Current Affairs

In a report by the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) and Hong Kong-based anti-human trafficking organisation Liberty Shared, the top three problems that foreign domestic workers faced in Singapore were overwork, verbal abuse, and salary related disputes. However, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) rebutted the findings, saying that it “does not accurately reflect the employment and working conditions of …

In Parliament yesterday (15 Jan), Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad revealed that a total of 521 companies with unfair employment practices were warned or sanctioned by the Manpower Ministry (MOM) from 2013 to 2017. However, majority of them (58%) only received warnings. The rest would "faced more difficulty" when applying for foreign work passes, he said. "So you …

A CPF member who would be turning 65 in May this year, recently received a mail from the CPF Board. It informed him that he would be eligible to receive S$250 per month for about the next 8 years when he hit 65. It also enticed him saying that he can get higher payouts if he delays the start of …

A member of the public, Albert Tang, wrote to ST Forum and his letter was published on ST today ("Why are SP Group's rates higher than retailers'?", 16 Jan). Mr Tang wanted to know why SP Group didn't offer the heavily discounted electricity rates, which many of the electricity retailers are currently offering to the public, in the first place. …

Chinese bike-sharing operator Ofo has breached multiple regulatory requirements set by the government and has to meet them all by 13 February to avoid suspension, stated the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Tuesday (15 January). It stated that Ofo has breached multiple regulatory requirements despite being given an ample preparation period for compliance. LTA claims that despite multiple warnings and regulatory action …

Mr Lee Hsien Yang (LHY), younger Brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, asks point blank to citizens if the current ruling government is the kind of government that they want. LHY’s startling question comes as he states how the Attorney General Chambers has been prosecuting his son Li ShengWu (LSW) for the past 18 months over a private Facebook post. …

The Singapore Really Really Free Market (SRRFM) is a market organised by Post-Museum, a cultural and social enterprise. Based on a movement that started in America by anarchist groups in response to the ill effects of capitalism who wanted to promote a more environmentally and socially responsible lifestyle, a ‘really, really free market’ doesn’t involve money or trade at all. …

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan warns countries dealing with the Republic to not take Singapore’s consistency, and some would say predictability, for granted. “We will always take appropriate measures to safeguard our interests. And any country dealing with Singapore must assume that it is cost-free to embark on any adventures or antics against us. There will be consequences,” he said. …

With disputes over another environmental study, this time about Tengah where forests are being cleared for public housing, environmentalists are calling for the Housing Development Board (HDB) to release the full report to the public. However, it seems HDB has no intention of doing so. Responding to queries from The Strait Times (ST), a spokesperson for HDB said that the …

Yesterday (14 Jan), PM Lee hosted Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babis to an official dinner at the Istana. He told the Czech PM that Bata shoes, which originated from Czech, have strong association with Singaporeans. Even PM Lee, like the "many generations of school children in Singapore", can attest to having worn a pair of white canvas Bata shoes …