GYEONGJU, South Korea: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong presented US President Donald Trump with a customised Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) bomber jacket on Wednesday (Oct 29) as a token of appreciation for America's longstanding support of the army's training in the US.

He did so during a dinner hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung that both leaders attended together with leaders from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Thailand and Vietnam.

The jacket presented to Mr Trump is like the ones worn by Singapore pilots training in the US, said Mr Wong in a Facebook post.

"Singapore values our security partnership with the US," wrote Mr Wong, who said he conveyed Singapore's deep appreciation for the US's support.

During the dinner, the leaders had a wide-ranging and engaging conversation on global developments, and shared their views on the challenges and opportunities ahead, said Mr Wong.

"Always valuable to exchange perspectives with friends and partners from around the world," he added.
 

The world leaders are in Gyeongju to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economic summit.

Mr Wong will be attending the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) before making an official visit to the capital city at the invitation of Mr Lee.

Mr Trump arrived in South Korea on Wednesday and will be meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. Held amid heightened trade tensions between the two superpowers, this meeting will be their first one since Mr Trump took office for his second term.

The Chinese foreign ministry said the talks would happen in Busan, which is about an hour's drive from Gyeongju.

South Korea is the last stop on Mr Trump's Asia tour, which included trips to Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit as well as Japan.

SINGAPORE: Fourteen suspected members of an e-vaporiser syndicate will be charged in court this week with being members of a locally linked organised criminal group, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Wednesday (Oct 29).

The police dismantled the syndicate – then suspected of having 12 members – on Oct 16, and subsequently arrested two more suspected members of the syndicate on Oct 19 and Oct 23.

"The two men, who were purportedly involved as a 'warehouse manager' and 'area distributor', respectively, are believed to be part of the e-vaporiser syndicate that orchestrated the importation and distribution of e-vaporisers from Malaysia into Singapore, supplying to the local residents," SPF said in a news release.

The 14 suspects were charged in court following their respective arrests and are currently remanded to facilitate police investigations.

"Four of them were charged with one count each of abetment by engaging in a conspiracy to possess e-vaporisers for sale under Section 16(1)(b) of the Tobacco (Control of Advertisement and Sale) Act 1993 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code 1871," SPF said.

The remaining suspects were charged with one count each under Section 16(1)(b) of the Tobacco (Control of Advertisement and Sale) Act 1993.

However, they will now each face an additional charge under the Organised Crime Act.

"In consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, the 14 suspected syndicate members will each face an additional charge under Section 5(1) of the Organised Crime Act 2015 for being members of a locally linked organised criminal group, being the e-vaporiser syndicate, when they return to court on Oct 30 and 31, 2025, respectively," SPF said.

If convicted of their new charges, they will each face a fine of up to S$100,000, up to five years in prison, or both.

Additionally, three of the suspected syndicate members will be charged with allowing premises they occupied to be used to support the syndicate's vape distribution operations under Section 10(1)(b) of the Organised Crime Act 2015.

Those convicted of this offence face a fine of up to S$250,000, up to five years in prison, or both.

"Under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, it is an offence to import, distribute, sell or offer for sale e-vaporisers and their components," SPF added.

"Any person convicted of an offence under Section 16(1) of the Act is liable to a fine of up to S$10,000, or imprisonment of up to six months, or both, for the first offence, and a fine of up to S$20,000, or imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both, for the second or subsequent offence."

SINGAPORE: A total of 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians are wanted by the police for being part of a scam syndicate operating out of Cambodia.

The syndicate targets Singapore victims in government official impersonation scams, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a media release on Wednesday (Oct 29).

It is believed to be responsible for at least 438 cases involving losses of at least S$41 million (US$31.7 million), the police added.

These 34 suspects are currently out of Singapore.

SPF said it is working with its international counterparts, as well as Interpol, to locate and arrest them.

The suspects were identified after SPF conducted a joint operation with the Cambodian National Police on Sep 9, against a group believed to be operating from a scam compound in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Following the enforcement operation in Cambodia, 15 suspects - 12 Singaporeans, two Malaysians and one Philippine national - were arrested in Singapore.

They were charged on Sep 11 and Sep 12 for being members of a locally linked organised criminal group.

“Through further investigations and evidence gathered in Cambodia, SPF has identified an additional 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians who are allegedly members of the organised criminal group and believed to have operated out of the same scam compound in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,” said the police.

The 27 Singaporeans are: Ng Wei Liang, Andrew Tay Jing An, Finan Siow, Francis Tan Thuan Heng, Jonathan Pek Ser Siang, Lam Yong Yan, Leon Chia Tee Song, Lim Ee Siong, Wong Yao Zong, Clarence Ng Jun Rong, Dilwin Tay Meng Wei, Dinesh, Kiang Wayne, Lam An Tuyen Daniel, Lim Jing En Kyan, Neo Zhi Bin, Ngiam Siow Jui, Phua Sheng Kai Audric, Poh Yang Ting, Sim Zong Yuan, Tan Darren, Tan Kai Siang, Tan Li Sen, Wayne Soh You Chen, Xavier Kho Yong Jun, Lee Jian Hao Jayen and Sie Eng Fa Brian.

The seven Malaysians are: Tang Soon Fai, Kang Liang Yee, Tang Soon Wah, Hoe Ming Wei, Pang Han Ee, Bernard Goh Yie Shen and Yip Chee Hoe.

"The SPF will spare no effort to pursue criminals who base their operations locally or overseas and target Singapore," the police said.

Those with information on their whereabouts may call the SPF hotline at 1800-255-0000 or +65 6255 0000 for overseas callers. They can also submit information online.

All information received will be kept strictly confidential, said the police.  

SINGAPORE: Singapore plans to streamline its listing process by consolidating prospectus and listing suitability reviews under SGX RegCo, an independent subsidiary of the Singapore Exchange, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Wednesday (Oct 29).

Authorities are canvassing public opinion until Nov 29 on the proposal, which would mean prospective issuers only deal with SGX RegCo, rather than both MAS, Singapore's central bank, and the exchange regulator.

MAS will continue to oversee SGX RegCo and enforce prospectus disclosure rules under the Securities and Futures Act, it said in a statement.

The move is part of recommendations by the Equities Market Review Group, set up in 2024 to strengthen Singapore's equities market competitiveness through a more pro-enterprise, disclosure-based regime while maintaining investor safeguards.

Separately, SGX RegCo said in a statement it would lower the Mainboard profit test threshold for new listings to S$10 million (US$7.73 million) from S$30 million, in line with major exchanges.

"We are progressing with our initiatives to strengthen Singapore's position as a leading international capital markets hub," Tan Boon Gin, chief executive of SGX RegCo, said in the statement.

SGX RegCo will also refine admission criteria for pre-revenue companies, including life sciences firms, to broaden investor choice, it added.

Issuers must continue to provide robust disclosures, including material internal control weaknesses and conflicts of interest, it said.

The consolidation complements other efforts to streamline the listing process that had been consulted on earlier and also comes alongside measures that aim to strengthen investor confidence, MAS said.

SGX RegCo will remove its financial watchlist, citing unintended negative impact on business confidence, but companies with three consecutive years of losses must disclose this, it said.

The exchange regulator said that it will, where possible, engage privately with issuers on their disclosures to "avoid a chilling effect on the market". 

"However, issuers must continue to publicly disclose materially price-sensitive or trade-sensitive information. 

"If unusual trading is detected and there is reason to believe that the market is not fair, orderly or transparent, SGX RegCo will immediately issue trade-with-caution alerts."

Trading suspensions will only occur if there is clear evidence of going concern issues, SGX RegCo said. It will also consult on removing the Listings Advisory Committee process for listing applications.

MAS and SGX RegCo will maintain close coordination on surveillance and enforcement, according to both statements.

SINGAPORE: Nuclear power could play a role in helping Southeast Asian nations achieve energy independence, said Dr Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General of the World Nuclear Association.

Speaking to CNA on the sidelines of the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) on Tuesday (Oct 28), Bilbao y Leon said the path forward for these countries to tap into nuclear energy lies in building the right foundations.

These include regulatory frameworks and legal systems, as well as financing mechanisms that support supply chains and skilled workforces.

She added that the industry’s global supply chains, know-how and expertise should assure countries that “this energy independence that we all are trying to achieve is easier with nuclear”.

REGIONAL AMBITIONS

There are currently no operational nuclear reactors in Southeast Asia, but countries like the Philippines and Indonesia have set targets to operate nuclear power plants in the early 2030s. 

Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore are also studying the potential of nuclear power, particularly through the use of small modular reactors (SMRs).

Compact and scalable, SMRs are a fraction of the size of a conventional nuclear reactor, and can be prefabricated for easier transport and installation.

According to an International Energy Agency (IEA) report in 2024, Asia’s share of global nuclear power generation could reach 30 per cent by 2026. 

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) plan to build a US$100 billion cross-border power grid by 2045 offers a foundation for sharing reliable nuclear energy across the region, said Bilbao y Leon.

She urged ASEAN nations to learn from more established Asian nuclear players such as Japan, South Korea and China. 

Japan, for instance, is accelerating efforts to restart existing reactors to meet its energy needs, noted Bilbao y Leon. South Korea exports its nuclear power technology and operational experience.

China has numerous nuclear plants under construction, and is actively supporting nuclear projects overseas, including in Pakistan, she added. 

These countries would be “quite happy” to share their experience with ASEAN nations, she said.

SINGAPORE’S NUCLEAR OPTIONS

Asked about the safety requirements needed for nuclear power to enter the energy mix in Singapore, Bilbao y Leon said that the country would have to meet international conventions and safety standards, from plant design to maintenance. 

She added, however, that decades of operational experience have made today’s reactors safer and more effective.

As for SMRs, she said floating ones off Singapore’s coast can be quickly deployed and “plugged into” the power grid.  

While the financing of nuclear energy projects remains a challenge, she highlighted that public-private partnerships, seen in places such as the United Kingdom, are making the sector more attractive for investors.

According to a 2025 World Nuclear Association report, nuclear reactors worldwide generated a record 2,667 TWh (terawatt-hours) of electricity in 2024. There are currently 70 reactors under construction around the world. 

SINGAPORE: A man was convicted by the High Court on Tuesday (Oct 28) of raping a woman while at her flat to fix the lights.

The judge rejected Koh Lee Hwa's argument that the sex had been consensual, finding instead that the victim's evidence was "unusually convincing" while the man's account was "completely inconsistent".

Koh, a 49-year-old Singapore permanent resident, was convicted of four charges, including rape, sexual assault by penetration and outrage of modesty.

THE CASE

The victim, whose age was redacted from court documents due to a gag order protecting her identity, first came to know Koh in 2015 when she hired him to renovate her flat.

In the years after this, she occasionally contacted him for renovation and electrical works, with about two years passing since their last chat before the rape incident occurred in 2021.

On Aug 21 that year, the woman contacted Koh via WhatsApp asking him to repair the faulty toilet light and kitchen light switch in her flat.

He went over the next day and quoted S$430 for the works, asking for a S$200 deposit before he returned the following day with the required replacement parts.

On Aug 23, 2021, Koh went to the victim's flat and repaired the toilet light and said he would be fixing another switch, which was in the hall.

While talking about the repairs in the hall, Koh pulled the victim towards him and hugged her without consent, the prosecution said in their case.

Shocked, the woman pushed him away and went to her bedroom, where she texted two friends about what happened, saying she was scared.

Koh then asked the victim to check the bedroom for the switches there and she did so. However, as she exited the bedroom toilet, Koh pushed her onto the bed and raped her.

The victim bit Koh to make him stop, but he later claimed at trial that this was a "love bite".

The victim later told her friends what happened and they went over to see her before taking her to the hospital for a medical examination. A police report was later lodged.

At trial, Koh claimed that the rape accusation was a false one and that the sex had been consensual.

In her verdict on Tuesday, Justice Mavis Chionh found the victim's evidence "unusually convincing".

She was able to give a clear and vivid account of the events, including her attempts to struggle and resist Koh's sexual advances.

It was undisputed that the only relationship between the pair prior to the rape was that of service provider and customer, and even then, their interactions were sporadic.

The victim had also sent messages to her friends like "he rape me", which constitutes corroboration of her account of being raped. The Court of Appeal had held in another case that subsequent complaints made by a complainant may be treated as corroboration of her evidence, provided that the statement implicating the accused was made at the first reasonable opportunity after the offence was committed.

Evidence from the victim's three friends also had "corroborative value", said Justice Chionh. They testified about the state they had found the victim in when they went to her flat.

She was in a state of shock and distress, described by the trio as in a "daze", speaking "incoherently", staring blankly with "vacant eyes", being "a bit dissociated" and in a "robotic" state.

Justice Chionh noted that third parties' observations of distress on the part of a complainant constitute corroboration of a complainant's testimony.

She rejected Koh's argument that the victim's account contained inconsistencies.

She also did not place any weight on the evidence of the bite mark on Koh. 

"The evidence of the bite mark by itself does not point one way or another, so I think the fairest thing to do is view it as not being particularly helpful to either the prosecution's or the defence's case," said Justice Chionh.

She said that even Koh himself did not claim to have received any indications of sexual interest from the victim before the incident.

"Indeed, according to the accused's version of events, the entire sexual encounter that day happened out of the blue, preceded only by the complainant's act of pulling on his arm and repeating to him the question he himself asked her ("what do you want?")," said the judge.

She said it was highly improbable, in the history and context of Koh's interactions with the victim, that she would have consented to "an impromptu episode of unprotected sex with a man she had hitherto known only as her renovations contractor".

She said Koh's evidence about what happened after the incident was "completely inconsistent" with the evidence given by the victim's three friends.

Koh had said that the woman had tidied up and "looked normal" after the sexual encounter.

However, one of her friends testified that the victim's hair was "pretty messy", unlike the "very straight, neat and flat" style she normally maintained.

Justice Chionh said Koh's other arguments were "similarly devoid of merit".

"His argument that the incident could not have been one of rape because it had occurred within the span of 10 minutes makes no sense", said the judge of one of these meritless arguments.

Koh will be sentenced at a later date.

The penalties for rape and sexual assault by penetration are a maximum of 20 years' jail each, along with a fine or caning.

For molestation, Koh could be jailed for up to three years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these punishments.

SINGAPORE: Two independent candidates from May’s general election have set their sights on becoming Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs), who are meant to offer alternative voices in the House, CNA has learnt.

On Wednesday (Oct 29), the former Radin Mas candidate Darryl Lo told CNA that he has submitted the necessary documents for his nomination online, showing a copy of the confirmation email he received after he sent in his bid.

In response to queries, Mr Jeremy Tan, who contested the Mountbatten single-member ward in the same election, also told CNA that he was intending to do the same ahead of the Nov 6 nomination deadline.

The pair gained prominence during the 2025 polls, with Mr Lo garnering 23.52 per cent of the votes in a three-way fight for Radin Mas. He emerged second, with the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Melvin Yong getting the most votes.

As for Mr Tan, he secured 36.18 per cent of the votes in a Mountbatten contest won by PAP new face Gho Sze Kee.

The nomination process for the NMP seats started on Oct 8. The applications will be submitted to the eight-member Special Select Committee chaired by Speaker Seah Kian Peng.

According to the parliament website, an NMP must be a Singapore citizen aged at least 21 on the day of nomination and currently registered in the Register of Electors. He or she must be a Singapore resident on the day of nomination and also for a total period of at least 10 years before that, and be sufficiently proficient in English, Malay, Mandarin or Tamil so as to participate in parliamentary proceedings.

There can be up to nine NMPs appointed to parliament.

While nominees can be proposed by the seven functional groups, such as the labour movement and social service organisations, a person not selected by any of them may be proposed by a member of the general public.

Each functional group can propose up to two persons for consideration. 

All nominees must have a proposer, a seconder and at least four assentors who are currently registered in the Register of Electors.

The Special Select Committee will consider all proposals received before the deadline of 4.30pm on Nov 6.

CNA understands that parliament will only reveal the total number of submissions received after the deadline.

“A DIFFERENT BALL GAME”

Mr Lo told CNA he submitted his nomination a week ahead of the deadline as he was heading for national service reservist training on Thursday.

He said that the role of an NMP is “a different ball game” from that of an elected MP, as the former does not have a town council to run but is still able to discuss and debate national policies.

“I want the NMP seat to ensure that at least an ordinary youth’s voice is heard in parliament and to push for policy changes that will benefit Singapore and Singaporeans,” Mr Lo told CNA, adding that his proposer, seconder and six assentors are all youths above the voting age.

He noted that in GE2025, he became the only independent candidate in Singapore’s history to come in second in a three-cornered fight.

His independent run showed that he is not against any party, be it the ruling party or the opposition, but instead focused on pushing for actual policy changes.

“It does seem to me that Singaporeans do value independence a lot, especially after how two NMPs left before the end of their terms and one of them even ran as a party candidate,” said Mr Lo.

He was referring to former NMPs Raj Joshua Thomas and Syed Harun Alhabsyi, who both resigned towards the tail end of the last parliament — the first time an NMP has quit before the end of their two-and-a-half-year term.

Both men joined the PAP afterwards, with Dr Syed Harun eventually entering parliament on the Nee Soon GRC ticket.

“Hopefully the Special Select Committee will bring back trust to the NMP scheme,” said Mr Lo.

His fellow GE2025 independent candidate Mr Tan told CNA that due to the lack of a party affiliation, the NMP scheme “is one of many avenues available in Singapore for independent voices to look out for fellow Singaporeans”.

“Running for GE2025 as an independent has enabled me to learn from many former NMPs and different civic groups in society, and I hope to bring these lessons to parliament for the future of Singapore,” Mr Tan told CNA.

NEXT STEPS

After the Nov 6 deadline, the Special Select Committee will consult elected MPs and seek their views on the nominees, followed by an assessment of the applications.

The committee will meet over a few days to interview the candidates, before discussing and agreeing on the final nominations for appointment by the president as NMPs.

“The persons to be nominated by the Committee shall be persons who have rendered distinguished public service, or who have brought honour to the Republic, or who have distinguished themselves in the field of arts and letters, sports, culture, the sciences, business, industry, the professions, social or community service or the labour movement,” the Office of the Clerk of Parliament said previously.

It will then submit a list to the president and thereafter publish its report to parliament.

Those proposed will then be appointed as NMPs by the president, before taking their oaths of allegiance during a parliament sitting.

Singapore Management University (SMU) associate professor of law Eugene Tan said this is “probably the first time unsuccessful independent election candidates are seeking to be appointed as NMPs”.

He noted that while the two men are burnishing their "non-partisan status" before the Special Select Committee, the NMP selection process is completely different from that of competitive politics.

“Their election bid in May will not feature at all in the committee’s appraisal of their NMP applications. The criteria are wholly different,” he said.

He said the NMP appointments could be a “consolation” after an unsuccessful GE outing, adding that both men could have been buoyed by their strong showing at the polls and are thus seeking to find another route to becoming legislators.

Institute of Policy Studies research fellow Teo Kay Key said the two candidates had shown from their electoral outings that they are “qualified and credible as political candidates, and have also previously expressed interest in continuing their work in a public platform”.

The NMP applications therefore seem to be the next possible way for them to continue contributing more systematically, said Dr Teo.

However, it might raise questions on how closely linked the NMP scheme would be to electoral politics in a larger sense, given that the pair's public standings were raised primarily from their GE performance, she added.

The InterContinental Singapore hotel in Bugis will undergo a conversion and rebrand to join Marriott International's The Luxury Collection portfolio in January 2026, the group announced on Tuesday (Oct 29).

Owned by Frasers Hospitality, the landmark property will become the second Luxury Collection hotel in Singapore and the first located in the city centre. The brand made its Singapore debut earlier this October with The Laurus, a Luxury Collection Hotel, located on Sentosa Island.

It was previously announced in September 2025 that management of InterContinental Singapore by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will conclude on Dec 31, 2025, upon the expiration of the hotel management agreement.

Located in the heart of the Bras Basah–Bugis district, the hotel sits within the Bugis Junction mixed-use development, offering direct access to Bugis MRT Station and close proximity to the cultural enclaves of Kampong Glam and Arab Street.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Frasers Hospitality to bring The Luxury Collection to the heart of Singapore – a gateway city that continues to inspire global travellers with its blend of tradition and modernity,” said Oriol Montal, regional vice president for luxury, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Marriott International. “This signing underscores our confidence in Singapore and our commitment to expanding our luxury footprint in this world-class destination.” 

The hotel will also join the Marriott Bonvoy travel programme, Montal added.  

The transformation underscores “our continued investment in realising the hotel’s distinctive potential, strengthening our competitive edge, and setting new benchmarks in Singapore’s luxury hospitality landscape," said Jason Leong, executive director and head of investment and asset management for Frasers Hospitality. "While we embark on this carefully curated evolution, we remain deeply rooted in the property’s unique identity and heritage," Leong continued. 

The hotel will feature 406 guestrooms and suites, starting from 38 sq m. Planned facilities include a fitness centre, outdoor swimming pool, and six dining and social venues, such as an all-day dining restaurant, lobby lounge, and pool bar. It will also offer approximately 1,000 sq m of flexible event space, including a 540 sq m ballroom.

The property will complement Marriott International’s existing portfolio of hotels in Singapore, which includes luxury brands such as The St Regis Singapore, JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach, and The Singapore Edition, which opened in late 2023.

SINGAPORE: The preschool that employed a man who went on to molest three toddlers on its premises was fined S$26,200 (US$20,230) by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA).

The fine was meted out in May 2024 after ECDA's investigations uncovered multiple breaches of the Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) Act and Regulations at the preschool that had compromised the safety of the children in its care, an agency spokesperson said on Wednesday (Oct 29) in response to queries from CNA.

ECDA had been informed of one of the man's offences against one of the children by the preschool on Dec 5, 2023, and later learned from the police and the preschool of further offences he committed against the two other children.

The agency later commenced investigations into the safety procedures and child-safe policies at the preschool and completed these in February 2024.

In addition to the fine, new enrolments were also restricted at the preschool, and its licence tenure was shortened from 36 months to six months, the spokesperson said.

These penalties were not made public at the time as the man's case was still before the courts, ECDA told CNA.

ECDA also took action against four members of the preschool's management, with three of them having been barred from working in the preschool sector since April 2024.

All four staff members have been removed from their posts by the preschool's operator, the spokesperson said.

"On Feb 21, 2025, these four staff members were charged by the police for intentionally omitting information on the incidents," the spokesperson added.

"One of them was granted a discharge amounting to acquittal by the courts on Jul 16, 2025, and subsequently given a stern warning. The remaining three staff members were also charged for their involvement in tampering (with) evidence."

The spokesperson said that ECDA was not able to provide further comments on their alleged offences as their court proceedings are ongoing.

Four teaching staff members at the preschool had also been reprimanded for failing to exercise vigilance in the supervision of the children in their care, the spokesperson said.

"One staff member was issued a stern reminder, and the other three were issued warnings," they added.

"Staff members issued with warnings are required to declare the warning, which will be taken into consideration when they seek re-employment in the preschool sector within two years."

On Monday, Teo Guan Huat, who had been employed as a cook by the preschool, pleaded guilty to three counts of molestation of minors. Another five charges will be considered in sentencing.

The 61-year-old Malaysian and Singapore permanent resident molested three girls during naptime while other teachers were present.

The name of the preschool cannot be published due to a gag order protecting the identities of the victims, who were between one and two years old at the time of the offences, which took place over seven months in 2023.

Teo worked for the preschool for about a year before he resigned from his position in late 2023 after his crimes were discovered.

Apart from his duties as a cook, Teo also escorted children at the preschool to a teacher for showers and helped take care of them at naptime. He would help lay out mattresses in the nap room and pat the children to sleep.

On Nov 16, 2023, an employee not named in court papers reviewed closed-circuit television footage for an unrelated matter and saw Teo inserting his hand under the diaper of a two-year-old girl.

Members of the school's management committee confronted him and asked him to leave. He resigned on Nov 23, 2023.

However, the matter was reported to the police only in early December 2023. In the meantime, the school's closed-circuit television system was reformatted, and this erased prior footage.

The police managed to recover the deleted footage, which captured a few of Teo's offences, and they arrested him on Dec 4, 2023.

Teo's case has been adjourned to a later date, with the judge in the case saying that he required some time to consider Teo's sentence.

For each count of molesting a minor, Teo could be jailed for up to five years and fined. He cannot be caned as he is above 50.

The ECDA spokesperson said regulatory lapses that compromise children’s safety and well-being in preschools are unacceptable.

"ECDA will take firm actions against preschool operators and staff who are found guilty of not fulfilling their duty of care to the children under their charge," the spokesperson said.

"All preschool operators are bound by the ECDC Act and Regulations to establish the necessary systems and processes, to ensure that children enrolled at their centre are safe and well.

"This includes obtaining ECDA's approval before deploying any non-teaching staff as programme helpers to assist in activities involving children, and ensuring that there is close supervision when programme helpers assist with routine tasks involving children in the preschool."

The spokesperson added that the ECDA will conduct checks to assess that individuals do not pose a risk to children's safety and have not been barred from working in the preschool sector before it approves their deployment.

This is to ensure that all preschool employees, including non-teaching staff members, are fit to work with young children.

"Preschools are also expected to have their own procedures to recruit persons who are suitable to work with or around young children," the spokesperson said.

If you did not manage to get tickets to popular Hong Kong-American comedian Jimmy O Yang's sold-out shows in Singapore, here's some good news. Yang will be staging a third show of his Big & Tall tour on Dec 13. 

Unlike the first two shows, which are happening at The Star Theatre on Nov 24 and 25, this new show will be at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Tickets will be available for purchase via Sistic, with prices ranging between S$108 and S$188.

An artiste presale is currently happening till 9.59am on Oct 31. Thereafter, general sales will commence at 10am the same day.

Yang burst onto the scene playing Jian Yang in the HBO comedy series Silicon Valley and has gone viral numerous times for his stand-up routine.

In 2024, he landed the leading role in the Disney+ series Interior Chinatown, which also starred Ronny Chieng and Chloe Bennet.

SINGAPORE: Singapore's power grid is expected to become more complex as demand for electric vehicles (EVs) grows and renewable but intermittent energy sources are introduced into the system.

To prepare for this shift, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) on Wednesday (Oct 29) launched a roadmap outlining measures to future-proof the power grid, including the use of "demand-side resources" to contribute to the country's energy needs.

Minister in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology Tan See Leng said the roadmap was key to ensuring grid flexibility, which is one of Singapore's priorities in securing its power grid.

Speaking at the Conference of the Electric Power Supply Industry, an event organised by SP Group and held in conjunction with the Singapore International Energy Week 2025, Dr Tan said that while Singapore's power grid is one of the most reliable in the world, the country's decarbonising efforts will pose new challenges.

Dr Tan noted that renewable energy sources were often located far from demand centres, resulting in long transmission lines. In addition, there could be operational challenges and uncertainties to the power grid given the intermittent nature of renewables such as solar energy.

Singapore's demand for electricity is also expected to grow with the increase in businesses and facilities that rely on large and steady supplies of electricity, such as data centres and EVs.

"Grid management will become more complex with these new load profiles", he added. 

"To keep abreast of the energy transition, Singapore is focusing on three key priorities to future-proof our grid – specifically, on inter-connectivity, resilience, and flexibility," said Dr Tan. "After all ... there is no transition without transmission." 

To address this, EMA will explore a demand-side flexibility roadmap aimed at allowing the grid to tap "underutilised" distributed energy resources such as battery energy storage systems and backup generators.

This means that such resources, which keep energy on standby when they are not being used, could be relied on for Singapore's power needs on a "near-continuous basis".

The authority said in a statement: "These resources are typically maintained on standby, placing them in a state of readiness that enables activation with short notice.

"Their capability to sustain load curtailment over extended periods suggests they could be well-positioned to provide ancillary services alongside their primary operational role."

Together, distributed energy resources and electricity users or facilities that require a continuous and high load of power can be a "potentially dependable and scalable means of contributing to system reserves", EMA said.

EMA will be publishing a request for information to explore the feasibility and design of a programme that can incentivise relevant parties to contribute to power grid reliability continuously, it said.

As part of this roadmap, EMA will also enhance its interruptible load programme, which is targeted at business consumers. The scheme allows eligible participants to be compensated for being on standby and to reduce their electricity demand when the grid faces tight supply constraints.

The authority plans to provide greater certainty to these participants during contingencies by reducing interruptible load activation period to 30 minutes. Implementation details have yet to be finalised. 

EMA said the current pool of interruptible load resources was "opportunistic", as participants only reduce their load when schedules allow. These participants, who are mainly factories or production lines, cannot offer capacity consistently or for prolonged periods as they need to keep their own core operations running.

Dr Tan said EMA will also be launching a virtual power plant pilot programme.

Virtual power plants are digital platforms that can consolidate and optimise distributed energy resources such as solar and batteries as a single power source. The pilot will assess how these can address system needs.

REGIONAL POWER GRIDS

On inter-connectivity, Dr Tan said regional power grids play a key role in accelerating the energy transition. 

"It allows us to maximise the region’s diverse renewable energy potential and strengthen grid resilience through mutual support," Dr Tan noted, pointing to concrete steps that have been taken towards realising the ASEAN Power Grid by 2045.

He noted that ASEAN leaders endorsed the terms of reference for the establishment of a subsea power cable framework at the 43rd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting recently, which he described as a "very significant milestone". 

"When realised, the framework will facilitate ASEAN member states in carrying out marine surveys, as well as the laying, maintenance and protection of subsea power cables in the region," he said.