Wednesday, June 18, 2025
25.8 C
Singapore
type here...
Subscribe
Home Blog Page 3284

More than 350,000 sign petition calling for resignation of WHO chief

By
Anna Maria Romero
-
0
Screenshot: change.org

A petition on the change.org platform calling for the resignation of the head of the World Health Organization has so far garnered over 350,000 signatures worldwide.

The petition was started on Jan 31 by a man named Otsuka Yip, who is based in Canada. It calls on WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to resign because of his “improper” handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

The petitioner wrote: “On Jan 23, 2020. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declines to declare China virus outbreak as a global health emergency. As we all know, the coronavirus is not treatable at the moment. The number of infected and deaths has risen more than ten times (infected from 800 — close to 10,000) within only 5 days. Part of it is related to (the WHO chief) having underestimated the coronavirus. We strongly think (he) is not fit for his role as WHO Director-General. We call for the immediate resignation of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“A lot of us are really disappointed, we believe WHO is supposed to be politically  neutral. Without any investigation, (the WHO chief) solely believes the death and infected numbers that the Chinese government has provided.

“On the other hand, Taiwan should not be excluded from WHO for any political reasons. Its technologies are far more advanced than some of the countries on the ‘Selected WHO List’. 

“Please help the world to gain faith in the UN and WHO again.”

The petition gained ground even as the WHO sent a team of international experts to Beijing on Sunday (Feb 9) to investigate the virus outbreak.

Earlier today, the WHO chief issued a warning via Twitter that what the world had seen so far may only be “the tip of the iceberg”.

Mr Ghebreyesus, an Ethiopian national, warned that the spread of the virus may yet accelerate, and asked countries to prepare for the virus while the spread outside of China was still relatively slow. “As I told media yesterday, #2019nCoV spread outside #China appears to be slow now, but could accelerate. Containment remains our objective, but all countries must use the window of opportunity created by the containment strategy to prepare for the virus’s possible arrival,” he tweeted.

The WHO chief also said that 400 of the world’s leading experts would be gathering this week at the WHO headquarters in Geneva “to prioritize work on all the tools we need, including rapid diagnostics, a vaccine & effective treatments”.

Referring to the convening of health experts this week, the petitioner, Mr Otsuka Yip, wrote: “This is something that should have been done more than a month ago. What did he do while he was in Beijing weeks ago?”

The virus, which originated in Wuhan city in central China, has infected more than 40,000 people around the world, with a death toll of over 900.

Singapore is one of the countries with the highest number of people infected with the virus. It now has 43 diagnosed cases of 2019-nCoV. The Ministry of Health reported in its latest update that six individuals had fully recovered from the virus. However, three new cases were confirmed on Sunday (Feb 9), all of whom had “no recent travel history to China”. /TISG

Read related: WHO launches investigation into SG conference linked to three Wuhan virus cases

WHO launches investigation into SG conference linked to three Wuhan virus cases

 

 

PM Lee uploads new profile pic to mark his 68th birthday

By
Anna Maria Romero
-
0
Facebook screengrab: Lee Hsien Loong

Singapore—On the occasion of his 68th birthday on Monday, February 10, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong chose a new and upbeat profile picture—one that shows determination to defeat the problems that have arisen from the current Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.

PM Lee’s new photo, which shows him smiling and confident, has a frame that reads “Together we can overcome” and carries the hashtag #SGUnited.

The frame is available from SCAPE.

The virus, which originated in Wuhan, a city in central China, has since infected over 40,000 people around the globe, with a death toll of over 900.

Singapore is one of the countries with the highest number of people infected with the virus. At present the country has 43 diagnosed cases of 2019-nCoV, with the Ministry of Health (MOH) reporting in its latest update that six individuals have fully recovered from the virus. Three new cases of the virus were confirmed on Sunday (Feb 9), all of whom have “no recent travel history to China”.

The government raised the alert to Dorscon orange on Friday (Feb 7) after the number of cases in the country continued to rise.

The raised alert led to a spate of panic buying of food and supplies, with photos of long queues of people and empty shelves at grocery stores on Friday night.

Amid all this, the Prime Minister posted video messages on the website of the Prime MInister’s Office (PMO) as well as on his Facebook account in English, Chinese and Malay, to assure Singaporeans that the Ministerial Task Force is actively dealing with the outbreak and that the country has ample food supplies, and therefore there is no need for panic buying.

The Prime Minister changed his profile photo on Facebook on February 10, as perhaps yet another show of encouragement and optimism that the country can pull together to beat the virus outbreak, just as it did with SARS in 2003.

As he chose a new profile photo on his birthday, hundreds of netizens have been quick to send greetings and well wishes.

Others thanked him and other government officials for their communication about the virus outbreak.

Yet others appreciated his emphasis on unity.

The Prime Minister received birthday greetings even from citizens of other nations.

   

-/TISG

Read related: PM Lee’s video on coronavirus goes viral in the Philippines

PM Lee’s video on coronavirus goes viral in the Philippines

 

 

Netflix in Singapore Faces Highest Content Takedowns Due to Government Demands: Discover Why!

By
Anna Maria Romero
-
0
Netflix in Singapore Faces Highest Content Takedowns Due to Government Demands: Discover Why!
FB screengrab: Netflix

Singapore—Netflix, the video streaming company that revolutionised the way people consume movies and series, has received a number of takedown demands since its launch in 1997. And the largest number of takedowns made on government demand has been by Netflix in Singapore.

To date, Netflix has removed nine pieces of content due to takedown demands from various governments. Five of these were due to demands made by the Singapore Government. Even as we are only in the second month of 2020, Netflix has already removed, at the request of the Singapore Government, “The Last Hangover,” which is a TV comedy series from Brazil.

Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which is under the Ministry of Communications and Information, issued the takedown demand to Netflix.

Last year, Netflix took down “The Last Temptation of Christ” from the streaming service in Singapore upon demand from the IMDA. Screening of the film is banned in the country.

In 2018, the IMDA issued similar takedown demands on Netflix Singapore for the following shows: “Cooking on High,” “The Legend of 420” and “Disjointed”.

Other countries that have made takedown demands are Vietnam, whose Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information asked for the US movie “Full Metal Jacket” to be removed from its streaming service; Germany, whose Commission of Youth Protection made a similar request for the film “Night of the Living Dead.” Both demands were made in 2017. Two years earlier, New Zealand’s Film and Video Labeling Body issued a demand for Netflix to remove “The Bridge”, after the movie was classified to be “objectionable” there.

And last year, Saudi Arabia’s Communication and Information Technology Commission asked Netflix to take down one episode from Indian-American comic Hasan Minhaj’s show Patriot Act. This particular episode was entitled “Saudi Arabia.”

Netflix made the details of its takedowns in a report entitled Environmental Social Governance which was published recently. Netflix wrote in its report, “In some cases we’ve also been forced to remove specific titles or episodes of titles in specific countries due to government takedown demands….Beginning next year, we will report these takedowns annually.”

The objective of the report was to provide better transparency concerning the company’s impact on society as well as its structures of governance.

Netflix added, ”We offer creators the ability to reach audiences all around the world. However, our catalog varies from country to country, including for [broadcasting] rights reasons [and] in some cases, we’ve been forced to remove specific titles or episodes of titles in specific countries due to government takedown demands.”

Netflix in Singapore has been streaming content since 2016.

Concerning its user privacy, Netflix added in its report, “Our service is subscription-based and we do not allow third-party advertising on Netflix. When members sign up for the service we ask for very little information: email, name, and method of payment. We do not collect socio-demographic data like gender or race for the purposes of our viewing recommendations system. Our Privacy Statement provides a detailed explanation of our privacy practices, including the information Netflix collects or receives from each member; how we use and disclose it (including advertising that we conduct off Netflix to promote our service); and the controls each member has in relation to this information.” -/TISG

Read also:

Netflix’s best historical films and period dramas – Singapore News

Netflix’s ‘Singapore Social‘ is described as ‘Soooo trashy’ 

Singaporean star Elaine Wong joins ‘Squid Game’ style Netflix reality show ‘Physical: 100’ with S$300K prize money – Singapore News

Shows on Singapore Netflix and Disney+: Comprehensive Guide to Streaming Platforms 

Netflix to ban your password-sharing activities, but no worries, there’s still another way to do it, legally – Singapore News

Netflix to stream 140 new titles, says goodbye to 30 others – Singapore News 

PM Lee’s video on coronavirus goes viral in the Philippines

By
Anna Maria Romero
-
0
Facebook screengrab: Lee Hsien Loong

Singapore—On Saturday, February 8, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivered a message about how the novel coronavirus (2019nCoV), which originated in Wuhan has been spreading and has since infected over 40,000 people around the globe, with a death toll of over 900.

The government raised the alert to Dorscon orange on Friday (Feb 7) as the number of cases in the country continues to rise. The raised alert led to a spate of panic buying of food and supplies, with photos of long queues of people and empty shelves at grocery stores on Friday night.

Amid all this, the Prime Minister posted video messages on the website of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) as well as on his Facebook account in English, Chinese and Malay, to assure Singaporeans that the Ministerial Task Force is actively dealing with the outbreak and that the country has ample food supplies, and therefore there is no need for panic buying.

PM Lee’s message has been viewed and shared thousands of times, not only in Singapore, but also in the Philippines, even getting featured on Sunday in one of the country’s top media outfits, ABS-CBN, as well as shared on many Filipinos’ social media pages.

On Facebook, one netizen wrote, “Yan ang dapat parang Singapore (this is how it should be done, like in Singapore)”.

Another praised PM Lee’s leadership, writing “This is what we are missing,” hash-tagging Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s communications officers and executive secretary #andanar #panelo #badoy.

Sharing the video, one Filipino commented, “We could only wish for a leader like this. Please watch. His message is straight forward, clear and assuring that his government knows what is going on and in control.”

Yet another netizen wrote, “Some say Singapore can do this or that because it is small. But surely, all world leaders, regardless of size of country, should be able to do what SG’s Prime Minister did here, that is, speak words of instructions and comfort to his people.”

Filipinos kept sharing PM Lee’s message even on Monday morning. One wrote, “Words from the SG PM that we can apply in our country. This is how it’s done. . . simple , straightforward without the fanfare and politics … Keep calm and stay clean.”

A common theme among the posts seems to be envy for the leadership that Singapore’s Prime Minister displayed. A netizen commented, “Epitome of a leader ?? Thank you PM Lee! #SanaAll (#IWishAll)”

Another wrote, “Sana ang mamamayang Pilipino ay nabibigyan rin ng ganitong pag-uulat ng mataas na pinuno ng bansa. (I wish that Filipino citizens would also be given this kind of reporting from the highest leader of the land).”

An article about PM Lee’s message was published in the online version of ABS-CBN, one of the Philippines’ top media outfits. In an opinion piece entitled “Singapore Prime Minister delivers sensible, comforting message to his people amidst nCov threat,” writer Jacs T. Sampayan called the message “a great example of graceful communication under pressure.”

One netizen commented, “I’ve never been more envious of a nation, or more heartbroken for mine. Personal feelings aside, we can also take Mr Lee’s words to heart, to calm our fears and instead take the necessary precautions. I just wish we could also take comfort in his assurances. Kailan kaya, Pilipinas? Kailan kaya? ?(When oh when, Philippines?)” -/TISG

Read related: Filipinos criticise Duterte for slow response to Wuhan coronavirus

Filipinos criticise Duterte for slow response to Wuhan coronavirus

Lim Tean says PAP incompetent in dealing with coronavirus issue

By
Beatrice Del Rosario
-
0
Photo: from Facebook public photos / Lim Tean

People’s Voice founder Lim Tean took to Facebook on Feb 9 to discuss Malaysia’s consideration on how it will regulate the entry of Singaporeans. The 11.07 am post also featured a picture of the front page of a Feb 9 issue of Sin Chew Daily (a leading Chinese language newspaper in Malaysia).

The headline in the article sent to Mr Lim by a friend was of some concern to Singaporeans.

“It appears that Malaysia is considering restricting access to Singaporeans because of the nCOV crisis,” Mr. Lim said in his post. He also mentioned that along with Malaysia, other countries like India and Britain are now also speculative of people who have had a travel history involving Singapore.

According to a recent article by South China Morning Post, travellers are now not only avoiding China, but also other Asian countries like Japan and Singapore. With Singapore’s increasing list of confirmed 2019-nCoV patients and the recent change of alert level from yellow to orange given that community transmission has been taking place, people who have travelled to Singapore are now being watched.

“We are now the No.1 country outside of China with the most number of confirmed cases,” Mr. Lim said in his post. He then took a political turn as he called out the People’s Action Party, criticising its politicians for not taking more effective measures to address this problem. “[T]he PAP continues to allow mass events like the Air Show to carry on, won’t close schools and non-essential Government services, and won’t order work from home,” he said. “All the PAP leaders tell us that life must go on. Their incompetence is staggering and is damaging Singapore’s international reputation!”

Netizens however have had mixed responses. Some people either explicitly or sarcastically expressed their frustration with Malaysia for making such a call. Others, however, expressed their understanding of why Malaysia would consider doing such a thing. A few also chimed in, criticising the PAP.

Photo: from Facebook / Lim Tean
Photo: from Facebook / Lim Tean
Photo: from Facebook / Lim Tean
Photo: from Facebook / Lim Tean
Photo: from Facebook / Lim Tean
Photo: from Facebook / Lim Tean
Photo: from Facebook / Lim Tean

 

Community shop with food items opens for Singaporeans in need

By
The Independent
-
0
Photo: FB screengrab/FFTH

Singapore – While many Singaporeans went into panic-buying mode over the weekend after the Ministry of Health (MOH) declared DORSCON Orange, a community shop at Mountbatten opened its doors to provide food for the underprivileged.

On February 8, Saturday, charity organisation Food from the Heart (FFTH) officially opened its first Community Shop located at Mountbatten. The shop supplies food items given by donors.

The initiative, which is sponsored by OCBC Bank, was launched by Minister for Social and Family Development, Desmond Lee. In a Facebook post, the minister shared his experience during the event.

Delighted to launch Food from the Heart’s Community Shop @ Mountbatten with Lim Biow Chuan this morning. In its 17 years…

Posted by Desmond Lee on Saturday, 8 February 2020

FFTH has been distributing food to lower-income households for 17 years and saw a better opportunity to make logistics more efficient by bringing the beneficiaries to one hub where they could choose the items they needed.

Long-term partner of FFTH, OCBC Bank has pledged S$300,000 to the community shop, from its establishment and operations to food supplies over the next five years. Volunteers from OCBC will also assist at the shop for additional workforce and provide data analytics such as beneficiary consumption preferences.

By studying the shopping patterns of beneficiaries, FFTH will be able to make well-informed decisions on replenishment, thus minimising donation mismatches and food waste.

This way, “beneficiaries didn’t have an over/undersupply of some items,” noted Mr Lee.

Instead of receiving standard packages, beneficiaries can now pick 12 food items from the community shop each month. They can also repeatedly visit the shop and pick out items from aisles filled with oil, tinned goods, staples, biscuits, bread spreads, and condiments.

FFTH CEO, Sim Bee Hia, said that the organisation believes in “lifting up” the less-privileged in Singapore by giving them a choice on what they need and when to get it. The organisation also sees the initiative as a way to promote more interaction among donors, sponsors, volunteers and beneficiaries.

Koh Ching Ching, OCBC Bank’s Head of Group Brand and Communications added that there is a high possibility of expanding the initiative should the first community shop succeed. “We are committed to helping the needy in a strategic manner. This community shop is another good initiative to ensure that food donations match the needs of beneficiaries; and we will consider scaling up across other parts of Singapore, if it is successful.”

In the meantime, the community shop expects to cater to 5,000 households within Singapore, including the 120 residing in Mountbatten and 400 from Macpherson and Marine Parade areas.

“You can also do your part by checking out Food from the Heart’s social media pages to find out what food items you can donate and make a difference in someone’s life,” added Minister Lee.

For those who wish to donate, the community shop is located at Blk 13 Old Airport Road, #01-57, Singapore 390013 and accepts donations 24/7.

The community shop is open for beneficiaries every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. They also accept requests to open shop for beneficiaries coming in groups provided a prior appointment is made.

Posted by Food from the Heart (Singapore) on Saturday, 8 February 2020

Morning brief: Wuhan coronavirus update for Feb 10, 2020

By
Miren Gonzalez
-
0
The latest updates on the Wuhan coronavirus. Infographic: The Independent SG (*The total death count now stands at 815)

As of 5am, Feb 10, 2020:

WORLD COUNT: There are 37,612 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the world. A total of 28 countries and territories have been affected so far. The number of deaths has risen to 815. Across the world, a total of 6,198 are in critical condition, while 2,990 previously infected persons have recovered. In terms of the number of lives it has claimed, the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) epidemic has overtaken the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak that occurred between 2002 and 2003, claiming 815 lives as opposed to the 774 killed by SARS. However, SARS’ death rate was 9.6 percent (one in every 10 infected people died), while the current virus’ death rate stands at 2.2 percent. The coronavirus, with over 37,000 cases, is also more contagious than SARS, which had only over 8,000 confirmed cases worldwide. On Friday (Feb 7), a study published Friday in the medical journal JAMA found that 41 percent of the first 138 patients diagnosed at one hospital in Wuhan, China, were presumed to have gotten the infection in that hospital. This means that almost half of the initial infections in this hospital seem to have been spread within the hospital itself (scientists call it nosocomial transmission). Similarly to other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS, this current coronavirus is spreading within hospitals.

CHINA: There are 37,237 confirmed cases of infection in China. The country’s death count now stands at 813 people. On Saturday (Feb 8), China’s National Health Commission announced that it has temporarily renamed the Wuhan coronavirus the “Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia”, or NCP. This should take the focus and stigma off of Wuhan, where the virus originated. There is currently no news on when an official final title for the virus will be designated. China’s Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming announced that Chinese whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang will be “remembered as a hero”. Authorities in Fangxian County, Hubei Province, are paying sick people 1,000 yuan (S$197.5) each for reporting themselves to a hospital. Those who catch others with a fever or other symptoms of the virus and report them will receive a reward of 500 yuan (S$98.8). The offer is only valid until February 18. Hong Kong reported three new cases of the virus, raising the countrywide total to 29. Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the economy, particularly in tourism and retail, is likely to take a dive, as traveller numbers from mainland China have been greatly reduced by the outbreak. More than 3,600 passengers and crew of the World Dream cruise ship, which has been under quarantine and docked in Hong Kong since Feb 5, have been cleared of the coronavirus—everyone tested negative— and have since been allowed to leave. Macao has not reported any new cases of the virus, with the country’s total at 10.

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed three new cases of the virus in Singapore, bringing the country total to 43. Contact tracing of the new cases is currently underway. The ministry said that the three new confirmed cases have “no recent travel history to China”.

Here are some details on the country’s 43 confirmed cases:

  • 26 are male
  • 17 are female
  • 16 are Chinese visitors
  • 22 are Singaporeans
  • two are Singaporean permanent residents
  • two are Singaporean work pass holders (from China and Bangladesh)
  • one is an Indonesian domestic worker
  • 41 years is the patient median age
  • six months – the youngest patient’s age
  • 73 years old – the oldest patient’s age
  • one is a 17-year-old boy
  • five are under the age of 30
  • 11 are in their 50s (five are aged 56)

ASEAN: Malaysia has declared a new case of the virus, raising the country’s total to 17. Vietnam has also reported one new confirmed case, bringing its total to 14. No other countries in the region have declared new cases of the coronavirus.

ASIA: Japan reported seven new cases of the virus. It has the most cases of the virus outside of mainland China, with a total of 96. Off the coast of Yokohama, 70 cases have been confirmed onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where quarantine work has been ongoing since Feb 4. Princess Cruises will offer a full refund for all passengers aboard the ship, a company representative said to CNN. There are more than 3,700 people on the cruise ship, including 2,600 passengers. South Korea announced three new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the country tally to 26 cases. Taiwan also confirmed a new case of the virus. It now has a total of 18 cases. No other countries in the region have declared new cases of the coronavirus.

EUROPE: The World Health Organization (WHO) international team of experts left for China on Sunday (Feb 9) to help in the fight against the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Twitter. Germany reported that the 20 citizens and family members who were evacuated from Wuhan were returned to Berlin via the United Kingdom on Sunday (Feb 9). The country has not confirmed any new cases of the virus, with its total currently at 14. A fourth case of the coronavirus has been reported in the United Kingdom. According to the officials, the latest case is a contact of a previously confirmed case in the country, and the virus was passed on in France. The five new cases France reported on Saturday (Feb 8) were all British nationals. One of them was 9 years old. The country has a total of 11 cases. Spain’s National Center for Microbiology reported the country’s second case of the coronavirus. The patient is one of four who had previous contact with an infected French national. No other countries in the region have declared new cases of the coronavirus.

AMERICA: The United States and Canada did not report any new cases of the coronavirus, with countrywide totals of 12 and 7, respectively. A group of 34 Brazilian nationals arrived in Brazil after being evacuated from Wuhan, China, on military planes. President Jair Bolsonaro had previously expressed reservations in the repatriations for fear of further contamination. Brazil’s Health Regulatory Agency ANVISA announced that the evacuees will be quarantined for 18 days. No other countries in the region have declared new cases of the coronavirus.

AUSTRALIA: Australia, which currently has 15 confirmed cases of the virus, did not report any new cases, and New Zealand still has no cases of the virus in the country.

AFRICA: As of yet, no confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus have been reported in the region.

 

/TISG

Filipinos criticise Duterte for slow response to Wuhan coronavirus

By
The Independent
-
0
Photo: Facebook screengrab/ Rody Duterte

Manila – Many anxious Filipinos are questioning their President’s sense of urgency in addressing the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation in the country. It took Mr Rodrigo Duterte four days after the country’s first confirmed case to make an official statement on the epidemic, according to a report in straitstimes.com on Sunday (Feb 9).

The delay may be due to the close diplomatic ties between China and the Philippines. Furthermore, his response was not what the nation expected. He advised everyone not to be “hysterical” because the outbreak would surely pass.

Filipinos have called on the government to ban all Chinese from entering the country. “If the question is, if I will bar Chinese from entering, the answer, of course, is no. That is an utter disrespect to a human being … This mentioning (of) the Chinese and blaming them is xenophobia,” said Mr Duterte at a press conference on Feb 3. “Stop this xenophobia thing,” he added.

Mr Duterte took office in 2016 and since then China has become the most significant trading partner of the Philippines. Most of the support for his US$180 billion (S$250 billion) infrastructure building programme has come from Beijing.

There are at least 200,000 Chinese nationals currently employed in the major cities of Metro Manila. Mr Duterte loosened visa restrictions in 2018. The increase of Chinese tourists and investors, alongside those entering the country to work, is the main reason for the calls being made to the government to bar all Chinese entries at this time.

In addition, there is a shortage of face masks in the country. So the announcement by a Philippine senator that US$1.4 million (S$1.9 million) worth of face masks would be sent to Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, did not help the situation.

The anxiety of Filipinos, fuelled by their leader’s response, could be felt online with the #oustduterte quickly gaining popularity in Twitter.

Twitter user @C35dgs even used Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Feb 8 statement on the novel coronavirus as an example of how a leader should handle the situation.

“This is how you talk to your people,” wrote the netizen. “Educate and alleviate fear. Walang pagyayabang, walang pagmumura (No showing off, no curses). We all need this kind of leader but do we deserve one?” questioned the netizen. “That depends on who you vote for.”

Photo: Twitter screengrab

To date, there has been one confirmed death linked to the novel coronavirus in the Philippines, while another has recovered from the same. The patients involved were Chinese tourists who travelled together, a 44-year-old man from Wuhan and a 38-year-old woman, respectively. There is another case reported in the country of a 60-year-old woman also from Wuhan who tested positive for the virus before leaving the country.

Over 200 more cases are being monitored for possible exposure to the virus due to contact with confirmed cases. /TISG

Read related:

The Philippines reports first death from Wuhan coronavirus outside China

Yishun retailer selling 20 masks for S$138, MP visits shop after receiving complaints

By
The Independent
-
0
Photo: FB screengrab/ Louis Ng Kok Kwang

Singapore – There have been more complaints about shops profiteering from the sale of surgical face masks amid the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) here.

Following reports of earlier cases, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) released an advisory stating that it was looking into complaints against one retailer and that it was seeking more information on profiteering companies from e-commerce platforms like  Lazada, Carousell and Qoo10.

“Failure to comply with the request for information (basis for their selling prices, cost price and profit margins) can be liable to be fined up to $10,000 for the first offence, and up to $20,000 for the second and subsequent offences,” according to the advisory.

It appears that there are still those who continue to profit from the situation. A Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC, Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang, visited one particular Yishun shop after receiving numerous complaints that it was overpricing the masks. A box of 20 N95 masks was being sold for S$138 or S$6.90 for each.

“This is not right,” wrote Mr Ng on his Facebook profile posted on Saturday (Feb 8).

“A box of masks for $138,” he said in surprise. “Many Nee Soon East residents have alerted me about this, and I visited the shop today.” Mr Ng added that he had spoken to the staff of the shop.

“Anyone can sell masks, but no one should be profiteering. Retailers profiteering from the situation will be taken to task,” wrote Mr Ng, who also said that the MTI had been alerted about the shop and that it would investigate the matter.

Mr Ng added: “This is a time when we all need to come together and help each other rather than try to take advantage of the situation and profit from it.”

Some netizens, commenting on the photo of Mr Ng holding a box of face masks with the price indicated at the front, said the currency symbol looked like that for the Chinese Yuan. Mr Ng clarified that he had confirmed with the shop that it was the Sing dollar.

Netizen Bee Leng Hapi, meanwhile, mentioned an experience on Qoo10. An order had been placed on Jan 31 for a box of masks at S$14.50 but it had not been received. When asked for an update, the retailer on Qoo10 had replied that there was a problem and that a refund could be sought. The netizen pointed out that the masks were still being sold on Qoo10 but now the price was S$30 plus.

Photo: FB screengrab/ Louis Ng Kok Kwang

There were then more comments about similar experiences with other sellers. A Facebook page called SG Blacklists Profiteering Retailers has also been created. /TISG

[ This is not right ? ]A box of masks for $138 ? Many Nee Soon East residents have alerted me about this and I visited…

Posted by Louis Ng Kok Kwang on Saturday, February 8, 2020

PAP MP on why she wore mask during visit to block with coronavirus patient

By
Beatrice Del Rosario
-
0
Photo: from Facebook public photos / Cheng Li Hui

Singapore — A ruling party MP has responded to a Facebook post by an opposition politician that criticised her for wearing a mask during a visit to a block with one of Singapore’s coronavirus patients.

People’s Power Party politician Goh Meng Seng had criticised Ms Cheng Li Hui of the People’s Action Party in a post on Saturday (Feb 8).

Mr Goh said it seemed that People’s Action Party politicians were not convinced themselves  of their stand that face masks were not necessary.

In her response on Facebook the same day, Ms Cheng said: “One of our residents here at Tampines East is a confirmed patient of the nCoV.” She explained that she had gone to the patient’s block to help the Tampines Town Council with its cleaning operations there.

She added: “I also stopped by the quarantined home briefly, and dropped the family a card with the CC’s contact details should they need help. I left them some freshly baked bread and groceries at their door for them to bring in after we left.”

Mr Goh had said that “PAP leaders and Ministers keep saying you don’t need to wear a mask if you are not unwell…” and that they used “propaganda … to brainwash Singaporeans that mask(s) are ineffective in prevention of infection…” He then asked if they believed “their own propaganda”. Attached to the post was a picture of Ms Cheng wearing a face mask outside the home of the quarantined person. There was mixed reaction online to his post.

In response, Ms Cheng said: “To protect other residents and volunteers, I wore a mask and gloves on the advice of NEA officers.” She gave the assurance that the protective gear had been disposed off properly. She added: “My fellow Tampines Grassroots Advisers and I have been working on the ground and helping the affected residents.”

Many people backed Ms Cheng on her Facebook page.

Photo: From Facebook / Cheng Li Hui
Photo: From Facebook / Cheng Li Hui
Photo: From Facebook / Cheng Li Hui
Photo: From Facebook / Cheng Li Hui
Photo: From Facebook / Cheng Li Hui

Ms Cheng went on to remind people that now, more than ever, it is paramount that Singaporeans be responsible and do their part. “Now is definitely not the time for destructive politics and fear-mongering,” she said. “Each of us have to take personal responsibility for our own actions and hygiene habits, and look out for one another in the community.”

She added that much can be done if Singaporeans maintain a united front. “Together, we can do more for the community.” /TISG

1...3,2833,2843,285...5,323Page 3,284 of 5,323

The Independent SG

Singapore News

Alamak! Why Singapore English is so colourful

Singaporeans are the most frequent users of colorful words...

S$700 fine for tourist who stole Charles & Keith backpack less than an hour after arriving at Changi Airport

SINGAPORE: A tourist who had been passing through Changi...

Civilian suffers gunshot injuries after wandering too close to SAF live-shooting exercises at Yishun

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has reported that...

40 days jail for married man who fell in love with his maid, then threatened her with a knife after she rejected him

SINGAPORE: A 37-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to 40...

Business

Godfather of AI Geoffrey Hinton says the age of AI is a great time to be a plumber

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the job market, Geoffrey...

Outgoing WPP CEO says AI is ‘disrupting’ the advertising industry and will soon make the world’s expertise available to everybody at low cost

INTERNATIONAL: Artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked debate over its...

Myntra Global launches in Singapore as prelude to broader internationalisation

SINGAPORE: India's leading fashion and e-commerce platform, Myntra, has...

MAS end-June deadline for overseas crypto players aligns with global moves

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s financial regulator, the Monetary Authority of Singapore...

Singapore Politics

© The Independent Singapore