Live PM Wong at May Day Rally 2025
Good morning readers. Our colleagues Tay Hong Yi and Ng Wei Kai are on the ground reporting this year's May Day rally from the refreshed D'Marquee in Downtown East.
Some 1,600 labour movement leaders and tripartite partners are gathering at the annual rally to celebrate workers' contributions to Singapore's economy and nation-building.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will deliver the keynote address at 10.15am. You can watch his speech on The Straits Times' YouTube channel, and get the latest from the rally here.
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Business Times
11 hours ago
- Business Times
This Ukraine summitry is all reality TV, zero substance
SO MUCH has happened in recent days, it's easy to overlook how little has happened. To wit: Nothing material. Not when it comes to matters of war and peace in Ukraine, where Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to bomb civilians, to detain children (for which he is wanted by the International Criminal Court) and more generally to terrorise a sovereign nation that he considers an errant satrapy. That, however, is not the impression you may have formed if, like me, you've been following the summitry and pageantry on YouTube, TikTok, X, Truth Social or your medium of choice. In the endless scroll of our screens, one meme chases another while all orbit around the bright yellow-orange star of the show, Donald Trump. The medium is the message, the philosopher Marshall McLuhan observed six decades ago. And the message today is that this US president – for better or worse – is shaping world affairs. Here is Trump applauding Putin as the Russian leader approaches on a red carpet in Alaska. There he is again, receiving the rehearsed gratitude of the Ukrainian president and seven European allies, who rushed impromptu to the White House to contain whatever damage the KGB-trained Putin may have wreaked in Trump's mind. There he will soon be again, if and when Trump gets both Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, into the same room, in what would be a 'trilat' made for reality TV. Reality TV – and specifically The Apprentice – was of course the medium that, starting in 2004, catapulted Trump from relative obscurity onto the memetic platform from which he ultimately stepped into the Oval Office not once, but twice. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Like so much in our zeitgeist, everything about this medium is sort of real and sort of not, kind of jocular and kind of serious, not quite substantive but always performative. It is a universe in which Trump's meeting in the Oval Office with Zelensky in February – when the American host berated and humiliated the Ukrainian guest – counted within the White House as a success because, as the president put it, it made for 'great television'. Trump ran that script again during another visit to the Oval Office, when he trapped South Africa's president in an ambush as devastating as it was riveting. A virtuoso of the craft, Trump also incorporates voluntary or involuntary extras, bit players and cameos into his show. He mused about whether or not he would bomb Iran's nuclear facilities not at the Resolute Desk but on the White House lawn, where a work crew was erecting a flagpole and unexpectedly became the supporting cast in this particular episode. When weighing air strikes, or anything, Trump's first question to his advisers is not about his options or strategic consequences. It is: 'How is it playing?' None of this would have surprised McLuhan, who analysed (without judging) the role of media in the creation of reality, and did so when print and radio were old and television was new. Content, he understood, was subservient to the vectors in which it reaches human brains. A text-based culture rewards linear and logical thinking. Video (already in McLuhan's time) instead turns politics into theatre, shortens attention spans and favours appearance over substance. As media change accelerated in the 1980s and 1990s – during Trump's formative years – other theorists elaborated on McLuhan. Jean Baudrillard, a French sociologist, saw that the media increasingly reflected not reality but what he called hyperreality, a world of 'simulacra,' or copies without originals. In one memorable phrase, he said that 'the map precedes the territory', by which he meant that narratives trump (sorry) truth. That popped into my mind this week as Trump presented Zelensky with a map of Ukrainian territories now apparently up for negotiation. Still writing before the rise of Fox News or TikTok, the American media theorist Neil Postman came closest to predicting the moment we are in today. In Amusing Ourselves to Death, he argued that the new media would increasingly turn everything – from news to politics and war – into mere entertainment and spectacle. He foresaw a dystopia not unlike Brave New World, in which Aldous Huxley's Soma takes the form of Insta feeds or Trump's Truth Social. So here we are, with two summits down and several more to go. We parse things such as, say, wardrobes. In the Oval Office in February, Zelensky was roasted for wearing the military-style garb he has donned since Russia invaded; this time he showed up in all black, and Trump agreed that he looked 'fabulous'. A positive sign? Days earlier, the Russian foreign minister arrived at his Alaskan hotel with a sweatshirt that, in Cyrillic, advertised the 'USSR'. Code for Putin's imperialist treachery? And all the while a tragedy is unfolding for those who dare to see it. The reality – yes, there still is one – includes these facts: The war that Trump once promised to end in 24 hours rages on. Trump keeps toggling between blaming Putin and Zelensky for it. By being ambiguous about US support, he has hurt Ukraine's effort to defend itself. By ending Putin's diplomatic isolation, Trump has made the Russian side stronger than it would be. And by giving Putin a deadline for a ceasefire, then letting it expire without the 'severe consequences' he promised just a week ago, Trump forfeited the pressure he needs to exert now. What's new is that there are suddenly lots of meetings about meetings. What remains is that people are bleeding, crying and dying, all because of the decisions made by one man, Putin. In the minds of Trump and most of us in our brave new world, the map may seem to precede the territory. But that is not a luxury which people have, say, in Luhansk or Donetsk. Ukrainians and their friends are right to turn off their phones for a while, in the sad knowledge that nothing meaningful has changed. BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Straits Times
Why should we bear the burden of budget meals and app discounts, hawkers ask
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Hawkers say app should be a value-added service by the operator and costs should not be passed on. SINGAPORE – When Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre's management announced it would scrap clauses requiring hawkers to provide free meals for the needy at their own cost, the update was met with relief by hawkers. But many question why they continue to be called upon to provide budget meals and discounts to diners who pay using operator apps. The Pay-it-Forward initiative by Canopy Hawkers Group, which manages the Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre (SEHC), initially required stallholders to contribute 100 free meals over three years. It was criticised by veteran food critic K.F. Seetoh in an Aug 8 Facebook post that described it as 'forced charity'. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung – who oversees the ward where the hawker centre is located – waded into the debate on Aug 11 , writing on Facebook that hawkers did not face penalties if they did not provide the meals. However, copies of the contract shown to the media, including The Straits Times, indicated that hawkers could chalk up demerit points for failing to provide the meals. The management team later said on Aug 15 that it would not enforce the obligation in the future. 'Some stalls are not doing well, so it's better not to force them,' says John (not his real name), a hawker in his 50s, who runs one of the 44 stalls there. Like many of the tenants ST spoke to, he declined to reveal his name for fear of repercussions from his operator. Another hawker, who is also in his 50s, adds: 'Doing charity is voluntary, not by force.' But many hawkers lament that they are still obliged to provide budget meals under $3.50 and pay for discounts given to diners using operator apps. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Emergency broadcast system to alert S'pore public to disasters via their mobile phones: Edwin Tong Singapore Judge finds SBS Transit '100% responsible' in lawsuit filed by woman who was trapped in train doors Singapore COE premiums up in all categories except motorcycles; Cat A price climbs 2.5% to $104,524 Singapore Grab users in Singapore shocked by fares of over $1,000 due to display glitch Singapore No throttling for MyRepublic broadband users after sale to StarHub Life S'pore bands mark milestones with gigs: Silver Strings at 60, Mel & Joe at 55 and Lovehunters at 40 Singapore Singapore indie cinema The Projector owes over $1.2m to creditors Asia Calls to cut ties: Malaysia flag furore tests PH-BN relations Absorbing discounts A 2022 version of the contract seen by The Straits Times states that hawkers could face three demerit points and $30 in liquidated damages for 'failure to use Bukit Canberra HC mobile apps for customers to place orders, make payment'. Hawkers say the app was intended for the convenience of customers and should be a value-added service by the operator. 'Its cost should not be passed on to the tenants,' says John, who has to absorb the 10 per cent discount customers get from the Food Canopy app. On top of that, a credit note shows he is charged a 0.8 per cent transaction fee when payment is made via the app. 'Hawker prices are controlled and many have thin margins due to rising costs. This just makes things harder.' Tenants at other SEHCs, run by FairPrice Group Hawker Centre and Timbre Hawkers, have similar obligations. Customers who pay using the app enjoy a 10 per cent discount on meals at One Punggol Hawker Centre and Yishun Park Hawker Centre, according to Timbre Group's website. 'We lose a thousand dollars every month from the Timbre app,' says a 42-year-old who wanted to be known only as Rahman. He sells rojak and prata at One Punggol. However, he concedes that it was something he had agreed to when signing the contract. Mr Yasser Farag, who runs Arabica Kebab stall in the same centre, was also prepared to offer concessions to customers, though the number of discounts caught him by surprise. 'I knew that I had to keep prices low, but I didn't expect so many people to have the app,' says the 58-year-old, who maintains that his experience at the hawker centre has otherwise been smooth. Another hawker, who is in her late 50s, says prevalent usage of the app costs her around a thousand dollars each month. With the price of ingredients and utilities rising, her earnings have been shaved by a fifth. 'I can't afford to raise prices either, because I empathise with customers,' she adds. Echoing the same sentiment is Ms Kumiko Tan, 44, owner of Hakka Leipopo, a chain with outlets in SEHCs, such as Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre and Punggol Coast Hawker Centre, both run by FairPrice Group. 'Times are hard for everyone. We won't change the price of food to account for the discount,' she says. The cost of her dishes remains consistent across all outlets, even the one at the Tanjong Pagar Town Council-run Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre. Roughly 80 per cent of her customers at Anchorvale Village and Punggol Coast pay with the FairPrice Group app, which yields a 10 per cent discount. She adds: 'I don't think many of them know that the discount is paid for by the store owner. They think maybe it's from the Government or the operator.' Discounts offered through FairPrice Group app on display at Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre. ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK But some hawkers, like a 38-year-old man operating a stall at Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre, feel the 10 per cent cut is fair, as the app helps boost business. 'It's a perk that, in a way, attracts customers,' he says. How cheap is too cheap The discount, however, cannot be applied to budget meals, which are low-cost dishes that tenants at SEHCs are obliged to offer – contractually, in the case of Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre's tenants, at least. At hawker centres operated by FairPrice Group, these affordable options are usually priced between $3 and $3.50, according to checks by ST. Adam (not his real name), a hawker who runs a stall at Hawker Centre @ Our Tampines Hub, says that $3.50 is a manageable price point for budget meals. When ST spoke to him in June 2024 , his budget meals were fixed at $2.80. Back then, a spokesperson for operator FairPrice Group confirmed budget meals at that particular hawker centre cost $2.80, but that the company was conducting a review. Since the budget meal price has increased to $3.50, Adam says it is 'much more reasonable'. 'At least now, I can make around 20 to 30 cents in profit for each meal,' he adds. He previously told ST it was 'impossible to make a profit' from $2.80 meals. According to hawkers, few customers opt for budget meals. Portions tend to be smaller and often omit more expensive proteins such as meat. 'I can't make money off it, but maybe only five to 10 people each month buy my budget meals, so still can tahan (endure in Malay),' says a 45-year-old hawker, who wants to be known only as Hasan, at Buangkok Hawker Centre. But Penang Alley's $3.20 budget meals are snapped up by some 50 customers each month. Mrs Eileen Leong, the 57-year-old owner of the Buangkok Hawker Centre stall, says such meals, which consist of mainly eggs and kway teow, are 'unsustainable'. She tried asking her operator, Fei Siong Social Enterprise, to increase the budget meal price to $4 without success. With operation costs spiking 50 per cent and footfall down three-quarters by her estimates, she is seeking a reprieve. 'I'm hoping the Government can help lighten our burden, and we hope to get more grants to sustain this business,' she says. The National Environment Agency (NEA) told The Straits Times that in 2023, the median monthly stall rental at SEHCs and non-subsidised stalls at comparable NEA-managed hawker centres were $1,700 and $1,625 respectively. Ancillary costs at SEHCs, such as table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing fees, are comparable with similar NEA-managed hawker centres, it added. The agency also assists hawkers financially through schemes such as the Hawkers' Productivity Grant, which provides 80 per cent co-funding for hawkers to buy kitchen automation equipment and digital solutions such as queue management systems. ST has contacted the relevant operators for more information. Timbre Group declined to comment, while the rest have yet to respond.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Newcomers, online flower retailers clinch top spots in Singapore's best customer service list
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE – Luxury hotel Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore has been crowned Singapore's best customer service provider, dethroning Shangri-La, a five-star hotel near Orchard Road, which topped the list in the last two years. Hotel brands occupied half of the top 10 spots in the 2024/2025 edition of Singapore's Best Customer Service survey, but the 2025 list features a broader mix of industries, including online florists, wedding planners, eyewear retailers and furniture stores. A Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore spokeswoman said the property's service philosophy is inspired by 'gracious Thai hospitality', where a combination of warmth, attentiveness and respect makes every guest feel truly cared for. 'What sets us apart is our ability to create a personalised, resort-like experience in Singapore, ensuring every interaction feels sincere, intuitive and memorable,' she said. Beyond receiving standardised technical training, the hotel's staff attend workshops on anticipating unspoken needs, cross-cultural awareness and mindfulness. Guests receive the Thai 'wai', a traditional greeting where palms are pressed together in a prayer-like manner. 'It is about creating little moments of delight that go beyond the expected, whether that's remembering a returning guest's favourite drink or recommending experiences to suit a family with young children,' the spokeswoman said. The fourth edition of the survey, conducted by The Straits Times and global data company Statista in March and April, identified Singapore's best customer service retailers and service providers from among 1,800 companies across 102 categories. More than 10,000 respondents rated brands that provide customer experiences in traditional retail, online and services segments. The survey results were released on Aug 20. Flower power Online flower retailers bloomed in the top 10 spots, with Ask a French – Flowers placing second, Fav Florist clinching sixth place and BloomBack ranking seventh. Statista analyst Inez Angelixa said that having three online retailers in the top 10 in 2025 marks a significant shift, as the previous three editions featured only bricks-and-mortar establishments. 'This indicates a growing strength and recognition for online retail in delivering high-quality customer experiences,' she said. Mrs Aude Giraud, owner of Ask a French – Flowers, said she made a conscious decision to operate from her home studio at East Coast and not have a physical store. 'It gives me more freedom. I don't have to pay rent or hire employees,' said the Singapore permanent resident who moved here from Paris in 2015. Mrs Aude Giraud, owner of Ask a French – Flowers, making a bouquet in her home studio on Aug 15. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Her business fills a niche for European freestyle arrangements rather than providing typical structured bouquets. She told The Straits Times that she has never repeated a bouquet style in the last 10 years. Each creation is unique. 'My customers can't see what bouquet they will get until it is delivered. That's why it's called a surprise bouquet... If you look at the website, you cannot choose a bouquet. You just choose the size,' she said, adding that customers can also choose between fresh and dried flowers, and if they prefer a vase. Mrs Giraud said she has never repeated a bouquet style in the last 10 years. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG When asked about her approach to customer service, Mrs Giraud said communication and problem-solving are key, adding that she ensures all queries are answered promptly. 'It's a very soulful business. Sending flowers is very intimate, it's not just decorative. It's a message that people want to send, be it condolences, love or congratulations, so they need to trust the person that's behind it,' she said. Ms Hazel Kweh, who founded BloomBack – an online retailer for preserved flowers – with her husband in 2017, said service excellence was something she learnt during the five years she worked with Singapore Airlines. 'As SQ cabin crew, I was used to providing that level of service – it was my lifestyle already. So naturally, when I founded this company, I wanted to similarly 'walk the talk',' she said. BloomBack, started by Ms Hazel Kweh, specialises in preserved flower arrangements. PHOTO: COURTESY OF HAZEL KWEH Ms Kweh added that being in this business requires understanding that flower gifting is usually a last-minute affair, and she takes pride in how promptly her company responds to requests. 'We need to make our customers feel understood, we are there for them on important occasions... So we do express and same-day delivery because gifting is always very last minute. We need to understand our customers' pain points and then translate that into words and actions,' she said. Associate Professor Joicey Wei, from the Singapore University of Social Sciences' School of Business, said online flower retailers have an advantage over hotels due to how customers form and measure their expectations. 'Flowers are usually bought as gifts, not for one's own consumption. Plus, as a once-off transaction, as long as they are delivered to the right person, at the right time, with a touch of personalisation, it is very easy to exceed your previously formed expectations,' she said, adding that flowers carry strong emotional value. Hotel experiences, however, involve multiple touchpoints from check-in to room service and even dining. Thus, any small lapse can lower the overall experience, Prof Wei added. 'For big-brand hotels, customers already have very high expectations that they will get excellent levels of service. It's very hard to surprise them,' she said, adding that this may explain why newer hotels such as Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore sometimes rank higher than longstanding luxury brands like Shangri-La. Statista's Ms Angelixa said luxury hotels dropping in the rankings was not due to a decline in their performance, as they maintained a similar likelihood of recommendation as in 2024 . 'However, competitors improved their scores, with other industries placing greater emphasis on customer service,' she said, adding that this heightened competition in the premium segment made it more challenging for luxury hotels to remain among the top 10 brands. Only two hotels made the cut in 2025 . While newcomer Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore clinched the top spot, returning entrant Marina Bay Sands placed 10th on the list, down from third place in 2024 . Other new faces in 2025 include eyewear retailer Paris Miki in third place, perfume and cosmetics brand Jo Malone in fourth, wedding planner Rosette Designs and Co in fifth, furniture retailer Nitori in eighth, and moving company Assalaamualaikum Enterprise, which ranked ninth. Online stores to grow in presence Ms Felicia Wee, marketing course chair at Temasek Polytechnic, said online retailers are likely to feature more in future rankings as companies invest in user-friendly platforms to improve customer experience. 'It's the convenience of it all, and the speed with which you can purchase something,' she said, adding that these features can sometimes outshine in-store service. But success also depends on seamless online and offline strategies, such as after-sales services and a willingness to invest in data-driven insights to understand and act on consumer feedback. Ms Wee said: 'If they are fully online companies, they must take note of customer feedback. That's critical to how they would function as an online business, about how they've been serving their customers online.' New categories introduced in the ranking in 2025 were language e-learning platforms, maid agencies, as well as wedding planning and entertainment. According to Statista, five categories saw their average score improve: moving services, eyewear retailers, men's apparel (online), dry cleaning services, and pharmacies and drug stores. Ms Angelixa said the improvement was mainly due to better accessibility. 'In Singapore, 76 per cent of people own a smartphone, enabling consumers to access product information any time via search engines and other online channels,' she said. She added that with widespread internet use, strong digital infrastructure and government support, brands are now more accessible round the clock. While this benefits all categories in the survey, these five saw the most notable improvement, compared with 2024 . How companies are chosen and ranked The ranking for Singapore's Best Customer Service 2025/2026 was based on the results of an anonymous online survey commissioned by The Straits Times in partnership with Statista. The survey covered more than 1,800 retailers and service providers in 102 categories, providing results for a broad spectrum of customer experiences in traditional retail, online and services segments. More than 10,000 respondents took part in the survey, and evaluations from the 2024/2025 edition were also considered with a smaller weightage, resulting in over 100,0000 evaluations of customer service being analysed. Those who were polled comprised customers in Singapore who had made purchases, used services or gathered information about products or services in the past three years. For each category, the most relevant brands were included in the scope of the survey according to reputation, turnover or market share. Only companies that offer services in Singapore were taken into account. Calculation of scores The final ranking was based on how likely customers would recommend a company to others. This made up 50 per cent of the total score. The other half of the final score was based on five criteria, with respondents giving ratings on a scale of zero (worst) to 10 (best). The criteria were: Quality of communication, which considered whether the contact – via e-mail, phone or face to face – was friendly and polite; Professional competence, which measured the quality of information received and whether questions were answered correctly and in sufficient detail; Range of services, which considered the variety of solutions available to meet customers' expectations; Customer focus, which looked at whether the customer felt acknowledged and important; and Accessibility, which measured the availability of customer service in a shop or on a helpline. The top three or top five brands – based on category size – receiving the highest scores in each category were awarded the Singapore's Best Customer Service 2025/2026 title.
