecom cable cuts
A set of requirements for contractors who carry out earthworks will take effect on June 1 in a move to reduce incidents of underground telecommunications cables being cut by mistake, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said on Monday (March 18).
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Dr Tan Cheng Bock’s party registration “approved-in-principle” by the Registry of Societies
In a Facebook post on Saturday, March, 16, Dr Tan Cheng Bock gave an update to the pending application for registration of a newly-formed political party, Progress Singapore Party.
— The Independent

FairPrice cuts prices of more than 50 housebrand products; discount for Merdeka Generation shoppers
Two new initiatives to help alleviate daily living costs for Singaporeans were announced by NTUC FairPrice on Monday (Mar 18).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Leong Sze Hian being asked to pay a total of S$21,000 by High Court for cost after his counterclaim against PM Lee was struck out
Davinder Singh Chambers (DSC), the law firm representing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his defamation suit against veteran blogger Leong Sze Hian, has sent a statement on 14 March (Thursday) requesting Mr Leong to pay a total of S$21,000 for two summonses.
— The Online Citizen

Cable cuts leading cause for telco disruption; IMDA to set earthworks procedures for contractors
Telecommunication network operators and contractors will receive standardised requirements on earthworks to prevent cable cut incidents, which have been the main cause of telecom service disruptions in recent years, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Lim Tean blames President Halimah Yacob for lack of accountability in Singapore, calls her a “Useless President”
People’s Voice Singapore held a rally on Saturday, March 16, called ‘Where is the Accountability in our Singapore?” at Hong Ling Park from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. At the rally, Lim Tean held President Halimah Yacob primarily responsible for the lack of accountability in the nation.
— The Independent

Woman attempted suicide in Changi Hospital, allegedly from her fear of facing possible high medical costs
On 14 February this year, a young woman in her 30’s who was hospitalised at Changi General Hospital attempted to commit suicide at around 1:30pm by jumping off the third floor of the hospital.
— The Online Citizen

Feature photo Changi Airport

This week’s Singapore morning news feature photo acknowledges International Day of Forests, March 21.

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 19 added by Piseth Pov on March 19, 2019
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Piseth Pov

Piseth Pov graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics Science from the Royal University of Law and Economics, Phnom Penh in 2017, and a Bachelor’s degree in English Communications from Western University, Phnom Penh, the same year.