Latest news with #NurAshikinAbdulAziz
Barnama
20 hours ago
- Business
- Barnama
Public Service Seminar And Games Reaffirm Malaysia-Singapore Ties
By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz SINGAPORE, July 19 (Bernama) -- The 10th Joint Seminar and 41st Public Service Games between Malaysia and Singapore held from July 18 to 20 in Singapore continues to serve as a platform to reaffirm the relations between public services of both countries. Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar said the programme has been resumed following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, it has been hosted by Malaysia and Singapore in turns. bootstrap slideshow Among others, he said, delegates at this round of the programme exchanged views on how to better deliver public services for the benefit of all. 'Last held in 2018 in Malaysia and stopped due to COVID-19, we decided to reactivate the two programmes this year after six years of absence to rejuvenate the ties between public sector leaders from both countries,' he told Bernama during a dinner reception hosted by the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Singapore, Datuk Dr Azfar Mohamad Mustafar, at Rumah Malaysia on Friday. Shamsul Azri said the seminar themed 'Leading Change: A Trusted and Effective Public Service for the 21st Century' saw the exchange of views on three main focus areas, namely economic reform and regulation, social reform, and public sector reform towards empowering a nimble and high-impact public service. He said through the programme, Malaysia intends to learn from the Singapore public service, in particular in the areas of the republic's digitalisation and public service reform effort. 'Singapore's civil service has been ranked as number one in Oxford University's Blavatnik Index of Public Administration. So, we hope to learn from them how to be more efficient and effective,' Shamsul Azri said. According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Department, the 41st Public Service Games saw delegates battle it out in bowling and table tennis and took place in full muhibbah and sporting spirit.
Barnama
6 days ago
- Business
- Barnama
Singapore Launches Enhanced Stars Package For Timor-Leste
By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz SINGAPORE, July 14 (Bernama) -- Singapore on Monday launched the enhanced Singapore–Timor-Leste ASEAN Readiness Support (STARS) package to support the country's integration into the regional bloc and its long-term development. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the enhanced package will include tailored support to facilitate Timor-Leste's accession to key ASEAN agreements, specialised training in areas aligned with the country's national priorities, and leadership development programmes and scholarships for the next generation of leaders. bootstrap slideshow 'Timor-Leste's upcoming accession to ASEAN is a significant milestone, both for your country and for ASEAN. 'Singapore looks forward to welcoming you warmly to the ASEAN family, and we will continue to stand with you on this journey,' Wong said at the official lunch he hosted in honour of Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao on Monday. Wong said Singapore launched STARS in 2002, a specially customised package to empower Timorese officials with the knowledge and skills needed for ASEAN membership. According to Singapore's Foreign Ministry, over 1,100 Timorese officials have, to date, participated in courses under the Singapore Cooperation Programme and the STARS package. Gusmao arrived in Singapore on Sunday for his second official visit to the city-state, which continues until Wednesday. He is accompanied by Vice Prime Minister, Minister Coordinator for Economic Affairs, and Minister of Tourism and Environment Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Bendito dos Santos Freitas.
Barnama
30-06-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Singapore To Enforce New Anti-Scam Law On July 1
By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz SINGAPORE, June 30 (Bernama) -- Singapore's new law, which enables the police to better protect individuals targeted by ongoing scams, will come into effect on Tuesday (July 1), according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The Protection from Scams Act 2025, passed by Parliament on Jan 7, empowers police officers and commercial affairs officers appointed under Section 64 of the Police Force Act to issue Restriction Orders (ROs) to banks, restricting banking and credit facilities of an individual under certain circumstances. bootstrap slideshow 'The decision to issue an RO will be made by a police officer based on an assessment of the facts and circumstances of each case. 'The police may consider relevant information provided by the individual or their family members in making the decision,' MHA said in a statement Monday, adding that it will be issued only as a last resort, after all other options to convince the individual have been exhausted. A police officer may issue an RO to a bank if there is reasonable belief that it is necessary to protect the individual, and that they may execute a money transfer to a scammer, withdraw money with the intention of giving it to a scammer, or apply for or draw down on any credit facility with the intention of benefiting a scammer. The RO will be issued by default to the seven major retail banks that manage most of the consumer deposits in Singapore: DBS Bank, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, United Overseas Bank, Citibank, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Malayan Banking Berhad, and Standard Chartered Bank. It can also be issued to other banks. Individuals subject to an RO can expect their banking facilities, including money transfers, ATM, and credit facilities such as credit card transactions and access to personal loan facilities, to be restricted.
Barnama
30-06-2025
- Business
- Barnama
RTS Link Ticket Fares To Be Announced Closer To Launch
By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz SINGAPORE, June 30 (Bernama) -- The operator of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link is conducting a final market study to determine ticket fares, with the final pricing and fare mechanism to be announced closer to the service's launch, Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Monday. 'We hope that the right price mechanism is in place to ensure that it can encourage more people to use the RTS service. bootstrap slideshow 'The whole idea of this project is to make the modal shift, to ensure that more people use public transport to cross the Causeway,' he said at a joint press conference with Singapore acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow, after unveiling the first of the eight RTS Link train sets at the Singapore Rail Test Centre (SRTC) here. The event was also attended by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. RTS Operations Pte Ltd (RTSO), a joint venture between Prasarana RTS Operations Sdn Bhd and SMRT RTS Pte Ltd, is the operator of the RTS Link, a cross-border rail connecting Malaysia and Singapore. Loke said the Malaysian government was pushing for a more open payment system, in line with global public transport trends, which would allow commuters to use multiple modes of payment. Singapore's Siow said fares should be determined commercially by RTSO, taking into account demand and supply, as well as costs. Meanwhile, Loke said RTSO would also finalise the operating hours for the train service, which links Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru to Woodlands North in Singapore, by taking into account early commuters.
Barnama
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Barnama
Malaysia, Singapore Unveil First Driverless Train Set For RTS Link
By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz SINGAPORE, June 30 (Bernama) -- The first of eight train sets for the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link was unveiled on Monday, marking a key milestone in the landmark Malaysia-Singapore cross-border rail project. The train, manufactured by CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co Ltd, was unveiled by Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Singapore's acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow at the Singapore Rail Test Centre (SRTC). bootstrap slideshow RTS Operations Pte Ltd (RTSO) chairman Datuk Khairil Anwar Ahmad said Train 01, which arrived in Singapore in April 2025, will undergo Offsite System Integration Testing (OSIT) at the SRTC in preparation for full integration and operation. The train sets 02 to 05 have been transported to CRRC's train manufacturing facility in Batu Gajah, Malaysia and are currently undergoing the assembly process, while train sets 06 to 08 will undergo a similar process subsequently. 'Once completed (the assembly process), these train sets will be transferred to the Wadi Hana Depot in Johor Bahru for further testing and final preparations before being commissioned for passenger service,' he said at the launch event here on Monday. The Transport Ministries of Malaysia and Singapore, in a joint statement, said the OSIT, scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of this year, will be carried out by RTSO, the joint venture company formed by Prasarana RTS Operations Sdn Bhd and SMRT RTS Pte Ltd to operate the RTS Link service. During the testing phase, RTSO will carry out checks on the integration between the train and other rail systems, such as the signalling system, platform screen doors, and onboard communications system. "Carrying out an initial round of offsite testing at SRTC allows RTSO to identify and resolve potential integration issues early, before commencing testing of the trains on the RTS Link tracks," the statement said.
