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👀 A company director, 67, has been jailed after he bribed a DSO staff member over a S$46 million project.    He asked for his sentence to be deferred so he could celebrate his mum's 100th birthday, go for a family holiday, & celebrate CNY:   ➡️ https://bit.ly/4s938eL   Full Details: Wah Loon Engineering Director Jailed for DSO Bribery Scheme 🇸🇬       📌 Who's Involved   - Jason Chua Aik Leng, 67 — Senior Executive Director & shareholder of Wah Loon Engineering (WLE)  - Poh Beng San, 52 — Assistant Manager, DSO National Laboratories Facilities Management  - Alex Lee Yew Huat, 53 — Supervisor (later Director) at fire protection firm Fire-Mech  - DSO National Laboratories — Singapore's largest defence R&D organisation, under MINDEF        🏗️ The Project   - Value: S$46 million building works project; M&E sub-contract valued at S$31.7 million  - Timeline: Tender invitations — Jan 2018; contract awarded — Sep 2018  - Scheme: Poh told Lee that DSO was seeking contractors, and asked for a "token of appreciation" if they secured the job  - Lee approached Chua: he had a DSO contact who could help WLE win the project. In exchange: - ✅ WLE would sub-contract fire protection works to Fire-Mech - ✅ ~1% of contract price would go to the DSO staff member as a "token of appreciation"  - ✅ Chua agreed to the arrangement        💰 The Bribe Amount   - Between Oct 2018 – Feb 2019: Chua & Lee conspired on at least 2 occasions to give Poh at least S$150,000 in gratification  - CPIB revealed Poh received bribes from six individuals between 2013–2023, totalling:  - 💵 At least S$230,000 cash - 📱 Xiaomi 13 Pro phone (~S$1,300) - 📲 Lenovo Xiaoxin Pad Pro tablet (~S$900) - 🔧 Home door repair (~S$100) - Poh also allegedly tried to launder the corrupt funds        🕵️ How It Was Exposed   - CPIB received a tip-off in Feb 2023 that Poh was accepting gratification  - Chua was questioned and admitted his role  - 5 people charged in March 2026        ⚖️ Sentencing — 16 Oct 2026   - Guilty plea: One charge of abetting corrupt giving of gratification  - Sentence: 10 months & 2 weeks' jail  - Chua's request: Defer start until Feb 2027 — to attend mother's 100th birthday (Nov), family holiday & Lunar New Year  - Judge's decision: Partially granted ✅ — defer only for the 100th birthday milestone. Holiday & CNY not justified for further delay  - Bail: Remains out on S$100,000 bail  - Starts jail: 23 November 2026  - Ongoing cases: Poh Beng San and Alex Lee Yew Huat — cases still before the courts        "Turning 100 was a significant milestone that would not come around again." — District Judge Paul Chan     

Legal action by Singapore against haze-causing firms in Indonesia may come with diplomatic implications: Lawyers   https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/haze-indonesia-diplomatic-implications-legal-action-lawyers-6465511?cid=internal_sharetool_androidphone_18102026_cna   ⚖️ Legal Action Against Haze-Causing Firms — Full Details   Source: CNA · Abigail Ng · 17 Oct 2026 06:00AM       📜 The Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (2014)   - Enforced since September 2014 — allows Singapore to take action against companies even when the fires happen outside Singapore - NEA can: require information, issue preventive measure notices, and pursue enforcement - Affected citizens/businesses can also take civil action against responsible companies    📢 What Singapore Just Announced   On Oct 16, Minister Grace Fu said Singapore will send preventive measure notices to 7 Indonesian companies :   1. PT Bumi Andalas Permai 2. PT Bumi Mekar Hijau 3. PT Paramitra Mulia Langgeng 4. PT Sumatera Alam Anugerah 5. PT SBA Andalas Wood Industries 6. PT Hutan Lestari Raya 7. PT Bangkanesia    What the notices require:   - Deploy firefighting personnel to extinguish fires on their land - Prevent further burning - Submit prevention plans  - NEA will monitor responses and may take further action — including fines or prosecution — if warranted    ⚠️ Three of these firms — Bumi Andalas Permai, Bumi Mekar Hijau, and SBA Andalas Wood Industries — also received notices in 2015. Those investigations are still ongoing.        🤝 Diplomatic Sensitivities — Legal Experts Explain   NUS Assoc Prof Jolene Lin (Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law)   - Singapore has legal jurisdiction under international law — countries have the right to protect themselves from harm originating outside their borders - But: When Singapore first used this Act in 2015, Indonesia reacted strongly, calling it an infringement of sovereignty  - "The decision to do so has diplomatic implications — it's not purely a legal one"    SMU Assoc Prof Michelle Lim   - Taking action against companies operating in a close and powerful neighbour is politically sensitive - Jurisdiction exists, but how Indonesia perceives these moves matters significantly        🚧 Key Challenges in Pursuing Action   1. Proving causation — must link a specific company's fires directly to Singapore's haze; wind and weather patterns complicate this  2. Sovereignty & cooperation — Singapore cannot easily access evidence or conduct investigations inside Indonesia without their cooperation  3. Slow process — 4 companies under investigation since 2015, cases still not concluded  4. Data needs — requires air quality, satellite hotspots, plume trajectories, and meteorological data across multiple countries    Minister Fu acknowledged: "It is not easy, I will be the first to admit. But we must try — to protect Singaporeans."        💡 Bottom Line   - ✅ Legal path exists under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act - ⚠️ But it's slow, complex, and politically sensitive - 📌 Notices sent first — further enforcement decisions will depend on companies' responses and available evidence   Full article: 👉 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/haze-indonesia-diplomatic-implications-legal-action-lawyers-6465511    

Some retailers capping purchases of N95 masks as haze drives surge in demand https://sg.news.yahoo.com/retailers-capping-purchases-n95-masks-073000995.html?utm_source=Telegram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=YahooSingapore   😷 N95 Mask Purchase Limits — Full Details   Source: Yahoo Singapore / The Straits Times · Updated: Fri, 16 Oct 2026, 7:30am        🌫️ The Situation   - Unhealthy PSI daily since Oct 5 — 12 straight days, the longest poor air quality stretch since 2015  - Oct 16, 3pm (Central): PSI 229 — new 2026 high  - Oct 14, 3pm (West): PM2.5 288 μg/m³ — season's peak  - Demand for N95/KN95/KF94 masks has surged sharply, with many outlets selling out        🛒 Retailer Purchase Limits & Stock Status   🟢 Guardian Pharmacy   - In-store: 2 boxes surgical masks + 5 pieces N95 per person, per day  - Online/app: 2 boxes surgical masks + 1 box N95 per customer, per day  - Reviewing limits based on demand & stock; working closely with suppliers & haze task force  - Several outlets reported N95/KN95/KF94 sold out    🟡 Watsons   - No purchase limits imposed yet  - Additional stock arriving week of Oct 19; will assess before considering restrictions  - 9 out of 10 top searches on site were mask-related; at least 11 mask listings sold out online  - Earlier reported high double-digit week-on-week demand growth    🟡 FairPrice Group (FairPrice & Unity)   - Initially: 1 box N95 per customer online → updated to 2 boxes per order → lifted limits entirely on Oct 18  - Says it has sufficient supply; FFP2 equivalents available at all supermarkets, Unity, and online  - Unity pharmacies also reporting filter masks selling fast    🟡 Sheng Siong   - Sales 5x higher in past week; carries surgical & KF94 masks only  - No purchase limits yet; monitoring situation    ⚠️ Others   - Cold Storage / Giant: Sell only surgical masks; no N95 equivalents  - NHG / SingHealth / TTSH PharmEzy: N95 not for public sale  - Pharmex Healthcare: Most locations sold out; next batch arriving Oct 17 fully pre-ordered  - Mustafa: ~80 boxes of 3M N95 8210 in stock Oct 16; more coming Oct 18; no limits yet  - Aik Chin Hin Machinery: N95 still available at Woodlands & Pioneer Centre; also online  - Carousell: 320+ listings; prices inflated up to $150 for bulk packs        🏛️ Government Response   - Grace Fu (Oct 16): There is sufficient supply in both retail warehouses and government stockpile. Temporary shortages are due to the demand spike — not overall shortage  - Free N95 distribution started Oct 14 to eligible Singaporeans at community clubs + 37 vending machines across transport hubs & social service offices  - Will conduct another round of distribution if haze warrants  - MOH note: KN95, FFP2, KF94 are all N95 equivalents and equally effective — just different national standards  - 300+ air-conditioned CCs/RCs open as haze shelters        💡 Key Takeaways   - ✅ Don't hoard — buy only what your household needs  - ✅ Alternatives work — KN95/FFP2/KF94 offer same protection if N95 is unavailable  - ✅ Supply is sufficient overall — restocks are happening; temporary store-level shortages only  - ⚠️ Watch for scalpers on platforms like Carousell — CASE advises caution with unverified sellers   Full article: 👉 https://sg.news.yahoo.com/retailers-capping-purchases-n95-masks-073000995.html    

Anyway, hope Messi manages to play 1-2 more years than Ronaldo and overhaul his goals. Reach 1000 not possible, but just stamp on that petulant idiot's face and ego is good enough for posterity