The_King

In their latest video, Shanghai-based sketch comedy troupe Mamahuhu take a look at the rapid-fire changes going on China and how it can play havoc with your dining options.

Facebook has sued four Chinese companies for selling fake Facebook and Instagram accounts. It represents a major effort by a large Western platform to strike back at alleged click farms in China. But as we found out, purchasing likes and followers on social media might be easier than you think. 

It took only a brief search on China’s most popular ecommerce platform Taobao. I typed “Facebook like” in Chinese and voilà – the doors to online popularity were open for me.

(Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba, the owner of Taobao.)

Some of the companies selling fake followers, likes, and comments describe themselves as overseas websites marketing and promotion. Others say they are international fans marketing companies. I picked one that's named Grey Grey Technology because the name seemed so very apt. And besides, it had good reviews.

“It's been ten days and it's relatively stable, the number of fans did not drop. Buyers' after sales service is excellent,“ wrote one satisfied customer (could those good reviews be fake too? I wonder).

Our seller told us that the current prices on the market for Facebook and Instagram were between US$1.50 and US$3 for 100 followers. Around US$223 could buy you 10,000 followers on Facebook. And if you wanted to add another 10k for your Instagram, that would be less than US$300.

Twitter, however, was a bit trickier and more expensive, my seller warned us. Still, the temptation was too high: My following on Twitter had always been kind of pathetic so I bought myself 100 followers for US$5.30 just to test if the service actually works.

According to the seller, opting for ”fake“ followers -- meaning bots -- would have been cheaper but also riskier. The platform declared a war against bots last year, reportedly banning millions of them in a few months.

We've reached out to several platforms. A Facebook representative provided this statement, which reads, in part: "We hope to reinforce that this kind of fraudulent activity is not tolerated – and that we’ll act forcefully to protect the integrity of our platform."

We'll update this story when comments from Twitter and Alibaba become available. 

So where do all these invisible followers that Chinese vendors are selling actually spawn from? Videos of click farms in China have gone viral in the past showing how large these operations can get. They use powerful computers to string together hundreds of thousands of phone cards to create fake engagement. Click farms are also known to hack into other smartphones through malicious apps to hijack traffic.

I never tire of looking at videos of Chinese click farms. It's just so surreal to see hundreds of phones playing the same video for the purposes of fake engagment. pic.twitter.com/bHAGLqRqVb

— Matthew Brennan (@mbrennanchina) December 10, 2018

Fake web traffic isn't just for boosting follower numbers. You can also buy five-star reviews for your store on Google Maps.

Video views are an even bigger part of the industry. In 2017, for instance, two Chinese TV shows got more than a billion views in just one day. The weird part is China only had about 750 million internet users at the time. This has led iQiyi, the Netflix of China, to give up on counting views to gauge popularity entirely. The problem persists despite amendments to Chinese law last year, making frauds punishable by up to 2 million yuan (around US$298,000) in fines. 

But China is just one of the countries known to host click farms for foreign platforms, with much of the action also happening in Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and India – many aimed at Western buyers. 

In the meantime, my Taobao seller seems to have kept his promise: I got 56 new followers by the end of the day. Now, I only have to hope that Twitter doesn’t ban me.

SINGAPORE: The tripartite workgroup tasked to look at issues concerning older workers has reached a consensus that the country’s retirement age and re-employment age will need to be raised, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo on Tuesday (Mar 5).

Describing this as a "significant milestone", Mrs Teo said the workgroup will work out the details over the next few months, such as how far and how fast adjustments should be made, before submitting a final recommendation later this year.

But even if the age thresholds for retirement and re-employment go up, the Central Provident Fund (CPF) payout eligibility age will stay unchanged at 65 years old, the minister added.

The tripartite workgroup was set up last May to look at whether the retirement age of 62 and the re-employment age of up to 67 need to be changed, as well as examine the impact of CPF contribution rates on retirement adequacy of older workers, among other things.

The workgroup, according to Mrs Teo in an update during her ministry’s Committee of Supply debate, believes that the retirement age remains relevant and should go up beyond 62.

“A higher retirement age will motivate both workers and employers to invest in skills upgrading and job redesign for their older workers,” she explained.

There have been calls, including from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Daniel Goh, for the retirement age to be removed.

On that, the minister reasoned that having a statutory minimum retirement age “is actually protection for workers”.

“When a company removes the retirement age from its HR policy manual, it is good news for its workers,” she said. “But if the retirement age is removed from the law, it is bad news.” 

“It means the employers no longer have any obligation to keep their workers up to any age. In other words, any employer can retire any worker at any age."

The workgroup also believes that the re-employment age remains useful and can be raised.

"Although most workers who are eligible get re-employed in the same job at the same pay, the flexibility to reset jobs and terms help employers cope with business uncertainties," according to Mrs Teo. "Employers are more willing to employ older workers because of it."

Nonetheless, the workgroup said in its recent update to the minister and other advisers that any change should be “implemented in small steps overtime” so as to allow employers to adjust.

Other countries looking to raise the retirement age have typically made their intentions known five to 10 years in advance, with each move being “relatively modest”, Mrs Teo mentioned. For instance, the retirement age in Denmark is set to go up from 65 to 68 by 2030. 

In Singapore, the re-employment age was first brought up in 2007 before it was passed into law in 2012, she added.

And even as the retirement age and re-employment age are raised over time, the workgroup cautioned that it is critical to ensure flexibility of employment arrangements and avoid being “overly prescriptive when setting new rules".

Mrs Teo said the workgroup has consulted widely with workers, unions and employers before developing this "clear" tripartite consensus.

In the next phase of work, it will look at how far and how fast the retirement age and the re-employment age should be raised.

It will also try to build a consensus on the CPF contribution rates for older workers, while balancing the need to help improve retirement adequacy and sustain employability of older workers.

West Coast GRC MP Foo Mee Har, Hougang SMC MP Png Eng Huat and Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim asked about financial security, flexibility in the use of CPF savings and CPF top-ups. 

To that, the minister said there is improving retirement adequacy for both older and younger Singaporeans.

She cited how more than six in 10 active CPF members turning 55 years old have at least the basic retirement sum last year. More than 96,000 members have also received about S$2 billion in CPF top-ups in 2018.

The issue of retirement adequacy will be discussed more fully when the workgroup submits its recommendations on CPF contributions for older workers later this year, said Mrs Teo.

Source: CNA/sk

SINGAPORE — As the campuses of several junior colleges (JCs) are “somewhat dated”, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung announced on Tuesday (March 5) that three of them will be rebuilt, while a fourth will be upgraded by around 2025.

This will come under the first phase of the JC Rejuvenation Programme, which will start from 2022, he told Parliament during a debate on his ministry’s budget.

Temasek JC and two other colleges that merged this year — Anderson Serangoon and Jurong Pioneer — will be rebuilt.

Yishun Innova JC, which also merged this year, will be upgraded.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) is already planning the second and third phases, Mr Ong said, adding that these will involve upgrading the fourth of the merged JCs — Tampines Meridian — as well as Victoria JC and older Government-aided colleges.

There are 12 colleges in Singapore, of which eight are Government JCs and the rest Government-aided.

In choosing which colleges to rejuvenate first, Mr Ong said that his ministry considered factors such as the age of the buildings, the state of existing facilities and availability of suitable holding sites.

Most of the JCs were built or upgraded before 2002, and several are now well over 30 years old.

In January this year, eight JCs were merged into four, resulting in students having to shift campuses. 

Three of these newly merged JCs, Anderson Serangoon, Jurong Pioneer and Yishun Innova, will benefit from the first phase of the rejuvenation programme.

Mr Ong acknowledged that the students and staff of these schools, who have already had to deal with the hassle of the mergers, would now have to bear with the upgrading and rebuilding of their campuses as well.

“The MOE will need to trouble them some more, and I seek their understanding,” he said.

The new campuses will be “fit for the future”, he added.

“The new premises will support the evolution of JC education, where lessons are becoming a lot more interactive, and learning more holistic. So instead of just the classrooms we have today, we will have seminar rooms which are modular and flexible, to support more interactive pedagogies. We will make the campuses more digitally-enabled.”

The campuses will also have facilities such as indoor sports halls, which Mr Ong said will be designed for community use as well.

Here’s what will happen when the JCs are rebuilt and upgraded:

Temasek JC: Built in 1976, the college’s campus is the oldest among the Government JCs at 43 years old. It will temporarily move to the former Tampines JC site, which is now vacant, while the current one in Bedok is rebuilt.

Anderson Serangoon JC: Students and staff will move to the former Serangoon JC location while its current campus at the Ang Mo Kio site — which is 36 years old — is rebuilt.

The decision to rebuild the JC there is because it is next to Yio Chu Kang MRT station.

Mr Ong said that it is not an “ideal arrangement” to have students and staff to move to and fro but his ministry will try to “minimise the hassle”.

Jurong Pioneer JC: Currently, the college is located at the former Pioneer JC site in Teck Whye. But a new campus will be built at the site of the former Jurong JC in Jurong West  — which is 35 years old — because of its “convenience and accessibility”, Mr Ong said.

He noted that the new campus will be located near the Jurong Lake District and will be served by the future Jurong Region MRT Line.

Yishun Innova JC: After upgrading works are completed, students and staff from Yishun Innova JC, currently situated at Yishun Ring Road, will move to its newly furnished campus at the former Innova JC site in Woodlands.

The current campus which is the former Yishun JC is 34 years old.

The former Innova JC campus, set up in 2005, will be upgraded as it is “not old enough to be rebuilt”, said Mr Ong.

The decision to make Woodlands a permanent site for Yishun Innova JC is because it will be served by the new Thomson-East Coast MRT Line.

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/four-junior-colleges-be-rebuilt-and-upgraded-2025

i think spoiled already cannot drink

https://www.facebook.com/ismail.lepat/videos/2161756773880804/

PETALING JAYA, March 1 ― What do you do if you’re not satisfied with the service at an upscale boutique?

If you’re Zainal Abidin Awang, there’s no need to shout but simply cut up the bag you just purchased as a signal of disapproval.

The Facebook user’s shocking response was first reported by Sinar Harianafter a viral video surfaced on the social media platform depicting an annoyed but calm Zainal using a pair of scissors to cut his handbag when a boutique staff’s customer service did not meet his standards.

“They’re thinking I’m a first time LV (Louis Vuitton) buyer. So I cut this in front of you so you can see, don’t ever treat your customer like you treat me,” Zainal can be heard saying the video.

According to the Malay language portal, Zainal claimed he was mistreated by the employees who looked down on him and his friend Ismail Ariffin Lepat, who recorded the video, because of their casual outfits and hairstyle.

It was reported that Zainal visited the store in slippers while his friend Ismail sported dreadlocks.

Zainal had popped by the boutique in Kuala Lumpur to get his name embossed on his newly-purchased bag but his request was rejected by the staff member.

“I’m sorry but I can’t take it that my friend and our race are being insulted on our own land.

“I bought this bag three days ago and came to get my name embossed but he (the staff) said no because he was worried if it was ruined, I would be angry. I told him to just do it and asked what his problem was.

“I said, ‘you can’t treat me and my friend like monkeys so you can take this LV bag’ and then I cut the LV bag in front of him,” Zainal explained in a post on Facebook.

The angry customer also shared an image of the limited-edition green duffle bag which he was carrying and is said to be worth approximately RM21,120 on e-commerce site eBay.

Guys can this still be drink? i dont want die of poison

Source: CNA/zl

It is a normal Saturday in Zhengzhou, the capital of central China’s Henan province. The sky over the Foxconn factory complex is obscured with a choking smog. Under the hazy sunset, hordes of workers have started to walk out of the production facility. The crowd thins out quickly.

But working conditions inside the world’s largest iPhone assembly plant are not normal, as weaker demand for the mobile phones assembled inside the vast 1.4 million square metre (15 million square feet) facility has led to lower salaries and reduced benefits from Apple’s largest supplier.

The shuttle bus service to the workers’ gloomy dormitory compound has been cancelled, forcing some to walk for up to 40 minutes to get to their rooms.

The cancellation of the shuttle service is routine during the Lunar New Year holiday, but normally it resumes when production picked up again. But not this year, as the service was cancelled earlier this month, long before.

Small but important perks have also been scaled back. A free laundry service was cut at the beginning of the year for the first time, with employees now having to pay 7 yuan (US$1) to wash a load of laundry, while dry cleaning an overcoat costs 18 yuan (US$2.7) of their 2,000 yuan (US$299) to 3,000 yuan monthly income.

The Zhengzhou facility, one of Foxconn’s 45 factories scattered throughout China, began operations in 2010 and is equipped with its own group of customs officials at the factory gates to speed up the process of transporting finished iPhones to the nearby airport for export.

The special trade zone was created to allow goods from overseas to be imported without paying duties, while manufacturing and trade conducted inside receives exemptions from value added and sales taxes.

How I almost got a job at the world’s largest iPhone assembly plant

More than 100,000 migrant workers live and work inside the special trade zone, which accommodated around 300,000 workers at its height at the end of 2014.

However, the sharp drop in iPhone sales since the middle of last year, much of it due to weaker Chinese demand, has cast a shadow over the manufacturing giant.

Around two dozen workers told the South China Morning Post that their salaries had been cut at the end of last year, an unprecedented step in their experience.

Output from Foxconn factories, including smart phones assembled for Apple and other vendors, had been the biggest contributor to Henan’s strong export performance.

Chinese Ministry of Commerce data show Henan’s mobile phone exports – most assembled at Foxconn facilities – were valued at 211.6 billion yuan (US$31.6 billion) in 2018, accounting for 38.4 per cent of the province’s exports.

Foxconn’s latest shipment data is not available, but information released by Zhengzhou’s customs administration show that Henan’s mobile phone exports plunged 23.7 per cent in January compared to a year earlier.

Apple CEO Tim Cook announced in January a 5 per cent fall in the company’s fourth quarter revenue, attributed to weaker demand for new iPhones in China and fewer phone upgrades in the rest of the world. Apple’s share price has dropped around 25 per cent since its October peak.

Workers at Apple supplier stage street protest over unpaid bonuses

Foxconn Industrial Internet, Foxconn’s smart factory and cloud computing division, was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2018, and its prospectus said that 20 per cent to 30 per cent of its current revenue is from a “well-known US brand”, an obvious reference to Apple.

A Foxconn worker, who declined to give his name, told the Post that the peak production season last year lasted only about 20 days, which cut his salary from around 4,000 yuan (US$598) in October to 3,000 yuan in November.

August is usually the start of the peak season, one month before Apple launches its newest generation of iPhones, and the increase in production usually lasts for four to five months.

“In September, our line supervisor told us that Apple added a new order for three million iPhone 8 Plus [units]. It only took us about 20 days to finish the production because we worked 18 hours a day in two shifts, including weekends. The peak season didn’t last long at all,” he said.

The basic salary for a worker at the Zhengzhou facility is 2,100 yuan (US$314) per month, falling to around 1,500 yuan after tax, pensions and other mandatory deductions.

Foxconn to hire its biggest intake of Chinese college graduates

The average salary for a worker in the city of Zhengzhou in 2018 was 6,929 yuan (US$1,035) per month.

Another Foxconn worker, who gave her first name as Haixia, joined the company in 2015 and on average took one day off every two weeks during the peak season compared to three or four days at other times.

She was also required to recruit one worker every week during the peak season, otherwise she would not be allowed to work overtime.

“In 2017, we were churning out iPhone 8s. I was thrilled that I could work 11 hours every day and didn’t take any leave on weekends. Supervisors always demanded more from us, they even asked us to hurry up when we went for water,” she said. But that changed this year, and she had not been asked to recruit new workers since October.

According to Bloomberg, Foxconn plans to slash production costs by 20 billion yuan (US$3 billion) in 2019 with a “very difficult and competitive” year expected.

Data show Foxconn’s expenditure in 2018 was around 46.2 billion yuan (US$6.9 billion), meaning its budget for 2019 would be cut almost in half.

The wooing of Foxconn

Henan’s efforts to lure Foxconn to Zhengzhou were nothing short of Herculean, with official documents showing that as early as 2007, a team led by then mayor Zhao Jiancai was formed with the sole purpose of attracting the company to the province.

Liu Zhe, the member of China’s political advisory legislative body representing the province, told the Post that Henan had been pushing to build a modern airport economic zone in Zhengzhou since 2007 so that it could escape its label as a Chinese “backwater”, but was never able to push it through.

“The State Council would not allow us to build an airport economic zone because we didn’t have enough cargo traffic, so we began to covet Foxconn,” he said.

The Henan government mobilised all its available resources to accommodate Foxconn, Liu said.

“Foxconn didn’t spend a single penny for its employee dormitory – the government got the real estate developer to construct the dorms and workers paid rent. Each city [in Henan] was assigned an allotment of workers that it had to recruit for Foxconn. For example, Zhengzhou was required to find 80,000 workers for the facility,” he said.

Foxconn hits bumps in road to full automation

Zhengzhou’s tax subsidy offer – no corporate and value-added taxes payable for the first five years of production, with the normal tax rate then cut in half for the next five years – ultimately convinced Foxconn to locate there.

Followed the signing of a formal agreement in 2010, a new city was built for Foxconn’s facility with hospitals, undergrounds, international schools and commercial properties quickly rising from what had previously been farmland.

Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers from Henan and other provinces flocked to the new city, and in 2011, Zhengzhou broke into the top 20 Chinese cities in terms of gross domestic product for the first time, according to the Dahe Daily, a local newspaper affiliated with the Communist Party-run Henan Daily.

But the good times did not last.

“It’s like we put all our eggs in one basket. Henan relies too much on Foxconn for exports. When its orders decreased, both employment and exports were affected,” Liu added.

“The government was aware of the risks and has been talking about optimising [the province’s] industry structure, but so far we’ve hardly seen any progress.

“It’s been very difficult for Henan to attract high-end industries to [Zhengzhou’s] airport economic zone, so it’s been difficult for [the province] to fend off economic risks.”

Rumours surfaced that Foxconn had axed 50,000 seasonal workers after October, but most workers resigned due to a lack of overtime opportunities, resulting in queues forming every day to complete their exit paperwork.

Foxconn weighs base in Vietnam in response to US-China trade war

The turnover rate at the Foxconn plant has always been high, but a dozen workers told the Post that it has been even higher since the end of last year.

Foxconn did not respond when contacted by the Post for comment.

Wang Yuanhong, a worker who joined Foxconn in August 2016, said they would normally have more than 140 workers for each production line during peak season, but now there are fewer than 30.

He said some workers from the Zhengzhou plant have been forced to relocate to Foxconn’s remote Tianyuan facility in Shanxi province, around 400km north, which currently accommodates more than 60,000 workers.

Another worker, who declined to give his name, said that activity on the company app which allows staff to check payroll and job openings had dropped to around 110,000 active users from 150,000 on a typical day a year ago.

Due to the high resignation rate, a Foxconn recruiter told the Post the recruitment unit was required to find 50,000 new workers in the next two months.

Current Foxconn employees are rewarded with a 1,000 yuan (US$149) bonus for each new worker they recruit.

About two weeks ago, Taiwan Central News Agency – citing Chinese media – reported that the Zhengzhou facility had received orders from Huawei and the facility would recruit 50,000 workers.

Huawei had no comment when contacted by the Post about the report.

But Wang said: “Nobody has confirmed anything to us, but the truth is, my salary is decreasing.”

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/foxconn-tale-slashed-salaries-disappearing-040507898.html

It’s a hot Saturday, and you’re out with your family walking down Orchard Road trying to escape the blazing sun and all the pesky tourists with their giant shopping bags.

From afar, you spot a saving grace: an umbrella perched atop a metal cart, manned by an old uncle who is busy reaching into the cart to grab blocks of ice-cream, hacking them into smaller blocks and fitting them neatly between bread or wafers.

Yes, for the price of around US$1, the uncle’s ice-cream sandwich is the delectable, cheap treat that you must try in Singapore to combat the sweltering heat and hordes of crowds squeezing past one another.

We in Singapore love it so much and apparently so do the tourists who join in the queues at these ice-cream carts littered all around the Orchard Road shopping belt, which is why it’s quite puzzling when we found out that this sandwich creation ended up on a subreddit that highlights weird food.

The r/shittyfoodporn subreddit covers visually-unappetizing food such as cheddar cheese slices melted on top of cream crackers, spaghetti shaped like a brick and a smashed-up Louisiana King Cake.

Among these creations, user u/Golden-trichomes decided it would be great to highlight the ice-cream sandwich that he bought at Orchard Road when he visited Singapore.

The user was quick to comment that the dessert was, in fact, tasty, but the creation looked like he was eating a slab of butter wrapped up in some bread.

That didn’t stop commenters from defending the dish.

The user was also fully aware of the pushback he was going to get because of the incident, which he received on the r/Singapore subreddit.

The user has tried to gain back some votes by posting a photo of the plate of chicken rice he had in Singapore, on both the r/FoodPorn and r/Singapore channels since the previous post on Thursday.

If there is one thing we know about Singaporeans, it’s that we will fight for our food even when neighboring Malaysia seems to always want to stake their claim on such dishes as well.

This article, Singapore’s ice-cream sandwich ends up on ‘Shitty Food Porn’ subreddit, commenters defend it to the death, originally appeared on Coconuts

A pack of basmati rice turned into rat-mati (Malay for “dead”) rice for one person who claims he found a dead rat in his packet of uncooked rice that he bought from the Sheng Siong supermarket in Bedok.

His post on Saturday afternoon went viral overnight on Facebook, garnering more than 2,700 shares as of press time, with about 100 more shares added in the span of time between 3pm to 4pm on Sunday.

The man involved, Vegnesh Jodimani, said that he bought the House Brand type of basmati rice at the Sheng Siong supermarket at Bloch 739, Bedok Reservoir Road.

When he opened the packet back home, he was shocked to find a dead rat inside the rice.

“My whole house is full of dead rat smell,” he said.

After he reported the matter to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority as well as the management of that particular Sheng Siong supermarket, the supermarket’s manager reportedly told him that they would remove the stock from their store.

“I hope they will remove (the brand of rice) from other stores too,” said Vegnesh.

Vegnesh advised consumers not to buy the House Brand type of rice and hoped for authorities to take “prompt action”.

In the photo uploaded by Vegnesh, a dead rat is seen hidden in a 5-kilogram (11 pounds) packet of House Brand basmati rice.

It is not known if the packet of rice had been tampered with at any point before Vegnesh bought the packet.

Commenters noticed that according to the picture, it seems that there was no visible tampering on the packet.

One commenter was doubtful as to whether foul play was at hand seeing as the dead rat’s body did not look decomposed, but Vegnesh clarified that the bag indeed had a rat inside, according to him.

Coconuts Singapore has reached out to Sheng Siong supermarket and House Brand for comment.

SINGAPORE - A construction worker was taken to hospital after a large concrete beam at a construction site for Build-to-Order flats in Queenstown collapsed on Saturday afternoon (March 2).

The Building Construction Authority (BCA) said that it would be issuing a stop-work order at the construction site at 132 Margaret Drive.

The BCA, Ministry of Manpower and Housing Board are investigating the incident.

The BCA spokesman said that a precast beam from the link bridge of the building had fallen from the 27th storey onto the roof of a seven-storey carpark below it, before it fell off the edge of the building and landed on the ground.

"A worker in the multi-storey carpark was hurt by debris and was sent to the hospital for treatment," added the spokesman.

HDB posted on Facebook on Saturday night saying that its engineers had assessed the site and confirmed that the structural integrity of the buildings had not been compromised.

"We are also working with the contractor to render all possible assistance to the injured worker," said the post.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post on Saturday that it had responded to an incident at the construction site at about 4.35pm.

A construction worker suffered head injuries and was taken to the National University Hospital in an ambulance, said the SCDF.

It added that it had completed its search operations at the construction site and no other injuries were reported.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/construction-worker-injured-after-concrete-beam-collapses-at-queenstown-construction-site

SINGAPORE — They pushed free product samples to an elderly woman, one salesperson slathering the product on her face while the other trotted out photographs of consumers who had supposedly benefited from it.

After some time, they wore her down and she agreed to purchase an item for S$990.

But this was not enough for the salespersons. They did not return the woman her debit card and pressured her to buy more items.

The woman put up with their relentless spiel for two hours and hit her debit card withdrawal limit.

But still the salespersons persisted, one of them following her to an automated teller machine to withdraw more money.

By the time the woman managed to leave, she had parted with S$5,000.

With help from the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) last year, the woman managed to get a full refund.

The beauty industry chalked up the highest number of complaints made to Case last year, dethroning the motorcars industry, which had held the top position since 2012.

Surging to third position in number of complaints filed was the transportation industry, mainly due to the closure of bicycle sharing operator oBike in Singapore, said Case in a media release on Friday (March 1).

Case received 16,090 complaints last year. About seven in 10 complaints negotiated or mediated by Case on consumers’ behalf were resolved and more than S$2.73 million in cash and in-kind were recovered, the consumer watchdog said.

While most involved brick-and-mortar stores, complaints relating to online purchases increased sharply last year, said Case. From 153 complaints in 2017, the figure rose by 60 per cent to 245 last year.

The watchdog’s concerns with online transactions include the issue of pre-ticked boxes, which it said is unethical. It has received complaints about the auto-inclusion of items such as travel insurance when purchasing flight tickets, for instance.

^{Source: Consumers Association of Singapore} 

Here’s what Case had to say about the top three industries that left consumers fuming:

UGLY SIDE OF BEAUTY INDUSTRY

Almost half of the 1,829 complaints involving the beauty industry last year were related to aggressive sales tactics and loss of consumers’ prepayments due to abrupt business closures.

Consumers were coerced into paying for more services and packages than they had initially agreed to, Case said.

The sudden closure of Hut68, which traded as Traditional Javanese Massage Hut, saw consumers losing nearly S$200,000 in prepayments for massage packages and sessions, said Case.

But those who had made prepayments to the company’s River Valley outlet received a payout for unused portions of their packages, as the outlet was under the CaseTrust Spa and Wellness accreditation scheme.

The elderly woman who was coerced into spending S$5,000 was not the only egregious incident Case encountered.

Another consumer found out only after her beauty treatment had started that it would cost S$150 instead of S$28. When she was partially undressed a salesperson made her sign an invoice for a package costing S$2,800 and insisted on payment. With Case’s intervention, the consumer received a full refund on the package.

Exerting undue pressure or influence on consumers to enter into a transaction is considered an unfair practice under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act.

MOTORCAR INDUSTRY

Complaints involving the motorcar industry dropped by 23 per cent, from 2,335 in 2017 to 1,802 last year, said Case.

Nearly half the complaints were for “non-conforming” or defective goods.

Complaints included motorcar dealers denying responsibility for defects present during the time of purchase, and dealers not providing repairs or replacements for parts within six months of the purchase date at no cost to the consumer.

Case encouraged buyers of pre-owned cars to use a checklist it developed with stakeholders such as Vicom and the Singapore Vehicle Traders Association, and send pre-owned motorcars for evaluation before the purchase.

The Standard and Functional Evaluation checklist was a response to concerns about defective pre-owned cars, said Case.

TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY

Complaints involving the transportation industry surged from 165 in 2017 to 1,670 last year.

Over 80 per cent of the complaints were filed against bicycle sharing company oBike, which ceased operations in June last year.

According to previous reports by TODAY, the firm owed at least S$405,314 in deposits to more than 8,800 users in Singapore.

Consumers should understand the risks involved when they make advance payments to businesses, Case said.

One way to protect themselves is to use payment methods that offer prepayment protection when possible. For instance, consumers who pay by credit card may apply to the bank for a chargeback to recover prepayments for undelivered goods or services.

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/beauty-industry-chalks-most-complaints-2018-consumer-watchdog-flags-ugly-practices

SINGAPORE - Spare a thought for the 22 hardy souls who braved an overnight water conservation camp this weekend and the hardships that came with it, like having to use a damp towel dipped into a bucket instead of a nice hot bath.

The camp at Marina Reservoir, which was the first of its kind here, aimed to show five families - mums, dads and kids - and two other adults that water conservation is both vital and achievable.

They had to live on around five litres of water for 12 hours from Friday evening (March 1) to Saturday and were obliged to fill out a ration card every time they collected water from jerry cans and dispensers as the taps were turned off.

Most of the families found that living on five litres of water was slightly challenging.

Mrs Lynn Liu, 39, who brought her three daughters along, said she was a little uncomfortable with her children doing a towel wipe-down instead of having a shower.

"I guess one night without a shower is acceptable. But I am worried they would feel itchy in the night because they are young and their skin is sensitive," said the Chinese-language teacher.

But one family found the five-litre challenge a walk in the park as they practice sustainability at home.

Mr Adam Reutens-Tan, 42, and his daughter have been using water-saving camp showers for three years.

"The camp shower runs one litre of water per minute compared to a normal shower that releases five litres of water per minute. We are both saving about 20 litres of water each day," said Mr Reutens-Tan, principal consultant at the Community Foundation of Singapore.

He and his wife spray water onto the tiles using a spritz water bottle instead of filling a bucket when they want to mop the floor.

The family's utility bill is below the average amount paid by residents in their condominium. Last month, the family of four used five cubic metres of water.

Mrs Adeline Goh, 39, who attended the camp with her husband and children, said: "Although we are also saving water at home by using used water to flush the toilets, for instance, learning through fun and measuring the water helped our kids be more mindful about how much water they were using."

The Water For All Camp, which was held in conjunction with Singapore World Water Day, was organised by sustainable outdoor recreations company Better Trails and held in partnership with Waterways Watch Society and supported by PUB.

Better Trails co-founder Ding Kian Seng said he was moved when he saw Mrs Goh's family collecting more water from their rations not only for themselves, but to cook eggs and make Milo for the other families.

"Adeline was not just saving water for her family, she was also generous in sharing her rations with everyone," added Mr Ding, who led the camp.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/families-live-on-five-litre-water-rations

In a media release issued on 27 February 2019, the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has revealed that all batches of  Totally Devoted brand chocolate chip lactation cookies in Singapore have been recalled.

The affected product, which is from New Zealand, is called ‘Feeding Cookies with Chocolate Chips (230g)’. The recall is applicable to all batches, regardless of the expiry date.

The lactation cookies were recalled because milk was not declared as an allergen in the product.

Totally Devoted brand chocolate chip lactation cookies in Singapore recalled

The Ministry for Primary Industries (New Zealand) had earlier issued an alert that all batches of ‘Feeding Cookies with Chocolate Chips’ under the Totally Devoted brand had been recalled due to the presence of an undeclared allergen (milk).

Since the product is imported by Singapore, AVA has directed the importer to recall the product as a precautionary measure. 

The AVA advises consumers with a milk allergy or intolerance to avoid consuming the product. Those who have consumed the implicated product and have concerns about their health should seek medical advice.

Those who have already purchased the implicated product may contact the importer at https://www.pupsikstudio.com/customer-support/contact-us.html for enquiries or exchange of the product.

Tips for those suffering from food allergies

Here are some tips for avoiding food allergens:

Read food ingredient labels thoroughly.

If a food does not have an ingredient label, it is safest to avoid that food. It is best to avoid products with advisory labels (i.e., “may contain”) for your specific allergen. 

Read ingredient statements for non-food products too.

These include products like lotions, soaps, hair care products, and medications etc. Ensure that these items do not contain an ingredient to which you are allergic.

When travelling, plan for how your food allergies will be managed.

Make sure you keep emergency medication in your hand luggage. Do not put these in checked luggage.

When eating out at a restaurant, double check with the waiter and chef about allergens.

If your child has food allergies, teach them which foods they must avoid and what these foods look like.

Teach them how to respond if friends offer food or drinks. Ensure that all those caring for or teaching your child are aware of the food allergy action plan and when/how to use medication to treat symptoms.

When allergies get severe

If your child has food allergies, it is important to know that sometimes, the child can have a more severe allergic reaction.

She may be wheezing and have breathing difficulties. Her blood pressure can drop, breathing tubes can narrow, and the tongue can swell.

This is known as anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic shock, and is sudden and life-threatening. 

The most common signs that someone might have anaphylaxis after exposure to an allergen are:

trouble breathing

throat tightness or feeling like the throat or airways are closing

hoarseness or trouble speaking

wheezing

nasal stuffiness or coughing

nausea, abdominal pain, or vomiting

fast heartbeat or pulse

skin itching, tingling, redness, or swelling

Please note that, anaphylaxis requires immediate medical attention. It can get worse very quickly.

https://sg.style.yahoo.com/ava-recalls-totally-devoted-chocolate-111824798.html

An 11-year-old boy died after he took his own life in his school in Quezon City, an act his mother believes was influenced by an online challenge.

Chlyv Jasper  “CJ” Santos was buried on Tuesday after being checked in a hospital, GMA News’ Balitambayan reported. He was in the intensive care unit when his mother Paula Bautista heard him say, ‘I will follow my master and I will kill them.’

Paula learned that CJ had a classmate who would hurt himself in school. She then found messages between CJ and the alleged classmate that were about suicide games. The mother also discovered that her son’s online search history contained dark challenges like the “Momo Challenge.”

The Momo Challenge is a form of cyberbullying in social media and messaging apps. A character named “Momo” — a doll with long black hair and bulging eyes — threatens users and tells them to perform dangerous tasks through messages.

The challenge first spread in Spanish-speaking countries but became popular among users who speak English after YouTuber ReignBot made a video about it in July last year.

The public became even more alarmed when the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) posted a warning against it on Facebook earlier this week.

The Momo Challenge is just the latest online challenge that is allegedly harmful, especially for children. There’s also the Blue Whale challenge, which allegedly targeted teenagers to perform 50 tasks over 5o days.

Paula believes it is online challenges like these that influenced her son to take his own life.

Following reports of the deadly challenge’s international virality, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reminded parents yesterday to monitor their children’s internet use.

“To parents, we probably need to monitor our children when it comes to these things. Perhaps what we need is to really guide children, especially when we are not with them and are in school,” PNP chief Police General Oscar Albayalde told reporters in Filipino in Camp Crame, according to ABS-CBN News.

He extended this warning to teachers who he said should help children avoid suicidal thoughts as well. Albayalde also said that he has assigned the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group to investigate the issue and to take down or block websites that contain such content.

But the Momo Challenge can be dangerous in other ways too.

Authorities from the PSNI in Craigavon, Northern Ireland said that the challenge is likely also used to harvest information from users.

https://coconuts.co/manila/news/11-year-old-boy-dies-allegedly-online-challenge/