Singapore morning news for June 27

Singaporean companies make a strong showing in the 2019 Sustainable Business Awards
The winning companies of the 2019 Sustainable Business Awards were announced on Tuesday (25 June) in the presence of Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Amy Khor.
— The Online Citizen

S’pore drug development gets another shot in the arm
A*STAR officially opened the new Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC) on Wednesday to take more made-in-Singapore drugs from early-stage drug discovery to clinical trials and commercialisation.
— The Business Times

Brace for greater headwinds: Chan Chun Sing
SINGAPORE must brace for greater economic headwinds in the year ahead, though the country’s strong fundamentals and strategies will help it tackle these challenges, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said on Wednesday.
— The Business Times

No light at the end of manufacturing tunnel
THE fate of the Singapore economy hangs on US-China trade outcomes, analysts warned on Wednesday, after more gloomy factory numbers.
— The Business Times

1.7 million Singaporeans to get GST, Medisave benefits
About 1.7 million Singaporeans will benefit from $1 billion in goods and services tax (GST) vouchers and Medisave top-ups in the coming months.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

New centre to take drug discovery to next level
It goes by the lacklustre name of ETC-159, but this chemical compound, which is for people with advanced cancer, is a front runner among hundreds of candidates vying to become Singapore’s first home-grown blockbuster drug.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

New office aims to create 10,000 jobs in tech over 3 years
An estimated 10,000 new tech-related jobs are expected in the private sector over the next three years, thanks to a new government office that will encourage public-private partnerships to help companies digitise and keep up with the rapid pace of technology.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singtel seeks more value from loss-making digital units
Singtel is looking at squeezing more value out of some of its loss-making digital investments, it said yesterday, alongside disclosures that its chief executive has had a massive pay cut.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Manufacturing down amid trade tensions
Manufacturing output in Singapore slumped last month as factories grappled with the increasing fallout from the trade war.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Chan Chun Sing urges firms to take risks, venture into new markets
With uncertainties mounting and trade tensions growing, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing yesterday asked businesses to consider taking a bold option.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore factory output down 2.4% in May, worse than forecast
A positive result in April proved to be a false dawn for struggling manufacturers, with output slumping last month as factories scrambled to contain the fallout from the trade war.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Fintech use in S’pore almost triples to 67% in 2 years: EY
The use of fintech products and services has shot up in recent years.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

1.7 million Singaporeans to receive S$1 billion in GST Vouchers and MediSave top-ups
A total of 1.7 million Singaporeans will receive notifications by Jul 5 on their 2019 GST Voucher (GSTV) benefits and MediSave top-ups, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Wednesday (Jun 26).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Daughter’s education left hanging after CPF Board allegedly disallows father to withdraw and pay for fees
A 60-year old father said that he might have to resort to choosing between borrowing money, and stopping his daughter’s education because he was allegedly disallowed from using his Central Provident Fund (CPF) money to pay for his child’s education.
— The Independent

New arbitration group to raise Singapore’s profile in international arbitration, dispute resolution
THE Singapore Business Federation (SBF), also known as ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) Singapore, has established a new arbitration group as part of its broader aim to promote the interests of the Singapore business community, and to raise Singapore’s profile as a hub for international arbitration and dispute resolution.
— The Business Times

First Singaporean woman imprisoned under ISA for radicalism released with restrictions
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Tuesday (25 June) that Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari, who was the first woman imprisoned under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Singapore, has been released.
— The Online Citizen

Parliament performance: Best and worst attendance records of MPs in the 13th Parliament
Parliament is set to reopen in July for more governing while the speculation on the ground is that the next general election will happen this September.
— The Online Citizen

Dissecting Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd’s Profitability
Digging deeper into Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd’s (SGX: S63) segments in order to understand the profitability of each division.
— The Motley Fool

Ministry of Law seeks public feedback on IAA; SBF establishes new arbitration group
THE Ministry of Law (MinLaw) started a public consultation on Wednesday to seek views on proposals to amend the International Arbitration Act (IAA).
— The Business Times

IPS study makes case to restore CPF contribution rates
AN INDIVIDUAL aged 55 in 2018 would be able to save S$31,000 to S$145,000 more if the full Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution rates are restored in the 10 years from age 55 to 64 – more than doubling his eventual CPF Life payouts.
— The Business Times

Transcorp just days away from going-concern troubles
TRANSCORP Holdings, which sells cars but not enough of them to turn a profit, said on Tuesday night that it will face going-concern issues unless it can raise S$1 million to pay its debts and liabilities by the end of June.
— The Business Times

Singtel CEO’s pay nearly halved to S$3.5m
SINGTEL’S group chief has seen her pay cheque hit a decade low, with Chua Sock Koong’s earnings nearly halved, after the mainboard-listed telco suffered an annus horribilis.
— The Business Times

New body set to raise Singapore’s profile as dispute resolution hub
A new group to promote the Singapore business community’s interests through the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has been set up, in a move expected to raise Singapore’s profile as a hub for international arbitration and dispute resolution.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Call for rules-based order in cyber arena
Militaries are being reshaped by the threats and opportunities in the cyber domain, but with rules of engagement still vague on this new battlefront, there is an urgent need for a rules-based order, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Student projects help plug gaps in healthcare
Patients looking to strengthen their gross and fine motor skills at St Andrew’s Community Hospital (SACH) can now do so by practising screwing in plastic light bulbs and fixing plastic pipes.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Mt Alvernia building cancer centre
Mount Alvernia Hospital will build a $25 million cancer centre to treat up to 1,000 patients a year without the need for a waiting list.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Thinking of Investing in Construction Companies? Think Again
Construction companies may be a direct beneficiary of the Singapore Government’s plans to enhance Singapore’s infrastructure, but here’s why investors may want to think again before investing in them.
— The Motley Fool

Prosecution calls for more than 4 years’ jail for ex-AMKTC general manager and director who bribed him
The prosecution on Wednesday (Jun 26) called for more than four years’ jail for a former general manager at Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) and the company director who bribed him for contracts.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Swedish man jailed for trying to help Syrians travel illegally out of Singapore
A Swedish man engaged in a conspiracy to help two Syrian men travel illegally out of Singapore to Germany and Sweden was jailed for four months on Wednesday (Jun 26).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Is African swine fever contagious? What you need to know about the disease sweeping across Asia
On Tuesday (Jun 25), the Singapore Food Agency put up a post on social media to raise awareness about African swine fever (ASF), a deadly disease sweeping across Asia, affecting hundreds of farms and leading to the death of millions of pigs.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Singaporeans argue that it is the establishment that is complacent as British author says Singapore runs the risk of complacency
A British journalist’s book about Singapore and how it could suffer from complacency has drawn mixed views on social media, with many arguing that it is the establishment in Singapore that is complacent, not the people.
— The Independent

Crabs reared sustainably to help boost Singapore’s food security
Inside a lab in Temasek Polytechnic, dozens of mud crabs are scuttling, feeding and breeding – to meet Singaporeans’ insatiable appetite for chilli crab and black pepper crab.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

‘Deterrent sentence’ sought for ex-town council GM
The prosecution has called for a lengthy jail term and a fine for the former Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) general manager who pleaded guilty to corruption in March this year.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore has to constantly reinvent – and even cannibalise itself: PM Lee Hsien Loong
He was speaking about what he would teach his younger self after having gone through many transitions in his career.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Up, down, in the sea: Ways to get more out of land
Land-scarce Singapore has three ways to stretch its land options: go upwards, downwards and seawards.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Nurse jailed for filming colleagues in unisex bathroom
A nurse was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail yesterday for surreptitiously taking videos and photographs of his female colleagues as they used a unisex bathroom at their hospital.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Principal allegedly molested 7 boys in school
A male principal allegedly molested seven teenage boys on different occasions in 2017 on the premises of the secondary school he was heading.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Judge rules firm liable to pay for injury of foreign worker who delayed treatment
Indian national Palraj Duraiarasan, 28, was injured at a Yishun work site on Jan 15, 2016, when metal debris from the tip of a large nail he was hitting into a concrete block flew off and hit his right eye through a gap in the goggles he was wearing.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Woman jailed for assaulting policeman
A woman shoved a policeman in the chest and pinned him against a wall in a chokehold as he tried to question her and several others at Orchard Towers shopping centre.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore factories go no-frills as trade war hits demand
Last year, chemicals factory boss Erman Tan took his employees on a cruise to Penang. This year, Mr Tan says the best he can offer them is a video of the Malaysian trip.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Call to raise older workers’ CPF contribution rates
Raising the Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution rates for older workers to put them on a par with those of younger workers could help them save between $31,000 and $145,000 more by the time they retire, researchers have found.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore must not be against science and tech or it will be ‘the end of us’: PM Lee
Singapore cannot be a society that fears and rejects science and technology, for this will hold back progress and “be the end of us”, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Wednesday (Jun 26).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Man who absconded while on bail caught by police only after 13 years through a comical coincidence
Yesterday (25 Jun), it was reported in the media that one Nalla Rajan Naidu Adhiseshan was sentenced to 18 months’ jail for two charges of cheating by personation and another of voluntarily causing hurt using a dangerous weapon.
— The Online Citizen

More TTSH patients planning for future healthcare in the event they can’t speak for themselves
New figures show that 1,279 patients had signed up for such planning at the hospital last year, up from 415 in 2013.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Popular marks 95th year with fair without books
Known among generations of Singaporeans as the go-to place for assessment and school books, home-grown bookstore chain Popular is celebrating its 95th anniversary with a 10-day fair that has, well, no books.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Phoenix Rd units back on collective sale market
The owners of a row of apartments and shops in Bukit Panjang are making a second attempt at a collective sale with an unchanged indicative price of $42 million.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Office floor in Springleaf Tower up for sale
The 30th floor in Grade A office block Springleaf Tower is up for sale at a guide price of $29.5 million.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Jail for man who filmed wife’s maid showering, cut holes in toilet door
An officer with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) who filmed his wife’s maid showering was sentenced to 12 weeks’ jail on Wednesday (Jun 26).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Feature photo fabcan

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 June 27 added by John Le Fevre on June 27, 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.