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Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made

Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made

Straits Times6 days ago
This philosophy is guiding the resort's transformation, influencing everything from energy-efficient infrastructure to immersive guest experiences that educate and inspire. These efforts accelerated three years ago when RWS became the first in the world to be certified under both the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria for Destinations and Hotels.
RWS' sustainability efforts are guided by four pillars in the framework called L.E.A.D: Lower emissions, Enhance well-being, Amplify impact and Deepen governance. The framework is both an embodiment of the company's commitment and a guiding reminder of its vision to become a leader in sustainable tourism. These include targets for RWS to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
Beyond targets to advance decarbonisation and increase resource efficiency, the L.E.A.D framework inspires team members to take initiative in implementing sustainability in their own unique ways.
Ms Ong, 36, shares the story of a chef who was inspired to experiment with orange peels – transforming food waste into cookies now served in hotels and at events. It is a small but powerful example of how sustainable innovation can begin with individual initiative.
Stories like these have reinforced a growing belief within RWS: that every team member holds the potential to drive meaningful change. Building on this momentum, the resort is actively involving staff in its sustainability journey.
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Two years after trip to Qatar with Iswaran, Ong Beng Seng to plead guilty
Two years after trip to Qatar with Iswaran, Ong Beng Seng to plead guilty

New Paper

time13 hours ago

  • New Paper

Two years after trip to Qatar with Iswaran, Ong Beng Seng to plead guilty

It was discovered by chance in May 2023, as the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) was probing a separate matter. Investigators found the manifest of a private plane while looking into associates of property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who owned the aircraft. One name stood out in particular - Mr S. Iswaran's. He was a close friend of Ong's, with the pair going back about two decades. The two men had travelled together on Dec 10, 2022, after the then Transport Minister accepted the billionaire's invitation for an all-expenses-paid trip to Qatar. They flew there on the private plane, with Mr Iswaran returning the next day on a business-class flight. The trip sparked a separate investigation by CPIB, which eventually led to the conviction on Oct 3, 2024, of a former Cabinet minister, a first in Singapore. After several hearing adjournments, and more than two years after the discovery of the flight manifest, Ong is finally slated to plead guilty on Aug 4 to abetment of obstruction of justice, a charge related to the trip. The 79-year-old businessman had earlier indicated that he will consent to having a second charge - of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts - taken into consideration for sentencing. Prosecutors will claim that it was Ong who allegedly alerted Mr Iswaran to the fact that CPIB had seized the flight manifest. It was this alert which led to Mr Iswaran, 63, requesting a bill for the $5,700 business-class flight from Doha to Singapore on Dec 11, 2022. At Mr Iswaran's sentencing, prosecutors pointed out that the bill was sent out only around May 25, 2023, more than five months after the trip. More than friends Ong, a Singapore permanent resident who was born in Teluk Intan, Malaysia, had amassed his wealth through ventures in the hospitality, property and retail sectors. His wife - Ms Christina Fu - is a prominent businesswoman. Ong set up Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) in 1980 and went on to acquire a number of hotels around the world, and properties in prime locations such as Orchard Road. He was also the majority shareholder of Singapore GP, and the man who brought Formula One (F1) to Singapore in 2008 - the first night race in the sport's history. In 2022, he was involved in a contract between Singapore GP and the Singapore Tourism Board, a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Mr Iswaran was then chairman of the F1 steering committee. In December 2022, Ong had allegedly extended an invitation by the chairman of the Qatar World Cup organising committee to Mr Iswaran. The tycoon is said to have told his friend that he would go on the trip as his guest. He said he would take care of all expenses, including hotel accommodation. Mr Iswaran then applied for urgent leave and flew to Doha on the hotelier's private jet. He stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel, with Ong allegedly picking up the tab. Mr Iswaran did not pay for his flight to Doha or the hotel stay, and did not declare them to the Government. In sentencing Mr Iswaran, Justice Vincent Hoong described Ong as cultivating goodwill when offering gifts to and acceding to requests from Mr Iswaran for various items, including tickets for football matches. Ong and Mr Iswaran were arrested on the same day on July 11, 2023. The former Cabinet minister eventually was handed a jail term of 12 months after he pleaded guilty to five charges, including four for obtaining valuable items as a public servant, an offence under Section 165 of the Penal Code. The offence penalises public servants who obtain or accept gifts, or attempt to do so, from an individual with whom the public servant has official dealings without necessarily giving or doing anything in return. Mr Iswaran, who admitted to obtaining items worth more than $400,000 from Ong and Mr David Lum, managing director of construction company Lum Chang Holdings, became the first person to be convicted of the offence since Singapore's independence. Ong was first supposed to plead guilty on April 2 this year, but this was postponed after his lawyers asked for an extension to obtain his medical report. The businessman has multiple myeloma, which is a type of blood cancer affecting the bone marrow predominantly and is characterised by excessive multiplication of a type of white blood cells called plasma cells. During earlier proceedings, he was allowed by the court to go abroad for medical and work purposes. This included permission to travel to the US, Britain and Italy from April 28 to May 16. On April 14 in an exchange filing, HPL said that Ong will step down as its managing director at the close of the company's annual general meeting on April 29, with the tycoon indicating he wanted to devote more time to managing his medical conditions. A court date was then set for him to plead guilty on July 3, but this was rescheduled one day before the hearing as the prosecution and defence needed more time to file further submissions on sentencing. Ong is expected to be represented on Aug 4 by a team of lawyers including Senior Counsel Cavinder Bull, the chief executive officer of Drew & Napier. The case will be heard by Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng. If convicted of obstruction of justice, Ong can be jailed for up to seven years, fined or both.

Ong Beng Seng to plead guilty on Aug 4, more than 2 years after trip to Qatar with Iswaran
Ong Beng Seng to plead guilty on Aug 4, more than 2 years after trip to Qatar with Iswaran

Straits Times

time18 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Ong Beng Seng to plead guilty on Aug 4, more than 2 years after trip to Qatar with Iswaran

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Billionaire Ong Beng Seng was charged on Oct 4, 2024, with allegedly abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and abetting the obstruction of justice. SINGAPORE – It was discovered by chance in May 2023, as the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) was probing a separate matter. Investigators found the manifest of a private plane while looking into associates of property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who owned the aircraft. One name stood out in particular – Mr S. Iswaran's. He was a close friend of Ong's, with the pair going back about two decades. The two men had travelled together on Dec 10, 2022, after the then Transport Minister accepted the billionaire's invitation for an all-expenses-paid trip to Qatar. They flew there on the private plane, with Mr Iswaran returning the next day on a business-class flight. The trip sparked a separate investigation by CPIB, which eventually led to the conviction on Oct 3, 2024, of a former Cabinet minister, a first in Singapore. After several hearing adjournments, and more than two years after the discovery of the flight manifest, Ong is finally slated to plead guilty on Aug 4 to abetment of obstruction of justice, a charge related to the trip. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Prosecutors will claim that it was Ong who allegedly alerted Mr Iswaran to the fact that CPIB had seized the flight manifest. It was this alert which led to Mr Iswaran, 63, requesting a bill for the $5,700 business-class flight from Doha to Singapore on Dec 11, 2022. At Mr Iswaran's sentencing, prosecutors pointed out that the bill was sent out only around May 25, 2023, more than five months after the trip. More than friends Ong, a Singapore permanent resident who was born in Teluk Intan, Malaysia, had amassed his wealth through ventures in the hospitality, property and retail sectors. His wife – Ms Christina Fu – is a prominent businesswoman. Ong set up Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) in 1980 and went on to acquire a number of hotels around the world, and properties in prime locations such as Orchard Road. He was also the majority shareholder of Singapore GP, and the man who brought Formula One (F1) to Singapore in 2008 – the first night race in the sport's history. In 2022, he was involved in a contract between Singapore GP and the Singapore Tourism Board, a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Mr Iswaran was then chairman of the F1 steering committee. In December 2022, Ong had allegedly extended an invitation by the chairman of the Qatar World Cup organising committee to Mr Iswaran. The tycoon is said to have told his friend that he would go on the trip as his guest. He said he would take care of all expenses, including hotel accommodation. Mr Iswaran then applied for urgent leave and flew to Doha on the hotelier's private jet. He stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel, with Ong allegedly picking up the tab. Mr Iswaran did not pay for his flight to Doha or the hotel stay, and did not declare them to the Government. In sentencing Mr Iswaran, Justice Vincent Hoong described Ong as cultivating goodwill when offering gifts to and acceding to requests from Mr Iswaran for various items, including tickets for football matches. Ong and Mr Iswaran were arrested on the same day on July 11, 2023. The former Cabinet minister eventually was handed a jail term of 12 months after he pleaded guilty to five charges , including four for obtaining valuable items as a public servant, an offence under Section 165 of the Penal Code. The offence penalises public servants who obtain or accept gifts, or attempt to do so, from an individual with whom the public servant has official dealings without necessarily giving or doing anything in return. Mr Iswaran, who admitted to obtaining items worth more than $400,000 from Ong and Mr David Lum, managing director of construction company Lum Chang Holdings, became the first person to be convicted of the offence since Singapore's independence. Ong was first supposed to plead guilty on April 2 this year , but this was postponed after his lawyers asked for an extension to obtain his medical report. The businessman has multiple myeloma, which is a type of blood cancer affecting the bone marrow predominantly and is characterised by excessive multiplication of a type of white blood cells called plasma cells. During earlier proceedings, he was allowed by the court to go abroad for medical and work purposes. This included permission to travel to the US, Britain and Italy from April 28 to May 16. On April 14 in an exchange filing, HPL said that Ong will step down as its managing director at the close of the company's annual general meeting on April 29, with the tycoon indicating he wanted to devote more time to managing his medical conditions. A court date was then set for him to plead guilty on July 3, but this was rescheduled one day before the hearing as the prosecution and defence needed more time to file further submissions on sentencing. Ong is expected to be represented on Aug 4 by a team of lawyers including Senior Counsel Cavinder Bull, the chief executive officer of Drew & Napier. The case will be heard by Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng. If convicted of obstruction of justice, Ong can be jailed for up to seven years, fined or both.

S'pore's first The Coach Coffee Shop opens at RWS with classic sandwiches, chilli crab soft serve
S'pore's first The Coach Coffee Shop opens at RWS with classic sandwiches, chilli crab soft serve

Straits Times

time4 days ago

  • Straits Times

S'pore's first The Coach Coffee Shop opens at RWS with classic sandwiches, chilli crab soft serve

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Coach Coffee Shop adds to other fancy F&B concepts by global luxury fashion brands. SINGAPORE – Following a successful two-year run of its cafe in Keong Saik Road from 2023, American fashion house Coach has debuted its first permanent The Coach Coffee Shop at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). The 139 sq m cafe, located at RWS' new lifestyle enclave Weave, seats 12 indoors and 23 outdoors. It includes a merchandise section and is directly connected to a Coach store – of about the same size – selling the brand's range of bags, clothes, shoes and accessories. This marks the 14th outlet of The Coach Coffee Shop, which includes Asian outposts in Japan, Indonesia, China, Malaysia and Taiwan. There are two more in the United States. The menu at The Coach Coffee Shop here focuses on classic American sandwiches – grilled cheese ($13), featuring a blend of melted American cheddar, gruyere and extra sharp cheddar, served with tomato soup; wagyu beef hotdog ($15); and reuben ($19) with tender corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss Cheese. The latter two come with chips. On weekends, the cafe rolls out its cheeseburger ($22), with two wagyu patties, melted red cheddar and housemade sauce, served with curly fries. All the bread is made in-house. The attention to detail is best showcased in the drinks ($8 to $9) department, with its C-shaped ice 'cubes', popsicles and chocolate pieces. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MHA to support HSA's crackdown on Kpod abusers and help in treatment of offenders: Shanmugam Business S'pore's Q2 total employment rises, but infocomm and professional services sectors see more job cuts Singapore Fewer than 1 in 5 people noticed suspicious items during MHA's social experiments Asia Powerful 8.8-magnitude quake in Russia's far east causes tsunami; Japan, Hawaii order evacuations Singapore Migrant workers who gave kickbacks to renew work passes were conservancy workers at AMK Town Council Business Seatrium to pay $168m to Brazilian authorities, $73m to Singapore authorities to settle corruption case Asia 'Hashing things out': Japan, Vietnam, EU contest terms of US tariff deals behind the scenes Singapore Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made The cafe offers location-exclusive soft serve flavours, and the Singapore special is chilli crab ($9), complete with C-stamped fried mantou and a good spicy kick. Have it in a cone (add $1.50), which also carries the brand's iconic C logo. Coach debuted its cafe concept in Singapore in April 2023, marking its firs t f oray into the food and beverage (F&B) scene. Then, it was meant as a test bed for developing future F&B concepts. The space in Keong Saik Road, known as the Coach Play Singapore Shophouse, now houses its New York-inspired Coach Bar, which was launched in May and is currently slated to run till the end of the third quarter of 2025. The bar offers a selection of bar bites, as well as cocktails and $12 martinis. Different versions of the grilled cheese sandwich and wagyu hotdog are available at the Coach Bar too, albeit priced at $23 and $30 respectively. And, by the fourth quarter of 2025, a Coach Restaurant will make its debut at Jewel Changi Airport. Should the bar extend its run, Singapore will be the first country to house all three concepts. The Coach Coffee Shop adds to other fancy F&B concepts by global luxury fashion brands. These include Italian brand Prada's Prada Caffe at Ion Orchard, Le Chocolat Maxime Frederic chocolaterie at French maison Louis Vuitton's boutique at Marina Bay Sands (MBS), and Ralph's Coffee by American label Ralph Lauren at MBS and Shaw Centre.

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