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SCAM: SPF issues warning on new scam impersonating S’pore wealth fund GIC, offering lucrative investment packages

The Independent
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SCAM: SPF issues warning on new scam impersonating S’pore wealth fund GIC, offering lucrative investment packages

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has announced a new type of scam targeting victims through lucrative investment deals offered by scammers impersonating representatives from Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC).

The scammers are pretending to be representatives of GIC on messaging platform Telegram group chats, said SPF on Facebook on Thursday (Apr 28). “They would invite unsuspecting victims into a Telegram group chat and claim to be from GIC and offer lucrative investment packages to them,” said SPF.

“Victims keen to invest would then be directed to provide their personal particulars and bank account details to sign up for such packages and transfer money into scammers’ bank accounts,” the police added.

Victims would only realise they were scammed when the expected profits don’t arrive, or they can’t withdraw their initial investments.

Members of the public are advised not to react, reply, click or open any attachments from anyone or any organisation claiming to be from or affiliated with GIC, said SPF.

GIC, which manages Singapore’s foreign reserves, also issued a notice indicating they do not provide any investment services to the public.

“GIC will never contact any member of the public to open a trading account, make a private trade or fund transfer for any investment including but not limited to gold, crypto, property, equities, bonds, commodities or any other asset or financial instruments,” said GIC.

It added that any attempt to solicit investments using GIC’s name or brand is a fraud or scam.

“GIC accepts no responsibility for any fees, costs, charges, payments or losses made which were incurred as a result of such fraud or scam.”

SPF reminded the public to be aware of scams such as investments promising attractive returns in a short period.

As scammers often take advantage of the vulnerability of human behaviour, individuals are urged to stop and think before taking any action on such solicitations.

Furthermore, members of the public are advised to safeguard personal information like bank account details and passwords.

Individuals with information on scams can call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online here. /TISG

Woman loses $1 million in CPF account to impersonation scam; netizens confused that money can be withdrawn

SATIRE: Netizens joke about Josephine Teo’s emotional video in Parliament, saying it should win her Star Awards 2022

Obbana Rajah
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SATIRE: Netizens joke about Josephine Teo’s emotional video in Parliament, saying it should win her Star Awards 2022

This article is a satire and not factual.

Following last Sunday’s (Apr 24) Star Awards, netizens were quick to take to social media to share their opinions on who should have won. Many quipped that a top contender for Best Actress should have been Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs.

Netizens were making fun of her emotion-filled speech in Parliament on Sept 1, 2020, in which she promised to help Singapore workers “bounce back” and “emerge stronger”. Ms Teo who was then Minister for Manpower, earned their “vote” with her earnest, sometimes halting, speech. For a considerable part of her performance, she seemed to be tearful or on the verge of tears.

The 27th edition of the Star Awards, Star Awards 2022 (Chinese: 红星大奖2022) highlight the best in Singapore TV released between January and December 2021. The 2022 ceremony was held in Singapore on Apr 24at the MES Theatre @ Mediacorp. It was hosted by Chen Hanwei.

The actual Best Actress was Huang Biren who played Chen Huiying in Recipe of Life, though netizens cheekily insisted online that the award should have gone to Ms Teo.

In a post to the public group Umbrage Singapore, a netizen who goes by the name Justin Lim Lim shared a photo of Ms Teo with “Best Actress” superimposed on top.

Other netizens also shared videos of Ms Teo getting emotional in Parliament, with the Star Awards logo superimposed.

Here’s what netizens said:

Her “award-winning” speech had Ms Teo speaking on job anxiety among Singaporeans.

In her speech, she cited the stories of three workers whom she had interacted with, who had either received help from various job-related schemes or shared their concerns with the Ministry of Manpower.

She then continued, with tears in her voice:

“Please know that you too are always in our hearts. However long this storm lasts, MOM will walk the journey together with you. However tough it may be, we will help you bounce back.”

Earlier this year, netizens also joked that Jurong GRC MP Shawn Huang should have been given a Star Award after he shed tears in Parliament. He was speaking on strengthening Singapore’s science and technology capabilities. He gave a shout-out to individual members of his team and lauded them for their “remarkable performance”, which led to an increase in the hiring of cybersecurity analysts by 400%.

He also added, “When I heard the programme was a success, it truly touched my heart” and then wiped a tear from his eye.

Netizens call out yet another PAP MP sheddding (crocodile) tears in Parliament

Gojek driver, sole breadwinner, believes passenger stole his bag containing his wallet, personal cards and S$526 in cash, wife appeals for help and wishes the contents be returned

The Independent
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Gojek driver, sole breadwinner, believes passenger stole his bag containing his wallet, personal cards and S$526 in cash, wife appeals for help and wishes the contents be returned

The wife of a private-hire vehicle driver has appealed for information online, saying that her husband’s bag was stolen by a passenger. On Facebook’s Complaint Singapore page, Aisyah Lim related their “heartbreaking” experience on Wednesday (Apr 27), noting that her husband is the sole breadwinner.

In the midst of Ramadan, and with Hari Raya coming up, she wrote, “it feels so hard for us whole family. Days that we (are) supposed to celebrate joy but have to be so stressful,” said Ms Lim. She said her husband works as a PHV driver for Gojek to earn money for their two young children.

On Apr 26, after dropping off a passenger, he realised his bag had gone missing. “He believes it has been stolen by one of the passengers he picked up,” she said. The bag contains the car remote, wallet, personal cards and S$526 in cash.

Photo: FB screengrab/Complaint Singapore

“This is not just the item and cash lost, but to do a replacement card for IC, license, vocational license will cost us extra money and time wasted,” said Ms Lim.

As a wife, she said, looking at her husband sitting down feeling stressed after the incident was heartbreaking.

“I really wish that the bag and the contents can (be) returned to us safe and sound even (if) it sounds impossible,” said the hopeful Ms Lim.

Lastly, she addressed the individual believed to have taken the bag. “You might need it more than us. Hope you can find it useful for you and your family,” she said.

Ms Lim said a police report had been made.

Photo: FB screengrab/Complaint Singapore

The online community hoped that the bag would be found or returned.

“I have lost my precious wallet with cash, important docs, ATM and IC. Was so heartbroken,” wrote Facebook user Rayna Foss-Yundster.

“Weeks later, I received a call from police lost and found. I managed to retrieve at least my important docs and IC. Was more than thankful for that. I hope miracles happen for you,” she said.

Others advised the couple to go back to the drop-off points leading up to the incident to check if there were closed-circuit television cameras which could be used to expedite the investigation. /TISG

Man punches taxi driver for telling him to get off as he was on the wrong cab

Singapore dollar hits record high against ringgit at 3.16, attracting Malaysians to work in Singapore

The Independent
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Singapore dollar hits record high against ringgit at 3.16, attracting Malaysians to work in Singapore

The plunging Malaysian ringgit is now not only the subject of memes and jokes on Twitter and Facebook. The ringgit to Singapore dollar rate is affecting the market too.

Since the reopening of the Malaysia-Singapore borders, Singaporeans have been flocking to Johor Bahru’s bazaars and supermarkets to take advantage of the cheap ringgit while workers are leaving Johor to work in Singapore and earn Singapore dollars.

The ringgit was trading at RM3.16 to the Singapore dollar yesterday. It has a two-fold impact on Malaysia. As the workers are leaving Johor to work in Singapore, hourly rates are rising in Malaysia, and employers are worried.

Malaysians on Twitter are urging their friends not to work for local firms, describing them as “crap jobs” that pay little.

Some users are saying that Malaysian youngsters should cross the Causeway or go “international” and seek employment where firms are eager to hire young people.

According to them, the ringgit to Singapore dollar rate as well as the ringgit’s weakness against the US dollar will benefit people who acquire jobs abroad.

In one tweet, the user says, “Forget about cheapskate local companies, apply international instead. They are hiring like CRAZY!”

Nevertheless, in Johor, the reopening has caused a serious shortage of workforce in several areas of the economy.

It appears that these sectors in Malaysia are facing the ‘great resignation’ since Malaysians are abandoning their jobs in Johor, for example, to work in Singapore because of the significantly greater pay when converted to ringgit.

According to news sources, hotels are experiencing personnel shortages, with many employees departing for Singapore.

The majority of hotels employ an average of 50% of their workers. Some people are unable to execute banquets and other gatherings at full capacity because of a lack of resources.

Last week, Resorts World in Singapore held a walk-in interview at a hotel in Johor to hire personnel for its Sentosa casino, and the lines were long, causing concern among Johor Bahru business owners.

Another consequence is the increase in workers’ hourly pay in Johor, which went from RM5-RM6 to RM10, and interns from hotel training institutions who were previously paid RM400 a month were offered double that amount.

Many employees are coming to Singapore since there is a huge demand for their services and the compensation is better. Food establishments in Singapore are also experiencing a labour shortage and are prepared to pay very high wages to hire Malaysians.

The post Higher foreign exchange rate attracts Malaysian workers to Singapore appeared first on The Independent News.

 

ICA: Avoid peak hours if visiting Malaysia over the long weekends

The Independent
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ICA: Avoid peak hours if visiting Malaysia over the long weekends

If you are planning to visit Malaysia over the Labour Day and Hari Raya Puasa holidays,   the Immigration, and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) advises that you check the traffic situation and avoid the expected peak hours.

“Traffic flow through the land checkpoints at Woodlands and Tuas is expected to be heavy during the upcoming long holiday weekend,” ICA said on Wednesday in a media release. Northbound traffic is expected to be heavy between Friday and Saturday. Singapore-bound traffic is expected to be heavy from next Tuesday (May 3) through Wednesday (May 4).

ICA says that about 436,800 used the land checkpoints during the long weekend that began with Good Friday.

“This number is expected to be even higher for the upcoming Labour Day and Hari Raya Puasa holidays,” said ICA.

Based on 2019 data, that is, before the pandemic closed borders, travellers leaving Singapore via the land checkpoints had to wait for up to four hours. Those arriving by car had to wait up to an hour during the same period.

“Travellers are thus advised to factor in additional time for immigration clearance and check the traffic situation before embarking on their journey.”

ICA released the following schedule of peak hours, which travellers are advised to avoid.

Photo: Taken from ICA website

Motorists are also advised to check the traffic situation at the land checkpoints through the One Motoring website or via the Expressway Monitoring & Advisory System (EMAS) installed along the BKE and AYE, respectively, said ICA.

Travellers can also check ICA’s Facebook and Twitter accounts for more updates.

“As of May 1 2022, cross-border bus services plying across the Causeway and Second Link will resume operations,” ICA announced, noting that this is an alternative to avoid getting caught in a huge traffic jam.

ICA said it would take the necessary measures to facilitate immigration clearance without compromising security.

“We will also work with the Traffic Police to ensure road discipline at the critical junctions leading to the land checkpoints.”

“We seek travellers’ understanding and cooperation to observe traffic rules, maintain lane discipline and cooperate with officers on-site when using the land checkpoints,” it added.

More details on ICA’s announcement can be found here. /TISG

Huge crowds & long queues at JB customs spilt over the streets & triple-boosted, folding in on itself twice

Maid being packed off to Philippines by her current employer who allowed her to look for new employer the day before, asks what can she do to remain in Singapore

Obbana Rajah
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Maid being packed off to Philippines by her current employer who allowed her to look for new employer the day before, asks what can she do to remain in Singapore

A foreign domestic worker wrote that she was at a loss for what to do after her employer told her that she had a ticket booked for her to be sent back to the Philippines the next day. In a post on Facebook group FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), a lady by the name of Majalia Padilla wrote that she was asking a question on behalf of a friend.

She wrote on Wednesday (Apr 27) that her friend, a foreign domestic worker, thought that her employers would release her from her existing contract. Ms Padilla said that her friend’s employers let her look for a new employer, but suddenly told her she was being sent back to the Philippines the very next day.

Ms Padilla asked if it was fair for employers to treat her this way and wanted to know if there was anything her friend could possibly do to remain in Singapore.

Other domestic helpers and employers who contributed to the comments suggested that she could accept it and go back first before re-applying, or she could tell the officers at the airport about her situation.

Here’s what they said:

In another post on Wednesday (Apr 27),

FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), a woman who gives her name as Deep Kaur posted this question on behalf of another domestic helper. She wrote that the employers are going to India on vacation, and they wanted to bring their helper with them. But the helper does not want to go with them.

No reason is given for the domestic helper’s reluctance to go with them to India. In her post, Ms Deep Kaur asked what might happen if the helper refuses to go. Though uncertain, she says she does not think employers can force the helper to go with them. /TISG

Maid doesn’t want to go with employers on holiday, asks if there will be consequences

Morning Digest, Apr 29

Nick Karean
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Morning Digest, Apr 29

Stay of execution granted to Datchinamurthy Kataiah, who was scheduled to be hanged tomorrow Apr 29

 

Photo: FB screengrab/ravi mravi

A last-minute stay of execution has been granted to Malaysian national Datchinamurthy Kataiah, less than 24 hours before he was scheduled to be hanged.

Datchinamurthy, 36, represented himself before the High Court on Thursday morning, Apr 28. He has an ongoing prison correspondence misconduct legal challenge that is scheduled to be heard on May 20, wrote his former lawyer, Ravi M Ravi, in a Facebook post, adding “The question before the court is can they hang him this Friday when he has a hearing date fixed on the case to be heard on 20th May.”

Read more here.

‘Don’t ignore warning signs’ — Netizens blame ‘selfish’ S’porean tourist for the death of Australian father & son who drowned in their attempt to rescue the tourist

 

Photo: Taken from Canva

Despite multiple warning signs advising visitors of the dangers of swimming in unpatrolled waters, a tourist from Singapore decided to take a dip and swiftly got swept offshore by the churning waves.

This heedless act culminated in the death of an Australian father and son in a bid to save the tourist. The rescue boat they were in was faulty and capsized.

Read more here.

 

‘Old apek’ cups & rubs woman’s buttocks in Sheng Shiong supermarket, woman grabs old man by the collar ready to ‘brutally murder him’

 

Photo: Google Maps (for illustration purposes only).

After an old man cupped her buttocks at a supermarket, one woman refused to remain quiet, raising such ruckus that the man was chased by Sheng Shiong personnel and later arrested by the police.

“I WAS MOLESTED YESTERDAY,” Ms Siti Mariam wrote in an Apr 22 Facebook post.

Read more here.

 

Could Elon Musk help end world hunger instead of buying Twitter for US$44 billion? — Marvel star Simu Liu’s tweets, “Was there nothing better to do with 44 billion dollars?”

 

Photos: Twitter screengrab/Simu Liu, Wikipedia screengrab/Elon Musk

Less than two weeks after Elon Musk placed a bid to buy Twitter for US$44 billion (S$61 billion), the board of the social microblogging site agreed, and it was reported on Tuesday that Musk would take over as Twitter’s owner.

Many reacted online to the news, including Simu Liu, the Canadian star of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ring.

Read more here.

 

VIDEO: Netizens poke fun at mysterious snake-man stuck in Pasir Ris HDB ceiling vent

 

Photo: FB screengrab/singaporeIncidents

A video of a man dangling from what seems to be a ceiling vent while police hovered beneath him has gone viral, getting over 165,000 views on the Singapore Incidents Facebook page after it was posted on Monday.

Onlookers can also be seen milling around at the time of the incident, which is said to have happened last Saturday at the void deck of an HDB block in Pasir Ris. Reports say that the wannabe Spider-Man or rather Snake-Man was actually arrested and charged with causing a public nuisance because of his curious stunt.

Read more here.

MOH: NUH did not contribute to the miscarriage of woman who allegedly lost her baby after being left unattended for two hours

The Independent
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MOH: NUH did not contribute to the miscarriage of woman who allegedly lost her baby after being left unattended for two hours

The Ministry of Health (MOH) released its review findings into the case of a patient who allegedly suffered a miscarriage after waiting for two hours at the National University Hospital (NUH) on Mar 15, 2022.

The woman claimed she experienced a miscarriage after waiting two hours at NUH’s Emergency Department (ED) and was not attended to.

Following the incident, MOH started an investigation carried out by a team of NUH senior doctors and nurses from the ED, Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department, and the Clinical Governance-Medical Affairs team.

MOH is satisfied that NUH has identified the gaps in processes and communication that had contributed to the incident and implemented the recommended corrective actions, said MOH in a press release on Wednesday (Apr 27).

However, MOH noted that while NUH’s overall assessment is that the processes and communications did not contribute to the miscarriage, there were gaps that needed to be improved.

Specifically, NUH had instituted a rapid access protocol for pregnant patients with signs of labour, after triage at the ED, to be transferred directly to the delivery suite for medical assessment instead of going through an ED doctor before the transfer.

MOH noted that the woman’s case involved an “unusually high number of patients at the ED”, and the delivery suite was full.

“The process of immediate transfer to the delivery suite had broken down, resulting in the patient not being seen in a timely manner.”

MOH added that NUH had held several meetings with the patient and her husband to clarify the facts of the incident.

“The couple has since accepted NUH’s clarifications and acknowledged that the miscarriage may not have occurred at the hospital,” said MOH.

Learning from this incident and addressing the identified gaps, NUH has implemented the following measures to strengthen care in the following areas and to prevent similar incidents from happening again:

  • Patients who are pending transfer to the delivery suite will be triaged by the ED nurse and reviewed by the ED doctor who will communicate with the O&G doctor as clinically indicated;
  • Based on clinical assessment, if indicated, pregnant patients may be evaluated using ultrasound at the ED;
  • A standardised obstetric assessment score will be used in the ED to triage pregnant patients; and
  • Following review by the O&G doctor, foetal heart monitoring will be done at the ED while waiting for a bed in the delivery suite.
  • MOH has shared NUH’s investigation findings with the senior management of all public hospitals.

In addition, MOH has also reinforced to the public hospitals the clinical standards for the management of obstetric emergencies. /TISG

Netizens slam NUH’s ‘cold’ response that ‘falls short’ on pregnant woman who lost child after being ‘left unattended’ for 2 hours at A&E

Heartwarming story of Chinese elderly couple making sure chocolate is halal before buying it for Malay neighbour

The Independent
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Heartwarming story of Chinese elderly couple making sure chocolate is halal before buying it for Malay neighbour

Facebook user Petrina Ng shared something she overheard recently at a FairPrice supermarket. An elderly Chinese couple was discussing if a certain brand of chocolate was halal. They wanted to buy the chocolates for their neighbour, who is Malay.

As they could not decide if that particular brand was halal, they turned to a young Malay man for help. “Boy, are these halal? Hari Raya is coming and I want to buy for my Malay neighbour but we don’t know how to see if these are ok. Says it’s made in Malaysia but means it’s halal or not?” he was asked.

Ms Ng said the conversation brought a smile to her face. “It warms my heart not just because they wanted to gift their neighbour something but they were sincere enough to want to get it right,” she wrote on Facebook.

“Though it seems like common knowledge that most people would know, but it’s really nice that they bothered to ask when they didn’t because they respected their neighbour’s beliefs,” she added.

Ms Ng recounted that the young man they turned to for help probably felt as she did because it was visible in his eyes and in his smile. He helped the couple to go through a few options and pick out the chocolates. The elderly couple thanked him profusely and praised him for being a nice man.

She said, “(It’s) so nice to witness such a lovely scene today.”

Her post has garnered more than 3,000 likes so far on Facebook and has been shared more than 2,200 times.

Facebook user, Lindar Haslir, who shared Ms Ng’s post said: “Warms my heart to read this when one take the extra step, instead of just saying “no pork no lard” or “some don’t care if halal or not”. This act, “shows how inclusive a person you are. May more humans in this world learn to educate themselves on the differences in all walks of life.”

Finance Minister Lawrence Wong appealed in June last year to the Chinese community to “take the extra step” to make those from minority communities feel at ease.

In a lengthy keynote speech at a forum on race and racism jointly organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Mr Wong addressed recent concerns about racism in Singapore following a spate of highly-publicised incidents.

“First, we must recognise that in any multi-racial society, it is harder to be a minority than a majority. This is so everywhere in the world,” said Mr Wong.

“So, it is important for the majority community in Singapore to do its part, and be sensitive to and conscious of the needs of minorities.”

The post Post on Chinese elderly neighbours wanting to buy halal chocolates for Malay neighbour goes viral appeared first on The Independent News.

Lawrence Wong on racism & foreign workforce in Singapore

Netizens & SG authorities double down on defending Nagaenthran’s execution for drug convictions

Anna Maria Romero
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Netizens & SG authorities double down on defending Nagaenthran’s execution for drug convictions

Arrested for drug trafficking when he was 21, Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, who was said to have an IQ of 69 as well as intellectual disabilities, was sentenced to death for importing 42.72g of heroin into Singapore. He had been on death row for nearly 12 years and was put to death on Wednesday (Apr 27).

At his trial, he claimed he had been coerced by a man who assaulted him and threatened to kill his girlfriend. Appeal after appeal for a commutation of his death sentence failed, with an eleventh-hour motion by his own mother struck down on the eve of his execution.

Nagaenthran, born on Sept 13, 1988, was 34 when he died. His case, due to his intellectual capacity, garnered many international headlines, the United Nations Human Rights Office, the Prime Minister and King of Malaysia, as well as other international and local activists.

His execution last Wednesday was covered by the international press, including the BBC, CNN, The Washington Post, Al-Jazeera, and others.

Yahoo!News spoke to Nagaenthran’s family, and quoted his sister Sarmila Dharmalingam as saying, “The public prosecutor did not ask about the content of the appeal. They only focused on asking who is assisting us in making this kind of appeal. They didn’t bother asking about the content in the affidavit.”

She also told the press, “We are not satisfied with this matter.”

The deceased’s mother, Panchalai Supermaniam had filed a criminal motion to challenge the legality of previous judgments, based on the grounds of conflict of interest, as Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, who been the serving attorney-general who had prosecuted Nagaenthran and secured his conviction, had also dismissed his appeals.

Appearing before the court without a lawyer, Mdm Panchalai explained that their family had filed the motion in order to buy time to obtain a lawyer for Nagaenthran.

The Court of Appeal deemed the application to be “devoid of merit”.

Two government agencies, in Singapore, have defended Nagaenthran’s execution.

On Wednesday night, the Central Narcotics Bureau issued a statement saying that his actions had been borne of “a deliberate, purposeful and calculated decision.”

“Nagaenthran considered the risks, balanced it against the reward he had hoped he would get, and decided to take the risk,” the statement said, noting that “much misinformation that has been put out in relation to Nagaenthran, in particular on his mental state.”

CNB’s statement may be read in full here.

In a separate statement, the Attorney General’s Chambers underlined that the deceased had been given a fair trial and that it had “exhausted his rights of appeal and almost every other recourse under the law over some 11 years”.

Netizens commenting on a Yahoo!News report about Nagaenthran’s execution also appeared to support the death penalty for drug convictions. 

/TISG

Old videos of Lee Kuan Yew on the death penalty go viral

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