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Straits Times
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
From passion to product: Artist Alley kicks off at sold-out Hoyo Fest convention
Over 6,000 tickets for the event, which runs from July 25 to 27, were all sold out on its opening day. SINGAPORE - It is shaping up to be a dream weekend for full-time crochet artist Sherry Mak. Just as she has in years past, the gaming fan, who is in her late 30s, is attending the three-day Hoyo Fest Singapore, an annual event organised by industry giant Hoyoverse. But this year's edition is different: She is among 38 artists granted a spot at the Artist Alley, where creators can sell their fan-made merchandise , sanctioned by Hoyoverse. It is a first in five editions of the event and deviates from the industry norm - where large media franchises are typically protective of its intellectual property. The air at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the event is held, buzzed with excitement on July 26 as fans gathered to celebrate their shared love for Hoyoverse's sprawling universes. Fans dressed up as their favourite characters at Hoyo Fest on July 26. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG Event-goers are greeted by snaking queues, cosplayers, and merchandise booths, each vying for attention at every corner. Over 6,000 tickets for the event, which runs from July 25 to 27, were all sold out on its opening day. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Ms Mak's booth was down to its bare bones when The Straits Times visited at about 2.30pm. Her stock of about 100 self-made wares - from keychains and crocheted card pouches, to spectacle holders - were mostly replaced with 'sold out' signs. Her creations range from $18 to $30, with larger customised dolls from $68. With her lunch placed aside, she was busy making restocks of her standout attraction: crochet stuffed dolls of characters from Hoyoverse games, each taking her about five hours to craft. Ms Sherry Mak's most popular products are a series of Honkai: Star Rail characters redesigned as little crochet birds. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG 'Many of my items were sold out on the first day, and I'm hoping to restock as much as I can for tomorrow,' quipped Ms Mak, adding that this has been her most successful sales outing at an event since she converted to selling fan-made merchandise full-time over a year ago. 'I appreciate that Hoyoverse allows us to make fan merchandise and sell them without having to worry about intellectual property issues,' she said. Her experience mirrors that of several other participating artists, including 29-year-old Jie Yin Yong, professionally known as Jyyin. Ranging between $2 and $85, some of her creations were already sold out, something that she said she was not expecting to happen this quickly at this event, given her experience at other events previously. The star items at her booth are a series of character birthday cards, and miniature charms of characters from Genshin Impact - one of three Hoyoverse games she has played every day for the past four years, averaging up to two hours daily. To date, she has made a charm for 110 characters, including all 101 playable characters. She takes a day or two to draw each creation, before they are turned into a charm, or a Polaroid-style print. 'I usually just see clips of Hoyo Fest online and felt like I really missed out! I'm just happy to be able to attend this year,' Ms Yong said, adding that she looks forward to participating again next year. Ms Jie Yin Yong said she was surprised to see the Artist Alley being introduced this year, and applied without a second thought. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG A Hoyoverse spokesperson said: 'We are thrilled to have these talented creators display their fan merchandise at the Artist Alley at Hoyo Fest. 'At the same time, it is also heartening to see the Hoyoverse community respond so positively to the artists, and supporting them and their craft.' Hoyo Fest started out at a cafe the Aniplus Cafe at Esplanade Mall in 2021, and expanded into a lobby space at Suntec City mall in 2024. The 2025 iteration is the largest one in terms of event space, and the first time it is ticketed.
New Paper
18-07-2025
- Business
- New Paper
Authorities helping 29 Jollibean workers recover unpaid salaries
Soya milk chain Jollibean has agreed to pay the salaries it owed 22 employees in instalments and the Ministry of Manpower is investigating the company for offences under the Employment Act. The Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) has also ordered the employer to pay salaries to three employees while another four cases are still either undergoing mediation or waiting for a decision by ECT. This brings the total of workers receiving help for unpaid salaries to 29, said the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) and MOM in a reply to The Straits Times on July 12. The agencies were responding to reports of unpaid salaries and late payments that occurred sporadically since December 2024. MOM will continue to extend help to affected employees. "We would like to remind employers to pay salaries and CPF (Central Provident Fund) contributions on time to their employees," TADM and MOM said in the joint statement. They added that employees in Singapore who are not paid salaries on time can file their claims with TADM, which will assist workers in recovering their salaries either through mediation or referring the case to the ECT, which has legal powers to order employers to pay owed salaries to their workers. Employees who require assistance can contact TADM at Jollibean Foods director Shahrul Nazrin Mohd Dahlan was reported in the media to have said that the company has a new owner and it is working closely with the authorities to resolve salary issues by the end of July. A counter staff The Straits Times spoke to on July 11 said her wages had been unpaid for May and June, and her salary for December 2024 delayed by around three weeks. She had to dip into her savings for rent and personal expenses, said the Chinese national in her late 40s, adding that other front-line staff were also owed salaries. "There was no forewarning; It would have been reassuring if the management had at least warned us that the company was struggling but hopes to turn things around under new owners." The agencies were responding to reports of unpaid salaries and late payments that occurred sporadically since December 2024. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG Employment lawyer Goh Seow Hui told The Straits Times that workers are taking a risk if they stay on their jobs despite salary arrears that a company promises to resolve after an ownership transition. "The employer's promises do not improve the worker's legal position. If there are better alternative opportunities available, the worker is better off resigning and making a legal claim for the salary arrears." An ongoing ownership transition is not a justifiable reason for salary arrears, added Ms Goh, a partner at Bird & Bird ATMD.
Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Motorists can now get flash flood alerts on ERP on-board unit
The new feature adds to other real-time information available on the OBU. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG Motorists can now get flash flood alerts on ERP on-board unit SINGAPORE - Motorists who have the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) on-board units (OBUs) in their vehicles will now receive alerts about flash floods when approaching or travelling along affected roads. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced this in a Facebook post on June 30, adding that this feature will allow motorists to 'take alternative routes'. The new feature adds to other real-time information available on the OBU, including parking availability in certain areas, bus lane operations and alerts on speed cameras. Motorists said they welcome the new feature. 'I think it'll be pretty helpful information. I'll try to avoid that road if I see such warnings. Since it's so convenient to look at the OBU screen while driving, any information it can provide to me is an added bonus,' account manager Jerome Lim, 35, told The Straits Times . Mr Matthew Tan, 24, an executive, said: 'It will be good to have alerts that warn me of a flash flood, especially if I'm driving on my normal route without using GPS apps. I hope that the alerts will sound out early enough so I can make the necessary detours.' Flood alerts are also available on the myENV app and PUB's Flood Alerts Telegram channel. The next-generation satellite-based ERP system that comes with the OBU is also capable of charging motorists based on distance travelled. In December, then Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said that the authorities are still at a very early stage of looking at different possible distance-based charging models. The Urban Redevelopment Authority and LTA have plans to use the OBU for payments for roadside parking. LTA had previously said that as at June, more than 500,000 vehicles have been fitted with OBUs. This means the installation exercise has crossed the halfway mark towards equipping the entire vehicle population of around one million units with OBUs by 2026. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Malaysia to exempt beauty services from expanded sales tax after public feedback
Services such as manicures, pedicures, facials, and haircuts will remain exempt under the revised tax regime. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian government will not proceed with the proposed inclusion of beauty services under the expanded sales and service tax (SST), following public concern and feedback from industry players. The finance ministry said the decision was made by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who also holds the finance portfolio, after taking into account widespread sentiment ahead of the SST expansion taking effect on July 1. This means services such as manicures, pedicures, facials, and haircuts will remain exempt under the revised tax regime. The exemption is one of several adjustments announced by the finance ministry as part of efforts to fine tune the tax structure and cushion its impact on the public and small businesses. The government 'remains committed to ensuring that the SST revision is progressive and mitigates the impact on basic consumption items by the rakyat (people) and the impact on small businesses', the ministry said in a statement on June 27. The revisions follow widespread feedback from both the public and industry groups. Hairdressers and beauty salon operators had voiced concern that taxing services like haircuts and facials would unfairly burden small businesses and lower-income consumers, with objections raised earlier in June. In a broader move to manage cost-of-living pressures, the government will also exempt selected imported fruits – apples, oranges, mandarin oranges and dates – from the sales tax. The ministry reaffirmed that essential food items such as rice, chicken, beef, vegetables, eggs, and various local fish – including selar (yellowtail scad), tongkol (longtail tuna) and cencaru (torpedo scad) – whether fresh, chilled or frozen, remain exempt from the tax. These fish are staple protein sources for many households due to their affordability and accessibility. To reduce the burden on small businesses, the annual sales threshold for mandatory service tax registration has been raised from RM500,000 (S$150,800) to one million ringgit for leasing, rental, and financial services. This means only companies generating over one million ringgit in yearly sales from such services will be required to charge the 8 per cent tax. For financial services, the tax applies specifically to fee or commission-based activities. The ministry also reminded the public and stakeholders to refer only to verified information on the SST rollout, including official announcements, guidelines, FAQs and subsidiary legislation available through the finance ministry and Royal Malaysian Customs Department websites. The expanded SST will come into effect on July 1, 2025. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
22-06-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Working hard to look busy: why Gen Z employees are ‘task masking'
Perhaps the next time you notice your younger colleague swept up in a flurry of furious typing, reassure them their contribution is valued. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG You stride across the office, laptop in hand, heading to the first of many meetings you have lined up for the day. Back at your desk, piled with print-outs, company pens and empty Huel bottles, you hunch over your screen, keyboard clattering. A scowl breaks into a loud sigh. Such behaviour may resemble that of a junior analyst hard-pressed to meet a deadline. According to social media, however, these are also the hallmarks of Gen Z's latest coping mechanism: task masking, or acting like they are working hard, while hardly working at all. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
