Singapore morning news for May 28

Singaporean Jeremy Tong conquers Everest, against all odds
Over 750 climbers, including Nepali guides, were en route to the summit of the world’s tallest mountain on the morning of May 22, all with the same goal – conquer Mt. Everest. Among them – 29-year old Singaporean, Jeremy Tong. Between frostbite and hypothermia On the way up, Tong had to …
— The Independent

ESM Goh says the ruling party should have 75-80% majority in Parliament to allow for long-term planning
Speaking to Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao as reported by Straits Times, ahead of the launch of the Chinese-language edition of his book, Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said he would like to see the governing party in Singapore have a “clear majority” …
— The Online Citizen

Singapore’s business receipts continue to rise in Q1, but pace is slowing down
SINGAPORE’S services industries saw an increase in takings in the first quarter of 2019, even as the pace slowed down from before, according to data from the Department of Statistics (SingStat) on Monday.
— The Business Times

Heng Swee Keat’s first official trip to China as DPM: China-US bilateral relations most important in the world
Singapore – In his first official visit abroad as deputy prime minister (DPM), Heng Swee Keat became the first Singapore leader to comment on the ongoing United States-China trade tensions. On May 26 (Sunday), DPM Heng spoke at the Chinese Executive Leadership Academy Pudong (CELAP) that was one …
— The Independent

Firms mindful of terror threat, have risk management plans
Businesses here are mindful of the threat of terrorism, with 60,000 SGSecure representatives registered under a Ministry of Manpower programme to secure workplaces.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Spike in dengue cases prompts early outreach
A recent spike in dengue cases has caused the total so far this year to exceed that for the whole of last year, prompting the National Environment Agency (NEA) to bring forward its annual dengue prevention programme.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Revenue growth in services eases in Q1 to 3.6%
Revenue growth in the service sector eased in the first quarter of this year, data from the Department of Statistics showed yesterday.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Shenton Way area rated top for tech, media and telecoms firms
Singapore has been ranked among Asia’s top commercial real estate locations, with attractive sectors for technology, media and telecommunications firms, according to a new report.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

NTU, NEA launch S$40m waste-to-energy research facility
A S$40 million waste-to-energy research facility that converts rubbish collected from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) campus into electricity and other by-products was launched on Monday (May 27).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

More than 98 reports of concert, event ticket e-commerce scams since January
More than 98 reports of e-commerce scams involving concert and event tickets were received from January to April this year, said police on Monday (May 27).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

ST journalist: 62.5% of younger S’poreans say FTs contribute to SG’s development
Straits Times Journalist Adrian Lim wrote an opinion piece today saying that “foreign talents” working in Singapore do help fuel a “bustling economy” in Singapore (‘Foreign talent helps fuel a bustling economy’, 27 May). Quoting figures from state-owned Institute …
— The Online Citizen

Businessman fined for not declaring S$900,000 in cash at Changi Airport
A 60-year-old Indonesian businessman was fined S$12,000 for not reporting cash worth more than S$900,000 upon arriving at Changi Airport, Police said on Monday (May 27).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Singapore IoT startup Brazn raises US$3.65M funding from Tin Men
Brazn offers facilities solution Buildos, smart retail solution Retailr, and agriculture solution Agrios Brazn, a Singapore-headquartered IoT startup with offices and businesses in Thailand and Malaysia, announced today it has inked an agreement with B2B investment firm Tin Men Capital to raise …
— e27

Sixty-two percent of older Singaporeans rated their own health as very good or excellent – Singapore study
In a study surveying 4,549 community-dwelling Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 60 years and above, findings indicate that 62% of older Singaporeans rated their own health as good, very good or excellent, with a similar proportion across males and females and ethnic groups. The …
— The Independent

Only about half of CPF members are able to hit $1379 sum needed for daily living–LKYPP study
Singapore — Researchers from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYPP) have released the results of a new study that finds S$1,379 a month is the income required to meet the basic needs of people 65 and older, and who are living alone. The study results, which were presented on May 22 …
— The Independent

Logistics manager charged with stealing hundreds of iPhones from company
A logistics manager was charged on Monday (May 27) with stealing hundreds of iPhones from her company over more than two weeks earlier this month.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

CapitaLand’s new exco to include several C-suite Ascendas-Singbridge execs
PROPERTY giant CapitaLand is setting up a new executive committee to provide strategic business planning, organisational alignment and implementation following its Ascendas-Singbridge acquisition.
— The Business Times

Singapore equity prices look appetising but investors not biting
RENEWED US-China trade tensions have seen regional equity markets undergo a correction in May, and this has resulted in the Singapore market having among the cheapest valuations in Asia.
— The Business Times

PM Lee to speak about Sino-US ties at defence forum
The importance of stable and constructive relations between the United States and China will be the focus of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s keynote speech at an annual Asia defence forum on Friday.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Start-up Trax raising $137m and planning IPO
A Singapore-based start-up in the retail industry is finalising a deal to raise US$100 million (S$137.4 million) – an amount that values the firm at about US$1.1 billion. That would make Trax the second most valuable start-up here behind Grab.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

60,000 office reps on scheme to fight terror
A programme under the Ministry of Manpower has managed to get 60,000 representatives from businesses here signing up to learn how to improve security at workplaces against terror threats.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Tech-enabled veggie hawker startup Kedai Sayur secures US$1.3M funding
East Ventures invests in Kedai Sayur, an Indonesian startup that empowers traditional vegetable hawkers with technology Indonesia-based Kedai Sayur, a startup that empowers vegetable hawkers utilising technology, announced that it has secured US$1.3 million seed funding led by East Ventures. …
— e27

Cybersecurity as a strategic investment for businesses
THE 4th Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, heralds the advent of smart and autonomous systems built upon data analytics and Artificial Intelligence.
— The Business Times

Food delivery courier sacked over char kway teow bluff
Food delivery company WhyQ has sacked one of its couriers after it emerged that he had passed off a packet of char kway teow he delivered to a customer as coming from the Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow stall at Old Airport Road food centre.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Sensors in windows among airport hotel’s anti-terror measures
The full-length windows in the 563 hotel rooms of Crowne Plaza Changi Airport have sensors that alert security if the windows are being tampered with. For example, if someone tries to drill a hole in a window, perhaps to fire projectiles at the planes on the tarmac, the sensors …
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

$300 fine for shooting rubber bands sparks debate on littering
A man was fined $300 for littering after he was caught shooting two rubber bands onto a public road, a punishment that has stirred debate among some netizens.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Cheaper and better durians, thanks to Malaysia supply glut
As durian season begins, prices for the prickly fruit have been plunging following an increase in supply from Malaysia.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Nigerian man escapes gallows on appeal
A Nigerian man, originally sentenced to death for importing nearly 2kg of methamphetamine, commonly known as Ice, escaped the gallows yesterday after he was cleared on appeal.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Hoist linked to woman’s death was untested: Coroner
A woman died from a severe head injury last year in an accident involving a lift-like hoist structure which the state coroner found had not been tested by an authorised examiner.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Man in $1.6m renovation scam given 5½ years’ jail
A man who, along with his wife, swindled 74 home owners and subcontractors out of more than $1.6 million by running a renovation firm that failed to honour contracts was sentenced to 5½ years’ jail yesterday.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

HSBC S’pore creates new role for S-E Asia in regional push
HSBC Singapore has appointed Mr Kanakanjan Ray as head of financial institutions group, South-east Asia – a newly created role in the Hong Kong-listed bank’s global banking and markets division.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Keppel saves $55m, thanks to energy efficiency
The renovations at Keppel Bay Tower offices last year were not just about smartening up the paintwork, but focused on cutting-edge tech innovations to make the corporation’s headquarters far more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Kimberly-Clark invests another $25m to double Tuas exports
Consumer goods giant Kimberly-Clark is investing a further $25 million at its Tuas manufacturing facility to double export volume and value by the end of 2022.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Male suspect arrested for cheating another man of S$70,000 in online love scam
A 32-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly cheating another man of more than S$70,000 in an Internet love scam, said the police on Monday (May 27).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

District judge found to have plagiarised Prosecution’s submissions in written judgment for drug consumption trial
A district judge was found to have substantially plagiarised a huge portion of the Prosecution’s closing submissions, in his written grounds of decision ruling against an accused person in a drug consumption trial, to the extent that even a typographical error in the former was also found in …
— The Online Citizen

Nine historical gardens open at Fort Canning Park
Nine historical gardens, designed to tell the story of Fort Canning Park, opened on Monday (May 27).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Boon Lay neighbours celebrate kampung spirit for Hari Raya
When their next-door neighbours suggested they combine and decorate the corridors in front of their two homes for Hari Raya, Mr Shaieful Azan Zanal Abidin and Ms Siti Zulaifa Sukardi did not hesitate.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Jurong Bird Park welcomes first king penguin chicks in more than a year
SINGAPORE: Jurong Bird Park has seen the arrival of its first baby king penguins in more than a year with the hatching of three new chicks, Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) announced in a news release on Monday (May 27).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Feature photo MDIS

This week’s Singapore morning news feature photo acknowledges World No Tobacco Day, May 31.

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 May 28 added by John Le Fevre on May 28, 2019
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John Le Fevre

Thailand editor at AEC News Today

John is an Australian national with more than 40 years experience as a journalist, photographer, videographer, and copy editor.

He has spent extensive periods of time working in Africa and throughout Southeast Asia, with stints in the Middle East, the USA, and England.

He has covered major world events including Operation Desert Shield/ Storm, the 1991 pillage in Zaire, the 1994 Rwanda genocide, the 1999 East Timor independence unrest, the 2004 Asian tsunami, and the 2009, 2010, and 2014 Bangkok political protests.

In 1995 he was a Walkley Award finalist, the highest awards in Australian journalism, for his coverage of the 1995 Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) Ebola outbreak.

Prior to AEC News Today he was the deputy editor and Thailand and Greater Mekong Sub-region editor for The Establishment Post, predecessor of Asean Today.

In the mid-80s and early 90s he owned JLF Promotions, the largest above and below the line marketing and PR firm servicing the high-technology industry in Australia. It was sold in 1995.