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CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Nasi padang chain Hjh Maimunah to have colour-coded price labels for its dishes
SINGAPORE: Dishes at popular nasi padang chain Hjh Maimunah will soon have colour-coded price labels. The labels will be introduced at all nine of its mini outlets, starting with its Parkway Parade location, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said in a media release on Thursday (Jul 24). Speciality items like tahu telur, ayam bakar and telur ikan paes will have grey tags, while other dishes will be categorised by price range for easy identification, CASE added. The move comes after CASE collaborated with Koufu food courts to implement similar labels for their economy rice stalls. CASE said that there has been positive feedback from consumers on this initiative, as well as requests to extend it to nasi padang stalls. CASE president Melvin Yong said that he was "glad" that the organisation was teaming up with Hjh Maimunah for the expansion of the initiative. "This will provide consumers with more transparent pricing and help customers make informed choices before they order," he said. "I thank Hjh Maimunah for taking the lead, and I encourage all stall owners to adopt clear price labels for their dishes." Hjh Maimunah managing director Mastura Didih Ibrahim said: "We are honoured to collaborate with CASE on this important initiative. Price transparency is not only a mark of good business practice, but also a reflection of the trust and respect we have for our customers. "We believe this collaboration will set a positive example in the (food and beverage) industry and benefit the wider community." Hjh Maimunah has two restaurants – its Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognised original eatery on Jalan Pisang and another one on Joo Chiat Road – in addition to its nine mini outlets, which are mostly located in mall food courts.
Independent Singapore
2 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Employer slammed for restricting helper's phone use to just 2 hours a day
SINGAPORE: An employer was slammed online for limiting her domestic helper's phone use to only two hours a day, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. and asking whether she should keep the device after that time. Posting anonymously in the 'Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic helper' Facebook group on Tuesday (Jul 22), the employer wrote, 'As agreed with helper, she can only use the phone between 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. at night. Should I keep her phone with me after 11 p.m., or should I request her to put the phone in the living room after 11 p.m.? Thanks! If I keep her phone, she will only be able to get it from me after 9 p.m. and use (it) for two hours.' Her post quickly drew flak from netizens, many of whom felt the restriction was overly controlling and dehumanising. One commenter, who claimed to be a former helper, wrote, 'Strict phone rules like this can feel very controlling and unfair. We are human too — with emotions, families we miss, and personal lives outside of work. After a long, tiring day, having a phone helps us feel connected and cared for.' Another questioned the legality and ethics of the practice, saying, 'The MOM (Ministry of Manpower) allowed you to keep her phone? How (will) she communicate to her family and friends if you give only two hours to use her phone? Your helper is so poor. If I were your helper, I would run away and lose you.' Others pointed out the double standards, highlighting how even employers use their phones during working hours. 'This is an electronic era, we ourselves cannot part with our phone, how can we expect others to do it? We also use our phone during work. Helpers also need to communicate with their family,' one said. Another added, '2025 still have this kind of employer. OMG pity the helper.' A third shared, 'My employer lets me use my phone anytime… give privacy to your helper. Don't be the reason your helper is unhappy to work for you.' Employer claps back at critics Not one to sit quietly, the employer later edited her post and clapped back at critics, saying that too many 'self-entitled helpers' and 'so-called employers' had overreacted. She clarified that she hadn't confiscated her helper's phone and was simply asking whether she should keep it after 11 p.m. The employer also defended her decision to restrict phone use to just two hours per day, arguing that many helpers today are 'addicted' to their phones. As proof, she pointed out that numerous helpers were replying to her post at 3 p.m., which, to her, was a clear sign that they were using their phones during working hours instead of focusing on their tasks. 'It makes me wonder if their employers even know they could be phone addict, e.g., using social media instead of looking after children/elderly, doing food prep for dinner, or any other tasks given for the day?' she wrote. 'I pity their employers, as I am not so tolerating when it comes to phone usage. Seeing how so many helpers mentioned that their employers do not mind their phone usage, but they remained anonymous in their replies, makes me really wonder if their employers truly don't mind or unaware? My break time for the helper will be her lunch time and one short afternoon nap,' she added. What can employers do? Ms K Jayaprema, president of the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore), encourages employers to have open and respectful conversations with their helpers regarding phone use. If there are concerns about overuse, particularly during rest periods or working hours, she advises addressing them directly. 'It's wise to advise your MDW (migrant domestic worker) against excessive phone use, especially addictive social media habits. For instance, using the phone late into night can affect her sleep and health. Inadequate sleep may jeopardise her safety at work,' she said, responding to a query about phone usage on the MOM's website. She also recommended that employers establish clear and reasonable house rules, such as turning off the phone during working hours unless an urgent call is expected, or refraining from phone use after bedtime to ensure adequate rest. Read also: Man works 20 hours a day with one day off a week to chase financial freedom, asks locals, 'Is this sacrifice really worth it?'
Business Times
2 hours ago
- Business Times
Reits, institutional investors and funds in ‘buy mode' as debt costs ease
[SINGAPORE] Real estate investment trusts (Reits), investors and funds have turned 'more acquisitive' in Singapore this year, even as geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties persist. Speaking on Thursday (Jul 24) at the annual property market seminar organised by the Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore (Redas), CBRE deputy managing director of Singapore advisory and capital markets head Michael Tay noted an overall improvement in buying sentiment across the real estate investment market as interest rates eased. In the year to date, short-term interest rates in Singapore have fallen by 110 basis points, with the 10-year average now standing at 1.3 per cent. At a separate panel discussion during the Redas event, Taimur Baig, DBS chief economist, said: 'Singapore is going through a golden era in terms of capital flows. It is an overwhelming amount of portfolio and foreign direct investment that's coming to Singapore right now.' With almost a trillion dollars of foreign current deposit sitting in Singapore, Baig said: 'All that inflow, all the liquidity, materialised into collapsing the domestic interest rate.' Given the more accretive environment, Tay noted that 'investors are starting to see and feel that it is time to put money back into the Singapore market'. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up Investors are also drawn to the Republic for its safe-haven status and steady yields, even though the market has seen limited repricing, unlike that of South Korea, China and Australia, said Tay. 'Despite tighter yields, Singapore has become a key component for most (institutional investors') portfolios as they balance risks across the portfolio.' Among Asia-Pacific investment markets, Singapore had the third-highest year-on-year growth in H1 2025, behind Japan and South Korea, said Tay. Investment activity in the city-state is up 7 per cent year on year, with private volumes up 20 per cent on the year. Notable deals include Fraser Centrepoint Trust's purchase of the rest of Northpoint City for around S$1.1 billion in March; IOI Properties' acquisition of a 50.1 per cent stake in the mixed-use project South Beach for S$834.2 million in June; and Mapletree Industrial Trust's divestment of three industrial assets for S$535.3 million to Brookfield Asset Management. In April, Bain Capital also acquired Blackstone's Singapore worker dormitory firm Avery Lodge for S$750 million. CBRE's Investors Intentions Survey in January found Reits, institutional investors and funds signalling more acquisitions in 2025. Net buying intentions from Reits measured at 22 per cent, up from minus 13 per cent in the prior year. That of institutional investors rose from 4 to 12 per cent, and property funds from minus 4 per cent to 10 per cent. Meanwhile, private investors were expected to divest more real estate assets, capitalising on improving market sentiment after acquiring them during a period of price dislocation. Developers were expected to be 'net neutral investors' in the year, with higher construction and labour costs weighing on development decisions, said the report. The industrial and office sectors were top preferred asset classes, with interest in office assets expected to pick up marginally this year due to stabilising or improving leasing activity in some markets. The living sector too, received strong interest with a few notable deals closing in the half year. BlackRock and Malaysia's YTL Corp acquired Citadines Raffles Place for S$280 million in May, and a BlackRock-led consortium bought Momentus Serviced Residences Novena for just over S$100 million in the same month. Earlier in February, an Indonesian tycoon acquired Oakwood Studios Singapore, a freehold serviced apartment block on Mount Elizabeth, for S$152.8 million. In alternative assets, investors are most keen on data centres, with interest also running high in student housing, CBRE's survey found. Despite the upswing in activity, Tay warned of growing concerns over trade wars and a potential recession in the next six months. In Singapore, investors are also worried that interest rate cuts may come slower than expected, he said. Nonetheless, Tay noted strong fundamentals in Singapore as the benchmark stock market index hit record highs. 'In most cycles, the performance of the equities market is a prelude to confidence and buying interest,' he explained. 'There is normally a price gap of anything from six to 12 months, so we feel positively that with the confidence in the equities market… and (what we see) coming through in the first half of this year, stronger interest will come back into Singapore's real estate market across asset classes.'
