News Analysis India

Tag: Singapore

  • PhonePe Users Can Now Make Payments Through UPI In Singapore |

    New Delhi: Fintech firm PhonePe on Wednesday said its users can now make payments through UPI in Singapore under a pact signed by the company with The Singapore Tourism Board. The collaboration has been built upon the existing Unified Payments Interface (UPI) linkage between India and Singapore, which allows customers to instantly make cross-border transactions between the two countries directly from their existing Indian bank accounts.

    “Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and PhonePe enter a two-year strategic partnership to promote UPI payments for Indian visitors in Singapore,” PhonePe, a decacorn, said in a statement. (Also Read: ‘You Give More Money To Govt Than Spend On Yourself’: Social Media Post On Income Tax Concerns Goes Viral)

    Privately-held companies with a valuation of over USD 10 billion are termed decacorn. As part of the partnership, STB and PhonePe will invest in joint marketing efforts across India and Singapore, to promote seamless UPI experiences across key tourism hotspots. (Also Read: High-Security Alert For Apple Users! CERT-In Asked To Deploy Immediate Measures)

    “This partnership exemplifies our dedication to enhancing the Singapore visitor experience for discerning, tech-savvy consumers,” STB Chief Executive Officer Melissa Ow said.

    Under the collaboration, Indian travellers can now use the PhonePe app for instant, seamless, and secure payments across over 8,000 merchants in Singapore, enhancing their experience in the island city.

    “Partnering with STB will facilitate ease of transactions for PhonePe users who now can just pay directly from their existing bank account by scanning a QR code when visiting the island city,” Ritesh Pai, Chief Executive Officer, PhonePe, International Business for PhonePe Private Limited, said.

    PhonePe also processes over 230 million daily transactions with an annualised Total Payment Value (TPV) of more than USD 1.5 trillion.

  • YouTube Removes Over 2.25 Mn Videos In India For Violating Its Community Guidelines In Q4 2023 |

    New Delhi: Google-owned YouTube has removed over 2.25 million videos in India for violating its community guidelines in the fourth quarter of 2023, the popular video streaming platform said in a report on Tuesday.

    The number of videos removed from the platform between October and December 2023 in India is the highest among 30 nations, YouTube said in the report. Singapore (1,243,871) and the US (788,354) had the second and third-highest number of videos removed. Iraq emerged the last with 41,176 videos removed. (Also Read: Ericsson Announces 1,200 Job Cuts In Sweden Amid Lower Sales)

    Globally, 9 million videos were removed by YouTube during the same period, and a whopping 96 per cent of videos were first flagged by machines. Of these 53.46 per cent were removed before they received a single view and 27.07 per cent received between 1 and 10 views before removal, Youtube said in a statement. (Also Read: IIT Madras Alumnus Pavan Davuluri Appointed New Chief of Microsoft Windows And Surface)

    “YouTube’s Community Guidelines are enforced consistently across the globe, regardless of the uploader, where the content is uploaded, or how the content was generated. When content is removed for violating our guidelines, it is removed globally and policies are enforced using a combination of machine learning and human reviewers,” the social media platform said.

    Further, YouTube also removed over 20 million channels in Q4 2023 for violating “spam policies, including but not restricted to scams, misleading metadata or thumbnails, video and comments spam”. More than 1.1 billion comments were also weeded out, the majority of which were spam. Over 99 per cent of removed comments were detected automatically, YouTube said.

  • Singapore’s Top 3 Ministers Of Accused Of Graft In 2023 – All Of Indian-Origin | world news

    NEW DELHI: Lauded as the least corrupt country in Asia, Singapore saw three Indian-origin Ministers face graft charges in the year 2023 alone — the same year an economist of Indian descent took over the reins of the city-state as its ninth President. . While two of them — Vivian Balakrishnan and K. Shanmugam were cleared of all charges as the year drew to a close, S. Iswaran’s pre-trial conference is scheduled for March 1, and he is currently out on bail of SG$800,000.

    The trio belongs to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), which has been in power since 1959 and holds a sizeable majority in the country’s Parliament. With the next election due in November 2025, political experts say that the graft allegations could hit PAP’s support base in a country that is ranked the fifth-least corrupt country in Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index.

    Over the years, the government has justified seven-figure ministerial paychecks to keep out corruption. According to a Bloomberg report, the country’s public officers are among the world’s best-paid, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong earning a total compensation of about S$2.2 million ($1.7 million) per annum.

    The country witnessed its last corruption case in the year 1986, which saw Teh Cheang Wan, a national development minister, being probed for allegedly accepting kickbacks.

    The case of Balakrishnan and Shanmugam

    Home Affairs and Law Minister Shanmugam and Foreign Minister Balakrishnan were accused of corruption relating to the rental of their colonial-era bungalows in the city-state. The 26 and 31 Ridout Road are two 100-year-old bungalows in the Ridout Park area that have been rented to the two Ministers. In May last year, opposition Reform Party Chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam questioned if the two Ministers were “paying less than the fair market value” for their rental of the two-state properties.

    It was debated in the Parliament in July, following a Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) investigation and a review by senior Minister Teo Chee Hean. The CPIB said in its report that it did not find any wrongdoing on the part of Shanmugam and Balakrishnan, while Teo’s review found that processes had been followed.

    Even as they were cleared, Lee Hsien Yang, the brother of Singapore’s Prime Minister, wrote posts on Facebook in July accusing them of corruption over the rental of their bungalows. Yang accused the ministers of acting for personal gains by having the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) give them preferential treatment by illegally felling trees without approval, and also having SLA pay for renovations to the bungalows.

    The ministers sued Yang, currently in self-exile overseas, for defamation with the judgment being granted in their favour.

    The case of ‘innocent’ Iswaran

    As per a New York Times report, Transport Minister S. Iswaran was among the 4G, or fourth generation, leaders who were considered with Prime Minister Lee hoping to step down, following PAP’s leadership transition within 10 months. But Iswaran was arrested on July 11 last year in one of the most high-profile cases involving a minister in the Asian financial hub in nearly four decades.

    The 61-year-old faces 27 charges of offenses in a corruption probe, which included receiving tickets from Ong Beng Seng, who is credited with bringing F1 racing to Singapore. While pleading not guilty to all the charges, Iswaran said he was ‘innocent’ and resigned from the Cabinet, as a Member of Parliament and as a member of the ruling PAP.

    According to the CPIB, Iswaran has allegedly obtained kickbacks worth SG$384,340.98 ($286,181) from Ong, partly to advance the property tycoon’s business interests. These ranged from tickets to shows, private plane rides, hotel stays, football matches, and various editions of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix. If convicted, he could be fined up to SG$100,000 or face seven years in prison.

    Indian diaspora in Singapore

    Indians make up around nine per cent of the Singapore population and as of 2024, their estimated population is seven lakh. According to the latest 2020 Census, 57.3 per cent of Singapore’s Indian population declared themselves as Hindus, mostly Tamils. Excluding Iswaran, who recently resigned, the present cabinet now includes four Indian-origin ministers — Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, and Indranee Rajah, serving as Second Minister for Finance as well as Second Minister for National Development.

    Janil Puthucheary serves as a senior Minister of State for the Ministries of Transport and Communications and Information. Pritam Singh, the Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party, the largest opposition party in Singapore, is also of Indian descent.

    The penalty for the corrupt

    In Singapore, graft cases are mostly handled by the CPIB, or Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, a government agency that investigates and prosecutes corruption in the public and private sectors. The agency reports directly to the Prime Minister, enabling the CPIB to operate independently. A person convicted for corruption offenses under either Section 5 or 6 of the Prevention of Corruption Act faces a fine not exceeding SG$100,000, or a custodial sentence of up to five years (or both) for each charge for which he is convicted.

  • Singapore playwright highlights domestic abuse through short film ‘Nirjhari’ 

    By PTI

    SINGAPORE: Contrary to popular belief, domestic abuse is rampant in most societies and is seldom curbed, says Singapore author and playwright Sunita Lad Bhamray, who tackles the issue in her short film “Nirjhari”.

    Bhamray is the writer of the film, which is about a wheelchair-bound woman who is constantly tormented by her husband, an educated and globally linked business executive. The movie was screened here on Thursday.

    “Contrary to belief, domestic abuse is rampant in most societies and is seldom curbed, no matter how intellectually advanced people are with the best of education and contemporary lifestyle,” the writer said post the film’s screening.

    Nirjhari!#Standingtall#standingstrong#powertowomen!Chicago performance on 16th March 2019 pic.twitter.com/mzw33kXML6
    — SUNITA LAD BHAMRAY (@Sunitaladbhamr) March 10, 2019
    Domestic abuse has the capacity to dehumanise an individual and it is especially compounded if the victim is disabled, she added.

    “Such is the case of our protagonist, Nirjhari, who is living in fear in a modern urban home and dependent on her tormentor. ‘Nirjhari’, is the story of an accomplished woman who endures an oppressed life constantly in the shadow of fear,” Bhamray said.

    Directed by Rishi Budhrani, the short film is funded by Singapore’s National Arts Council (NAC).

    “Nirjhari” is produced by Singapore-based actor Shalaka Karnik Ranadive of SKR Productions and will become available on an OTT platform in the coming months.

    SINGAPORE: Contrary to popular belief, domestic abuse is rampant in most societies and is seldom curbed, says Singapore author and playwright Sunita Lad Bhamray, who tackles the issue in her short film “Nirjhari”.

    Bhamray is the writer of the film, which is about a wheelchair-bound woman who is constantly tormented by her husband, an educated and globally linked business executive. The movie was screened here on Thursday.

    “Contrary to belief, domestic abuse is rampant in most societies and is seldom curbed, no matter how intellectually advanced people are with the best of education and contemporary lifestyle,” the writer said post the film’s screening.

    Nirjhari!
    #Standingtall#standingstrong#powertowomen!
    Chicago performance on 16th March 2019 pic.twitter.com/mzw33kXML6
    — SUNITA LAD BHAMRAY (@Sunitaladbhamr) March 10, 2019
    Domestic abuse has the capacity to dehumanise an individual and it is especially compounded if the victim is disabled, she added.

    “Such is the case of our protagonist, Nirjhari, who is living in fear in a modern urban home and dependent on her tormentor. ‘Nirjhari’, is the story of an accomplished woman who endures an oppressed life constantly in the shadow of fear,” Bhamray said.

    Directed by Rishi Budhrani, the short film is funded by Singapore’s National Arts Council (NAC).

    “Nirjhari” is produced by Singapore-based actor Shalaka Karnik Ranadive of SKR Productions and will become available on an OTT platform in the coming months.

  • There can be differences of opinion but no fallout between us: Kejriwal after meeting with L-G

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday met Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and said it is important for Delhi’s development that both of them work together.

    Saxena had last week rejected the Aam Aadmi Party government’s proposal for Chief Minister Kejriwal’s Singapore visit to attend a summit on August 1, saying his attendance at the mayors’ conference will set a “bad precedent”.

    After his weekly meeting with the LG, Kejriwal said, “The meeting took place in a very cordial atmosphere. It is important for Delhi that the LG and the CM work together. There can be differences of opinion on various matters but there is no fallout between us.”

    Kejriwal had skipped the weekly meeting last Friday after Saxena rejected the proposal for the chief minister’s visit to Singapore.

    High Commissioner of Singapore Simon Wong had in June invited Kejriwal to World Cities Summit 2022 to be held in the first week of August.

    According to officials, the file for the chief minister’s Singapore visit was sent to the L-G on June 7.

    After the meeting, Kejriwal said that many issues such as water, and sanitation were discussed in the meeting and asserted that both will keep working together.

    “He is the lieutenant governor and I am the chief minister. Our views can differ on many issues. We will together work on those issues and solve them,” he said.

    The ruling AAP had been accusing the LG of “interfering” in the Delhi government’s works by calling officials for meetings on subjects not under his purview.

    On July 27, Saxena had asked the Delhi Assembly speaker to make changes in rules for the conduct of business and procedure of the House according to the GNCTD (Amendment) Act, 2021, a move that is likely to be a new flashpoint between him and the AAP.

    Later, a statement from the Speaker’s offices said the amendment which the L-G wants to be enforced will effectively put an end to the committees of the Assembly.

    NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday met Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and said it is important for Delhi’s development that both of them work together.

    Saxena had last week rejected the Aam Aadmi Party government’s proposal for Chief Minister Kejriwal’s Singapore visit to attend a summit on August 1, saying his attendance at the mayors’ conference will set a “bad precedent”.

    After his weekly meeting with the LG, Kejriwal said, “The meeting took place in a very cordial atmosphere. It is important for Delhi that the LG and the CM work together. There can be differences of opinion on various matters but there is no fallout between us.”

    Kejriwal had skipped the weekly meeting last Friday after Saxena rejected the proposal for the chief minister’s visit to Singapore.

    High Commissioner of Singapore Simon Wong had in June invited Kejriwal to World Cities Summit 2022 to be held in the first week of August.

    According to officials, the file for the chief minister’s Singapore visit was sent to the L-G on June 7.

    After the meeting, Kejriwal said that many issues such as water, and sanitation were discussed in the meeting and asserted that both will keep working together.

    “He is the lieutenant governor and I am the chief minister. Our views can differ on many issues. We will together work on those issues and solve them,” he said.

    The ruling AAP had been accusing the LG of “interfering” in the Delhi government’s works by calling officials for meetings on subjects not under his purview.

    On July 27, Saxena had asked the Delhi Assembly speaker to make changes in rules for the conduct of business and procedure of the House according to the GNCTD (Amendment) Act, 2021, a move that is likely to be a new flashpoint between him and the AAP.

    Later, a statement from the Speaker’s offices said the amendment which the L-G wants to be enforced will effectively put an end to the committees of the Assembly.

  • Singapore has shared changes in its invitation with Delhi govt: MEA on Kejriwal visit issue

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs Thursday said it had received a request last week for political clearance for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s visit to Singapore but it is given to understand that the host government has shared certain updates and changes in its invitation with the Delhi government.

    Asked about Delhi Chief Minister’s political clearance request, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “As we conveyed last week, we received an entry on our political clearance portal on July 21.”

    “Given to understand that the host government Singapore has shared certain updates and changes to its invitation with the Delhi government. I would request you to check with the Delhi government on what is the status of that,” he said.

    Kejriwal had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking permission to attend the summit.

    Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena has rejected the AAP government’s request for Kejriwal’s travel to Singapore, saying his attendance at the mayors’ conference will set a “bad precedent”.

    Last month, High Commissioner of Singapore, Simon Wong, invited Kejriwal for the World Cities Summit.

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs Thursday said it had received a request last week for political clearance for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s visit to Singapore but it is given to understand that the host government has shared certain updates and changes in its invitation with the Delhi government.

    Asked about Delhi Chief Minister’s political clearance request, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “As we conveyed last week, we received an entry on our political clearance portal on July 21.”

    “Given to understand that the host government Singapore has shared certain updates and changes to its invitation with the Delhi government. I would request you to check with the Delhi government on what is the status of that,” he said.

    Kejriwal had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking permission to attend the summit.

    Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena has rejected the AAP government’s request for Kejriwal’s travel to Singapore, saying his attendance at the mayors’ conference will set a “bad precedent”.

    Last month, High Commissioner of Singapore, Simon Wong, invited Kejriwal for the World Cities Summit.

  • India-Singapore discuss roadmap to strengthen defence cooperation

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: India and Singapore are working to enhance defence ties and for it a roadmap has been prepared. The Indian Army in a tweet message on Tuesday said, “General MM Naravane called on Brigadier General David Neo, Chief of Singapore Army and discussed the roadmap to further enhance defence cooperation between both Nations.”

    General Naravane also called on Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence, MINDEF, Singapore and discussed regional geopolitical developments. The strong and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between both Nations was reaffirmed, the Army added.

    This visit is a good initiative keeping Indian efforts with larger goals feels Commodore Anil Jai Singh (Retd), defence analyst. “The stronger relationship will be mutually beneficial and this is in line with India’s SAGAR Initiative.”

    SAGAR is Security and Growth for all in the Region.

    “India is making efforts in consolidating its position in the Indo-Pacific and the two countries share a stronger relationship,” added Commodore Singh.

    The Singapore Ministry of Defence in a statement on Tuesday said, “The Singapore Army and the Indian Army interact regularly through bilateral exercises, professional exchanges, visits and cross-attendance of courses. These mutually beneficial interactions have deepened the bilateral defence relationship, enhanced mutual understanding and strengthened the cooperation between the two armies.”

    “India is trying to position itself as a defence equipment supplier and it would have been one of the underlining points,” said Maj Gen SB Asthana (Retd).

    India recently signed a contract to supply BrahMos Cruise missile to Philippines and Indonesia and Vietnam have also expressed interest in it.

    Incidentally, India’s homegrown Light Combat Aircraft was showcased by the Indian Air Force in February this year at the Singapore AirShow 2022.

    Indian and Singapore should explore areas to jointly manufacture defence equipment, said Commodore Anil Jai Singh.

    Gen MM Naravane COAS visited the Infantry Gunnery Tactical Simulator IGTS Centre. He witnessed the state-of-the-art simulators, which enable troops to hone their weaponry skills & commanders to improve tactical decision-making abilities.

  • India protests Singapore PM’s comments on Indian lawmakers

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Thursday lodged a strong protest with Singapore over the comments made by its Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that almost half of the lawmakers in Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them and suggesting a decline in the country’s democratic polity from “Nehru’s India”, people familiar with the development said.

    Singapore’s high commissioner to India Simon Wong was called to the Ministry of External Affairs and he was conveyed that the comments were “uncalled for” and that India objected to them strongly, they said.

    “The remarks by the prime minister of Singapore were uncalled for. We are taking up the matter with the Singaporean side,” said one of the people cited above.

    ALSO READ: MEA seeks explanation after Singapore PM says most Indian MPs have criminal antecedents

    In his nearly 40-minute speech, the Singaporean prime minister talked about how a democratic system needs lawmakers with integrity and invoked India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to stress how democracy should work in the city-state.

    “The leaders, who fought for and won independence, are often exceptional individuals of great courage, immense culture, and outstanding ability. They came through the crucible of fire and emerged as leaders of men and nations. They are the David BenGurions, the Jawaharlal Nehrus, and we have our own too,” he said.

    Elaborating further, he said: “Many political systems today would be quite unrecognisable to their founding leaders. Ben-Gurion’s Israel has morphed into one which can barely form a government, despite four general elections in two years. Meanwhile, a stream of senior politicians and officials in Israel face a litany of criminal charges, some have gone to jail.”

    ALSO READ: Nehru continues to inspire world leaders, but Modi denigrates him: Congress on Singapore PM’s speech

    “While Nehru’s India has become one where, according to media reports, almost half the MPs in the Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them, including charges of rape and murder. Though it is also said that many of these allegations are politically motivated,” Lee said.

    “What is to prevent Singapore from going down the same road? Nothing. We are not intrinsically smarter or more virtuous than other countries. Modern Singapore does not come born with a fail-safe mechanism,” he added.

    The 70-year-old prime minister said each succeeding generation must protect and build upon the system that Singapore has inherited.

  • 11 foreigners permanently barred from working in Singapore between 2018-20 for submitting fake qualification

    By PTI
    SINGAPORE: Eleven foreigners working in Singapore’s Infocomm Technology (ICT) industry were permanently barred from working in the city-state for submitting false educational qualifications in their work pass applications between 2018 and 2020, Parliament was told on Monday.

    Answering questions in the House, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said his ministry also conducts additional checks by screening the qualifications submitted through its database of institutions and it will reject applications with fake or unaccredited qualifications.

    Last month, two work pass holders were jailed for submitting false qualifications from a private university in Himachal Pradesh in India.

    One more person has been charged while 19 others holding degrees from Manav Bharti University have been permanently barred from working in Singapore.

    Elaborating, Tan said on Monday, “This database is regularly reviewed through our scan of open source reports and research from third-party screening organisations.

    “For applications containing qualifications from institutions not in our database, we require employers to submit verification proof from third-party screening organisations to ensure the qualifications submitted are accredited.

    ” The ministry, he said, takes a “firm stance” against foreigners who submit false qualifications to fraudulently obtain work passes.

    The ministry may also prosecute offenders for false declaration under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, which carries a fine of up to SGD 20,000, up to two years’ jail, or both.

    According to a Channel News Asia report, the ministry had previously said that over the last five years, an average of 660 foreigners per year have been banned from working in Singapore for submitting fake education qualifications in their work pass applications.

    Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon added that between 2016 and 2020, MOM issued warnings to an average of 160 work pass holders each year who were in illegal employment.

    “All of them were debarred from working in Singapore,” said Koh.

    Work pass holders in illegal employment face a fine of up to SGD 20,000, two years’ jail, or both.

    MOM will also bar them from working in Singapore.

    Employers who hire any foreigners without a valid work pass will face a fine of up to SGD 30,000, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.

    Their work pass privileges will also be suspended.

    Koh said that there are also efforts to educate foreign workers in Singapore to help them understand what constitutes illegal employment or violation of their work permit conditions.

    “If we do have enforcement actions being taken, especially against companies that were egregious, we do publicise them on mainstream media as well as on online social media platforms because this raises awareness and serve as a deterrence to other would-be offenders,” the Channel quoted Koh as saying.

  • Modi meets foreign investors today as India looks to attract investments for infrastructure

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will woo the world’s 20 largest pension and sovereign wealth funds at a virtual round table Thursday as India looks to attract investments for its ambitious Rs 111 lakh crore infrastructure investment pipeline for the next five years.

    The Modi government’s efforts to attract foreign investments into the infrastructure space comes at a time when around half of the proposed infrastructure investments by 2025 will have to come from private and foreign investors.

    To attract these funds to invest in India, it has already announced tax exemptions in this year’s budget to these long-term funds investing in infrastructure, making their income exempt from long-term capital gains, interest and dividend tax.

    The call for investment

    The virtual global investor roundtable, organised by the Ministry of Finance and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, will be attended by global investors who represent regions like the US, Europe, Canada, Korea, Japan, Middle East, Australia and Singapore, and have an asset under management of $6 trillion, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

    The roundtable will also be attended by Indian business leaders like Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata, Deepak Parekh, Nandan Nilekani and Uday Kotak, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das.

    It will be followed by individual meetings of the investors with the PM over the next couple of weeks.

    Repeated efforts

    This is not the government’s first attempt to woo foreign investors.

    Just ahead of PM Modi’s visit to the US last year, his government had announced a massive reduction in corporate tax rates to make India competitive vis-a-vis other Southeast Asian economies. The rates were brought down to as low as 15 per cent (effective tax rate of around 17 per cent) for new companies in the manufacturing sector.