SINGAPORE: Three men will be charged in court on Thursday (Mar 12) over falsified finswimming race timings that were submitted for the 2023 Southeast Asian Games selection process. 

The police said they were alerted to the case by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), which lodged a report about the suspected falsified race timing results by the Singapore Underwater Federation (SUF).

This resulted in six SUF athletes being selected by the SNOC for the 2023 SEA Games finswimming events held in Cambodia.

“Investigations revealed that in January 2023, the three men, who were SUF coaches, had allegedly falsified the race results of SUF athletes from an overseas finswimming event,” the police said in a media release.

“The three men had conspired to submit a document containing these falsified results to the SNOC as an appeal submission, resulting in six SUF athletes being selected to participate in the Games. These six athletes would not have been selected had it not been for the falsified results.”

The men - aged 33, 35 and 56 - will be charged for their suspected involvement in abetment by conspiracy to commit forgery for the purpose of cheating.

The offence carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

A committee of inquiry was convened by SNOC and Sport Singapore in July 2024 to investigate allegations that SUF had falsified results for the women's 4x200m surface relay finswimming event.

Investigations, which ended in February 2025, concluded that the results submitted were indeed falsified. It also identified "areas of poor governance" and a failure within SUF to report wrongdoings of those involved.

SNOC and SportSG then released a statement on the matter in March 2025, adding that a police report had been lodged. 

Finswimming is split into several categories, with swimmers using monofins - the ones resembling fish tails - and others wearing bifins or stereofins - those typically used by scuba divers.

According to an archive of the 2023 SEA Games website and a copy of the finish sheet uploaded online by Sportalsub.net, a team comprising Bernice Ting, Jamie Ang, Vanessa Ong and Jovita Ho represented Singapore in the 4x200m surface relay at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.

They finished last in the four-team final, about 50 seconds behind winners Vietnam.

Jovita told CNA in March 2025 that as an athlete, she was focused on training and not on what she saw as "miscommunication" within SUF.

“The four girls who are mentioned are the victims,” she said. “We did represent the country, and we did do our part.”

To culture and heritage buffs, Armenian Street is about to get lively.

The Peranakan Museum will host its 10th annual Armenian Street Party from Mar 13 to 15. Armenian Street Party: A Peranakan Gathering celebrates the cross-cultural heritage of Peranakan communities through art installations, theatre, food, literature and community performances.

This year’s edition is presented in partnership with the Peranakan Association Singapore, Gunong Sayang Association, Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association of Singapore and the Arab Network@Singapore.

Admission is free, although selected programmes and activities require pre-registration.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT ARMENIAN STREET PARTY 2026

One highlight is Threads of Gathering, a mixed-media installation by artist Dawn Koh located in front of the Peranakan Museum facade. The work features butterflies, peacocks and birds as motifs symbolising transformation and connection, and visitors are invited to engage with and contribute to the evolving installation.

On the theatre front, Cultural Medallion recipient Alvin Tan and The Necessary Stage will premiere Tapestry, a new stage production that reimagines three Peranakan stories for contemporary audiences.

Community performance is also a key focus. Hati Kampong Chorus, presented by the Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association of Singapore, expands into an intergenerational showcase featuring local performers and migrant workers.

In collaboration with Mediacorp, the festival will also feature a mystery-themed experience inspired by the English-language drama Aunty Lee’s Deadly Delights, based on Ovidia Yu’s literary series. Cast members – including Vernetta Lopez, Pierre Png and Norman Ishak – will make appearances and take part in meet-and-greet sessions.

Food programmes form another major component. Visitors can sign up for Kueh & Kopi, a picnic-style experience featuring a curated box of kueh prepared in collaboration with community associations. Cooking demonstrations will also be held with Peranakan chef Nyonya Shirley Tay of Dapor Diva, who will share recipes and tips for dishes such as ayam buah keluak.

Meanwhile, O’ My Darling, a food truck by Old Chang Kee, will feature a specially designed menu, and Sweet Spot, a Peranakan dessert pop-up inspired by traditional flavours, will also be part of the line-up.

Elsewhere, members of Baba Gabra, a community group dedicated to preserving the Baba Malay language, will compose personalised pantuns (poems in Malay) with English translations for visitors. The museum’s literary showcase will also feature a selection of titles celebrating Peranakan literature, supported by the National Library Board.

Other activities include workshops inspired by Peranakan florals; herbs and spices; a bingo challenge; Peranakan-themed games and a dress-up photo experience where visitors can try on traditional attire.

Clement Onn, Director of the Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum, said: “Armenian Street Party invites everyone to share in the joy of Peranakan culture through food, fashion, performance, and craft workshops.

“Together with our community partners, we look forward to welcoming visitors to the museum to experience and celebrate Peranakan culture in new and meaningful ways.”

SINGAPORE: ComfortDelGro (CDG) will build and operate a new driving centre in Choa Chu Kang that will replace the Bukit Batok Driving Centre by 2030, the company announced on Wednesday (Mar 11). 

It is part of CDG's S$200 million (US$157 million) investment over 30 years to modernise and expand training capabilities in Singapore. 

“The group intends to invest in new training facilities, advanced technologies and operations to meet sustained demand for high-quality, school-based driver training, and to address the declining number of private driving instructors,” the company said.

The new facility is located at a S$38 million site at Lorong Bistari with a 30-year lease.

Billed as a “next-generation driving centre”, the multi-storey facility has a gross floor area of about 72,500 sq m, which will allow CDG to expand training capacity significantly, the company said.

A key feature is the use of "intelligence driving circuit technologies", said CDG.

"These include sensors, cameras, and real-time monitoring and artificial intelligence-driven assessments, which allow for more objective and independent training," it added.

"The technology reduces reliance on instructors, improves productivity, and supports a shift towards the greater use of instructor-less and tester-less training environments."

There will also be dedicated heavy-vehicle training for Class 4 and Class 5 licences, simulators, classrooms and a road safety gallery at the new driving centre. 

Lorong Bistari is now an access road at the western fringe of Choa Chu Kang and will be realigned to serve the future driving centre.

Operations at the new centre will start in phases. Its nearest MRT station is Yew Tee station. 

“We are honoured to be entrusted with this pivotal project. The next-generation driving centre will deliver high-quality, technology-enabled training that benefits learners through more efficient and objective assessments, while contributing to safer roads in Singapore,” said ComfortDelGro Driving Centre CEO Vincent Tan.