SINGAPORE: If not for her younger sister’s initial interest in karate, Marissa Hafezan may not have taken up the martial art at the age of six – and made history in Thailand last week at 19.

“(My sister) thought that karate was all about breaking boards, which wasn’t the case at first, at least,” Hafezan recounted.

“She wasn’t really into it at first, so I took her spot and I just continued.”

Little did the Hafezan family know that several years later, the older sibling would deliver Singapore’s first karate gold in 32 years at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. 

Last Friday (Dec 12), Hafezan beat Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Dieu Ly 5-3 in the final of the women's kumite under 55kg event at the Chaeng Watthana Government Complex in Bangkok to secure the medal.

Singapore's last – and previously only – SEA Games karate champion was Neo Ah Suan, who took gold in the women's kumite 60kg and above event at the 1993 Games.

Hafezan’s victory also ended a 14-year medal drought in karate for Singapore at the SEA Games.

“JOY AND PRIDE”

Following her victory, the teenager said she has received “a lot of congratulations” from coaches and fellow athletes.

“It was just overwhelmingly positive, and I’m just so honoured … that they recognise me as someone who did something very important, and it’s just amazing, honestly,” she told CNA’s Singapore Tonight programme on Monday.

“I feel really honoured to have broken the drought. I feel joy and pride in contributing to my country’s history for karate.”

Hafezan also had to battle injury in the months leading up to the biennial event.

She first dislocated her shoulder in April. At the time, she worked on strengthening it through physiotherapy, opting out of surgery as going under the knife for a first-time dislocation may not be necessary.

But she then dislocated it again during the Southeast Asia Karate Championship held in Brunei in June.

“I had SEA Games in mind. I wasn't selected yet, but I had it in mind, so I went to see a surgeon. He told me that I should operate because I tore my muscle and I had a slight fracture,” she added.

After undergoing surgery a month later, she was pronounced fit for the Games – paving the way for her historic moment.

A COMPETITOR AT HEART

Hafezan was born in Singapore before moving to Paris when she was three for her father’s work.

While her family is based in France, they return to Singapore at least once a year during summer school breaks. 

In 2022, she set her sights on securing a place on the national team. She got in touch with the Karate-do Union of Singapore, and would meet and train with coaches whenever she returned. 

“For me to be able to qualify, I would send videos (of) my competitions from overseas and they would take it from there. They would tell me if it was good enough … what competitions I needed to participate in,” she said.

“After a while, I think they recognised my discipline and merit, and that’s how I got into the team.”

Hafezan trains with a club in Paris and has participated in the French Cup, which she likened to the Singapore National Karate Championship.

“I guess how I fell in love (with karate) is that I’m a competitor at heart, and just being able to kick and punch – I just really loved it. It was like love at first sight,” she said.

Looking ahead, she has one goal in mind – qualifying for the World Karate Championships.

“It’s been my biggest dream since I was a kid,” she added.

SINGAPORE: Credit card balances in Singapore that have rolled over to the next month crossed S$9 billion (US$7 billion) in the third quarter of 2025, hitting a record high since the end of 2014.

Such rollover debt has been rising steadily since the second quarter of 2021, when unpaid credit card balances stood at S$5.19 billion, according to figures from the Singapore Department of Statistics (Singstat).

Any amount on a credit card bill that is not paid in full before the due date is rolled over to the next bill, with interest charged.

Experts attributed the worrying trend to factors like people not spending within their means, consumer culture emphasising prestige items, and easier access to credit like “buy now, pay later” services.

One analyst said this could be a hint of growing financial pressures faced by Singaporeans amid rising prices.

The country’s core inflation rose sharply to 1.2 per cent year-on-year in October, driven by higher prices in services, food and retail. The last time core inflation went past 1 per cent was in December last year, when it reached 1.7 per cent.

“Currently, society does put an emphasis on having certain items of prestige, or owning different items that supposedly give you some sort of status symbol,” noted Dr Teo Kay Key, senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab.

She pointed out that people may also believe that taking loans to pay for big-ticket items is healthy financial behaviour.

“People just accumulate these small, little loans and debts, and then finally, when it snowballs, they realise that they cannot handle all the financial commitments that they have made,” she added.

The rise of cashless payments means many may not tangibly realise how much they are spending as well, Dr Teo said.

DROP IN PRINCIPAL CREDIT CARDHOLDERS

The record rollover balances comes even as the number of credit card holders in Singapore has fallen.

Some observers said this could be due to the average credit card debt per cardholder being on the rise.

According to Singstat, there were about 6.1 million principal credit cardholders in the third quarter of this year – the lowest since the fourth quarter of 2023.

This figure had been on a steady rise since 2014.

“With economic pressures (and) the rollover balances, it makes repayment harder, so we see that even though there are fewer credit card holders, (the average debt) is still rising,” said Ms Jean Lee, manager of financial counselling centre Abdullam Life Counselling.

Nevertheless, credit card delinquency rates as a share of total cardholders have remained stable at less than 1 per cent  –  below the historical average, according to data available in April.

This suggests that most borrowers have been able to service their credit card debt, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong – who is also chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore – in a parliamentary response at the time.

Some safeguards have been implemented, including borrowers needing to meet the minimum annual income requirement of S$30,000 to qualify for a credit card.

FINANCIAL LITERACY SHOULD START EARLIER

Ms Lee said that enquiries for her firm’s counselling services have risen 13 per cent this month, compared with December last year.

This is especially concerning as many are only seeking help when the situation becomes uncontrollable, she added.

Those in debt are getting younger as well. Ms Lee said those looking for help are largely in their 30s and 40s, while it used to be people in their 50s and 60s.

“I think (it’s) because the younger generation is encouraged to take on debt and are living on subscription models with recurring commitments,” she added.

“This encourages them to spend more, and to use credit to enjoy the lifestyle that they want. And it spirals.”

She expressed hopes that more youth can be exposed to financial literacy before they jump into credit, in order to prevent more runaway debt.

Dr Teo also said that while there are financial literacy workshops available and banks can offer guidance, people still end up learning financial management skills on the fly.

“There may be a need to start financial education earlier, especially because now we are entering really a cashless era where people from a young age do not see handling of cash directly,” she added.

“If it’s just seeing the numbers on their credit card app or maybe their bank app, it may not have the exact same impact as seeing the cash flow out from your hands directly, and that might be something that impacts how people actually view money and the outflow of money.”

SINGAPORE: A 77-year-old man who allegedly cut the cable ties of a bird trap, allowing three crows to escape, was charged in court on Tuesday (Dec 16) with disrupting a National Parks Board (NParks) operation.

Singaporean Tan See Chee, who kept quiet during his brief court mention, is accused of one count of mischief causing disruption to the performance of a public agency's function.

NParks was carrying out crow population management operations at a grass patch near Block 181, Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, on Oct 20 this year.

At about 5.50pm that day, Tan allegedly used a pair of scissors to cut the cable ties securing a bird trap that was placed at the grass patch.

Three birds escaped as a result.

The police said in a statement that Tan's identity was established two days later with the aid of closed-circuit television footage.

The police said they "take a serious view of such acts of mischief" and will not hesitate to take firm action against "those who damage public property or any apparatus deployed to serve public functions".

Tan had the charge read to him in English. The court officer said he intends to plead guilty and would not be engaging a lawyer.

A date was fixed for him to plead guilty in January.

If convicted of committing mischief to disrupt the performance of a public agency's function, he could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined, or both.

When former Singapore Airlines flight attendant Cherry Tan, 30, and her husband, Taiwanese ex-hotel chef Duncan Hsu, 37, opened their first hawker stall Kiang Kiang Taiwan Teppanyaki in a Woodlands coffeeshop in May 2024, they knew they wanted to eventually grow the brand.

What they did not expect was to do it so soon.

The couple launched their second stall in a Bedok kopitiam on Oct 28 this year. 

Kiang Kiang serves Taiwan night market-style Western fare – think steak, chicken chop and pasta cooked on a griddle and served sizzling on a hotplate – as well as street snacks like dan bing (Taiwanese egg crepe) and sweet potato fries.

But contrary to what many assume, opening a second branch wasn’t the result of explosive growth. In fact, it was triggered by something more sobering: Declining sales at their Woodlands stall.

WHY EXPAND WHEN SALES ARE DIPPING? 

The timing may raise eyebrows, given the wave of recent F&B closures.

Tan acknowledges this but says the move was strategic – even necessary.

“The exact timing [to expand] came around the one-year-plus mark, when sales started to decline slightly,” she told 8days.sg.

A key reason? Location.

Many regulars had been travelling from all corners of Singapore just for their sizzling Taiwanese-style Western plates.

“They come once or twice a month 'cos it’s a hassle to travel all the way down to Woodlands. So we decided to bring our brand to somewhere more convenient,” shared Tan.

She had another motivator: Rent.

Their lease in Woodlands will be up next May and they “don’t want to be at the landlord’s mercy”.

“If we only have one outlet, then no matter what, we have to stay there,” Tan reasoned. 

“So I told myself to just push for the second outlet. How much worse can it get? If we can survive in Woodlands, Bedok should be okay.”

BEDOK OUTLET ALREADY OUTPERFORMING WOODLANDS ONE

She was right. Though only open for one and a half months, the outlet, which cost around S$30,000 (US$23,270) to start, is already “doing better than Woodlands”.

Not that the Woodlands was struggling.

“We were not losing money,” clarified Tan. “It’s just that the first three months after we opened, things were insane because of all the media hype. But after that, things stabilised – in a good way. We could focus more on maintaining food quality.”

The Woodlands stall broke even within just three months, giving the couple confidence (and capital) to take the plunge in Bedok.

Tan now splits her time across both outlets and has even progressed from cashier to grill cook at Woodlands. Her husband is based at the Bedok outlet and they have two more cooks stationed at each of the outlets.

“The Bedok crowd is too much for me, especially on weekends,” she laughed.

THE SECRET INGREDIENT BEHIND THEIR GROWTH: TIKTOK

Tan has been documenting her pivot from cabin crew to hawker since day one, and Kiang Kiang’s online presence has become part of its brand identity.

Her content has evolved from simple day-in-the-life videos to comedic skits.

“It definitely helps the business. People come down because of the videos,” she said, adding that a viral video can boost sales by about 20 per cent in a week.

She also recently started live streaming at work, grilling meat while chatting with her audience. Each session lasts for around two hours.

“I just started live streaming last week and surprisingly there were people who came down after watching it,” shared Tan. 

“There was once I was busy chatting and my sausage got burnt. The whole sausage was black! I showed it to my viewers and the next thing I knew, I received a delivery order and, in the remarks, they asked for the chao tar (burnt) sausage,” she laughed.

And no, her hubby, who is known for having a fiery temper in the kitchen, does not know about it. 

The pressure to constantly create content is real. 

“Ever since we opened at Bedok, I haven’t been posting as much because things have been overwhelming and I don’t have creative juice,” admitted Tan, “so I’m making it up with live streaming – it’s more straightforward.”

Even her husband and staff have to appear on camera – literally part of the job.

“It’s in their job scope. I will ask recruits during the interview if they’re willing to appear on camera. If they’re not keen, they can go home,” she joked. “These days, F&B needs marketing and you can’t do it alone. Thankfully my team is happy to help.”

(ALMOST) SAME MENU, SAME PRICES

The second outlet features the same menu items as the Woodlands branch with eight mains like chicken chop, rib-eye steak, and grilled salmon, priced between S$8.50 and S$13.50. 

All mains come with a sunny side up egg, your choice of carb (pasta or short-grain rice), veg (teppanyaki beansprouts or corn) and sauce (black pepper, mushroom or a mix of both).

Snacks include Taiwanese popcorn chicken and dan bing (egg crepe) from S$3.80, with popular fillings like pork floss with cheese, and basil pork.

Taiwanese sausage with garlic dan bing, which is inspired by da chang bao xiao chang (which literally translates to “big sausage wraps small sausage”), is currently only available on request at Bedok.

“It’s a secret menu item,” said Tan. “It just makes for a fun conversation for me to engage my customers. If they enjoy egg crepes then I'll recommend it to them.”

Kiang Kiang Taiwan Teppanyaki is at 412 Bedok North Ave 2, Singapore 460412. Open daily from 11am to 8.30pm.

325 Woodlands St 32, Singapore 730325. Open daily from 10.30am to 8.30pm. More info via Instagram and TikTok.

This story was originally published in 8Days.

For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/

SINGAPORE: Almost 40 per cent of lower-income families on ComLink+ did not have any family members earning a regular wage at the end of 2024, according to a report by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) published on Tuesday (Dec 16).

Last year, 4,025 families on ComLink+ had no family member in stable employment with regular income. This rose from 3,563 in 2023, data from the ministry showed.

Stable employment refers to being in employment for six consecutive months or more in a year. The data does not capture income from platform work before 2025, hence it may underestimate the number of families with members employed, said MSF.

For those with jobs, the report also found that the earnings of households in the lower-income brackets rose faster than that of median households over the past five years.

From 2019 to 2024, the annualised growth for groups in the bottom 20 per cent of earners was 1.9 per cent, which is higher than the median group's 1.3 per cent.

The ministry said in a statement: "While the government creates opportunities and provides additional support for lower-income families, these families often have unique needs that are not easy to address, even with nationwide programmes."

Since the rollout of ComLink+ in 2024, MSF has shifted its focus away from providing short-term assistance for basic expenses via ComCare payouts. The new scheme incentivises lower-income families to get a stable job, enrol children in preschools, pay off debt and save up for a home.

By the end of 2024, corporate organisations supported more than 500 ComLink+ programmes and activities. They contributed S$37 million (US$28.7 million) in donations and other support, such as groceries, family outings and digital literacy programmes.

As of December 2024, 10,219 families agreed to join the ComLink+ scheme, an increase from the 9,153 families in December 2023.

The report tracks the progress of ComLink+ families across six domains: income security, children’s development and education, housing, family functioning, financial resilience and health.

To this end, the ministry combined various indicators to categorise families as “not achieved stability”, “stable”, “self-reliant” and “socially mobile”. Families must meet both stability and self-reliance indicators in order to be considered self-reliant, and achieve all indicators to be recognised as socially mobile.

As of December last year, 5,763 families had not achieved stability, which was an increase from 4,920 in 2023. This change was primarily driven by families that were onboarded in 2024.

Of the 2,902 ComLink+ families onboarded in 2024, 61 per cent had not achieved stability, especially in the income security and family functioning domains.

In response to CNA's queries on the report's findings, MSF reiterated that ComLink+ families often face complex and interlocking issues "that will take time to address".

"The journey for ComLink+ families towards social mobility is a long-term one, and meaningful change may not be fully evident within a year."

INCOME SECURITY

As of December 2024, 28 per cent of ComLink+ families (2,840 households) under the scheme were considered to be socially mobile in terms of income security. This is an increase from 26 per cent of ComLink+ families (2,342 households) in 2023.

This meant that they had stable employment, were not on major forms of financial assistance at any point in time in the last 12 months and had real income growth over time.

Major forms of financial assistance include all forms of ComCare assistance, MUIS (Islamic Religious Council of Singapore) Zakat financial assistance, MINDEF (Ministry of Defence) National Serviceman financial assistance, among others.

On the other hand, 39 per cent of ComLink+ families (4,025 households) had not achieved stability in 2024 - meaning that they were not in stable employment and do not draw a regular wage. 

The report stated that 46 per cent of ComLink+ families received at least one form of major financial support, which is mainly through ComCare.

More than 20 per cent, or 2,103 families, were recognised as stable, which meant they had stable employment with a regular income source.

The final 12 per cent of families were seen as self-reliant. This meant that on top of being stable, they were not on any major forms of financial assistance.

MORE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR CHILD PROTECTION CASES

One aspect that saw the worst outcomes in the report was in the family functioning domain, which looks at cases where child protection or family violence services were needed.

The share of ComLink+ families with active domestic violence or child protection cases rose to 16 per cent in 2024, up from 11 per cent the year before.

This amounts to 1,657 families, an increase of 685 cases compared with 2023.

Most of the increase came from families newly onboarded to ComLink+ in 2024. Of the 2,902 families added last year, 17 per cent were working with MSF or social service agencies to address domestic violence or child protection concerns.

Despite the increase, 84 per cent of families were assessed to be safe from harm, though this was slightly lower than the 89 per cent recorded in 2023.

REGULAR PRESCHOOL ATTENDANCE

The data also showed that more ComLink+ families with Singaporean preschool-aged children achieved self-reliance, rising from 405 in 2023 to 712 last year. In terms of the proportion of ComLink+ families, this is an improvement from 13 per cent in 2023 to 21 per cent in 2024.

Self-reliance in this case meant that the children of these households are not only attending preschool regularly, but have also completed all mandatory vaccinations under the Ministry of Health’s National Childhood Immunisation Schedule - one of the criteria preschool-aged children need to meet to be seen as self-reliant.

However, the increase is due to changes in data collection to include more preschools.

“This increase can be attributed to the inclusion of attendance data of families with preschool children enrolled in non-anchor operator preschools, which was not available in December 2023,” MSF said.

In any case, the data still showed that 46 per cent of ComLink+ families in 2024 had children who were enrolled in preschool and had received compulsory vaccinations but did not attend regularly, falling from 1,720 households in 2023 to 1,593 last year.

Meanwhile, the number of families whose preschool-aged children were neither enrolled nor vaccinated saw a slight rise from 986 in 2023 to 1,158 in 2024.

The proportion of ComLink+ families who had all Singaporean preschool-aged children enrolled in preschool was similar at 89 per cent in both 2023 and 2024, said MSF.

Data from the ministry also showed that 58 per cent of ComLink+ families with children in Primary 1 did not require additional learning support for their children.

“International research shows that attending quality preschools can boost children’s confidence and social skills,” the report said. “Local research also shows that children who attended preschool from age 3 were less likely to require additional learning support in primary school.

Around 69 per cent, or 5,398 ComLink+ families, had children who were enrolled in schools, attended regularly and were progressing to post-secondary education institutions.

There were 564 ComLink+ families whose children were not enrolled in schools in 2024 and had likely dropped out. This included 403 families who had at least one child aged 17 to 21 years old and had neither secondary nor post-secondary school enrolment records, the report showed.

The share of ComLink+ families whose 21-year-olds graduated from post-secondary institutions by age 21 reached 60 per cent in 2024, up slightly from 58 per cent in 2023.

FEWER HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVING COMCARE ASSISTANCE

As for ComCare financial assistance, the report's findings showed that fewer households received support from the scheme in 2024 compared with the previous year, continuing a downward trend in recent years.

ComCare provides financial assistance for households that are temporarily or permanently unable to meet their daily living expenses.

There are three major types of ComCare assistance:

• Short-to-medium term assistance (SMTA): Supports households with temporary financial assistance to meet a family’s basic living expenses
• Long-term assistance (LTA): Supports people who are permanently unable to work and have little or no family support
• Student care fee assistance (SCFA): For children from lower-income families

The number of homes supported by SMTA decreased from 22,960 in 2023 to 20,825 in 2024.

The amount of money disbursed through SMTA also fell from S$150.2 million in 2021 to S$122.5 million in 2022, S$105.1 million in 2023 and S$94 million in 2024.

The median monthly amount of cash assistance through SMTA disbursed per beneficiary in assisted households increased by S$10 to S$380 from 2023 to 2024, and up by S$31 since 2020, according to the report.

Findings from the report showed that the proportion of households that returned to SMTA within 36 months, or three years, fell from 61 per cent for the 2018 exit cohort to 49 per cent for the 2021 exit cohort.

“Across households that exited SMTA for at least one month from 2018 to 2021, most of the households that returned to SMTA within 36 months did so within the first 12 months, suggesting that households are most vulnerable to changes in their financial circumstances in the first year after exiting SMTA,” the ministry said.

The number of households supported by LTA dropped from 3,479 in 2023 to 3,240 last year.

Last year, a total of S$21.4 million was disbursed, down from S$23 million the year before.

These trends may reflect more residents working longer years, younger cohorts of elderly having higher levels of savings, and the expansion of government social support for seniors in recent years, said MSF.

SINGAPORE: After months of job applications that led nowhere, Mr Jeremy Lim, 27, became discouraged by the constant rejections and the notion that he needed an employer to give him “permission to work”.

With impending wedding bills and mortgage payments for an incoming Build-to-Order flat, the marketing and journalism graduate decided that it was time to act on a business idea that he had kept in mind for years.

He recalled a job interview in January in which a recruiter told him his past work experiences were merely internships and low-balled him with a S$1,900 monthly pay instead of the S$3,200 advertised salary.

That was the last straw for Mr Lim, who now runs Thirteen Employment Agency, which helps families hire domestic helpers.

“I remember standing up and I was telling them: ‘I would rather set up my own business again.’ And I just left.

“I can’t afford to wait up to six months, 12 months for somebody to give me permission to work, because I have bills to pay,” he told CNA.

Waiting for the right job offer felt like a risk. “But what wasn’t a risk was to get up and look at any kind of business that I could do with as little capital as possible,” he said.

The idea to start Thirteen Employment Agency came about because of his close relationship with his long-time maid who helped to raise him. It’s not his first rodeo – Mr Lim used to be the co-founder of a business that made and sold earphones.

Amid fewer job vacancies for young graduates, Mr Lim is one of many in his cohort who are deciding to work for themselves and build careers on their own terms when they enter the workforce.

For them, the uncertain economic climate and unmet job expectations are changing the calculation by making it seem comparatively less risky to start a business right out the gate.

The slightly tougher job market may nudge youths to venture into entrepreneurship much earlier, or to see starting a business as part of their portfolio of work, said Associate Professor Marilyn Uy, the Provost’s Chair in Entrepreneurship at Nanyang Business School.

Most entrepreneurs typically spend about three to eight years in the workforce before striking out on their own, she said. Those years help them build skills, savings and networks, and even spot problems worth solving.

“But in a tougher job market, the opportunity cost drops,” she said. “Fresh graduates are more willing to take the leap to entrepreneurship sooner because there’s less to give up by doing so.”

Ms Lim Ee Ling, co-founder of entrepreneurship platform Wavesparks, described what she hears from some young founders: “If the stable path is no longer stable, then why don’t I go and do this thing that I wanted to do?

“Even if I can get a job, I’m hearing so much about bad company culture, about bad managers. Why should I take that? I might as well go and do the thing that I really want, since a stable job, high income, good culture isn’t a guarantee anymore.”

“A MATTER OF WHEN”

Fresh graduates have reported feeling a sense of intense competition and limited job opportunities, with most describing their job search as difficult in a CNA straw poll earlier this year.

Labour data shows the unemployment rate for those under 30 stood at 5.5 per cent in September, while employers’ hiring sentiment has weakened.

Meanwhile, the number of primary “own-account” workers (those who do self-employed work as their main job and do not employ others) rose to 179,200 this year. More of them are choosing such work out of preference – 95.5 per cent, the highest rate since 2016.

According to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), almost 14,800 new businesses with at least one position-holder aged 30 and below were registered this year as of Nov 21.

This is fairly consistent with the numbers in the two years prior, said ACRA.

Experts pointed out that most young entrepreneurs continue to be driven by opportunity rather than economic necessity, such as being unable to find a job.

“Most graduates who choose entrepreneurship are doing so because they have an idea they believe in or a problem they feel strongly about solving,” said Professor Foo Maw Der, the President’s Chair in Entrepreneurship at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

Entrepreneurship appeals to a minority of students, between 3 and 5 per cent, said Mr Patrick Lim, CEO of the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE.SG), the national trade association for startups.

Challenges in jobseeking are not a common reason for starting a business and the most cited reason is still the desire for career freedom, he added.

Wavesparks’ Ms Lim said the change is likely occurring among youths who fall somewhere between those who have always wanted to start a business and will do so, and those who have never wanted to be entrepreneurs.

This middle group comprises those who are curious about and open to entrepreneurship, who may have thought about starting their own business but only in the future, after some years of work experience.

“This group are the ones that potentially are shifting a bit more to: ‘Okay, let's take the step now. Let’s make the jump right now,’” said Ms Lim.

She added that the hunger for entrepreneurship is also partly fuelled by increased exposure from social media, which has put a spotlight on success stories and side hustles that turn into full-time gigs.

For Mr Demetrius Tan, 28, a futile job search turned out to be the push needed to pursue his long-time dream of starting his own 3D printing design business.

After graduating from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with a degree in mechanical engineering, he sent close to 200 job applications without yielding any real leads.  

“Since I couldn’t really get a full-time job, and I always wanted to start a business on my own … then I felt like at that point, I still had coaching as a source of income, so how about I give this a chance?” said Mr Tan, who is also a part-time floorball coach.

In June, Mr Tan used the capital he earned from his coaching gig to launch Vincible3d.

From his bedroom studio, he designs and prints lamps, vases and customisable floorball stick holders.

NUS computer science graduate Eugene Chia and his co-founders began work on their startup Ecovolt Technologies in 2024, while still studying. The business supplies smart, energy-efficient building management systems.

“It’s always been an eventuality that I would start my own thing,” said the 26-year-old, adding that it was “a matter of when” he would do it.

Before graduation, Mr Chia simultaneously applied for sales engineering jobs, expecting to secure a high four-figure salary. If this worked out, becoming an employee would be a “no-brainer”.

But when the ideal job did not land, he decided to go all out on the venture with his two co-founders. He graduated this June and the company was incorporated a month later.

“I’ve been in the student startup space in NUS for a while, and there are exceedingly few graduates who would do startups right off the bat,” he said.

Once a suitable job offer lands, “very, very few would be able to resist the temptation of certainty” from a monthly pay cheque and choose entrepreneurship instead, he said.

BUILDING “PORTFOLIO CAREERS”

Another response to uncertainty is to hedge one’s bets by diversifying income streams and picking up a variety of skills, rather than sticking to a single 9-to-5 job.

These have been dubbed “portfolio careers”.

“A portfolio career basically refers to acquiring many different skill sets because you don’t know what’s going to be the lasting skill set that’s needed, and because the world is changing so fast,” said Wavesparks’ Ms Lim.

Singapore is likely to see more such portfolio careers, said Dr Julien Salanave, a startup founder, venture capitalist and professor at ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific.

Entrepreneurial skills are important for such workers because they are not just gratifying one employer, but must dynamically manage multiple projects and stakeholders, he said.

Such careers are much more resilient, according to Dr Salanave. “Even if you lose one employer, you’re not losing everything you develop.”

When she was not able to land a full-time job, Ms Law Dan Qi, a food technology graduate, took up an internship at a food research company.

The 23-year-old also started a home-based drink business, 567 Spill The Tea, selling Thai-inspired drinks, matcha and banana pudding on the weekends.

Although both gigs are temporary until she secures a full-time job, having them provides some form of reassurance.

“It gives me some security in a way, like if I were to not secure a full-time position after my internship, at least I have something else going for me, that I can continue running or investing all of my energy into,” she said.

Running a business has also taught her skills such as acquiring suppliers, which adds to her portfolio of experiences, she said.

FEAR OF LAGGING BEHIND

Striking out at a young age poses challenges, including the need for capital and the self-doubt that arises when straying from convention.

Employment agent Mr Lim was fortunate to get support from his father for his capital of S$10,000. Most of it went towards obtaining his industry licence.

He works on his own from home and his main ongoing expenses are subscriptions to online tools – Canva and ChatGPT. He uses AI chatbots to perform work tasks since he has no employees.

Despite keeping costs low, he has yet to turn a profit, and has given himself one year to make his business viable. Meanwhile, he continues to interview for jobs and is open to running his agency on the side if he finds employment.

But there is already an opportunity cost from entrepreneurship – time. Mr Lim pointed out that he could have graduated from university earlier if he had not divided his attention between his studies and his first business.

Mr Tan has given himself two years to build his 3D printing business – a deadline set with his father’s impending retirement in mind. The timeline gives him space to set up the business, research and assess whether to continue.

“If things don't go well by the time I hit 30, I think I’ll just go back to the ‘Singaporean dream’, look for a full-time job and work towards retirement,” he said.

Others on this path worry about whether the experience they are building up will matter to future employers.

Mr Dave Ho, who graduated with a degree in business analytics last December, decided to pursue livestreaming as a full-time career in May. He livestreams seven days a week, working with a wide range of brands to promote products from luxury goods to electronics.

Initially, Mr Ho felt like he was “lagging behind” his peers.

“A lot of people don’t really understand this, and people still ask me: ‘Hey, when are you going to find a corporate job?’” said the 27-year-old.

Although he has picked up skills like communication, problem-solving and rapport-building through his livestreams, he feels he would have to “reset from square one” if he were to return to a corporate job.

“I don’t think (employers) will care a lot about the live-streaming. I think the circumstances will not change,” he said.

FALLBACK PLAN

The youths’ concerns align with experts’ advice for young entrepreneurs to have a fallback plan.

A good plan involves setting a clear timeline or metrics to review progress, and recognising transferable skills, said Prof Foo from NTU.

“It provides a sense of security for both the entrepreneur and their family, which in turn allows the founder to take more considered, strategic risks rather than desperate ones.”

He reassured that entrepreneurial experience is “highly valued” by employers.

“Skills in customer discovery, digital marketing or operations are directly transferable to roles in product management, business development and corporate innovation,” he said.

Graduates with entrepreneurial experience demonstrate qualities like ownership, adaptability and problem-solving, said Ms Priscilla Koh, head of entrepreneurship at the Singapore University of Social Sciences’ Student Success Centre.

“Some organisations appreciate the initiative and resilience that entrepreneurship fosters while others may view it as a less traditional career route,” she said.

Youth entrepreneurship is unlikely to abate given the proliferation of initiatives in schools to encourage young founders, experts observed.

Those who do take the plunge will be forced to confront what they are capable of and learn hard truths about themselves.

As an entrepreneur, “every mistake that you made, every missed opportunity, every customer that you pissed off accidentally, that is on you”, said Mr Lim, the employment agency owner.

“It hurts my ego a lot. I find myself reflecting on the business at night, whether this will work out,” he said.

“But I have to wake up every day with that resilience, to tell myself that I have to carry on, because that’s what an entrepreneur is. We have to solve problems.”

SINGAPORE: I still recall the force of the chair striking me before I hit the floor. It was decades ago, when I was a junior doctor. A caregiver attacked me just as I entered the ward. I fell to the ground, stunned, as my colleagues rushed to assist me.

Even now, the memory of the numbness, helplessness and embarrassment remains vivid. It was a moment that could have driven me away from medicine, but I stayed.

Why do we, as healthcare professionals, continue to serve, even when faced with such hostility? According to a tripartite workgroup’s survey, almost one in three healthcare professionals in Singapore witnesses or experiences abuse at least once a week.

While healthcare workers strive to provide the best possible care, abuse and harassment take a severe psychological and physical toll. Those subjected to threats or harassment often face heightened risks of burnout, depression and anxiety.

Abuse also worsens job dissatisfaction, absenteeism and turnover. In Singapore’s ageing society, where demand for healthcare workers is only set to increase, abuse and harassment can jeopardise the much-needed inflow of manpower into our healthcare sector.

Yet, even in the face of such challenges, the dedication of our healthcare professionals remains unwavering. They continue to answer a calling that demands personal sacrifice, often in high-stress environments.

But this steadfast commitment should never be mistaken for an acceptance of mistreatment. There is, and never will be, an excuse to abuse those who dedicate themselves to healing others. It is our collective duty to ensure a safe and respectful environment for healthcare workers.

ENCOURAGING SIGNS

Consider the experience of a pharmacist, Ms Tan. In April, she encountered a patient who had become visibly frustrated with a long wait at the pharmacy.

When it was finally his turn, he became uncooperative and, upon being informed of the estimated collection time, erupted – accusing the hospital of being inefficient, turning his frustrations towards Ms Tan by raising his voice at her.

Throughout the encounter, Ms Tan held her ground with composure. She listened patiently, acknowledged his frustration, and calmly offered alternatives such as medication delivery. Though the patient eventually accepted the solution, his anger lingered.

But what struck Ms Tan was what happened after the confrontation. A second patient, who had quietly witnessed the exchange, walked up to the counter and gently asked her, “Are you okay? I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

That simple act of compassion meant the world to her. A check-in or thank you can lift a healthcare worker’s spirits and motivate them to keep going during tough times. 

To me, it also reflected something encouraging: that public understanding of appropriate behaviour in healthcare settings is growing. Besides increased awareness of the pressures healthcare frontliners face, it also shows that the public is willing to speak up in support.

SAFEGUARDING WORKERS FROM ABUSE AND HARASSMENT

It is leadership’s responsibility to translate these experiences into meaningful, systemic change. For this reason, the Tripartite Framework for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment was launched in 2023. It is deeply informed by my own and others' lived realities.

The framework provides healthcare institutions with a definition of abuse and harassment, as well as a set of standards for protecting their workers. To put the framework into action, we introduced the “3Rs” at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Yishun Community Hospital: Recognise the early signs of abusive behaviour; respond to de-escalate the situation; and report all cases of abuse and harassment.

Effective leadership involves proactively safeguarding those who provide care. While there are no simple solutions to achieving zero incidents of harassment and abuse, my message to all healthcare professionals, including junior staff and frontliners, is: Don’t ignore it. Speak up and use the support systems available to protect yourself and your colleagues.

A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY 

While policy and structural safeguards are important, meaningful change often begins with us. Small but sincere everyday actions can collectively send a powerful message.

Start with empathy and patience. Healthcare encounters can be emotionally charged for many reasons, but it's important to remember that staff are doing their best, often under intense pressure. A calm and understanding approach from both members of the public and healthcare professionals can help de-escalate difficult situations and create space for better communication.

Speak with respect, even when things don’t go as expected. Feedback is important and should always be heard – but channelling it through official platforms or constructive dialogue ensures your concerns are addressed without compromising someone else’s dignity.

Recognise that healthcare professionals are human too. A kind word, a note of encouragement, or a simple “thank you” can resonate deeply with someone who may be carrying more than they show.

If you witness unacceptable behaviour – whether it’s aggression, harassment or disrespect – don’t look away. Where it feels safe to do so, offer support or report the incident. Your voice can make a difference.

And finally, take a moment to reflect on what respectful behaviour in healthcare settings truly means. Awareness is the first step toward accountability and building a system that works better for everyone.

This is not just about shielding individuals from harm. It’s about protecting the very spirit of care and compassion that binds our healthcare system together. It is a responsibility that requires each of us to do our part.

Prof Chua Hong Choon is Co-Chairman of the Tripartite Workgroup for Prevention of Abuse and Harassment in Healthcare, and Chief Executive Officer at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital & Yishun Community Hospital.

BANGKOK: Singapore swimming national head coach Gary Tan praised his team’s “resilience” as they capped off their SEA Games campaign with 19 golds, eight silvers and seven bronzes.

This, in particular, given the team's tough start at the meet where they took seven golds after the three days of competition.

“When we went in to assess and talk to the coaches and actually have a conversation with the kids, the team started to lift together and come together. And if there's one thing that we got from this event and this competition, (it) was the resilience that these team and members brought to these Games,” said Tan.

“I am very, very happy. It makes me more happy than winning 23 gold medals. This 19 meant so much to us, knowing that we came from behind … People were doubting, and I told this team to stick their head down and just go for it.”

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Tan added that he could not ask for more from his swimmers.

The 19 gold haul is more than triple that of the next closest nation, Vietnam, which won six.

At the same time, this is the swimmers’ lowest in four editions, matching the same number they won at the 2017 Games. They won 22 at the 2023 edition, 21 at the 2022 Games and 23 in 2019.

The threats posed by a number of countries in the region were also evident.

In particular, Indonesia’s Jason Donovan Yusuf and Thailand's Kamonchanok Kwanmuang ended longstanding winning streaks held by various Singaporean swimmers in the men's 100m backstroke as well as the women's 100m and 200m freestyle events.

The Philippines’ Kayla Sanchez also anchored her team to the women's 4x100 freestyle relay title, the country's first ever, while Thailand upset Singapore in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.

“There will always be someone that comes through,” said Tan. “We can only stick in our lane and focus on our own mission, and that mission is to look forward.”

Singapore’s star performers include Letitia Sim, who won five golds and set as many Games records, as well as Gan Ching Hwee, who became the first Singaporean to complete a sweep of the 200m, 400m and 800m events for the third consecutive Games. 

This meet marks a “turning point” as a new generation comes through, said Tan.

“I will not deny there are gaps. But as a generation comes through, we do need to know that we have some sort of renewal,” he added.

“And as a national team, we do need to make sure that every single year we build on it, we see what our gaps are, and we just try our best to make sure that we rectify those gaps as soon as we can, heading into 2029 (SEA Games in Singapore) especially .”

Tan said he had estimated that the swimmers would take 18 golds from the meet.

“We came home with one more than the … expected gold medal prediction,” he said. “This last day really pushed it for us.”

On the final day of competition in the pool, Singapore’s swimmers ended their Games with a flourish, taking five golds.

In the men’s 200m backstroke, Quah Zheng Wen won his third gold of the Games in the men’s 200 backstroke.

He clocked 2:00.62 to finish ahead of Indonesia’s Farrel Tangkas and Thailand’s Tonnam Kanteemool.

“This win for me is definitely one of the most memorable and one of the most important to me,” said Quah.

“It’s been a very long year, it’s been tough. And it just feels like vindication and proof to myself that everything that I worked for this year may not have come together completely for my other races, but I still managed to put it down tonight and get the win for Team Singapore, and that means everything to me.”

Later in the evening, Gan clocked a new Games record time in the 200m freestyle to finish ahead of Vietnam’s Vo Thi My Tien and Thailand’s Kamonchanok.

“It’s most definitely extra special (to be the first Singaporean to achieve this,” said Gan of her feat. “It’s a testament to the work I’ve put in over the years.”

Chan Jun Hao won his second gold of the Games as he touched home in a new national record time of 27.68s ahead of Malaysia’s Andrew Goh (27.96s) and Indonesia’s Felix Iberle (28.02s) in the men’s 50m breaststroke final.

Another Games record would fall in the women’s 4X100m medley relay as Julia Yeo, Letitia Sim, Quah Ting Wen and Quah Jing Wen clocked 4:05.79.

Philippines took silver (4:09.33), while Thailand clinched bronze (4:11.55).

This is Quah Jing Wen and 14-year-old Julia’s first gold of the meet.

“Seeing us touch first and then a meet record with just everything going on, I was just like - this is why I love this sport so much. It gives me such low lows and such high highs,” said Quah Jing Wen.

“And I just have to remember this feeling. I am doing this for my people and my teammates … I just love this sport …  it’s a part of my life.”

SINGAPORE: Eight passengers and a bus captain remained in hospital on Monday (Dec 15), a day after a collision between two public buses in Jurong West left dozens injured.

Forty-four people were taken to hospital after a bus operated by Tower Transit rear-ended a stationary bus operated by SBS Transit at the traffic lights along Jurong West Avenue 1 on Sunday morning. 

Both bus captains were among those taken to hospital. 

In response to CNA’s queries, the Land Transport Authority (LTA), SBS Transit and Tower Transit said on Monday that eight passengers were still in hospital for treatment and observation, and their conditions were stable.

“The Tower Transit bus captain is currently in stable condition and remains in hospital to receive care,” they said in a joint statement, adding that SBS Transit’s bus captain was discharged on Sunday.

“Our teams will continue to check on their well-being and provide our support, including professional counselling, should they need it,” they added.

Police earlier said that a 49-year-old male bus driver was assisting with investigations into the collision. 

When asked for an update on the incident's investigation, LTA and the bus operators said Tower Transit was working closely with the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.

“Separately, this morning, Tower Transit conducted mandatory safety briefings across our bus depots to reinforce critical safety protocols and ensure our bus captains stay focused on road safety,” they added.

Tower Transit has been assisting affected passengers with all relevant claims.

“Our teams are still working hard to reach about 10 passengers who have been discharged but have not spoken to us,” said LTA, Tower Transit and SBS Transit.

“We urge these passengers or their family members to contact us at their earliest convenience so we can offer our support.”

Passengers who were on board the affected buses can seek assistance with Tower Transit at 1800 248 0950 or at the email address feedback [at] towertransit.sg (feedback[at]towertransit[dot]sg) or with SBS Transit at 1800 287 2727 or at the email address customercare [at] sbstransit.com.sg (customercare[at]sbstransit[dot]com[dot]sg).

Footage and photos of the collision's aftermath obtained by 8world showed several injured people sitting and lying on the ground, with one image showing an individual lying on the floor of one of the buses.

One person had to be rescued from one of the buses by officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Monday (Dec 15) that it has purchased 660 new electric buses, which will progressively be deployed for passenger service from end-2026.

The new electric buses will replace diesel buses that are reaching the end of their statutory lifespan, LTA said in a news release.

Six contracts were awarded for the new electric buses, comprising 360 single-deck and 300 double-deck buses.

This marks LTA's first large-scale purchase of electric double-deck buses.

“LTA is committed to having a 100 per cent cleaner energy bus fleet by 2040,” the authority said.

“By 2030, electric buses are expected to make up half of our public bus fleet. More tenders for electric buses will be called in the coming years.”

The contracts were awarded to ST Engineering Mobility Services, BYD, Yutong and Cycle & Carriage Automotive.

ST Engineering will supply 100 electric single-deck buses and 150 electric double-deck buses at a contract sum of about S$35.7 million (US$27.6 million) and S$79 million, respectively. 

BYD (Singapore) was awarded a contract sum of about S$71.3 million and S$34.5 million for 160 electric single-deck buses and 50 electric double-deck buses, respectively. 

Cycle & Carriage Automotive will provide 100 electric double-deck buses for S$57.8 million.

Yutong International Trade - Yutong Bus Consortium was awarded a contract of S$43.9 million for 100 electric single-deck buses.

The new electric buses will include a passenger information display system and improved battery technology and capacity. 

They will also have safety systems in place to assist bus captains, such as collision warning, a driver anti-fatigue monitoring system and a camera mirror system.

As part of Singapore’s push for a cleaner energy public bus fleet, LTA awarded its first large-scale electric bus tender in November 2023, with plans to fully deploy 420 of these vehicles by early 2026.

BANGKOK: Singapore’s Calvin Quek ended a six-decade wait for gold in the men’s 400m hurdles at the 33rd SEA Games on Monday (Dec 15).

At the Suphachalasai stadium, Quek clocked a time of 50.27s to cross the line ahead of Vietnam’s Nguyen Duc Son and Le Quoc Huy.

"This is something ... I've been working towards since 2023. (It's) been a tough 2024," said Quek, who was visibly emotional when speaking to reporters after the race.

"Thankfully, I think 2025 was a good season. From start to end, the timings were great and I was consistent."

The last Singaporean man to win gold in the event was M Gunasena at the 1965 Games.

At the 2022 Games, Quek clinched a bronze, which was Singapore’s first medal in the event since 1969.

He followed up with another bronze at the last edition of the Games in Cambodia.

"There was a lot of pressure to win this gold medal after my national record performance," said Quek, who rewrote his own national record in August with a time of 49.75s.

"It’s just a lot of relief being able to finally achieve this after a whole year of hard work.”

This is Singapore's third athletics gold at this edition of the Games after a historic second consecutive sprint double by Shanti Pereira. Both Pereira and Quek are coached by Luis Cunha.

"Right up till I joined coach Luis, I was not there, I was nowhere close ... to even qualifying for a major Games, a SEA Games," said Quek.

The Singaporean said he was focused on executing his own race en route to winning gold.

"I wasn't able to see where my opponents were in that last stretch. I just know I (was) clearly in front and I just had to stay in front no matter what."

Shanti Pereira ended her Games campaign as the women’s 4x100m relay team finished fourth. The team set a new national record of 44.41s, bettering the previous mark of 44.66s that was recorded at the Asian Athletics Championship earlier this year.

Andrew George Medina secured a bronze in the men's long jump with an effort of 7.53m.

Thiruben Thana Rajan, who holds the national record in the 800m event, finished seventh.