Latest news with #Hougang
CNA
2 days ago
- Climate
- CNA
Parts of Hougang hit by brief power outage, energy authority investigating
SINGAPORE: The Energy Market Authority (EMA) said it will be investigating the cause of a power outage that briefly hit some areas in Hougang on Monday (Jun 2) morning. In response to CNA's queries, EMA said it was aware that electricity supply to parts of Hougang was disrupted at around 11.14am, with power fully restored by 11.28am. 'EMA takes such outages seriously and will be investigating the cause of the incident,' said the authority. National grid operator SP Group earlier confirmed in a Facebook post that parts of Hougang were affected by a temporary electricity supply disruption lasting about 14 minutes. 'Our officers were immediately deployed to the affected areas. Our priority is to restore supply safely and as quickly as possible,' it said. 'Those in commercial or industrial buildings may need to reset their internal electrical network. This could require support from their appointed licensed electrical worker.' SP Group added it was investigating the cause of the incident and apologised for the inconvenience caused. 'Come here to eat for the aircon but blackout … So hot now,' wrote Facebook user August Gan, who posted that she had been at Hougang RiverCourt shopping mall when the power went out.
Independent Singapore
7 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘Not my MP?' — SingPost investigates after Aljunied residents were mistakenly sent flyers from AMK MP
SINGAPORE: A resident living at Hougang Street 21 mistakenly received a flyer from a Member of Parliament (MP) from Ang Mo Kio GRC, and apparently, he was not the only one, according to a May 27 (Tuesday) report in 8world. The report included a photo of a flyer from newly-minted MP Jasmin Lau welcoming the recipient to the Seletar-Serangoon Division and announcing the schedule for her Meet-the-People Sessions. 'I will be the MP that will be looking after you and your families from now onwards, and my team and I will do our best to support you. I hope to see more of you join our programmes, and I look forward to meeting and interacting with you,' the flyer reads. Screengrab/ 8world 8world added that the incident had been confirmed by the Ang Mo Kio Town Council, which stated that it had immediately informed SingPost about the error. The postal service is now looking into the matter to determine what caused the flyers to be sent to the wrong recipients. Additionally, the 8world reader who had received the flyer also reached out to Ms Lau, messaging her on Instagram. The MP replied via direct message to say that she would reach out to the Town Council regarding the matter. 8world added that action is being taken to resolve the issue and ensure that it does not recur. 'We understand this may have caused inconvenience to the affected residents and appreciate their patience while SingPost dealt with this matter,' 8world quotes the Town Council as saying. Who is Jasmin Lau? Prior to contesting in this year's General Election, Ms Lau was a longtime civil servant. She has taken on several roles since joining the civil service in 2006. Before she tendered her resignation on April 1, she had been a deputy secretary at the Ministry of Health. On May 3, the slate from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), which was composed of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Darryl David, Nadia Samdin, Ms Lau, and former Aljunied GRC candidate Victor Lye, won handily, receiving nearly 80 per cent of the vote. Aside from representing Seletar-Serangoon in Parliament, Ms Lau is also Minister of State for Digital Development and Information. A CNA report from last month said that the 42-year-old new MP had first been invited to join the PAP last year, but she had refused multiple times before she finally agreed. It was a conversation with Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who had once been her boss, that helped her decide to enter politics. /TISG Read also: From rejection to redemption: PAP newcomer who once said 'no' now vows to shoulder the nation's burden
Independent Singapore
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Independent Singapore
‘Don't blame the driver for your selfishness' — Gojek driver slams passenger who gave him a 1-star review
SINGAPORE: After a woman left a negative review, a Gojek driver took to social media, writing, 'Don't blame the driver for your selfishness.' On the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook page on Monday morning (May 26), a group member named Ks Law, who drives for Gojek, addressed a female passenger who had left a negative review for him, saying that he had been 'very impolite with his comments.' On May 24, Mr Law had apparently picked up the woman and her companion after taking a bike ride, leaving them all sweaty and wetting the seats in his vehicle. 'To the female passenger: Yes, in our industry, we have to accept all passengers, but that doesn't mean the next passenger can accept wet, sweaty seats. Don't blame the driver for your selfishness. From the time you got on the bus to the time you got off, I just said the seat was wet, and you said you would clean it for me? Did you really do it? Don't be a third-rate citizen in a world-class country. Isn't our poor service attitude caused by your behavior?' he wrote. Mr Law also posted a screenshot that showed that the passengers had taken a 12.49-kilometre ride in his vehicle that lasted 38 minutes from East Coast Parkway to Hougang Street. Screenshot The woman, who gave Mr Law a one-star review, wrote that he 'was very impolite with his comments, such as 'you are very sweaty' and 'you made my seat wet' as my friend and I just finished cycling. I feel that as a driver, he/she has to be prepared to pick up all kinds of customers.' Many netizens commenting on the post sided with the Gojek driver, saying he had been gracious for even taking on the passengers. 'I wouldn't even pick them in the first place. This driver is so nice and kind already to pick you up despite your smell, and not to mention maybe your dirty bicycle, which dirtied the back boot. This world is becoming unkind, and they just want to complain,' one wrote. 'These kinds of passengers are super selfish,' wrote another. One simply wrote, 'Driver is right.' 'Yes, sweaty passengers definitely need to be more self-aware. It also says so much about oneself with that self-entitled behaviour,' a commenter chimed in. Another suggested, 'Just let them get out and then take photos… Bodily fluids can claim cleaning fees… Passenger wanna play, you also must know how to play… Let her get the bill from Gojek, then she will learn…' The Independent Singapore has contacted Mr Law for further comments or updates. /TISG Read also: Man quits his IT job due to stress but ends up driving for Grab/Gojek 14 hours a day because he can't find another job
CNA
26-05-2025
- CNA
Jail for man who attacked taxi driver over collision in Hougang car park
SINGAPORE: Furious after a taxi collided into his personal mobility aid, a man charged at the driver with a knife at an open-air car park in Hougang. Even after he was disarmed, an undeterred Soo Ah Seng walked to the back of a coffee shop and picked up a mop to use it to attack the taxi driver. Soo, 67, was jailed for two months' on Monday (May 26), after pleading guilty to one count each of causing hurt and criminal intimidation. Two other charges, relating to Soo using profanities on the taxi driver and committing affray, were considered for his sentencing. Soo appeared in court with a walking frame to help him get around. His scuffle with the taxi driver was caught on video and uploaded onto social media. COLLISION IN CAR PARK On Aug 1, 2023, the victim, a 65-year-old man, dropped off a passenger at a sheltered point at Block 307, Hougang Avenue 5. As he reversed into a parking lot to leave the car park, he collided with Soo, who was on his personal mobility aid (PMA) near the rear of the taxi. Soo fell off his PMA. The victim immediately alighted to help and apologise to Soo, but Soo began hurling vulgarities. When the victim offered compensation, Soo demanded S$2,000 (US1,560) but halved the sum when the victim said he was a mere taxi driver who could not afford the amount. The victim suggested to help repair the PMA but Soo refused the offer and continued to scold him. An altercation ensued, during which Soo took a knife that had fallen out from his PMA to charge at the victim. After Soo was restrained and disarmed by a member of the public, he walked to the back of a coffee shop nearby and picked up a mop. He swung the mop at the victim, hitting his left shoulder a few times. The victim's car camera captured what happened. The victim suffered pain and abrasions on his body as a result. Several members of the public intervened and a town council officer called the police. The victim sought medical attention and was found to have a fracture on his right hand, sustained from punching a person. For criminal intimidation, an offender could be jailed up to two years, or fined, or both.
CNA
23-05-2025
- CNA
CCTVs, knocking on doors: What else will it take to nab community cat abusers?
In May 2023, the lifeless and bloodied body of a young tuxedo tabby cat named Tuxy was found at the open-air carpark next to a block of flats in Hougang. The gruesome find shocked volunteer feeders in the area who immediately sprung into action to gather information to catch the abuser. 'We went door-to-door personally to visit each unit and requested video footage from those with a camera facing the corridors,' said Ms Jasmine Tan, 30, a cat feeder in the area. Out of the footage they received was one video showing what is believed to be Tuxy thrown from heights. The group sent this in to the National Parks Board (NParks) but two years on have not heard back if the abuser was nabbed. CNA TODAY has reached out to NParks to ask about the status of this case. While waiting for closure from this case, more instances of abuse involving community cats have surfaced. Just earlier this month, in an act described as "appalling cruelty" by Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, a community cat in Yishun called King Kong was found with severe injuries including its eyes gouged out and organs split. Within days another cat called Shere Khan was found at a car park in Punggol with severe injuries and both eye globes protruded significantly from their sockets. It had to be subsequently euthanised. While the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), which is the body under NParks which investigates such cases, said that Shere Khan's injuries were "likely" due to a vehicular accident, the Cat Welfare Society (CWS) said it stands by its statement that the "nature of his injuries points strongly to deliberate abuse" and it was 'one of the most brutal cases' it has encountered. 'Based on the information available to us, we do not believe this was a road traffic accident. We are concerned that the possibility of a non-accidental injury cannot be ruled out,' said the group's co-founder Nina Astolfi. At the same time, some community cat abuses are being dealt with by the judicial system. On Friday, a 20-year-old man pleaded guilty to performing an indecent act on a cat after being caught on a neighbour's closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera. In February, a man was sentenced to 14 months' jail for abusing five cats in Ang Mo Kio, killing two of them by throwing them off public housing blocks between 2019 and 2021. The prosecution is appealing for a higher sentence. That same month, another man was charged in court for allegedly killing a cat and abusing four others in Toa Payoh, in September and October 2024. But such instances are cold comfort for animal lovers, as the number of abusers brought before the court of law – though increased through the years – is miniscule compared to hundreds of cats that die from alleged abuse. NParks investigated an average of about 1,200 cases of alleged animal cruelty and welfare cases annually from 2017 to 2020, according to the Ministry of National Development in September 2021. From 2017 to 2021, 40 persons have been sentenced in court and fined, and 23 persons have been sentenced in court and jailed. In 2024, NParks received around 60 cases of alleged animal cruelty involving community cats specifically, it told CNA TODAY on Friday. Of these cases, evidence of animal cruelty were found for five of these cases upon investigation. "In those cases, which were substantiated with evidence, enforcement action was taken against the offender, such as issuing a warning letter or a composition fine. For cases that were egregious in nature, offenders were prosecuted in court," NParks said. This has led some volunteers to feel despondent, with some telling CNA TODAY that they no longer bother to report the death of community cats they encounter to authorities because more often than not it does not lead to the abuser being caught. 'We have been through so many cases ... Each time an exceedingly cruel case happens there is some media attention and then it proceeds to die down until the next abhorrent case happens,' said Ms Tan, Tuxy's feeder.
