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麦士威熟食中心老字号“中国街五香贯肠”早前打算以百万元卖出秘方，但因冠病疫情难寻接班人，如今把价格降至50万元。 “中国街五香贯肠”从1942年街头摆摊做起，再搬到熟食中心，至今已有80年历史。 第二代传人黄国华（65岁）昨午（6月26日）接受《新明日报》访问时说，他一共有九个兄弟姐妹，自己排行老四。兄弟姐妹从小都帮忙父亲做五香贯肠，不过后来有些去发展别的事业，只有他和妻子王秀英、大姐、哥哥黄国荣、弟弟一起继续经营生意。   “我们这几个人都60多岁了，79岁的大姐已经退休，我和妻子分别因为静脉曲张和膝盖问题动过手术，因此我们打算把秘方以100万元卖给别人，并用一年的时间教他们如何经营。” 黄国华透露，2020年时，有餐饮业投资人打算跟他买秘方，没想到后来疫情暴发且一直没有好转迹象，这个投资决定便被搁置。 今年初，有人打算以合作的形式跟他买秘方，但由于他已年岁已大且动过手术，而做小贩需要久站，因此他不打算以合作形式继续经营。   他说，疫情下接班人难寻，已准备降价到50万元。“价格其实可以再商量，我们希望的其实是能传承秘方，让国人吃到传统的食物。” 他指出，不少小贩不愿将秘方传给外人，导致很多传统美食无法保留。他希望可以找到对餐饮业有热情的人接班，不要让兄弟姐妹多年苦心经营的品牌消失。 “据我了解，本地做福建五香贯肠的只有三摊，很多顾客都表示若失传了很可惜。不过如果找不到接班人，我们兄弟姐妹则会继续经营，直到身体状况不适合为止。” 完整报道，请翻阅2022年6月27日的《新明日报》。     Maxwell Food Centre's time-honored brand "China Street Five Spiced Sausage" had planned to sell its secret recipe for one million yuan earlier, but due to the difficulty of finding a successor due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the price has now been reduced to 500,000 yuan. "China Street Five Spice Sausage" started as a street stall in 1942, and then moved to a cooked food center. It has a history of 80 years. Huang Guohua (65), the second-generation descendant, said in an interview with Xinming Daily yesterday afternoon (June 26) that he has nine brothers and sisters, and he is the fourth oldest. Brothers and sisters have helped their father make five-spice sausages since childhood, but some of them went on to develop other careers. Only he and his wife Wang Xiuying, eldest sister, elder brother Huang Guorong, and younger brother continued to run the business.   "We are all in our 60s, and the 79-year-old eldest sister has retired. My wife and I have had operations for varicose veins and knee problems, so we plan to sell the secret recipe to others for 1 million yuan and spend a year. Teach them how to run a business." Huang Guohua revealed that in 2020, an investor in the catering industry planned to buy a secret recipe from him. Unexpectedly, the epidemic broke out and there was no sign of improvement, and this investment decision was shelved. At the beginning of this year, someone planned to buy secret recipes from him in the form of cooperation, but since he is too old and has undergone surgery, and it takes a long time to be a hawker, he does not plan to continue the business in the form of cooperation.   He said that successors are hard to find under the epidemic, and he is ready to reduce the price to 500,000 yuan. "The price can actually be negotiated. What we hope is actually to inherit the secret recipe and let the Chinese people eat traditional food." He pointed out that many hawkers are reluctant to pass on their secret recipes to outsiders, resulting in many traditional delicacies that cannot be preserved. He hopes to find someone who has a passion for the catering industry to take over, so that the brand that his brothers and sisters have worked so hard to manage for many years will not disappear. "As far as I know, there are only three local stalls that make Hokkien five-spice sausages. Many customers say it would be a pity if they were lost. But if we can't find a successor, our brothers and sisters will continue to operate until they are unfit for health." For the full report, please read the June 27, 2022 issue of Shin Min Daily News.

Otters in Singapore often make the headlines for all sorts of reasons. Some of the news are adorable, and others sound like the plot of a Hollywood action movie. One of the things they are most known for is their love for fish, and while sourcing food is their right, it can make them a menace at times. A man staying along Gerald Drive in Hougang woke up one morning to find all 50 of his goldfish dead, eaten by a pack of otters.   At the time, his house was unguarded as his dog had passed away a week ago. Helper discovered dead goldfish At 7am on Sunday (26 Jun), the man’s maid was cleaning the courtyard when she discovered the fish pond in a mess. According to Shin Min Daily News, she saw that all the goldfish were floating atop the pond, and only one or two were barely alive. She returned to the house and reported what she saw to her employer, Mr Lim, immediately.   Source: Shin Min Daily News Mr Lim also told the publication that he believes the otters had come in the middle of the night, as he didn’t recall hearing anything. Otters have broken into Hougang residence before In a video accompanying the report, Mr Lim pointed out that he had installed safety nets on his gate to keep the otters out. They used to be of a lower height, but he adjusted them to make them higher after an earlier incident where the otters broke in for the first time. This time around, it is likely that the resourceful creatures bit through the safety nets to get inside, as they could be seen torn apart. Source: Shin Min Daily News In the past, the otters could still be warded off from the goldfish as Mr. Lim used to keep a bulldog. The bulldog would bark at the otters to keep them away, but sadly, the loyal guard dog passed away just a week ago.   As such, Mr. Lim’s home was left unguarded for the first time. Otters ate S$5,000 worth of goldfish The goldfish – which were of the ryukin variety – cost Mr Lim S$100 each. As the otters devoured all 50 of them, the losses incurred are estimated to be S$5,000 in total. Source: Shin Min Daily News He said the otters often travelled around his neighbourhood in packs of 7 to 8 at night. It is believed that they came up from Sungei Punggol, which is a stone’s throw away from Gerald Drive. Regarding the next steps, Mr Lim is unsure how to seek compensation but hopes authorities can implement countermeasures.   Fellow fish owners should step up measures It is truly unfortunate that Mr Lim has suffered the loss of so many beloved pets in a matter of weeks. At the same time, we cannot fault the otters as they are simply following their instincts and trying to survive in a concrete jungle. MS News would like to express our condolences to Mr Lim and wish him strength to get through this difficult time. In his loss, we hope it motivates other fish owners to take measures to protect their homes and pets. They may refer to this advisory by the National Parks Board (NParks) for guidance.

SINGAPORE — Over a few months, a Pizza Hut manager illegally accrued about S$18,000 in NTUC LinkPoints which she used to buy items at various NTUC outlets. Nurazleen Rahim did this by claiming LinkPoints for herself that Pizza Hut customers did not. She sometimes artificially inflated the number of points on her end as well. On Monday (June 27), Nurazleen was sentenced to four months and two weeks’ jail. The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to cheating NTUC Link, which is part of a group of social enterprises under the labour movement. Customers who made purchases at Pizza Hut could earn five LinkPoints for every S$1 spent. At the end of the month, NTUC would bill Pizza Hut S$1 for every 150 LinkPoints awarded by Pizza Hut. Between March 2 and May 23 last year, Nurazleen credited such points to her two NTUC cards on 79 occasions without making any purchases herself. When customers bought food at her outlet and did not present their own NTUC cards to claim the points, she used her own card. On some occasions, she also artificially inflated the amount of points to be warded by keying in a larger number on the NTUC LinkPoint terminal. She thought she would get away scot-free because she thought the awarding of LinkPoints was not frequently audited, the court heard. When her card stopped functioning properly in April last year, she borrowed her boyfriend’s card for her illegal actions. He did not know her intention. She managed to get about 2.5 million LinkPoints, which amounted to a total monetary value of S$17,688. She admitted to using the points to make purchases at various NTUC FairPrice outlets around Singapore. On Monday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheah Wenjie sought at least six months’ jail, noting that Nurazleen has made no restitution for her offences and that she cheated a significant amount of money. She will begin serving her sentence on July 18 and remains out on bail of S$5,000. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/jail-pizza-hut-manager-cheated-ntuc-linkpoints-1933591

Gen Z workers entering the labor market are pushing to transform the idea of what a typical office job looks like. According to the Center for Generational Kinetic’s (CGK) Annual State of Gen Z study, starting salary is the most important job factor for Gen Z workers — defined as those who fall between the ages of 16 and 26 — followed by schedule flexibility. “We found that 44% of Gen Z said they had to work five days a week if they really wanted to get promoted,” Jason Dorsey, a Gen Z researcher and author, told Yahoo Finance Live (video above). “However, a majority of Gen Z still would not work five days a week in an office.” That means employers may have to adjust their expectations in order to retain young talent. “What's interesting is they're also pushing back and saying, 'Yeah, I want to earn more money, but I don't want to work those same hours or same days,'” Dorsey continued. “Gen Z actually will take jobs working five days a week if they could pick the hours, move the hours around a bit, then work more days. But if the hours aren't flexible, then the days become really important.” 'It's socially acceptable' to switch jobs The survey's findings come amid significant turnover in the labor market as employers, particularly for younger workers. Forty percent of Gen Z workers plan to leave a job within two years, the study found. While other generations, like older millennials following the financial crisis, have gone through similar periods of transition, Dorsey highlighted some of the ways Gen Z is shifting workplace norms.   The top aspects of a job posting that motivate Gen Z workers to apply. (CGK State of Gen Z survey) “The difference here is how young Gen Z is and that it's socially acceptable within the generation to change jobs,” Dorsey said. “And now, I would argue, for the first time, employers are hiring people that have had short-term stints somewhere else. What I mean by that, it used to be, 'Well, if you didn't work somewhere a year, we're not going to hire you. You're not loyal.' And now they're like, 'Oh, you've worked somewhere at all.'” Part of Gen Z's willingness to job hop stems from the ways the pandemic uniquely impacted this generation. “They were the No. 1 generation laid off during the pandemic, or loss of jobs, loss of hours, loss of pay," Dorsey explained. "And so, of course, they're trying to make up for lost time.” Dorsey also pointed out that Gen Zers “have the least responsibility in terms of family, child, houses, cars, and so forth. So, it's really a perfect time for them to make that jump.” If current trends continue, young workers are likely to see more bargaining power when looking for new jobs. They may even be in a better spot than millennials when it comes to retirement planning.   Mya, 16, works at a bakery in Montreal, Canada on June 12, 2022. Quebec is experiencing a shortage of labor and seeing an increase in minor workers. (Photo by PAOLA CHAPDELAINE/AFP via Getty Images) “As Gen Z continues to move into the workforce, have more skills, more experience, become even more valuable, they're going to actually get more leverage, which is an opportunity for employers to know what to do and a real challenge for those that try to take it on as business as usual,” Dorsey said. He also that suggested employers keep Gen Z's priorities in mind, including their desire for stability as they progress through their careers. “Stability is suddenly going to be very important to Gen Z as they look ahead,” Dorsey said. “So both life balance is important, as well as starting salary and finding that combination that seems to work.”

SINGAPORE — Over 60 per cent of Singaporeans and Malaysians said in a recent global survey that they are "confident" in Chinese President Xi Jinping "to do the right thing regarding world affairs", contrary to views held in other countries. And while most global respondents in the Pew Research Centre survey expressed little trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin, nearly 60 per cent of Malaysians polled said they had confidence in him. Singapore also stood out, with nearly 40 per cent of respondents expressing confidence in Putin. The global median was only 18 per cent for Xi, and just 9 per cent for Putin. The survey titled International Attitudes Toward the US, NATO and Russia in a Time of Crisis was published online last week. It involved mostly phone or online polling from 14 February to 11 May, with most of the poll taking place after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February. The survey included data from 18 countries: Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea. According to the survey, 69 per cent of Singaporeans and 62 per cent of Malaysians said they were confident in Xi. Meanwhile, 59 per cent of Malaysians and 36 per cent of Singaporeans were confident in Putin.   Most Singaporeans and Malaysians said they were confident in Chinese President Xi Jinping doing the right thing in world affairs, contrary to views in other countries. Singapore and Malaysia also stood out for their views on Putin. Fewer Singaporeans confident in Biden The Pew survey also found that international public opinion of the US remained positive. A median of 61 per cent across the countries surveyed have a "favourable" view of the US, while only 35 per cent have an "unfavourable" view. But Malaysia stood out, with over half of its respondents — 57 per cent — having an unfavourable view of the country. Singapore and Greece came in second with 48 per cent of respondents having a negative view of the US. Along with a positive opinion of the US, most global respondents also have trust in President Joe Biden; a median of 60 per cent of global respondents said they have confidence in him to do the right thing in world affairs. But Singapore stood out with fewer respondents having trust in Biden than those who do not. A total of 51 per cent of Singaporeans said they had no confidence in Biden, compared with 48 per cent who had confidence. Decline in favourable views towards Russia   The Pew survey also found that favourability for Russia has dropped by double digits in nearly every country where it has trend data available. And in almost every country surveyed, at least 70 per cent of respondents have an unfavourable opinion of Russia; Malaysia is the only exception, where half have an unfavourable view of Russia. Poles are especially critical of Russia with 97 per cent having an unfavourable opinion, including 91 per cent with a "very unfavourable" view. Only 27 per cent of Singapore respondents have a "very favourable" or "somewhat favourable" view of Russia; 70 per cent have a "somewhat unfavourable" or "very unfavourable" view of the country.