News Bites (September 2022)

2
What is News Bites?
News Bites is a monthly scan covering issues and trends surfaced in various local
mainstream media sources that may be relevant to the Malay/Muslim community. It is produced
by the Research and Design Department (R&D) of Yayasan MENDAKI.
News Bites begins with an article count across different media sources which are
categorised into these main areas: education, economy, employment and employability, social
and community, and Malay/Muslim affairs. Other salient areas for the month are also
highlighted. It then delves into emerging themes and trends observed.
We hope you find this month’s News Bites insightful and useful. We look forward to
your continued partnership and support, and welcome any suggestions you may have. You can
reach us at RD@mendaki.org.sg
RESEARCH &
DESIGN
DEPARTMENT

Overall Coverage
• With a total of 163 articles, Community (85), Economy (41) and Health (19) news were widely
reported in September 2022. This reflects Singapore’s growing interest in community issues such
as housing and drugs, recession fears, and economic activities such as digital bank, digital
currencies, and transportation, and of managing COVID-19 cases and concerns over insurance.
75
40
14
1 4 10
10
1 5
32
2 2
85
41
19
26 23
12
Community Economy Health MMA Education Employment
No. of Articles
ST BH/BM Total
3

Community
Housing
• Works were carried out to repair damage caused by landslide at
Clementi Built-To-Order (ST, 3 Sept)
• Larger flats in the mature estates of Ang Mo Kio and Tampines
were the most popular in the August Build-to-Order (BTO) sales
exercise. (ST, 5 Sept)
– At the Sun Plaza Spring project in Tampines, 17.2 first-time
applicants were vying for each of the 117 five-room flats,
which are priced from $520,000.
– At least 95 per cent of the flats in mature estates are set
aside for first-time applicants.
• Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann said
that government agencies and town councils will step up
enforcement on cluttered corridors in the coming months as part
of its push to tackle hoarding issues. (ST, 12 Sept)
• A work group reviewing the Maintenance of Parents Act is
proposing to introduce non-monetary orders that could address
the root cause of acrimony leading children not to support their
parents financially. (ST, 12, 18 Sept)
Source: ST
Source: ST
5

Community
Drugs
• Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said that “the freer
availability of cannabis in Thailand, to which a lot of Singaporeans
go and from where a lot of tourists come to Singapore, is going to
present more challenges," on Malaysian news (ST, 1 Sept)
• In a written response to cases of Singaporean travelers buying
products with cannabis in Thailand, Home Affairs Minister K.
Shanmugam said that the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) will
investigate when a person is found to have consumed drugs. But
he added that if the consumption was unwitting or involuntary,
usually no offence would have been committed. (ST, 12 Sept)
• Swimmers Joseph Schooling and Amanda Lim's SEA Games prize
money was put on hold over cannabis use. This was confirmed by
the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), which runs the
MAP Awards, a Major Games Award Programme that disburses
cash rewards for the Olympic, Asian, Commonwealth and SEA
Games. (ST, 14 Sept)
• The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said that
MCCY had nothing to do with the decision to withhold Joseph
Schooling and Amanda Lim's SEA Games prize money. (ST, 15 Sept)
Source: ST
Source: ST
6

Community
Youths
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Lawrence Wong
said that Singapore's way of resolving contentious issues has
been to find a combination of compromise and common ground
to gradually move society forward, while recognising that some
issues are better set aside to be returned to at a later time (ST,
7 Sept)
– Speaking at a dialogue with young Singaporeans aged between
18 and 30 on Wednesday, Mr Wong said there will be issues for
which consensus is not easily arrived at, even with constant
dialogue.
• Pods were set up in void decks to cater to requests for
conducive work and study spaces (ST, 12 Sept)
– Housing estates and community spaces throughout Singapore
will see more work-study pods for residents to use, if ongoing
pilots in several neighborhoods show a strong uptake.
– These pods, which are portable enclosed cubicles that can seat
one to two, can provide a conducive and more private
environment for residents to work near their homes, said
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.
Source: ST
Source: ST
7

Economy
Inflation
• Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong
said that the goods and services tax (GST) will increase as
planned from next year even amid a sharp rise in tax revenue of
more than 22 per cent. (ST, 12 Sept)
– He explained that this is because the higher revenue
stemmed mostly from higher-than-expected stamp duty
takings, which can fluctuate from year to year and was
therefore not a sustainable source of revenue.
• Singapore stocks ended flat, and its currency retreated to a 29-
month low against the US dollar after the Federal Reserve
signalled that it would raise interest rates to a higher level than it
had earlier indicated. (ST, 22 Sept)
• Singapore factory output sees weakest growth in 11 months as
electronics production falls. The growth in Singapore's
manufacturing output slowed further in August, as production
in the key electronics sector shrank for a second month in a
row. (ST, 26 Sept)
– Analysts said that weakness in the electronics cluster, which
represents 40 per cent of Singapore’s industrial output, may
drag the overall performance of the export-driven
economy as rising inflation and interest rate hikes
suppress consumer demand worldwide.
Source: ST
Source: ST
8

Economy
Transportation
• Electric vehicle (EV) owners are now able to tap more than
3,000 public charging points across the island - a 50 per cent
increase from a year before. (ST, 2 Sept)
• Transport Minister S. Iswaran said that the authorities are
studying whether the Jurong Lake District station on the Cross
Island MRT line (CRL) and the Jurong Town Hall station on the
Jurong Region Line will be linked as an interchange. (ST, 24
Sept)
– Speaking to reporters at the official reopening of the upgraded
Ayer Rajah Food Centre and Market in West Coast Drive, Mr
Iswaran said: "The engineers and the Land Transport Authority
(LTA) team are continuing to study this... we need to create
meaningful interconnections in our MRT system for
convenience and resilience."
• About 75 per cent of the structural works for Singapore's
largest train and bus depot have been completed, and the
facility is slated to be ready in 2025. (ST, 20 Sept)
– The Land Transport Authority (LTA) gave an update on the East
Coast Integrated Depot in Changi, which is said to be first in
the world to have three train depots and a bus depot located
within one site.
Source: ST
Source: ST
9

Health
Insurance
• Cancer patients who are on drugs not on the Cancer Drug List,
and hence no longer insurable by MediShield Life since 1
September 2022, will get support from the Government to
complete their treatment. (ST, 2 Sept)
– Health Minister Ong Ye Kung gave this commitment to patients
who had started on such treatments on or before 31 August
2022.
• As part of measures to ensure the affordability of cancer
treatments following the introduction of the Cancer Drug List on
Thursday, premiums for Integrated Shield Plans (IPs) will remain
unchanged for the next two years. (ST, 2 Sept)
– This applies to all IP policyholders, whether or not they are
currently undergoing cancer treatment, the Life Insurance
Association, Singapore (LIA) said on 2nd September 2022.
• Nine in 10 Singaporeans may be confident of retiring by the age
of 65, but not everyone is convinced they can retire without
worry. (ST, 06 Sept)
– In a survey by life and general insurer Etiqa Insurance Singapore
released on 6th September 2022, 44 per cent of those who are
confident of retiring by that age do not believe they can retire
comfortably and happily.
Source: ST
Source: ST
10

Health
Covid-19
• A total of $72.3 billion was spent from the public purse to tackle
Covid-19 over the last two financial years. (ST, 13 Sept)
– Of this, $13.4 billion was used for public health measures, $50.6
billion was used to protect jobs through support for workers and
businesses, and $8.3 billion for direct household and social support,
Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah told Parliament on 13th
September 2022.
• 3-year-old Singaporean girl dies from Covid-19 infection. (ST, 14
Sept)
– The Ministry of Health (MOH) said she tested positive for the virus on
Aug 9 and was admitted to hospital on Aug 13 2022.
– She later died of anoxic brain injury or a lack of oxygen to the brain
due to cardiac arrest and Covid-19, said the health ministry.
– Moderna's Spikevax bivalent Covid-19 vaccine is expected to
arrive in Singapore at the end of this month, after the Health
Sciences Authority (HSA) approved it for use here. (ST, 17 Sept)
– The authorities will announce details of the shipment when
arrangements have been finalised, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
– The bivalent vaccine, which targets both the original Sars-CoV-2
strain and the Omicron BA.1 variant, was granted interim
authorisation for use as a booster for people aged 18 and above
who have already received their primary series vaccination.
Source: ST
Source: ST
11

Health
Covid-19
• Two adults were each given a full vial of the undiluted Pfizer-
BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in Hougang on Sept 15.
(ST, 20 Sept)
– Responding to queries, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said
that one of them was hospitalised after experiencing a
headache and an increased heart rate and has since been
discharged. The other patient did not report any adverse
reaction.
• The Hougang clinic doctor who mistakenly gave two adults a
full vial of undiluted Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine each
was a relief doctor who had started work there only two
weeks earlier. (ST, 21 Sept)
• More than 1,000 people infected with Covid-19 in Singapore
died of other illnesses within 90 days of getting infected. (ST,
18 Sept)
– This figure contributed to the number of deaths caused
directly or indirectly by the virus, according to a recent
analysis of excess deaths during the pandemic. In these
individuals, Covid-19 aggravated existing illnesses that
caused their deaths.
Source: ST
Source: ST
12

Health
Others
• Launch of the Healthier SG programme in the second half of
2023 is an initiative that will see Singapore residents paired
with a family physician so doctors can more holistically
manage a patient's health and focus on prevention of
illnesses. (ST, 21 Sept)
– Some shared that challenge with the proposed funding
model is that some parts of the payment is tied to patients
fulfilling relevant tests and procedures.
– Some mentioned that GPs in Singapore are able to keep
consultation fees lower because there is some remuneration
derived from the profit margin of medications dispensed. But
with the Government providing medication at a lower price,
the profit margin will drop and won't be able to offset the
low consultation fees.
• On 28 July 2022, Madam Lim successfully underwent liver
transplant at National University Hospital’s National
University Centre for Organ Transplantation. Hers was also
the first such transplant in South-east Asia. (ST, 17 Sept)
Source: ST
Source: ST
13

Employment
Overseas Networks and Expertise (One) Pass
• Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said in Parliament that the
new Overseas Networks and Expertise (One) Pass for top
foreign talent should be seen as part of a slew of policies
that ensure Singapore's workforce remains competitive. (ST,
12 Sept)
• Top sports scientists, performing arts producers and
academics are among those who are aimed at for the new
Overseas Networks and Expertise (One) Pass, even if they do
not clear the $30,000 monthly salary threshold. (ST, 11 Sept)
Workplace Safety
• A waterproofing company has been taken to task for unsafe
practices and is the first to be barred from hiring fresh
foreign employees under new heightened safety measures.
(ST, 8 Sept)
– Contractor Le Fong Building Services has been barred for
three months after a worker fell more than 8m through a
roof after stepping on a skylight panel that broke.
– The workplace accident, which happened on 1 September
2022, left the worker with multiple injuries and he remains
hospitalised.
Source: ST
Source: ST
14

Employment
Employment opportunities
• American bar and grill chain TGI Fridays (TGIF) announced
plans to open between 75 and 100 restaurants across South
and South-east Asia, including at least four in Singapore,
over the next 10 years. (ST, 16 Sept)
– The deal, which will be executed in partnership with
Singapore master franchisor Universal Success Enterprises, is
the chain's largest ever, chief executive Ray Blanchette said
at a signing ceremony on Friday.
• Singapore Airlines (SIA) resumed hiring and has hired 1,200
people to date, and now wants to bring in the remaining 800
trainees by December, as air travel continues to rebound
from the depths of Covid-19. (ST, 5 Sept)
– The airline is also considering restarting hiring from places
outside Singapore and Malaysia, which it did pre-Covid-19 in
China, Indonesia, South Korea and Taiwan.
Source: ST
Source: ST
15

Education
• Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said that to be competitive,
equip adult Singaporeans with tools to learn on the go, such as
on their smartphones. (ST, 31 August)
• Public transport operator SMRT has tied up with the five
polytechnics in Singapore to strengthen the pipeline of home-
grown engineers, programmers and other specialists for both the
company and the wider rail industry. (ST, 9 Sept)
– This comes amid ongoing efforts to recruit and develop workers
to meet a growing need for talent to support an increasingly
complex MRT system that is expected to grow from 250km now
to 360km by the early 2030s.
– For instance, SMRT previously said that 1,500 jobs are expected
to be created from the Thomson-East Coast Line by the time it
becomes fully operational around 2025.
• Called the SkillsFuture@NS Learning eXperience Platform, full-
time national servicemen (NSF) will get free unlimited access to
more than 75,000 online courses from 1 November 2022 to
better prepare them for work or further studies after national
service (NS). (ST, 21 Sept)
– NSFs can sign up anytime during NS and their account will be
valid for two years. They can choose courses from about 135
categories that will be made available on the online learning
platform.
Source: ST
Source: ST
16

Employment
• Singapore employment agencies and employers hiring Filipino
domestic workers no longer need to submit a banker's
guarantee and performance bond. (ST, 7 Sept)
– The performance bond is a requirement by the Philippine
government to ensure that employers here comply with
rules, such as providing medical coverage and paying salaries
on time.
– This was on top of the mandatory $5,000 security bond for
all non-Malaysian foreign domestic workers in Singapore
required by the Ministry of Manpower, which remains in
place.
• From this month, about 19,000 full-time lower-wage retail
assistants, cashiers and assistant retail supervisors will see
their salaries rise by 8.4 per cent to 8.5 per cent annually
over the next three years. (ST, 7 Sept)
– Firms in the sector have until next February to meet these
progressive wage requirements before they face penalties
for non-compliance, which include having their work pass
privileges suspended.
Source: ST
Source: ST
17

Malay/Muslim Affairs
• Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Mr Masagos Zulkifli said
that the new appointment holders in Majlis Ugama Islam
Singapura (MUIS) reflects progressive reforms of
MUIS Supreme Council. (Title: Lantikan baru cermin
pembaharuan progresif Majlis Tertinggi Muis: Masagos) (BH, 8
Sept)
– The new council includes 10 new faces in addition to seven
re-appointed members for a three-year term until 2025.
• This year, the Malay Language Month program, which is the
initiative of the Singapore Malay Language Council, will run
from 13 August to 9 October 2022. (Title: Bulan Bahasa 2022
dilancarkan) (BH, 3 Sept)
– Second Minister for Education Dr Maliki Osman said learning
the Malay language cannot only be done in school and should
be encouraged to be used in every aspect of daily life so that
it can remain relevant for future generations.
• Yayasan MENDAKI Raikan Ilmu is back in physical settings in
all M3@Towns. (Title: 'Raikan Ilmu' kembali secara fizikal di
semua M³@Bandar) (BH, 8 Sept)
– This year’s Raikan Ilmu, held in conjunction with Mendaki's
40th anniversary, will feature nearly 40 physical, hybrid and
online events and activities across all 11 M³@Towns, and is
expected to involve over 20,000 participants.
Source: BH
Source: BH
18

Malay/Muslim Affairs
• Lembaga Biasiswa Kenangan Maulud (LBKM) donates $300,000 to
the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (Title: LBKM derma
$300,000 kepada Fakulti Sastera dan Sains Kemasyarakatan
NUS) (BH, 30 Sept)
– With the donation, which is also supported by a grant
matched by the government, LBKM set a goal of offering
three LBKM Social Science Scholarships every year with each
scholarship recipient receiving $5,000.
• Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) is in the process of
contacting 37,000 local hajj registrants to verify and update their
details in the new hajj registration system. (Title: Sistem baru
pendaftaran haji menerusi MyHajSg dilaksana) (BH, 19 Sept)
– In a letter sent to registrars, MUIS informed about the new
Hajj registration system, dubbed MyHajSG, which among
other things allows registrars to see how many individuals are
in front of them according to sequence.
• Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura (PPIS) stepped into a new
phase in conjunction with their platinum jubilee celebration with
a new vision, 'Society of Successful Women and Prosperous
Families’. (Title: AGM PPIS: Dua wajah baru dilantik sebagai
pemegang jawatan; visi baru kecemerlangan wanita dan keluarga
dibentang) (BH, 24 Sept)
– In the AGM, Miss Hazlina Abdul Halim was reappointed as
President of PPIS.
Source: BH
Source: BH
19

Published by
MENDAKI Research and Design Department
(February 2022)
20

News Bites (September 2022)

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