Singapore in 2 Minutes for the Week of Feb 6

FairPrice shoppers to get $8 voucher for every $100 spent from Feb 5 to 16

Customers can get up to four vouchers per transaction, which can be paid for using all modes of payment, including CDC supermarket vouchers and Linkpoints. The vouchers can then be redeemed with no minimum spend from the day after they are received until March 3.

FairPrice Group said the aim of the vouchers is to help Singaporeans stretch their dollar during the festive season, with Chinese New Year falling on Feb 17. The group will also be keeping its supermarkets open for longer during the Chinese New Year public holidays.

HDB launches 9,012 BTO and balance flats, including Prime project in Redhill

The Housing Board launched 4,692 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats for sale on Feb 4, including about 1,300 flats in Tampines and Sembawang with shorter waits of under three years. In all, six BTO projects are on sale across Bukit Merah, Sembawang, Tampines, and Toa Payoh. Another 4,320 balance flats are also on offer. About one in five of these units is completed and ready for home buyers to move into.

The bulk of the balance flats – those from earlier BTO exercises – are Prime and Plus flats in Bukit Merah, Kallang/Whampoa and Queenstown, as well as Community Care Apartments.

Ex-CEO of healthcare start-up charged over alleged $20m false invoices to MOH

The former chief executive of healthcare start-up Biofourmis Holdings has been charged with multiple offences, including allegedly asking his staff to falsify company invoices claiming they had offered services worth millions to the Ministry of Health.

On Feb 4, Rajput Kuldeep Singh Vithal Singh, who was also the former director of the company, was handed seven charges in a district court. This includes three counts of abetting the falsification of accounts, three charges of fraud by false representation or abetment of the offence, and one count of forgery for the purpose of cheating.

Fake Singapore neighbourhood police centre found in Cambodian scam compound

A set-up mimicking the facade of a Singapore neighbourhood police centre was found by the Thai military in an abandoned scam compound in the Cambodian town of O’Smach. Photos taken by local media show a large blue backdrop with the words “Police Woodlands East NPC” next to a replica of the Singapore Police Force crest.

The compound, a six-storey building seized by the military during clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in December 2025, also had several rooms set up to look like police posts from different countries, including Brazil, China, and Australia.

Ex-Scoot crew member who pocketed nearly $40k tells court he wants to restitute

A former Scoot cabin crew member who misappropriated nearly $40,000 from the airline has told the court he intends to pay back the full amount but needs more time do so. Luqman Hakim Shahfawi, 31, who has made a partial restitution of $10,000 so far, said this on Feb 3, the day he was expected to be sentenced.

District Judge Lau Qiuyu then granted him an adjournment, and he was released on bail of $15,000. Luqman’s mitigation and sentencing will now take place on March 27. He was a complex leader with the low-cost carrier when he misappropriated cash earnings from the sale of food and beverages on flights.

Crocodile seen in waters near Changi Naval Base; second reported sighting after Sentosa

A crocodile was spotted in waters off the eastern coast of Singapore by the Republic of Singapore Navy, days after a sighting at Sentosa led to the suspension of water activities there. In a video uploaded on Facebook on Feb 4, the Navy said sea soldiers from its ninth flotilla spotted the crocodile near RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base.

The reptile, which it described as an “unexpected visitor”, stayed “briefly” before returning to the Singapore Strait, it added. The Navy said that its base teams have stepped up monitoring and are working closely with the relevant authorities. The last reported crocodile sighting in Changi was in August 2017.

Air taxis to be tested for emergency medical response in Singapore

Aerospace manufacturer Vertical Aerospace and Singapore’s Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) will explore the use of air taxis for emergency medical services. This was among the agreements and deals announced on the second day of the Singapore Airshow 2026 on Feb 4.

Following the award of a grant by HTX, the British-based Vertical Aerospace will look at how electric and hybrid-electric vertical aircraft can support timely medical response in remote areas around Singapore. It will also conduct a flight demonstration to assess feasibility, safety, and response times.

About 9 in 10 retrenched eligible workers received retrenchment benefits: MOM

From 2020 to 2025, 90 per cent of eligible retrenched workers received benefits, with 80 per cent getting at least two weeks’ salary per year of service, in line with tripartite guidelines. The latest numbers are based on the mandatory requirement that employers with at least 10 employees must notify the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) within five working days after retrenching workers.

Alleged Kpod trafficker charged after pointing knife at man at Whampoa carpark

An alleged trafficker of etomidate vape pods was nabbed when he purportedly pointed a knife at another man during a transaction at a carpark in Whampoa West. On Feb 4, Yeo Zhi Xiang, 30, was charged with one count of trafficking 79 pods containing etomidate, which is a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Importers can face three to 20 years’ imprisonment, and five to 15 strokes of the cane. Sellers and distributors can be jailed for between two and 10 years, and given two to five strokes of the cane.

Mediacorp to broadcast FIFA World Cup 2026; 28 matches will be free to air

Mediacorp announced on Feb 5 that it has secured the media rights to the FIFA World Cup 2026 event and other FIFA tournaments from 2026 to 2028. This year’s World Cup will see a record 48 teams competing across three countries, Canada, Mexico and the United States, with the total number of games increasing from 64 in the last edition in Qatar to 104 this time.

Under the agreement, Mediacorp will screen all 104 matches and official ceremonies of the 2026 World Cup.