logo
Chee Hong Tat to lead Chinese Community Liaison Group, succeeding Edwin Tong

Chee Hong Tat to lead Chinese Community Liaison Group, succeeding Edwin Tong

CNA23-05-2025

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has appointed National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat as chairman of the Chinese Community Liaison Group (CCLG) with effect from Friday (May 23).
He succeeds Law Minister Edwin Tong, who will continue to serve as the group's adviser.
In a statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Friday, Mr Wong noted that Mr Chee has been a member of CCLG since 2015 and that he has been "actively involved with the Chinese community and regularly engages various segments, in particular the clans and business associations".
"I look forward to Hong Tat working closely with key Chinese community organisations to strengthen leadership renewal so that they can remain relevant and dynamic. I am confident that Hong Tat will continue the good work of CCLG and further deepen ties between the government and the Chinese community," he said.
Mr Wong also thanked Mr Tong for his contributions to CCLG since he assumed its chairmanship in November 2020, saying that he has done much to engage the Chinese community.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, Edwin and CCLG members worked with key Chinese community organisations to identify innovative ways to maintain contact with the members of the Chinese community and provide support to vulnerable segments," said Mr Wong.
"Notably, Edwin also played a key role in successfully mediating the settlement between the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan and Ngee Ann Kongsi over redevelopment plans for the historic Teochew Building."
Established in 2000, the CCLG aims to improve the government's relationship with Chinese community organisations and enhance cooperation among various Chinese community groups. It comprises office holders and members of parliament who work to regularly engage the Chinese community.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Indonesian fugitive Paulus Tannos contests extradition in Singapore's State Courts
Indonesian fugitive Paulus Tannos contests extradition in Singapore's State Courts

CNA

time19 minutes ago

  • CNA

Indonesian fugitive Paulus Tannos contests extradition in Singapore's State Courts

SINGAPORE: The hearing into the extradition of Indonesian fugitive Paulus Tannos began at the State Courts on Monday (Jun 23) with Tannos' lawyers objecting to the admission of certain documents. Tannos, a Singapore permanent resident, is wanted by the Indonesian authorities for his role in a corruption case linked to the Indonesian government's electronic ID card project that is said to have caused the state about 2.3 trillion rupiah (US$140 million) in losses. Also known as Tjhin Thian Po, he appeared at the dock dressed in a white shirt as the case proceeded. The 70-year-old holds a diplomatic passport from West African country Guinea-Bissau and has been living in Singapore since 2017. He was arrested by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) on Jan 17 and has remained in remand after his application for bail was rejected. Before the current committal hearing, Tannos was repeatedly asked by the court if he wished to consent to his surrender to Indonesia. He repeatedly declined to be surrendered. Since he did not consent to his surrender to Indonesia, a committal hearing was fixed for Jun 23 to 25, where the court will hear evidence to determine whether he is liable to be surrendered to Indonesia under the Extradition Act and Extradition Treaty. The court will consider the evidence presented, including the formal extradition documents provided by Indonesia, as well as Tannos' own evidence. START OF HEARING Tannos is represented by lawyers Bachoo Mohan Singh from BMS Law, as well as Suang Wijaya and Hamza Malik from Eugene Thuraisingam, while the Singapore authorities are represented by State Counsels Vincent Leow, Sivakumar Ramasamy, Sarah Siaw and Emily Zhao from the Attorney-General's Chambers. The state counsels will argue that Tannos is liable to be surrendered and his extradition is not prohibited. They said on Monday that Tannos is wanted by Indonesia to stand trial on one charge of corruption. Court documents showed that the offence carries life imprisonment or a jail term of between four and 20 years and a fine. Before the first witness was called, Tanno's lawyer, Mr Singh, argued against the admission of certain documents, which were fresh affidavits from the Indonesian police. Mr Singh said these affidavits were recorded only after his client's arrest and were "manufactured". He argued that there were original documents, which comprised the formal request on his side, filed in March this year. These were a bundle of documents consisting of more than 1,600 pages tied in red ribbon as part of a formality. However, the affidavits were not part of these. These affidavits were ready in April and sent to the defence counsels only on Jun 12 this year, Mr Singh added. He also said that he wanted to raise this matter because the additional documents were put together with the original documents "without any explanation". One of his objections will also be on the quality of the evidence. Mr Singh will be arguing that the evidence is not reliable because it was taken some 15 years only after the alleged events in 2010 or 2011. Due to these inadequacies, the court should throw out the documents and not order the extradition since the documents did not comply with formal requirements, he said. Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan allowed the proceedings to continue with objections to be raised as the hearing continued. The state then called its first witness, CPIB's chief special investigator Alvin Tang, who first arrested Tannos on Jan 17 this year. Under examination by the state counsel, Mr Tang told the court that he applied for a warrant of apprehension before arresting Tannos at his residence at about 12.30pm. Mr Tang also said that in April, investigators from the Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, which is the Corruption Eradication Commission of Indonesia, submitted supplementary affidavits the same month. Mr Suang, another of Tannos' lawyers, then objected to the series of documents being admitted on the basis that they did not comply with the requirement for overseas documents to be authenticated. For Tannos' arrest warrant, Mr Suang said the original document, in Bahasa Indonesian language, was not placed before the court. Pointing to two affidavits submitted by the Indonesian authorities, Mr Suang also highlighted "defects" in the documents that formed the basis of the defence's objections. These included how the official seals on the documents were not translated and how the signatures of the witnesses were not authenticated.

Singapore's core inflation dips to 0.6% in May as food prices ease
Singapore's core inflation dips to 0.6% in May as food prices ease

CNA

time27 minutes ago

  • CNA

Singapore's core inflation dips to 0.6% in May as food prices ease

April's core inflation figure of 0.7 per cent had marked the first year-on-year increase after six months. On a month-on-month basis, core inflation – which excludes accommodation and private transport – eased to 0.0 per cent in May. Overall inflation dipped to 0.8 per cent, down from 0.9 per cent in April, due to lower private transport inflation. On a month-on-month basis, overall inflation – which excludes non-consumption expenditures such as purchases of houses, shares and other financial assets and income taxes – rose 0.7 per cent, said MAS and MTI. SECTORS Food inflation decreased from 1.4 per cent in April to 1.1 per cent in May as the prices of non-cooked food moderated. Private transport costs fell at a slower pace from 1.3 per cent to 1.1 per cent due to a smaller increase in car prices. Electricity and gas inflation slowed further from -3.5 per cent to -3.7 per cent on the back of a larger decline in electricity prices. Retail and other goods inflation fell at a slower pace from -1.2 per cent to -1.0 per cent due to a rise in the prices of household appliances and a smaller decline in the cost of personal effects. Services inflation remained unchanged at 1.1 per cent, as the larger increase in the costs of point-to-point transport services and health insurance offset a steeper decline in holiday expenses. It was the same for accommodation inflation, which held at 1.1 per cent, on account of a smaller increase in housing rents being negated by a larger increase in the cost of housing maintenance and repairs. OUTLOOK MAS and MTI said that Singapore's imported inflation is expected to remain "moderate", noting that while global crude oil prices have risen in recent weeks, they are currently still close to the average in 2024. "Food commodity price increases should also stay contained," they added. "Although the trade conflicts and the increase in global energy prices could be inflationary for some economies, their impact on Singapore's import prices is likely to be offset by the disinflationary drags exerted by weaker global demand." Domestically, unit labour costs are projected to rise gradually alongside moderating nominal wage growth and improving productivity. "At the same time, enhanced government subsidies for essential services such as public healthcare, pre-school education and public transport will continue to dampen services inflation," said MAS and MTI. Taking these factors into account, core inflation and overall inflation are projected to average between 0.5 per cent and 1.5 per cent this year.

Baidu's robotaxis and Singapore's AV push signal a new transport era
Baidu's robotaxis and Singapore's AV push signal a new transport era

Independent Singapore

time28 minutes ago

  • Independent Singapore

Baidu's robotaxis and Singapore's AV push signal a new transport era

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG: In a move that signals the growing global momentum behind autonomous vehicles, Chinese tech giant Baidu Inc. is preparing to launch its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Singapore and Malaysia by the end of 2025. Sources close to the matter say Baidu is in talks with local taxi operators and mobility service providers , seeking to tailor a business model that fits the unique transport ecosystems of both countries. The company is adopting what it calls an 'asset-light' strategy —prioritising partnerships over direct fleet ownership—underscoring its interest in collaborating with trusted local players. Baidu has been building up its capabilities steadily. Since its launch, Apollo Go has clocked more than 11 million rides , largely in China, and deployed over 1,000 autonomous vehicles . These figures put it ahead of Waymo , the autonomous arm of Google parent Alphabet, which has reached around 10 million paid rides globally. This Southeast Asian expansion comes at a time when Tesla is also on the cusp of launching its long-anticipated Cybercab robotaxi network in the United States, heightening competition in the driverless mobility race. Beyond Singapore and Malaysia, Baidu has its sights set on Europe and the Middle East. The firm is reportedly exploring a partnership with PostAuto , a Swiss Post subsidiary, to bring Apollo Go to Switzerland. Talks are also ongoing for a possible entry into Turkey . Still, questions remain—not about the technology itself, which has matured considerably in recent years—but about how it will be integrated into the lives of people in vastly different cities. What kind of regulations will apply? Will the public embrace it? And how will existing transport players respond? While Baidu has not released specific launch dates, its expansion reflects a broader shift in how urban mobility may evolve—one where technology, policy, and public trust will need to move in sync. For now, the streets of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur may soon offer a glimpse into a future where steering wheels go untouched and artificial intelligence quietly takes the wheel. Singapore's AV push gathers steam Just days before the Chinese tech giant confirmed plans to introduce its Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service in Singapore and Malaysia, Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow unveiled new plans to scale up the country's own autonomous vehicle (AV) ambitions. At a transport policy event earlier this month, Siow called AVs 'a crucial lever' in tackling Singapore's manpower shortage in public transport, particularly bus services. While Singapore's population continues to grow and towns such as Tengah , Pasir Ris , and Punggol expand, the supply of bus drivers has not kept pace. Autonomous buses, Siow argued, could plug this gap. 'Introducing new bus routes isn't as straightforward as just buying more buses. We also need drivers — and we're running out,' he said. Singapore's AV journey isn't new. Trials began as early as 2015 , and testbeds have since emerged in places like NUS , Jurong Innovation District , and Punggol . But 2026 marks a turning point: for the first time, autonomous public buses will be tested along two existing routes. These may start on fixed loops between MRT stations and housing estates, but Siow hinted at more flexible applications down the line, such as AVs ferrying patients to polyclinics during off-peak hours, or even dynamic routes resembling private-hire cars . See also Singapore launches self-driving bus trials 'If you can summon an AV within five minutes, pay per ride, and skip the stress of parking or maintenance, then it may no longer make sense to own a car,' he said. 'And that has big implications for how we think about car ownership — even COE.' The convergence of Baidu's expansion and Singapore's AV vision signals a future where the distinction between public , private , and shared transport begins to blur — and where the idea of driving as a necessity may gradually give way to on-demand autonomy .

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store