CNA938 Rewind - The Wellness Hour - How your bulbs might be messing with your wellness
CNA938 Rewind
What if the lighting in your home or office could boost your mood, sharpen your focus, and help you sleep better? Cheryl Goh speaks with Fabian Choh, Public and Government Affairs Leader (ASEAN) at Signify, to illuminate how proper lighting could be the wellness upgrade you didn't know you needed.
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Independent Singapore
an hour ago
- Independent Singapore
53-year-old retrenched Singaporean dad launches indoor air quality company after his toddler kept falling sick
SINGAPORE: A 53-year-old Singaporean dad, Jay Choy, who had worked for 26 years at a Japanese multinational company, was retrenched in December 2022, with no job in sight. Around the same time, his 15-month-old son, Jayson, had just started infant care and was often unwell with high fever and a runny nose. Little did he know that looking for something more sustainable for his son's health than just relying on medication would lead to the launch of his own company. Mr Choy then remembered an air purification technology he had previously promoted in his former job, called BioZone Photoplasma™. After installing the unit in his son's room, he said 'the air felt noticeably fresher within days', and his son's symptoms began to ease. Over the next month, his son's health gradually improved. Motivated by his own experience, Mr Choy started reviewing lab reports, real-world studies, and client testimonials about indoor air quality. By February 2023, he had set up FJ SafeSpace Pte Ltd—a business focused on improving indoor air quality in homes, schools, offices, and industrial spaces. The company offers complimentary indoor air quality audits using uHoo advanced air sensors, which are certified by the Singapore Green Building Council. They also benchmark clients' indoor environments against Green Mark 2021, an internationally recognised green building certification scheme tailored for the tropical climate. In addition, they provide solutions using BioZone Photoplasma™ technology to deal with viruses, bacteria, fine dust, volatile organic compounds ( VOCs), and odours. Since its launch, the company has conducted over 140 indoor air quality audits, working with families, childcare centres, offices, F&B outlets, and industrial sites. Mr Choy, who shares audit results (with consent) on LinkedIn to raise public awareness, found this often led to referrals and client collaborations. One success story was when printing and packaging company KPP Packaging faced lingering food smells and frequent staff sick days in their office. After working with FJ SafeSpace, the company reported fewer sick days among staff and improved productivity. They later added more units on the production floor. See also Singapore trader stocking 3,000 swimming pools of sugar! In early 2025, Mr Choy enrolled in the Corporate Environment & Sustainability Executive Programme at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He had already completed the Green Mark Associate course by the Singapore Green Building Council in 2023. His wife, who works in finance, has been a steady support throughout the journey, while their son, Jayson, remains his daily reminder of why the work matters. Mr Choy said, 'I want all children to grow up in a world where clean air is the norm, not a luxury. That means protecting both the spaces we live in and the planet we live on.' /TISG Read also: Singapore women entrepreneurs find global success through Amazon Global Selling
Independent Singapore
an hour ago
- Independent Singapore
Man finds out his colleague earns S$500 more than him, asks if he should speak up or stay silent
SINGAPORE: A Singapore-based tech sales employee recently discovered that he's being paid hundreds of dollars less than a colleague who joined the company at the same time. Posting anonymously on the r/askSingapore forum, the employee shared that the topic of pay arose during a casual dinner with his teammates, where they began comparing their base salaries. 'We were discussing our base pay, and I realized that I've been getting paid significantly less (around S$400 to S$500),' he said. 'At first, I thought it might be because they had been with the company longer, but one colleague who joined at the same time as me (we even went through the interview process together last year) is being paid much more as well.' Uncertain about how to proceed, he turned to the online community for advice, asking, 'Am I supposed to just accept this, or should I bring it up with HR? Even though I know that might go against what the contract says?' 'The salary offered will differ from one person to another…' In the comments, one user pointed out that while the situation may feel unfair, the employee had ultimately agreed to his salary terms when he accepted the offer. 'You agreed to your terms of employment when you signed the contract,' the user wrote. 'You can ask, but there is really no basis. I mean, you agreed on the contract and (signed), right?' Another added, 'In the same job role, there are several factors to be considered that qualify you—market rates (at that moment), experience, qualifications, particular niche skillsets, and others. Hence, the salary offered will differ from one person to another. Every candidate is different, even for the same role. You also agreed to the contract when you signed the offer.' A third, however, urged him to 'leave' the company, adding, 'You're responsible for yourself. Your boss and HR are not responsible for increasing your pay. Their priority is for the company, not you. Now that you know what the basic pay is for your job, it should be easier to go find another job and negotiate. Heck, you can even find higher pay; that's what job hopping is for.' What to do when you find out your colleague earns more Finding out a colleague earns more than you can feel like a punch to the gut, or at least a hard nudge, but before you jump to conclusions or spiral into frustration, take a moment to pause. According to staffing agency Mondo, there are a few helpful steps you can take to make sense of the situation: Assess your colleague's background Your colleague may possess more years of experience, different qualifications, or a longer tenure with the company, which could have contributed to several salary increases over time. Research about your role Use this as a chance to reflect on where you're at. Research what people in similar roles are earning in your field and location. Sites like Glassdoor or Payscale can give you a rough idea of what's fair. Bring it up with your manager If, after your research, you still feel like you're underpaid, you can bring it up with your manager. However, it's important to remember that when you do have that conversation, focus on your own work, progress, and what you bring to the team. Read also: 'The reno worker just let them in': Woman horrified as neighbours invade her new BTO unit
CNA
6 hours ago
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If Singapore has to pick a side, it will choose principles, says Chan Chun Sing
SINGAPORE: If Singapore has to choose sides, it will choose the side of principles that uphold an integrated global economic and security order, underpinned by law and sovereignty, said Singapore's Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing on Sunday (Jun 1). This way, "states, big and small, have a fair chance to compete and improve the lives of their people through trade and not war", Mr Chan said during the sixth and final plenary session at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top defence summit. Two other defence ministers - Papua New Guinea's Billy Joseph and Sweden's Pal Jonson - also part of the session, titled "Enhancing security cooperation for a stable Asia-Pacific". In his speech, Mr Chan referred to Southeast Asia's engagement of the United States, China and other countries as a "geostrategic necessity". "For Singapore, we believe that taking sides, regardless of issues and context, breeds irrelevance; and if one is irrelevant, it will almost certainly require (one) to take sides," said Mr Chan, who is attending his first Shangri-La Dialogue as defence minister. He added: "If we have to choose sides, may we choose the side of principles - principles that uphold a global order where we do not descend into the law of the jungle, where the mighty do what they wish and the weak suffer what they must." All states have agency and responsibilities to uphold the global economic and security order for a "common benefit". Singapore is thus committed to work with like-minded partners and with a "web of bilateral, plurilateral, multilateral networks for the common good," said Mr Chan. REWRITING HISTORY During the session, Mr Chan was asked whether choosing the side of principles meant not choosing a side. In response, he said Singapore does not base its positions on who the key players are in a given issue. "Instead, we look at every situation very carefully to decide what are the principles that are at stake." He cited the war in Ukraine as an example, saying the conflict involves different levels of interest. Some are concerned because the war disrupted global supply chains and economic security, while for others, the core issue is sovereignty. "These are all valid concerns. But if I may suggest, the highest order of concern for all of us should be the principles of how we conduct international relationships," said Mr Chan. "If one country, whether big or small, can march into another country on the basis that they will want to right the wrongs of history, then I think we live in a very dangerous world. "And certainly for Singapore, because we have only been independent for the last 60 years," said the defence minister. Should this attempt to rewrite history happen, it would leave "very little room" for small countries to be who they want to be, he added. Singapore adheres to a set of principles that have contributed to and underpinned the country's survival and success, and when assessing any particular issue, it looks "very carefully" from this perspective, Mr Chan said. He noted that Singapore has, at times, taken positions not aligned with those of major powers: "Yes, certainly so." "There have been instances in history where superpowers went in to another country, a smaller country, and we objected," said Mr Chan. "There have been instances whereby the rules on the freedom of navigation have been violated, and we have objected." He also noted that people have asked about fears of being penalised by the superpowers for not supporting their positions.
