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The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
CEO of sports car distributor accused of offences including multiple counts of false trading in Singapore
Singaporean Goh Kim San was also handed 14 more charges under the Securities and Futures Act. - Photo: ST SINGAPORE: The chief executive of sports car distributor EuroSports Global was on Tuesday (Aug 5) charged with five counts of false trading. Singaporean Goh Kim San, 68, who is also the executive chairman of the company listed on the Singapore Exchange's Catalist board, was also handed 14 more charges under the Securities and Futures Act. In a statement, the police said that he is accused of six counts of engaging in deceptive practices and eight counts of failing to disclose interest in EuroSports' shares. Between May 2015 and November 2020, Goh allegedly conducted trades in EuroSports shares, knowing that these trades would likely create a false or misleading appearance of active trading in the company's shares. He is also accused of instigating two other individuals to procure three nominee trading accounts to conduct these allegedly manipulative trades in EuroSports shares, without the trading firms' authorisation. A police spokesperson said: '(Goh is said to have) intentionally failed to give written notice to EuroSports of changes in his ownership of (its) shares arising from trades conducted in the three nominee trading accounts.' His case will be mentioned again in court on Aug 7. If convicted of false trading and engaging in deceptive practices, he can be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to $250,000 or both for each charge. If convicted of failing to disclose interest in EuroSports' shares, he can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to $250,000 or both for each charge. - The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
03-08-2025
- General
- The Star
Singapore National Day fireworks: How to manage pets' anxiety over sudden, loud noises
Dogs may be spooked by loud noises caused by fireworks. - Photo: ST SINGAPORE: Fireworks displays are crowd favourites during National Day celebrations, but the loud bangs can be terrifying to pets. The National Day Parade, which includes massive fireworks, will be held at the Padang on Aug 9, but the festivities will continue the next day in the heartland, including a mobile column, fighter jet flypasts, drone shows and, yes, more fireworks. Pet owners need to take precautions as many dogs are sensitive to sudden, loud noises. There had been incidents of dogs getting spooked and bolting from their leash due to panic, says Chong Qi Ai, an animal behaviourist at Pet Coach Singapore. Chong, who holds a master's in animal behaviour and welfare from the University of Edinburgh, adds that while other animals like cats and guinea pigs can also be affected, cases of lost dogs or dogs getting injured due to fireworks displays are more common as they can occur during walks. She shares some ways dog owners can manage their fur kids' fireworks anxiety. 1. Know where the fireworks will be Fireworks will light up the sky at five sites – Bishan, Punggol, Yishun, Geylang and Bukit Gombak. If the locations are near your home, consider taking your dog to the home of a relative or friend in calmer areas. Stay inside and avoid taking your dog outdoors. This approach is called management in dog training – by controlling your dog's environment, you help reduce its stress and lower the risk of panic and escape. 2. Try desensitisation and counter-conditioning While it is difficult to simulate the fireworks display at home, you can prepare your dog in advance. Test its reaction to the sound of fireworks by playing it on a speaker at home. Start at a low volume and play the sound for a few seconds. Pair the sound with a treat, repeat and gradually increase the volume. 3. Consider short-term anti-anxiety medication For dogs with severe noise sensitivity, consult your vet about short-term anti-anxiety medication. This is given some time before the stressful event and its effects typically last a few hours, providing relief during the fireworks display. This form of management uses medication to keep your dog calm before a known trigger, similar to how vets often recommend it before vet visits or travel. Calming supplements may help for milder cases. 4. Create a calm, secure environment at home Keep exit points such as doors and windows closed, draw the curtains and play music or white noise. This can help to muffle the offensive noise and also prevent your dog from escaping if he panics. Make sure hazardous items such as fragile objects are out of reach, so your dog stays safe if it becomes frightened. Always allow your pet to retreat into an enclosed space it may feel safe in and stay with it to offer comfort. You can offer your dog a treat or chew if it is calm enough to eat, to help it feel better as well. 5. Avoid stressful procedures around this time Avoid scheduling stressful procedures like neutering, surgery or dental cleanings. Changes in hormones during neutering can increase fear sensitivity, and the added stress from any procedure may affect your dog's recovery and behaviour. - The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Trial opens for three women who allegedly organised procession outside Istana in Singapore
(From left) Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, Annamalai Kokila Parvathi and Mossammad Sobikun Nahar arriving at the State Courts on July 1, 2025. - Photo: ST SINGAPORE: Three women have gone on trial after they pleaded not guilty to organising a procession around the Istana without a permit. Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, 26, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, 30, and Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, 36, appeared in the State Courts for the first day of their joint trial on Tuesday (July 1). The women each face one charge of organising a procession along the perimeter of the Istana, which is a prohibited area, under the Public Order Act. They are accused of organising the procession on Feb 2, 2024, to publicise the cause of solidarity with Palestine. Investigation Officer Muhammad Faizal, testifying as the first prosecution witness, said he was tasked to investigate an event called Letters for Palestine at the Istana. He took the court through CCTV footage that showed a group of around 70 people had gathered outside Plaza Singapura before walking to the Istana while holding open umbrellas painted with a watermelon graphic. The footage showed that Sobikun led the group along Orchard Road, Buyong Road and Cavenagh Road as they made their way to the rear entrance of the Istana. When the group reached the rear entrance of the Istana, they formed up, with a number of them holding up watermelon umbrellas and posing for photos, he said. He also pointed to how Amirah was seen holding a stack of letters and fanning them out while taking photos. During the cross-examination, defence lawyer Surian Sidambaram asked IO Faizal if this event, Letters for Palestine, involved people handing letters to the Prime Minister's Office. The IO said yes. Surian asked if there were any signs along the route to the Istana warning that a group of people walking over to hand-deliver letters to the Prime Minister's Office constituted an offence. The IO replied no. Mr Surian then asked IO Faizal if he was aware that on Jan 11, 2024, three weeks before the alleged procession in this current case, a group of 17 people had hand-delivered letters to the Prime Minister's Office using the same route. The IO replied that he was made aware of that case through the course of his investigations, but could not speak on the cause the 17 people were showing support for. Surian said: 'One of my clients' defences is that they were not aware that using that route to hand-deliver letters to the Prime Minister's Office was an offence. 'Given that there had been a similar event three weeks prior for the same cause and no action was taken, that led them to believe that it was legal and that they were not organising a procession in a prohibited area.' The defence lawyer then made an application to enter into evidence five past cases where people hand-delivered letters for various causes, but no action was said to have been taken. Deputy Public Prosecutor Sunil Nair objected to this, noting that there were insufficient details of the past incidents to make accurate comparisons. 'There could be various reasons why no action was taken, but this cannot be a reason for an offender to contravene the law,' said the prosecutor. In reply, Surian said: 'My clients saw the past events and nothing happened, so they thought they had the rights to organise their own event.' After hearing both sides, District Judge John Ng rejected the defence's application to enter evidence of the past cases for the current trial. Addressing Surian, Judge Ng said: 'If there's a boy throwing a stone at a shopping centre window, a second boy would not be able to say that the first boy was not caught and not charged, so 'I could do it too'. That is not a valid defence.' The trial continues. - The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
26-06-2025
- The Star
Jail for Malaysian man linked to use of stolen credit card details to buy phones worth over S$45,000 in Singapore
Tang Chin Huat arriving at the State Courts on May 22. He had surrendered himself to the authorities after finding out he was a wanted man over the incident. - Photo: ST SINGAPORE: Two men came to Singapore and used stolen credit card details to buy 23 mobile phones worth more than S$45,000 in total. Most of the devices were later resold in Malaysia for profit. A third man, Tang Chin Huat, who drove them around to buy the phones, was sentenced to a year and 11 months' jail on June 26. The 27-year-old Malaysian had pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in a conspiracy to commit cheating, and one count of removing the benefits of criminal conduct out of Singapore. He had surrendered himself to the Singapore authorities after finding out through newspapers that he was a wanted man over the incident, which took place in November 2024. The case involving one of his alleged accomplices, Ding Jiun Hao, 26, who is also a Malaysian, is pending. Another alleged accomplice, Liau Wei Zheng is still at large, and court documents did not disclose details about him. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ronnie Ang said that Tang and Ding were childhood friends. Both men worked as drivers, ferrying passengers between Malaysia and Singapore. Ding and Liau knew each other as they had rented rooms at the same condominium in Johor. In early November 2024, Liau asked Ding if he wanted to earn some extra money. According to court documents, Liau told him that an unknown person known only as 'Boss' would give him credit cards belonging to other people to buy 'as many iPhones as possible' in Singapore for resale in Malaysia. The card owners did not know that their details had been stolen. 'Boss' had promised Liau RM500 (S$150) for every phone they sold, and Liau offered to share the profits with Ding, said DPP Ang. Needing a car to travel to and around Singapore, Ding asked Liau to rope in Tang, who owned one. Liau then contacted Tang and told him about the scheme. As part of the plan, Liau would receive 50 per cent of the profits, while the other two men would receive 25 per cent each. Tang accepted the offer and on Nov 8, 2024, the three men travelled to Singapore in his car to visit four mobile phone shops at places including Orchard Road and Geylang. Using the credit card details, Liau bought the phones at three stores, and Ding did so at one, said the prosecutor. Tang waited in his car during these transactions. Their phone-buying spree came to an end when a shop staff member sensed something was amiss after Liau bought 13 phones at the employee's workplace. DPP Ang said: 'The staff held back five phones and requested passport verification from Liau before releasing the phones. 'Liau and Ding went back to the car and left without those five phones as Liau wanted to return to Malaysia as soon as possible.' The three men returned to Malaysia with the 18 remaining iPhones worth over $39,700 in total and Liau later sold the devices. The DPP told the court that Liau then gave Ding and Tang RM2,250 each for taking part in the ruse. Ding was arrested when he re-entered Singapore on Nov 10, 2024, to ferry passengers. Tang returned to Singapore 14 days later and surrendered himself to the authorities. He has since made a restitution of $2,000. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
22-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
June school holidays 2025: Enter the world of e-payments
Young people now have access to more digital payment options. How does this influence their ability to manage finances? PHOTO: ST SINGAPORE – Students, even those in primary school, can now pay for meals or books with just a tap of their ez-link cards, contactless payment watches or a debit card. In Episode 4 of nine2twelve, kids can learn about digital payments and how to spend smartly and within their means. Watch the video at then come back and attempt this activity. Activity Imagine you are ordering a bowl of noodle soup from the canteen vendor and you are about to pay using your contactless payment card or watch. Arrange the sequence below to find out how e-payments get processed. A. When you tap your card or watch on the payment machine, it sends a special signal using something called Near Field Communication (NFC). This lets the machine and your watch or card 'talk' to each other wirelessly. B. Your bank quickly checks to make sure you have enough money or credit, and that nothing seems suspicious. If everything looks good, your bank sends back a message that says the payment is approved. C. Next, the payment machine sends your payment information to the shop's bank. The shop's bank then sends it to the card network, like Visa or Mastercard. The card network figures out which bank issued your card, and asks that bank if the transaction is able to go through. D. Your device does not transmit your card number. Instead, it sends a special code to the payment machine. This code is used only once. If you are using a mobile phone or watch, it might also ask for your PIN, face ID or fingerprint to make sure it is really you, depending on the amount, region or device. E. That message travels all the way from your bank, through the card network, back to the shop's bank and finally to the payment machine. All of this happens in just a few seconds. Answer: A, D, C, B, E Get the ST Smart Parenting newsletter for expert advice. Visit the microsite for more
