Unions, employers to be consulted on legislating retrenchment benefits: MOS Dinesh
During a Workers’ Party motion on the future of economy Singapore in Parliament, Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash said trade unions and employers will be consulted on retrenchment benefits before any decision is taken on making it into law.
“We have considered it in the past. It wasn’t very appropriate then,” said Mr Dinesh. He added that the idea was studied periodically, but circumstances have changed now.
Singapore Malayalee Association named as one of the organisations helping to integrate immigrants
In a written reply to a question from Dr Neo Kok Beng on the number and effectiveness of associations that aim to help integrate immigrants, Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth David Neo named organisations like the Singapore Malayalee Association as one that has supported the integration of immigrants.
Mr Neo specifically cited government support for ground-up initiatives such as the SG60 Onam Village festival organised by the association, which helped introduce Malayalee culture to immigrants and non-Indians.
Mr Neo also said that the Government does not track the number of associations that specifically aim to integrate immigrants.
No system malfunction found after exam discrepancies reported
A total of 432 O-level English oral examination candidates reported discrepancies between the prompt shown during preparation and the one read aloud by examiners. However, investigations by the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) found no evidence of system malfunction.
Digital logs confirmed that candidates and examiners accessed the same approved prompt. “There was only one source that all candidates’ and examiners’ accounts accessed,” Senior Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary told Parliament. Students experiencing significant distress may apply for special consideration, while SEAB will review its oral examination processes to reduce future misunderstandings and improve prompt clarity.
Enhanced healthcare plan for more affordable, accessible outpatient care for migrant workers
Migrant workers will soon have clinics within 2km from where they live when the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) enhances their Primary Care Plan from April 1, 2027. Migrant workers pay $5 per consultation.
MOM will also be lowering the fixed, annual payment rates employers pay for each worker. The plan is meant for migrant workers who live in dormitories or work in the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors. It does not cover migrant domestic workers.
Parliament Staff to get up to nine per cent pay rise
On Aug 4 in Parliament, the House unanimously approved pay raises for parliamentary staff, proposed by Leader of the House Indranee Rajah. Parliamentary clerks are to get retention payments due higher staff turnover as workload grew more complex. The broader pool of parliamentary staff as a whole will see a rise between two to nine per cent.
The increases aim to align with other public service workers who saw pay increases in February.
Former S’pore TV reporter in remand for 5 months over alleged criminal trespass and other charges
A personal bond of $5,000 was granted to former TV journalist Haseenah Koyakutty who faces criminal trespass charges, among other alleged offences. A bail review was heard in court on Aug 5 for the 57-year-old, who has been in remand for more than five months.
According to court documents, she was released on bail between May 2023 and May 2025, but allegedly failed to comply with the conditions of her release and did not report to the investigation officer when she was supposed to.
New Grab AI-powered call service aims to drive convenience for seniors
In a media statement on Aug 5, Grab Singapore announced the launch of Grab AI Call-A-Ride (Beta), which is an AI-powered call service for booking rides. Available via +65 3138 0000, this pilot service enables ride booking through conversing with an artificial-intelligence voice assistant.
Developed in collaboration with OpenAI and powered by its Realtime Voice model, the voice assistant is able to interpret user intent, maintain context, adapt mid-sentence and process bookings, unlike traditional automated call services, said Grab. The service is currently optimised for English and Mandarin, and there are plans to expand to more regional languages, it said.
One dead, four hospitalised in Race Course Road fire
An 88-year old man died in hospital following a fire in a Housing Board flat in Race Course Road on Aug 3, the police said.
He was among three unconscious people taken to Singapore General Hospital, with two others taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The fire broke out at Block 684 Race Course Road. They were trapped in a fifth-floor unit before being rescued by the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force, who were alerted to the fire at 7.10pm.
Investigations are ongoing.
Impending dry weather to increase haze risk: Minister Grace Fu
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said that dry weather in the coming week could worsen the risk of transboundary haze if burning increases in Indonesia.
The Republic is monitoring the situation closely, and the Government’s haze task force is ready to roll out its action plans if air quality is affected by transboundary haze, said Ms Fu in a written reply to a parliamentary question from Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC).
FairPrice shoppers can get $6 voucher for every $61 spent from Aug 6 to 16
In celebration of National Day, shoppers at all FairPrice, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra and Unity stores, FairPrice Group can get $6 return vouchers for every $61 spent in a single receipt from Aug 6 to 16.
Customers can receive a maximum of three vouchers per transaction. The vouchers must be redeemed by Aug 31 and can be stacked and used in conjunction with CDC vouchers, CHAS card discounts, and senior citizen discounts (including Pioneer and Merdeka Generation discounts).
