Leaving or entering Singapore? Note the change in cash you can carry

Leaving or entering Singapore? Note the change in cash you can carry

From Sep 1, those carrying large amounts of money in and out of Singapore must declare this to authorities if it is S$20,000 or more. The current threshold is S$30,000.

Travellers coming in and out of Singapore with that amount of money - whether in Sing dollars or foreign currency - must fill in a form and submit it to any immigration officer at the Customs Red Channel or immigration counter.

The rule applies to cash or bearer negotiable instruments such as traveller's cheques. A statement from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Tuesday (Aug 26) said the amount is in line with the recommendations made by the Financial Action Task Force, of which Singapore is a member of.

"Criminals and terrorism financiers around the world have been known to use cash couriers to move physical funds across borders either to finance their illicit activities or to launder their ill-gotten gains. As an active and integrated member of the global economy, Singapore could also be susceptible to such illegal activities," the SPF stated.

Cross-border cash movement reporting thresholds in the United States, Australia and New Zealand are $10,000 in their respective currencies.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Singapore Night Festival returns this Friday

Singapore Night Festival returns this Friday

The seventh edition of the Singapore Night Festival kicks off this Friday (Aug 22) and the organisers have promised it will be "louder and wilder" this year.

The theme for this year’s annual light extravaganza is "Bold and Beautiful".

Urban hits will take centrestage in a performance by 10 DJs and musicians. Night Lights, a crowd favourite, will also return on a bigger scale.

Visitors will be able to enjoy light installations such as a "greenhouse car" - which questions the impact of industrialisation on the environment - or catch what is known as "flow art".

The Night Festival will take place at the Bras Basah and Bugis area over the next two Fridays and Saturdays (Aug 22, 23, 29 and 30). Admission is free.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Want to explore Marina Bay and its sights? Do it on two wheels

Want to explore Marina Bay and its sights? Do it on two wheels

The Lion City has joined cities such as Paris, Milan, Rome and Chicago in offering Segway tours of downtown areas. With the launch of the Marina Bay Segway tours by tour operator GoGreen on Tuesday (Aug 19), tourists can now take in the waterfront sights while perched atop the self-balancing personal transporter.

Starting from the Marina Bay City Gallery, the hour-long tours take visitors around the Marina Bay Promontory, the Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum. Tourists can also opt for a two-hour option which covers the same route, with the addition of exhibits like Gardens by the Bay, the Marina Barrage and the Waterfront Promenade.

Each tour group is limited to eight visitors, and the operator believes the tours will provide a more enjoyable experience. "On a day like this where you have glorious sunshine, you probably will take four to five hours, which can be quite an effort for many people. On the Segway, it's like an hour or two hours, so I think it's a natural choice," said GoGreen Managing Director Michael Tan.

GoGreen is currently only permitted to operate up to 20 Segways in Marina Bay at any one time. But the operator says it is ready to handle further expansion in the size and scale of its tours. Prices start from $68 for the one-hour trip, which run from Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 7pm.

The company said its safety and operational track record on Sentosa, as well as its fleet size, may have been factors in its winning the bid. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) had opened the tender for guided tours using personal transport systems in the Marina Bay area in May.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Religious melting pot in Waterloo St

Religious melting pot in Waterloo St



Besides Hindu worshippers, the Sri Krishnan Temple in Waterloo Street also sees devotees from the Chinese temple next door stopping by to light joss sticks and say quiet prayers. -- PHOTOS: CHEW SENG KIM, SRI KRISHNAN TEMPLE

It is after midday on a Friday and the Sri Krishnan Temple in the Bugis area is closed for the afternoon. But this does not stop a constant stream of Chinese devotees from stopping in front of it, murmuring silent prayers.

Tendrils of incense rise from joss sticks in an urn with the inscription "Waterloo Chicken Rice" in front of the entrance to the Hindu temple, two doors from the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple known to many as the Simalu Guanyin Temple.

Waterloo Street, where the two venerable places of worship meet, is arguably the best showcase of Singapore's religious melting pot.

The main deity at one temple is Guanyin or the Goddess of Mercy, while Krishnan, a god known to destroy evil and spread love, watches over the other.

But devotees of one temple spill over to the other; the area overflows with fortune tellers, sellers of fresh chrysanthemum and lotus flowers, and cheerful refrains of "Miss, do you want to buy flowers?"

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Six new precincts among plans to enhance Sentosa’s appeal

Six new precincts among plans to enhance Sentosa’s appeal

Sentosa is calling for ideas to boost its appeal to visitors and its plans include creating six precincts, which will have distinct offerings that cater for different groups, out of its existing clusters.

For example, the Palawan Beach precinct will be dedicated to family-centric activities, while the Siloso Beach stretch will feature “thrilling and adventurous recreational activities for the young and energetic”.

The Imbiah Lookout precinct will feature nature and heritage, and the Fort Siloso and Siloso Point area, which includes the preserved coastal fort and the Underwater World Singapore attractions, will offer visitors a “learning journey”.

The two other precincts singled out for enhancement are the North-South Link cluster, which connects Resorts World Sentosa and the beaches, and the Siloso Beach area.

The planning directives for each of the precincts were detailed in an Expression of Interest document (EOI) Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) posted last month on the government procurement website GeBIZ, which was first reported in Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao on Thursday (Aug 14).

SDC divisional director for property Benjamin Chia said the company is seeking consultancy services to “map its near- and mid-term development plans for the different precincts”.

“The outcome of the consultation process would be a suite of localised development projects within these precincts for SDC to evaluate and decide whether to embark on,” Mr Chia added.

Other plans include a “well-choreographed and comfortable” walking experience along the North-South link precinct. The consultant will also need to come up with proposals to enhance connectivity on the island, between the precincts as well as within them “to entice guests to walk and enjoy the island”.

The project will be carried out in three phases and a different firm will be appointed as the consultant for each phase. Subsequently, these firms may form strategic partnerships with SDC to support precinct-planning over the next five years.

Submissions will be evaluated based on a firm’s financial standing, resources and expertise, as well as track record. The EOI closes on Friday and shortlisted firms will be called to tender their proposals after evaluation.

Sentosa has surpassed the 20-million mark in terms of annual visitors, its latest figures showed.

Between April 1, 2012, and March 31 last year, a total of 20.5 million people visited the island. New attractions include a new night show called Wings of Time, which debuted at Siloso Beach in June.

Other offerings in the pipeline include Singapore’s first Madame Tussauds wax museum, which is slated to open later this year. Next year, visitors can look forward to KidZania, an indoor theme park for children, and the world’s first double swing bungy.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Happy National Day 2014

Changi Airport's hawker stalls: Not so famous after all

Changi Airport's hawker stalls: Not so famous after all



Singapore Food Street at the third level of the transit hall in Terminal 3. -- PHOTO: CHANGI AIRPORT GROUP

The week-old food street at Changi Airport, which was touted as offering 13 popular hawker stalls from different corners of the island, is not what it has been made out to be.

The Straits Times has found that of the 13 stalls at the 10,800 sq-ft Singapore Food Street in Terminal 3's transit area, seven bear no direct links to the original famous stalls. Some are new start-ups while others are named after streets or areas well-known for particular dishes but have no connection to the original brands.

For instance, Jalan Tua Kong Minced Pork Noodles at the airport food street is not an offshoot of the famed 132 Meepok in Marine Terrace, which was located in Jalan Tua Kong in the 1990s. It is also not related to Jalan Tua Kong Lau Lim Mee Pok Kway Teow Mee in Bedok Road. Instead, it is run by Mr Tan Dee Hond, 33, who told The Straits Times that he had worked at the Lau Lim stall for about two years in the mid-90s.

The owners of two popular char kway teow stalls at Old Airport Road, Dong Ji and Lao Fu Zi, said they did not open the Old Airport Road Fried Kway Teow & Carrot Cake stall at Terminal 3.

Nor is Mr Elvis Tan, 54, who owns East Coast BBQ Seafood at East Coast Lagoon Food Village, behind the airport's new East Coast Lagoon BBQ Seafood stall.

As for the airport's Tiong Bahru Meng Kee Roast Duck, there is no such stall in Tiong Bahru hawker centre. The owner of the airport's Tiong Bahru Meng Kee Roast Duck Mr Wen Yee Thim, 40, said he named the stall after his older brother, and included Tiong Bahru in the name because he learnt his roast meat preparation skills at a stall in Tiong Bahru in the mid 1990s.

When asked if naming the stalls after a street or an area that is famed for a particular dish was a misrepresentation, Select Group's executive director Jack Tan, 45, said: "If you use the name of the stall, then you're in trouble, but if you don't use the name and just use the street, it's free for all."

He added: "I think there was a miscommunication because there really are some famous hawkers there but maybe not 100 per cent. We just want to associate the street name with our product and our concept of it being a food street."

He added: "We can't use specific names because they may be trademarked or registered, that's why we use street names." The airport hawker stall called Changi Village Nasi Lemak is run by someone who once worked at one of Changi Village hawker centre's two famous nasi lemak stalls, Mizzy's Corner and International Muslim Food Nasi Lemak.

When asked which stall in Changi Village she had worked for, Mr Tan said: "I don't know which stall, because she didn't mention which stall, but I think it is one of the quite famous ones. I trusted her by doing the food tasting."

Only three of the stalls in the food street - Odeon Beef Noodles, Sin Ming Road Rong Cheng Bak Kut Teh, and Kampong Cafe - are directly linked to the original stalls.

Changi Airport Group's spokesman Robin Goh said that while some of the stalls may have direct association with the original brands, and others have indirect links in varying degrees, for instance through former chefs or employees, "the operator's naming of the remaining stalls after certain locations may have given the wrong impression that they are directly connected to popular stalls at these locations".

He said that the airport would be working with Select to rename stalls that do not have direct association with the original hawker brands.

Engineer Kelvin Sng, 25, who dined at the food street last week, was taken aback when a staff at the food stall he was ordering from told him that its name was "borrowed" and that it was "not original". But he said the roast meat rice he had was "good and satisfying".

It is a common practice for hawkers to capitalise on the name of a well-known, location-specific type of food such as Katong laksa and Jalan Kayu roti prata. Mr Boo Geok Beng, 63, owner of Kampong Carrot Cake in Tiong Bahru, said: "It is common for people to use the Tiong Bahru name because of the popularity of the hawker centre."

But the prevalence of the practice does not make it right, said Mr K.F. Seetoh, 50, street food advocate and founder of street food guide Makansutra.

He said: "The new stall will be living off someone else's reputation, someone else's good will. You cannot register a street name and there is no law against it, but it is not right."

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Expect to pay total Causeway tolls of about $12.80

Expect to pay total Causeway tolls of about $12.80



Motorists will soon have to pay higher toll rates on the Singapore side of the Causeway, after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday that it will match Malaysia's new levies in the next few weeks. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN

Motorists will soon have to pay higher toll rates on the Singapore side of the Causeway, after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday that it will match Malaysia's new levies in the next few weeks.

With the adjustment, drivers of private cars will likely have to pay about $12.80 for a round trip to Malaysia, compared to $2.30 before the changes at the Malaysia checkpoint set in yesterday.

The Malaysian authorities raised the toll rates yesterday for vehicles entering Johor from Singapore, and introduced a new toll for those driving in the other direction. Cars pay a toll of RM9.70 (S$3.80), up from the previous RM2.90. Those travelling from Johor to Singapore previously paid no toll, but are now subject to a new charge of RM6.80.



~News courtesy Of Straits Times~

S'pore will match Malaysia’s new toll charges

S'pore will match Malaysia’s new toll charges in next few weeks: LTA

The Government will match Malaysia’s new toll charges in the next few weeks, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Friday (Aug 1), in a statement issued in response to Malaysia's increase in toll charges for vehicles travelling from Singapore to Johor, and to the implementation of new Causeway toll charges on vehicles travelling from Johor to Singapore.

Malaysia's increased toll charges for all vehicles, except motorcycles, travelling from Singapore to Johor through the Causeway and its new Causeway toll for all vehicles travelling from Johor to Singapore both took effect today. The LTA understands that these changes are different from Malaysia’s earlier announcement to impose an entry fee on foreign-registered vehicles entering Johor.

The move to match these new toll charges would be in line with Singapore's long-standing policy of matching its toll charges at the Causeway and Second Link to those set by Malaysia, and Malaysia is aware of this policy, said an LTA spokesman.

"As details of Malaysia’s toll revisions were not made known to Singapore earlier, LTA would need some time to operationalise the changes," the spokesman added. Noting reports that the Malaysian authorities would be reviewing the tolls, the spokesman confirmed that "should Malaysia reduce or do away with the toll charges, Singapore will follow suit".

The LTA statement also pointed out the difference between Singapore’s Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) and Goods Vehicle Permit (GVP) Fees, and Malaysia’s new Causeway toll charges:

VEP and GVP fees are not intended as revenue generators or to charge vehicles for the usage of the Causeway, Second Link or other roads. Instead, they seek to equalise the cost of owning and using a foreign-registered vehicle in Singapore, with that for a Singapore-registered vehicle. The need to revise Singapore’s VEP and GVP fees arose from the fact that this cost difference has widened in recent years.

Based on 2013 data, the VEP fee increase will only affect about one in 10 foreign-registered cars. Other foreign-registered cars will not be affected as they enter and stay in Singapore on VEP-free days or during VEP-free hours.

Buses, taxis and motorcycles are not affected by the increase in Singapore’s VEP and GVP fees.

Speaking to media on the sidelines of a community event on Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam also reiterated the rationale behind Singapore's decision to raise the VEP fees for foreign-registered vehicles entering the country. "It is to make sure that Singaporeans don't pay disproportionate to what others pay, and that foreign vehicles are charged an amount that's proportionate to the usage in Singapore to make sure that congestion is reduced." Mr Shanmugam said he believed that Johor's toll fee hike will not affect ties between Singapore and Malaysia.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~