The controversial Section 377A of the Penal Code, widely believed to be a piece of legislation that criminalises sexual intercourse between two men, was in fact enacted as a means of dealing with rampant male prostitution in the late-1930s, said former Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong in a 72-page article in the Singapore Academy of Law Journal published on Mon …

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is looking at establishing a taskforce aimed at securing the future of older workers in Singapore, particularly those in the “pre-retrenchment” phase who are in their 40s or 50s, said secretary-general Ng Chee Meng on Wed (16 Oct). Speaking to reporters at the end of the NTUC Delegates’ Conference yesterday, Ng, who is also …

There is no need for workers to dismantle Singapore’s current labour system, as the symbiotic alliance between the People’s Action Party (PAP) government and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has always been founded on a common desire to improve and secure the the well-being and future of workers in Singapore, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The partnership between …

Financial technology (fintech) companies in Singapore raked in US$735mil (S$1bil) in investments in the first nine months of 2019, according to a report by Accenture released on Tue (16 Oct). The total value of investments marked a 69 per cent jump from the same period the previous year, from US$435mil to US$735 mil. The number of fintech investments made, however, saw …

The South Korean government’s proposal to raise the official age of retirement from 60 to 65 has received considerable criticism, as experts warn against the possibility of further disruption to the labour market and a widened economic gap in society. Bloomberg reported Mon (14 Oct) that South Korea’s poverty rate among the elderly is the worst out of all of …

The discourse around ageing in Singapore should be reframed into a more positive one, as a “negative narrative can become self-fulfilling”, said People’s Action Party (PAP) Seniors’ Group chairman Tan Chuan-Jin on Sun (13 Oct). Speaking to PAP Seniors’ Group activists at an event to commemorate the International Day of Older Persons at Hotel Miramar, Tan, who is also the …

Starting early next year, secondary schools in Malaysia can expect to do away with Science and Arts/Commerce streaming, according to a report by leading Chinese-language Malaysian newspaper Sin Chew Daily on Thu (10 Oct). Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching reportedly told Sin Chew Daily in an interview that with the implementation of the Standard Secondary School Curriculum (KSSM), students will …

The High Court today (11 Oct) found Workers’ Party (WP) Aljunied GRC Members of Parliament (MPs) Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim and Low Thia Khiang liable for damages against the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) and the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC). Judge Kannan Ramesh, in his written judgement, ruled that Lim and Low as town councillors had acted in breach of …

The Government should increase legal protections to safeguard the psychological wellbeing vulnerable groups and minorities against religiously-motivated violence in Singapore, said Nominated Member of Parliament Anthea Ong in Parliament on Mon (7 Oct) Speaking during the debate on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony (Amendment) Bill, Ong said more must be done to protect the mental wellbeing of vulnerable groups and …

The Government “should re-evaluate” its viewpoint on “advocacy, activism and dissent”, particularly concerning discourse among Singapore’s youths and their involvement in activism and advocacy, said Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Anthea Ong in Parliament on Mon (7 Oct). Following up on fellow NMP Walter Theseira’s comments during an adjournment motion titled “A Liberal Education and Corruption of the Youth of …