Last month, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and People’s Association (PA) issued a joint statement saying that at least 192,000 households have benefitted from last year’s Public Transport Voucher Exercise. The statement also stated that more than $5.8 million have been disbursed to help “needy families” since its commencement on 12 November last year. This is slightly more than half …

The Public Transport Council (PTC) announced yesterday (8 Oct) that starting 28 Dec at the end of this year, commuters will be subject to a 7 per cent increase in bus and train fares. “We have a transparent and objective fare formula that allows us to cap the fare increase and balance sustainability with fare affordability for Singaporeans,” PTC Chairman …

It was reported in the media today that the service sector unionists met up with President Halimah and told her about their worries with regard to job security in the face of global uncertainty, impending economic downturn and restructuring of the industry (‘Service-sector unions tell President of job fears amid headwinds‘, 9 Oct). They met the President at the Istana …

The latest labour report from the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) revealed that while retrenchments fell from 3,230 in the first quarter to 2,320 in the second, the number of PMETs who lost their jobs actually increased from 1,440 to 1,680. PMETs formed the bulk of those retrenched (‘PMET unemployment in Singapore continues to climb‘, 3 Oct). Nearly half of the …

On Thursday (3 Oct), American technology giant, HP announced that it will cut up to 16% of its workforce as part of a restructuring plan aimed at cutting costs. In its statement, HP said it will be cutting about 7,000 to 9,000 jobs through a combination of retrenchment and voluntary early retirement. The company estimates that the plan will result …

At the Singapore Bicentennial Conference held at Raffles City on Monday (30 Sep), Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat told the audience that the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) is independent and not politically motivated. To do the electoral boundaries properly, population, demographic and other changes have to be looked at, and this requires the views of independent experts, Heng …

At the Singapore Bicentennial Conference yesterday (1 Oct), the former Singapore’s UN Permanent Representative Professor Tommy Koh cautioned the 4th generation PAP leaders that two of their priorities should be to maintain racial and religious harmony and make Singapore a more equal society. These include looking into allegations of discriminatory hiring practices and working to make Singapore a classless society, …

At the Singapore Bicentennial Conference held at Raffles City yesterday (30 Sep), Professor Paul Tambyah who is also chairman of the Singapore Democratic Party asked Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat if there was a “good reason” that the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) was not completely independent of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Prof Tambyah noted, “The election boundaries …

Last week (27 Sep), it was reported in the media that the company, ZACD Investments, which earlier constructed an illegal hidden storey floor inside its penthouse unit at The Alexcier in Alexandra Road, has demolished the floor and put the unit up for sale. ZACD Investments is now asking a cool $4.2 million for its 10,506 sq ft unit. It …

At the Real News Matters journalism forum held at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central last Saturday (28 Sep), Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Chief Editor Warren Fernandez told the audience that journalists play a critical role amid a proliferation of fake news and views existing today. With misinformation on the rise, journalists play a crucial role in providing …