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Diner says she found a cockroach in her bowl of soup, while the eatery manager says, “We don’t know if it came from our shop”

Anna Maria Romero
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Diner says she found a cockroach in her bowl of soup, while the eatery manager says, “We don’t know if it came from our shop”

SINGAPORE: While people occasionally find foreign objects in their food or drinks, discovering an insect in them is a whole different story, as the ick factor can go up a long, long way.

Especially when it’s a cockroach, that is.

A Facebook user named Ailing Wong recently claimed that this happened to her. On Nov 2 (Saturday), she posted photos of a cockroach she allegedly found in a bowl of red bean soup.

She added that a friend had bought the treat from the Chinese Garden Food Shop located at, you guessed it, Chinese Garden MRT Station.

The photos Ms Wong posted show a big brown cockroach across a plastic spoon over a bowl of reddish-brown liquid.

“Chinese Garden MRT… Beware of the hygiene. My friend bought the food from there. Fainted…” she wrote, though her post appears to have been taken down.

Ms Wong, who MustShare News interviewed, said she and her friend had gone to the Chinese Garden Food Shop earlier that day to buy congee and red bean soup.

After she had a few spoonfuls of the soup, the cockroach made an appearance on her spoon. The insect is said to be between three and four centimetres long.

Afterwards, the women filed a report through the OneService app, and the matter is under investigation by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

MustShare News also quoted Ms Wong as saying that this is the first time she’s witnessed this type of incident after visiting the eatery once a month.

“SFA takes a serious view towards food safety and will investigate all feedback alleging poor food safety practices,” the agency told Must Share News.

It added that it will “not hesitate to take enforcement action if sufficient evidence has been obtained” and reminded the public, as well as food operators, that “Food safety is a joint responsibility.”

Deng Xiaochen, who manages Chinese Garden Food Shop, confirmed that the authorities had come on Nov 2 to inspect the eatery’s premises, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Mr Deng, who also learned about the incident online, said that their pots all have lids and food is placed in containers after cooking.

“We don’t know how the cockroach fell in. Since the diner did not contact us, we don’t know if it came from our shop,” he said, adding that they do pest control monthly and have had no prior incidents of insects in their food. /TISG

Read related: “Scared to buy outside food now” — Woman says after finding a foreign object, possibly a “steel wool or metal scrubber piece” in her meal

SIA to spend $1.1 billion to refurbish certain aircrafts in coming years

Jewel Stolarchuk
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0
SIA to spend $1.1 billion to refurbish certain aircrafts in coming years

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) has committed $1.1 billion to an extensive refurbishment project for its Airbus A350 fleet, aiming to enhance passenger comfort and onboard services across 41 long-range and ultra-long-range aircraft.

The investment is part of SIA’s commitment to staying competitive in the luxury travel market and is expected to be fully rolled out by the end of 2030.

The program will cover A350-900 long-range and ultra-long-range models, with Singapore Airlines Engineering Company handling the refurbishment process.

For the first time, Singapore Airlines will introduce first-class suites on seven of its A350-900 ultra-long-range aircraft, a significant upgrade aimed at meeting the high standards of the airline’s longest routes.

Alongside the physical upgrades, SIA plans to launch a new-generation in-flight entertainment system for all cabin classes.

The updated system will offer passengers a more personalized and diverse range of content designed to cater to a wide variety of preferences and improve the overall travel experience.

With the completion of this project, SIA aims to strengthen its reputation as one of the world’s premier long-haul airlines and deliver an enhanced experience for travellers on its longest flights.

Yet another woman body-blocks vehicle at JB checkpoint to allow SG-registered vans to cut in

Anna Maria Romero
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Yet another woman body-blocks vehicle at JB checkpoint to allow SG-registered vans to cut in

SINGAPORE: After an aunty went viral in September for body-blocking vehicles at a Second Link traffic jam to let her car cut in, another woman appears to have followed suit.

She was caught on camera on the evening of Oct 31, standing with her back against a vehicle to allow two vans with Singapore number plates to enter a lane toward a checkpoint at Johor Bahru.

Facebook user Dannis Chua posted the video of the woman, along with two pictures of the white vans that entered the lane because of the woman’s actions.

The woman can be seen standing with her arms akimbo in a Superman-type power pose in front of a car, effectively blocking it from moving.

While the car she stands in front of honks its horn loudly, she coolly ignores this and simply waves her hand to signal the Singapore-registered vehicles to move forward and enter the lane.

In his post, Mr Chua wrote that a friend of his witnessed the woman and her antics, which he described as “Human Body Blocking Cars.”

Judging from the comments on the post, others also found what the woman did to be outrageous.

One commenter, however, joked that it would be better to bring your wife or mother when you go on a trip so that she can do the same.

China Press reported that Malaysian police have confirmed that the woman had blocked a vehicle to allow the Singapore-registered vans to cut into traffic between the Sultan Iskandar building and the Johor Bahru South Police District jurisdiction.

The incident is said to have occurred shortly past 9:00 pm on Oct 31, at a time when traffic was heavy due to it being a public holiday.

The post author is quoted in Must Share News as saying he put up the video to remind motorists, particularly Singaporean drivers, to use their signal to change lanes.

He added that many drivers on the road would willingly give way to others on the road if they were requested to do so.

Must Share News added, however, that the company that owns the vans said that the woman in the incident had not been a passenger on either of the vans. /TISG

Read also: “Singapore aunty kiasu power!” — Woman stops car with just her hand and body in Second Link traffic jam to allow her own car to cut in

Singapore opens Asia’s first automated mRNA production facility

Jewel Stolarchuk
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0
Singapore opens Asia’s first automated mRNA production facility

SINGAPORE: In a bid to bolster Singapore’s healthcare resilience, the country has launched Asia’s first fully automated mRNA production facility.

The new biofactory, capable of rapidly manufacturing vaccines and other critical treatments, will support Singapore’s response to health crises and advance local production of therapies for cancer and genetic diseases.

The facility, unveiled by Dr Tan See Leng, Singapore’s Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, represents a significant investment in biotechnology and strengthens the nation’s ability to respond swiftly and effectively to emerging health threats.

With cutting-edge automation, the facility can produce mRNA material for up to 100,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine daily, positioning Singapore to act decisively in future public health emergencies.

This development is also a critical step toward preparing for potential influenza outbreaks, including the H5N1 avian influenza.

The versatility of mRNA technology means that the facility’s output can be quickly adapted to address different viral threats, providing a robust defence against evolving pathogens.

Singapore has already invested around $97 million to cement its role as a leader in nucleic acid drug therapy, focusing on both research and commercialization.

This facility complements those efforts, aligning with the country’s broader goals to advance biomedicine in the region and foster innovative healthcare solutions on a global scale.

Singaporean says “patients” who abuse telemedicine for MC to save their annual leaves are “poor workers who don’t accomplish much”

Anna Maria Romero
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0
Singaporean says “patients” who abuse telemedicine for MC to save their annual leaves are “poor workers who don’t accomplish much”

SINGAPORE: An article in CNA on Monday (Nov 4) regarding the challenges doctors face when providing medical consultations remotely has received much attention online.

The topic has been especially relevant after the Ministry of Health recently said it intends to revoke the licence of a medical clinic that had provided extremely short teleconsultations, with some lasting less than a minute.

MOH said on Oct 24 that MaNaDr Clinic can no longer provide outpatient medical services in a clinically and ethically appropriate manner.

Moreover, 41 doctors who had given teleconsultation services at the clinic are being referred by MOH to the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) for inquiries into possible professional misconduct.

MOH had already had MaNaDr Clinic stop its outpatient medical services via teleconsultation by Aug 16 and conducted investigations afterwards.

CNA spoke to physicians who provide telemedicine, one of whom said approximately 10 to 15 per cent of her patients are malingerers, which means they fake illness symptoms to have a reason not to go to work.

One doctor was even quoted as saying they had seen “cases where they straight out say that they are ‘clearing MC’,” a phrase that surprised many commenters online.

The physicians also talked about patients abroad while they were requesting MCs.

Others ask for MC to avoid touching their annual leaves, adding that doctors risk being complained about when they don’t accommodate patients’ requests.

On some days, doctors who provide telemedicine are so busy taking one call after another that they barely have time for bathroom breaks.

CNA added in the report that telemedicine apps are now increasing checks to prevent telehealth abuse, especially after MOH’s announcement regarding MaNaDr.

Many commenters on the CNA piece on Reddit stood up for telehealth despite those who abuse it.

One wrote that in-person consults with primary physicians are expensive, and booking them can be challenging.

“Telemedicine provides another way to ease this burden. Abusers will abuse, no matter the circumstances. Telemedicine is one of the correct choices we’ve made,” they added.

Another wrote that “in a well functioning workplace, MC abuse corrects itself,” in that people who abuse MCs tend to be poor workers who don’t accomplish much, while those who seek telehealth consultations when they’re genuinely ill would do well “even with the occasional bout of flu.”

Some noted, however, that in other countries, MCs are not needed if a worker is absent for less than three days, and they urged again that in Singapore, the trust extended toward employees needs to grow. /TISG

Read also: S’poreans shocked & dismayed at clinic that provided teleconsultations lasting 1 minute or even less

Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)

Alleged Singapore car driver swaps his number plates for fake Malaysian ones to access cheaper RON95 fuel

Anna Maria Romero
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0
Alleged Singapore car driver swaps his number plates for fake Malaysian ones to access cheaper RON95 fuel

SINGAPORE: After a social media post alleging a Singapore car driver swapped his number plates for fake Malaysian ones to access cheaper RON95 fuel, Malaysian authorities warned that strict action would be taken against such illegal activities.

On Nov 1, a member of the Facebook group Malaysia-Singapore Border Crossers(MSBC) 马新过境者 posted two photos of a man and his vehicle, writing:

“This guy in the picture changed his vehicle plate number (to) a Malaysia plate (from) a Singapore plate just to fuel petrol. After the pump, he replaced the plate number with the Singapore plate.”

The post author claimed that when he questioned the motorist, the driver allegedly panicked and quickly drove away. He added, however, that he filed a police report based on the motorist’s car registration number.

The police, however, were quoted in a Nov 1 New Straits Times report as saying that no such report has been lodged.

“You made a wrong move, bro,” he wrote, and Malaysian authorities seem to agree.

Azmil Zainal Adnan, Malaysia’s State Road Transport Department (RTD) director, said that placing Malaysian plate numbers on vehicles registered in another country is against Section 108(3)(f) of the RTD Act 1987.

This means violators may be fined between RM5,000 (S$1,511) and RM20,000 (S$6,047). They could also be slapped with a jail sentence of up to five years or both.

RON95 fuel, which is heavily subsidized by the Malaysian government, is only for Malaysian citizens.

However, since the fuel price is significantly more expensive in Singapore, many have attempted to fill their vehicles in Malaysia with cheaper fuel.

At present, RON95 costs RM2.05 per litre, which is around S$0.62. In contrast, Singapore’s least expensive non-diesel fuel costs around S$2.84.

In July, a video of a man fueling up with RON95 into a black Honda with on-Malaysian license plates spread on social media.

The authorities in Kuala Lumpur quickly investigated the matter, having seized payment receipts, CCTV recordings, and business documents from the fuel station.

The New Straits Times noted that neither the pump attendant nor the cashier on duty warned the man, nor did they prevent him from taking RON95 petrol.

Individuals found guilty of selling RON95 to foreigners may be slapped with a fine of not more than RM1 million (S$288,134) or jailed for a maximum of three years for the first offence.

If they re-offend, they could be fined as much as RM3 million (S$864,212) and be sent to jail for up to five years.

However, businesses could pay as much as RM2 million (S$576,155) for the first offence and up to RM5 million (S$1,440,387) for repeat offences. /TISG

Read also: Singaporean car driver caught filling up RON95 fuel in JB; insists he can because he’s Malaysian

Cinemas in Kelantan, Malaysia must keep the lights on to prevent hanky-panky, says state exco

Jasmime Kaur Darshan
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0
Cinemas in Kelantan, Malaysia must keep the lights on to prevent hanky-panky, says state exco

MALAYSIA: Amid all the hoopla that cinemas have purportedly been banned in the Islamic state of Kelantan, Malaysia, the verdict is now out that they have not been banned but told to keep the lights on.

Local newspaper Utusan Malaysia reported that Islamic Development, Da’wah, Information and Community Relations exco, Mohd Asri Mat Daud, said that operators must comply with strict conditions, including avoiding screenings in dark environments to prevent inappropriate activities.

“The reality is that companies wanting to open cinemas in Kelantan have found their aspirations halted due to the strict conditions set, not because the state government has banned the opening of cinemas.

Several companies have expressed interest in opening cinemas in the state, but all have encountered difficulties meeting the stipulated conditions,” Asri said.

The Malay Mail reported that the other conditions stipulated in a circular for those wishing to open cinemas in Kelantan include compliance with the five daily prayer times.

This was despite the short gap between some prayer timings, such as Maghrib and Isyak.

According to a New Straits Times report, Asri had said the Kelantan government did provide an option for film screenings:

“Our alternative solution is to offer a large spacious hall for film screenings, as was done during the preview of Duan Nago Bogho, directed by Sabri Yunus.”

Mohd Asri also emphasized that the state government encouraged performances and shows relating to history, significant figures, and cultural heritage, highlighting Kelantan’s identity and uniqueness, provided they comply with Syariah principles.

According to a MalaysiaNow report, Kelantan has not had a typical cinema for three decades since the state government decided it had excessive entertainment elements.

Back then, Kelantan had four big commercial cinemas: the Lido, Odean, Rex and Meena. It also had the Rama cinema in Pasir Putih. The last movie theatre in the state, the Lido theater, closed down in 1997.

Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)

3AC co-founder’s wife sells Singapore GCB for $51M, profits $22.5M in just 4 years

Jewel Stolarchuk
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0
3AC co-founder’s wife sells Singapore GCB for $51M, profits $22.5M in just 4 years

SINGAPORE: Tao Yaqiong, wife of Su Zhu, the co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC), has successfully sold her luxurious Good Class Bungalow (GCB) in Singapore for a remarkable $51 million, according to property transaction records.

Tao had originally purchased the home for $28.5 million in 2020, resulting in a profit of $22.5 million through the recent sale.

The transaction comes amid ongoing legal proceedings surrounding Three Arrows Capital, which went bankrupt last year, leaving substantial debts and leading authorities to scrutinize the assets of its founders.

A court order currently restricts some of Zhu and Tao’s assets. However, despite this, the bungalow sale proceeded without reported issues.

Bloomberg reported that Tao signed a sales agreement in July 2024, with the sale completed in October.

The sprawling property, situated near Singapore’s renowned Botanical Gardens, spans 1,446 square meters, a size typical of Good Class Bungalows, which represent some of the city’s most prestigious and coveted real estate.

The new owner, Chrispianto Karim, is a Singapore citizen associated with Indonesia’s Karim family.

According to the Business Times, the Karims control Musim Mas, a prominent Indonesian conglomerate in the palm oil industry.

This transaction not only underscores the enduring appeal of Good Class Bungalows in Singapore’s luxury real estate market but also demonstrates the substantial profits that can be achieved through high-value property investments in the region.

Malaysia PM to probe sovereign fund for investing USD$10 million in online fashion retailer

Jasmime Kaur Darshan
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0
Malaysia PM to probe sovereign fund for investing USD$10 million in online fashion retailer

MALAYSIA: Malaysian state funds are now USD10 million (RM43.9m) poorer thanks to an investment in a failed online fashion retailer.

The investment by sovereign fund Khazanah Nasional has resulted in public outcry, resulting in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim calling for an audit.

In a social media post, the PM said, “As chairman, I have instructed Khazanah Nasional Berhad to conduct an internal audit to investigate issues related to the recent investment loss amounting to RM43.9 million.

This directive reinforces my earlier announcement directing the National Audit Department to audit 2,000 government-linked companies (GLCs) to establish a better governance system, as well as to ensure that all these companies fulfil their respective responsibilities and functions.”

The Malay Mail reported that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has also launched an investigation into the matter.

Malaysia has long been in hot soup over its fund mismanagement following the 1MDB corruption debacle. This latest investment is once again raising eyebrows.

According to a South China Morning Post report, the failed online retail brand, Fashion Valet, is the brainchild of influencer couple Vivy Yusof and Fadzarudin Shah Anuar.

The couple had planned to make their platform as big as other global retailers like SHEIN or Temu.

They did not succeed, as the Covid-19 pandemic led to the company crashing in 2022. As Khazanah’s investment came to light, the couple apologized, saying they expanded too soon.

They posted on Instagram saying, “We made the mistake of scaling the company in anticipation of continued growth, and when the pandemic hit, we were left exposed.”

Malaysians were not happy with their explanation, especially because of the couple’s ostentatious display of wealth when the company was floundering.

Vivy was known to show off her Hermes Birkin collections on social media when the company went south.

One posting on X by Khairy Zulfadhli, which had 200,000 views, said, “She flaunts her wealth around while Khazanah and PNB’s funds go down the drain.”

MACC commission chief Azam Baki said in a statement, “This investigation is important because it involves the use of public funds and is an issue of public interest.”

Kenanga Research expects increased demand for cloud services as tech giants continue to invest in Malaysia’s data centres

Mary Alavanza
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Kenanga Research expects increased demand for cloud services as tech giants continue to invest in Malaysia’s data centres

MALAYSIA: Kenanga Research expects Malaysia’s cloud services demand to rise as global cloud service providers (CSPs) continue to invest in data centres, cloud, and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

According to The Star, the research house noted that a range of industry players, including CSPs, distributors, managed-cloud service providers, software vendors, and system integrators, stand to benefit from this influx of investment.

According to Kenanga Research, key beneficiaries include Malaysian firms such as Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Maxis Bhd, CelcomDigi Bhd, OCK Group Bhd, TIME Dotcom Bhd, Dagang Nexchange Bhd, Vstecs Bhd, and SNS Network Technology Bhd.

The research house said Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is expected to benefit long-term from steady electricity demand as data centres require substantial power.

YTL Power International Bhd anticipates no delays in AI chip deliveries, with the first batch expected in the first quarter of 2025. 

The research house also mentioned Southern Cable Group Bhd as another company to watch as demand for cloud services and data centres increases in Malaysia.

Kenanga Research said that global tech giants have collectively pledged more than US$16.5 billion (S$21.76 billion) to cloud and data infrastructure in Malaysia.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has committed US$ 6.2 billion(S$8.18 billion), Oracle US$ 6.5 billion (S$8.57 billion), Microsoft US$ 2.2 billion (S$2.90 billion), and Google US$ 2 billion (S$2.64 billion).

These investments will likely boost demand for cloud services, as data centres house the servers that provide the necessary storage and computing power.

Theoretically, with more resources available, costs may decrease, and cloud performance could improve, leading to better pricing and service quality.

This should encourage new and existing customers to adopt cloud solutions more widely, the research house added.

The research house noted that, contrary to some views, the growth in data centres is not leading to an oversupply.

TNB has confirmed that power supply is not a concern, as it has enough capacity to meet current demand.

TNB has received over 70 applications for electricity supply to data centres in Johor and the Klang Valley, with total demand exceeding 11,000 megawatts (MW), said the research house.

Currently, Peninsular Malaysia’s total installed capacity stands at 27,385 MW, with grid demand around 18,000 MW.

Kenanga Research said that “TNB guarantees power supply once the Energy Supply Agreements are signed.”

TNB also implemented a fast-tracked process for high-voltage data centre connections, reducing the timeframe from the typical 36 months to just 12 months.

The research house noted that YTL Power believes there is no oversupply issue, as the world is quickly advancing into new technology areas.

The research house also said that the new supply of data centres can easily meet the rapidly increasing demand, adding that Malaysia’s strategic location, low risk of natural disasters, reliable electricity and water supply, and supportive government policies make it an appealing choice for tech companies to establish their data centres.

YTL Power believes Malaysia should take advantage of this opportunity, as the data centre industry is still relatively young, said Kenanga Research.

In addition, the research house noted that YTL Power anticipates no delays in the delivery of AI chips, expecting Nvidia’s Blackwell chips for a 20 MW AI data centre to arrive on time in the first quarter of 2025, stating that “power supply is not an issue.” /TISG

Read also: Penang, Selangor, and Johor to spearhead Malaysia’s global tech hub transformation with semiconductors and data centres to boost economy

Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)

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