Latest news with #Punggol
CNA
9 minutes ago
- General
- CNA
Yishun, Punggol cat deaths likely caused by vehicle accidents; no evidence of deliberate cruelty: NParks
SINGAPORE: Two community cat deaths in Yishun and Punggol were likely caused by vehicle accidents, and there is no evidence to suggest either was a deliberate act of animal cruelty, the National Parks Board (NParks) said on Tuesday (Jun 3). In making its conclusions, NParks took into account its investigation findings, a postmortem examination for the Yishun case and a report from the veterinary clinic in the Punggol case. It also considered the initial locations where both cats were found, said Ms Jessica Kwok, NParks' group director of enforcement and investigation. She also gave updates on two other cats that were found dead in the past week – a second cat in Yishun and another in Tampines. FIRST CAT IN YISHUN A cat was found dead at Yishun Street 51 and NParks was alerted to a case of suspected animal abuse by the police on May 9. During its investigations, NParks interviewed the person who reported the case, located potential witnesses and reviewed the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage in the area. "Through our investigation, we confirmed that the cat carcass was initially found on the road by a passer-by, who moved it to a nearby void deck," said Ms Kwok. A postmortem examination was carried out on the cat carcass by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS). The overall findings were "compatible" with external blunt force trauma, which resulted in injuries, such as fractures of the bones of the pelvis and sternum. There were also multiple areas of bleeding, and its right eye had fallen partially out of place. There was no evidence of penetrating or sharp force injuries or wounds, said Ms Kwok. "When the injuries are considered as a whole, a vehicular impact is the most likely cause of the blunt force traumatic injuries." CAT FOUND DEAD IN PUNGGOL In its statement on Wednesday, NParks also gave further updates on its investigation into the feline that was found injured at the loading and unloading bay near Block 326B Sumang Walk in Punggol. NParks retrieved the injured cat after being notified on the morning of May 12 and sent it to a private veterinary clinic. After the cat's microchip was traced, NParks informed the community cat's caregiver to contact the clinic. At this point, the case was classified as animal rescue as there was no evidence at the initial stages that the cat was abused, NParks' director for enforcement and investigation Joshua Teoh told reporters on Tuesday. He added that an animal welfare group representative had decided to put down the cat on welfare grounds, and it was not sent for a postmortem examination. The cat's body was subsequently collected by another community cat caregiver and cremated. The report from the private veterinary clinic that treated the injured cat noted the cat's condition and injuries "in detail", which included proptosis - abnormal protrusion of one or both eyes - and lesions on the head. The report included the private vet's professional assessment that the lesions and findings are "usually suggestive of blunt trauma" to the head, with a "possible common cause" being a road traffic accident, said Ms Kwok. NParks began investigating the case on May 13 after receiving feedback that the cat may have been abused. It interviewed the person who first found the injured cat and other potential witnesses. Officers also visited the scene and retrieved CCTV footage from multiple cameras in the area, but the CCTV cameras did not capture any footage of how the cat sustained its injuries. "Based on the investigation findings, including taking into account the initial location where the cat was found, NParks assessed that it is likely that the cat had sustained its injuries due to a vehicular accident, and there was no evidence to suggest a deliberate act of animal cruelty," said Ms Kwok. She added: "NParks understands the concerns on cases of alleged animal cruelty, and we would like to assure the public that we take all feedback received from the public on alleged animal cruelty seriously and will investigate them thoroughly, including looking at any new evidence presented." TWO MORE CASES Ms Kwok also gave updates on two other cats that were found dead in the past week, including a second one at Yishun Street 51 with its legs splayed. She said there were no visible external injuries found, based on the preliminary physical examination, and a postmortem examination is being carried out. In another incident, a feline was found dead at a void deck at Tampines Street 81 on May 24. NParks established that Traffic Police officers had attended to a traffic incident involving a car and a community cat earlier that day. "The (Traffic Police) officers moved the cat's body to the void deck as it was likely to pose a safety hazard to other road users and to prevent other vehicles from running over the cat's body," said Ms Kwok. A member of the public later came across the cat's body and reported the case to NParks. No further action will be taken as the car driver had reported the accident to the police within 24 hours. ABUSE CASES REACH 12-YEAR HIGH Speaking to reporters, Mr Teoh said that NParks has seen a "fairly consistent trend" in cases designated as animal abuse or cruelty over the years. Of these, no more than 6 per cent had evidence pointing to animal cruelty. Among the rest, the majority were public disputes or disamenities caused by pet or community animals, and some of these may not be related to cruelty, Mr Teoh added. Some animals may have underlying conditions and could have died due to natural causes. In 2024, the number of cases involving animal cruelty and welfare in Singapore rose to a 12-year high of 961, according to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). A total of 2,190 animals were involved in the cases, with cats forming the majority (1,330). The Animals and Birds Act is currently being reviewed to increase penalties – such as fines, jail terms an disqualification orders – to ensure "effective deterrence" against animal welfare offences.
CNA
8 hours ago
- Health
- CNA
Driver who left fatally injured cyclist on grass patch after collision gets jail, driving ban
SINGAPORE: A driver who crashed his car into a cyclist moved the severely injured man onto a grass patch and told a witness that he would park his car before returning to call for help. However, Chua Kun Yang, 34, left the scene and did not return, leaving the witness, a taxi driver, to call the police. The victim, 65-year-old Lee Lian Kuang, who was riding a power-assisted bicycle at the time of the collision, died from his injuries later that night. On Tuesday (Jun 3), Chua was sentenced to one year and five months' jail after he pleaded guilty to one count each of driving without reasonable consideration by failing to give way, and of failing to render assistance to Mr Lee. In addition to his jail term, the Singaporean was banned from driving for eight years. Another two charges, involving Chua removing his car from the scene and failing to stop and providing his particulars after the accident, were taken into consideration for his sentencing. Chua, a salesman, was driving his car alone along Punggol Road towards New Punggol Road before the accident on Feb 6, 2023, at about 2am. He then made a left turn to enter Compassvale Street via a slip road, which had a zebra crossing with a "give way" sign. At the time, Mr Lee was riding his e-bike along Compassvale Street and had the right of way. Chua did not slow down and collided with Mr Lee, who fell onto the road motionless. The driver then got out of his car to shift Mr Lee and his e-bike to the grass verge, at the same time also placing Mr Lee's belongings there. A taxi driver who saw the incident moved his taxi behind Chua's car and approached to help. Chua told the taxi driver he was going to park his car before returning to call for help for Mr Lee. Without leaving his particulars, Chua left in his car after about two minutes at the scene. When Chua did not return, the taxi driver called the police for help and provided his in-car camera footage. An ambulance arrived soon after to take Mr Lee to the hospital. He arrived at the hospital unconscious just after 2.50am. He was intubated and given medication but doctors chose not to operate on him due to his poor neurological status and severe traumatic brain injury, which included serious brain bleeding. Mr Lee died from his injuries after 10pm, with his cause of death certified as acute haemorrhage stroke. Chua surrendered to the police at about 7am. Deputy Public Prosecutor Joseph Gwee said that had the witness not been present, Mr Lee could have likely been left unattended for an even longer period of time, if discovered at all. "The timeliness of aid must be a relevant sentencing consideration as the deceased was still alive, albeit unconscious, shortly after the accident," Mr Gwee said. "The accused also did not leave his particulars with the witness. Taken together, the accused's actions of leaving the scene and informing the witness that he would return is irresponsible at the very least. "It also, in our submission, indicative of an attempt to evade the consequences of his actions, and evading arrest, which is an aggravating factor," the prosecution said.
CNA
4 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Two new town councils established in Jalan Kayu and Punggol
SINGAPORE: Two new town councils have been established in Jalan Kayu and Punggol following the conclusion of the 2025 General Election. This brings the total number of town councils to 19, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said in a press release on Friday (May 30). Twelve town councils have been reconstituted due to changes in electoral boundaries, which resulted in some areas being transferred between towns, MND added. Five remain unchanged. Under the Town Councils Act, elected MPs are to form a town for their own constituency or by grouping up to three constituencies together to form a town. Each town is to be managed by its own town council. The new Jalan Kayu Town Council will comprise the Single Member Constituency won by labour chief Ng Chee Meng. He will chair the council. Punggol Town Council also comprises only the Group Representation Constituency, which was won by a People's Action Party (PAP) team led by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong. Four town councils have been renamed. Jurong-Clementi Town Council is now known as Jurong-Clementi-Bukit Batok Town Council. Marine Parade Town Council has been renamed Marine Parade-Braddell Heights Town Council. Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council will now be Pasir Ris-Changi Town Council, while West Coast Town Council is now West Coast-Jurong West Town Council. The remaining eight reconstituted town councils are Aljunied-Hougang, Ang Mo Kio, Chua Chu Kang, East Coast, Holland-Bukit Panjang, Jalan Besar, Tampines and Tanjong Pagar Town Councils, and their names are unchanged. Bishan-Toa Payoh, Marsiling-Yew Tee, Nee Soon, Sembawang and Sengkang Town Councils will continue with their names and town boundaries unchanged. Town councils have up to 90 days to complete the handover and takeover of the management of the areas to be transferred. This means the two new town councils and the 12 reconstituted town councils will take over the management of the transferred areas from Aug 1. Town councils can also mutually agree to complete the handover and takeover before Aug 1. They will have to inform residents of this date. "MND encourages all town councils to work together to ensure a smooth transition, so that the needs of residents can continue to be served," said the ministry.
CNA
21-05-2025
- General
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - It's no monkey business! Spate of cases involving monkeys entering homes
CNA938 Rewind Between Sept 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, the National Parks Board (NParks) received around 200 reports relating to macaques in Punggol. The authorities have responded to a spate of cases involving wild monkeys entering flats in Punggol by culling some, sterilising others and conducting exercises to herd the animals back into nature areas. How concerning is this monkey business? Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman find out from Kalaivanan Balakrishnan, Chief Executive, Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres)
CNA
21-05-2025
- Health
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Give your heart a break – More younger people with heart problems in Singapore
CNA938 Rewind Play Some Singapore doctors are seeing more younger people coming in with heart problems that could lead to more serious conditions later in life. This, as the number of heart attacks continues to rise. According to a national registry, it now stands at more than 12,000 a year, compared to about 8,000 a decade ago. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman examine this worrying trend with Dr Derek Koh, Chief Physician & Head of Lifescan Medical & Wellness CNA938 Rewind - It's no monkey business! Spate of cases involving monkeys entering homes Between Sept 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, the National Parks Board (NParks) received around 200 reports relating to macaques in Punggol. The authorities have responded to a spate of cases involving wild monkeys entering flats in Punggol by culling some, sterilising others and conducting exercises to herd the animals back into nature areas. How concerning is this monkey business? Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman find out from Kalaivanan Balakrishnan, Chief Executive, Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) 13 mins CNA938 Rewind - Give your heart a break – More younger people with heart problems in Singapore Some Singapore doctors are seeing more younger people coming in with heart problems that could lead to more serious conditions later in life. This, as the number of heart attacks continues to rise. According to a national registry, it now stands at more than 12,000 a year, compared to about 8,000 a decade ago. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman examine this worrying trend with Dr Derek Koh, Chief Physician & Head of Lifescan Medical & Wellness 16 mins CNA938 Rewind - Does China's latest economic data show the impact of the tariff war? China's economy mostly remained resilient in April, but came in below estimates as the country reels from a persistent property and consumption crises, and faces tariff tensions with the US -- prompting authorities to cut benchmark lending rates. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman crunch the data and analyse what's next for Chinese officials with Betty Wang, Lead Economist, Northeast Asia, Oxford Economics 10 mins
