Asia Tonight - Wed 4 Jun 2025
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CNA
7 hours ago
- CNA
Police Coast Guard steps up patrols around Sentosa after security barriers damaged
The Police Coast Guard has stepped up patrols around Sentosa, after a barge damaged a portion of floating security barriers on Jun 6 morning. The container barge was found grounded along the shore of Sentosa's Tanjong Beach. Authorities say no one was hurt and there is no risk of pollution. Associate Professor Goh Puay Guan from the Centre for Maritime Studies at the National University of Singapore discusses the incident. He talks about how the barge might have detached from the tug boat and if there were any lapses in protocol.
Independent Singapore
10 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
'Death by a thousand cuts': Bukit Batok forest faces imminent axe despite wildlife warnings and public outcry
SINGAPORE: A young forest tucked behind the HomeTeamNS Adventure Centre in Bukit Batok is set to be mostly cleared for housing development, despite warnings from environmentalists and a recently released Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) urging caution. The forest, which grew naturally on cleared land since the 1960s, has become a key habitat and corridor for endangered species, including the critically endangered straw-headed bulbul—one of the rarest songbirds in the world. Singapore is its last global stronghold, and the Bukit Batok plot is one of its few remaining footholds in the west. A patch too small? Only 0.48 hectares of the forest—less than 10 per cent of the existing vegetation—will be retained as a 'stepping stone' for wildlife movement between the western green spaces and the Central Nature Reserves. The rest of the 5.5-hectare forest will be cleared to make way for a 14.5-hectare housing estate at the junction of Bukit Batok Road and Bukit Batok West Avenue 5. The plot includes the current Bukit Batok Driving Centre and nearby scrubland. See also Why did HDB hire US based lawyers when it is in deficit? To compensate, the report proposes greening the new estate with native flora and creating a forest-like vertical structure to support flying fauna. For ground-based wildlife, NParks is exploring the possibility of dedicated crossings. But the measures haven't gone far enough for conservationists. 'This is a very small patch with decent butterfly diversity, which suggests it's well connected to surrounding forests,' said ecologist Dr Anuj Jain, who has studied the area. 'It's like death by a thousand cuts' Youth nature group, Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity (SYVB), called for more decisive action. Outreach head Jayden Kang raised concerns over the limited forest retention in Bukit Batok. He noted that developments like Tengah had already affected the western ecological network, and suggested that further clearing could worsen the impact. He likened the current pattern of fragmented development to 'death by a thousand cuts.' The ecological implications go beyond Bukit Batok. Experts warn that Singapore's wildlife relies on forest corridors to move, breed, and maintain genetic diversity. If these green links are severed, it could lead to population crashes among already fragile species. See also "Superman" spotted in Singapore! Reports about this development acknowledged that construction will likely cause 'noticeable stress' on flora and flying fauna, even with mitigation in place. Backlash on World Environment Day On June 5—World Environment Day—the Instagram account of Woodlands Botanical Gardens published a scathing response. 'It is incredibly disgusting how they try to cheat the people by saying they will retain a tiny bit of forest,' the post read. 'There is not enough buffer zone to minimise impact. Even when the EIA says it's not a good idea, you still go ahead. So what then is the use of an EIA?' The post also questioned the sincerity of the public consultation process, accusing agencies of offering feedback opportunities only to 'show face'—not to meaningfully engage. 'Stop trying to placate the people with cheap tactics,' the group added. 'Walk the talk you falsely showcase to the world.' In a pointed remark, the group proposed an alternative: demolish underutilised Good Class Bungalows (GCBs) instead of natural forests if the aim is truly to house more people. See also Singapore Catholic churches offer shelter to homeless people 'GCBs house four or five. HDBs house hundreds. If housing is a basic need, then prioritise it where it matters.' What happens next? While there is no official timeline yet, signs point to redevelopment beginning in the next decade. The Bukit Batok Driving Centre's lease has been extended till the end of 2028, and a new clubhouse replacing HomeTeamNS' facilities is expected by 2031. Public feedback on the EIA is open until June 15 at 6 p.m. on the HDB website. But many in the nature community are already sceptical of whether public sentiment will sway planning outcomes. For now, the future of the Bukit Batok forest—and the wildlife that calls it home—remains hanging in the balance. What is clear is that trust in the system has been shaken. And once the trees fall, there may be no going back.
CNA
17 hours ago
- CNA
Fine for blogger who claimed in video that Josephine Teo made offensive remarks against Malays
SINGAPORE: A blogger posted a video on TikTok claiming that Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo had made offensive remarks against Malays. Manmeet Singh Bahadar Singh did so after he received a link from an unknown person to a WordPress blog with the alleged offensive content. Singh, 57, then posted a commentary about the content without verifying its authenticity. He removed it once he realised that he had been "led on" by the unknown person, his lawyers S S Dhillon and Jasjeet Singh Harjindar Singh told the court. Singh was fined S$6,000 (US$4,700) on Friday (Jun 6) after he pleaded guilty to one charge of knowingly committing an act which promoted disharmony between different racial groups. Singh is a blogger who posts about socio-political issues on TikTok, among other social media platforms. He has been previously featured in the media as former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian's bodyguard. HOW THE OFFENCE HAPPENED Before he posted the offending content on TikTok on Aug 12, 2024, he received a link to a WordPress blog post via WhatsApp from an unknown person. The blog post alleged that Mrs Teo, when asked about racial progress during an interview with Chinese media on Singapore's 59-year development, had made an offensive remark against Malays. Singh felt angry and offended. On the morning of Aug 12, 2024, he posted a video on his TikTok account with a visible representation bearing the words "Minister Josephine Teo blurted 'Malays are i*****' in a Chinese interview". He then repeated the blog post's allegations. Singh did not verify the authenticity of the claims on the blog post before making his video. In the video, Singh repeats the allegations and tells viewers to "go look it up". He then adds, "I have been voicing out for, you know, against racial discrimination in Singapore. And look what happened now? My prediction's right!" He finishes the video with the phrase "bring them down", according to court documents. At the time of the offences, Singh's TikTok account had around 9,054 followers. The video was available long enough for Mrs Teo's colleagues and a reporter to ask the minister about it. Around four hours after the video was published, Mrs Teo told her press secretary about it. The press secretary then downloaded a copy of the video and lodged a police report. Later that day, Singh suspected the allegations were false and removed the TikTok video by 1.40pm. He then posted another video in which he apologised to Mrs Teo, noting that his previous allegation was probably false. By 3pm, however, TikTok removed this video. Subsequently, Mrs Teo posted on social media platforms to state that the allegations were false. The blog post that sparked the offences was not available as of 6.30pm on Aug 12, 2024. Singh was arrested on Feb 4, 2025 and released on bail the next day. In mitigation, Mr Dhillon told the court the circumstances under which his client had been "led on" by the unknown person who sent him the blog post. Singh was on his way to work as a warehouse assistant when this person texted him and included the link to the offensive blog post. This person then encouraged Singh to do "what you need to do", said Mr Dhillon. "At the time, Manmeet had just alighted from his bus and was walking to his then-workplace, which was about a 10-minute walk from the bus stop. "Manmeet felt angry and offended and elected to take a snapshot of the blog post on his phone and proceeded to record a video of himself commenting on the alleged statement on his phone whilst walking," Mr Dhillon and Mr Singh said. Singh then went about his work. As he was working, he started having second thoughts about his post, as he had a growing suspicion that its contents were fake. However, as Singh's work involved sensitive information, he did not have access to his phone until lunch. "To his surprise and shock, he realised that the unknown person who had sent him the WhatsApp message that morning had deleted his account as well as the said message," the defence lawyers said. "This confirmed Manmeet's suspicions that he had been falsely led on." Singh immediately removed his video and published an apology video on his TikTok account. Unbeknownst to him, TikTok removed this video by 3pm. He subsequently posted a second video to apologise. The defence lawyers said that Singh was "racked with guilt" over his actions. "Manmeet is not in the business of making his videos for profit or clout. His content is akin to an extension of himself and his views, which he shares because he feels responsible to raise awareness," said the lawyers. Singh has since "deliberately steered clear of associating with other politicians to avoid controversy", the lawyers said. He also actively vets his news sources. The defence asked for a S$2,000 fine for Singh.
