In Focus

IN FOCUS: Singapore has reduced its flood-prone areas by over 100 times. Is there room for more?

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IN FOCUS: Singapore has reduced its flood-prone areas by over 100 times. Is there room for more?

SPACE CONSTRAINTS To alleviate flooding, there have also been major projects over time such as Marina Barrage, which Ms Siew said helps in particular low-lying areas like Chinatown. As Singapore’s population grows, however, less land is available for such infrastructure. Professor Vladan Babovic from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) civil and environmental engineering department … Read more

IN FOCUS: 5 years since Singapore’s PMD footpath ban, are pedestrians safer?

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IN FOCUS: 5 years since Singapore’s PMD footpath ban, are pedestrians safer?

SINGAPORE: She has ridden her electric scooter to and from work since 2009, and hardly takes the bus or train. When Singapore banned such motorised personal mobility device (PMDs) from footpaths at the end of 2019, Sarah (not her real name) did not despair. She simply continued with her preferred mode of transport – be it … Read more

IN FOCUS: Crime on the decline in most Singapore neighbourhoods, but new policing challenges await

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IN FOCUS: Crime on the decline in most Singapore neighbourhoods, but new policing challenges await

Over the next 10 years, however, Geylang’s NPC recorded the biggest – 66.2 per cent – drop in crime cases. Financial adviser Brandon Koh, who has lived in the Cassia Crescent estate in Geylang since he was six, said: “Last time, we could hear people running and chasing each other around and shouting at night. … Read more

IN FOCUS: We reported 20 illegal groups to Telegram. Most were still online 2 weeks later

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IN FOCUS: We reported 20 illegal groups to Telegram. Most were still online 2 weeks later

In the first half of this year, the number of scam cases perpetrated on Telegram was up 137.5 per cent compared with the same period last year. Of the 8,336 scam cases where criminals contacted victims via messaging apps, 45 per cent used Telegram, according to the police’s mid-year brief. Those personally affected by scammers … Read more

IN FOCUS: Singapore’s stock market at ‘rock bottom’. What will it take to shake things up?

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IN FOCUS: Singapore’s stock market at ‘rock bottom’. What will it take to shake things up?

GOVERNMENT MEASURES The Singapore government has taken steps to boost the local stock market’s appeal. Two funds – namely the S$1.5 billion Anchor Fund @ 65 and S$500 million EDBI Growth IPO Fund – were established in 2022 to support high-growth firms to raise capital through public listings here. Fund managers do so by advising companies … Read more

IN FOCUS: Untangling Singapore-Malaysia food fights – what’s it got to do with identity and pride?

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IN FOCUS: Untangling Singapore-Malaysia food fights – what’s it got to do with identity and pride?

“THE GREAT STOMACH” Food rivalries, and the stream of public sentiments and “misconceptions” that accompany each episode, are part of the reason Dr Ong writes about food. “Unfortunately, most of the people who made the comments, including the politicians, don’t know much about their local food, or the origins,” he said. “We should all get … Read more