In order to sustain its competitiveness, Singapore aims to expand its manufacturing sector by 50 percent over the next 10 years, with the pandemic highlighting its importance to the economy of the trade-reliant city-state. But the target is unrealistic because it will become more difficult to rely on foreign labor to complement the local workforce, Minister of Trade and Industry …

SINGAPORE – After cross-border travel resumed five months ago, only about 50 percent of Malaysian employees have returned to Singapore for work. Various trade associations told The Straits Times that industries, such as renovation and food and beverage (F&B) services, that depend heavily on workers from across the Causeway, are still struggling to cope with the shortage of manpower. Mr. …

SINGAPORE: On Friday (January 22) cargo drivers from Malaysia transporting critical goods to Singapore said they faced delays at land entry checkpoints, on the first day mandatory COVID-19 tests were enforced by the Singapore government. On Thursday, the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore (MTI) announced that COVID-19 antigen rapid testing would be gradually rolled out for cargo drivers …

PETALING JAYA – There will be no deferred national exams in Malaysia, like Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM, GCE O-level equivalent), Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM, certificate of vocational skills), Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM, GCE A-level equivalent). The first examinations will begin on Feb 22. Education director-general Habibah Abdul Rahim said that despite calls to do so, there would also be …

Singapore’s government aims to establish urgent legislation in order to formalize the use of contact-tracing virus data in serious crime investigations. Legislation to restrict the use of data to prosecute seven types of serious crimes will be implemented at the next parliamentary sitting in February, the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office said in a statement on Friday. Murder, terrorism, …

The recently announced Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance in Malaysia is too broad and should be updated urgently to meet international standards for human rights, Human Rights Watch said today. The decree announced on January 14, 2021, gives police powers to the Malaysian military, allows compulsory confiscation of property without the right to appeal the compensation offered, and gives near-complete immunity …

KUALA LUMPUR- If the government does not get its Covid-19 policies correct, Malaysia is in danger of getting perpetual movement-control orders (MCOs), said Dr Musa Mohd Nordin. Dr Musa said during an online forum on Jom Channel on Wednesday, “We are not finding the hotspots and not doing enough mass testing with rapid tests” (Jan 20). And if the government …

PUTRAJAYA: Because of the latest Movement Control Order (MCO 2.0), the government expects the country to lose RM600 million per day, compared to RM2.4 billion per day during the first MCO between March and May last year, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said yesterday. As five critical sectors are still available, this MCO is unlike the one in March last …

KUALA LUMPUR: Traders in Kuala Lumpur and beyond who expected a busy season leading up to the Chinese New Year are now preparing for possible losses, after the government has again imposed a Movement Control Order (MCO) in almost all states to resolve an increasing number of COVID-19 cases. When reporters visited Petaling Lane, the Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur, last …

SINGAPORE: Singapore has one of the most successful strategies in the world to fight the coronavirus pandemic, but there is growing concern among rights activists that this is coming at a price, with “unjustified surveillance” through the communication tracing mechanisms of the government. With slightly more than 59,100 confirmed virus infections, there have been only 29 coronavirus-related deaths in the …