SMRT fined S$3M for September's train disruption; funds to help low-income families
SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced a S$3 million fine against Singapore public transport operator SMRT due to a six-day MRT disruption on the East-West Line (EWL) in September last year. The penalty will go to the Public Transport Fund to help lower-income families with their public transport expenses, Bernama reported.
LTA said the disruption from Sept 25 to 30 last year was likely caused by a degraded grease in the train's axle box, which caused it to overheat and fail.
'Degraded grease can cause increased wear and tear of the axle bearings, eventually causing overheating and failure,' LTA said in its Facebook post.
LTA noted that burnt rubber and metal parts from the chevron springs were found along the track where the train passed. However, LTA said it was not possible to establish a definitive root cause.
'LTA also found that SMRT had extended its overhaul interval for the incident train beyond its stipulated maintenance requirement of 500,000km to 575,000km in August 2022 and 750,000 km in August 2024. These extensions were carried out based on their internal procedures, without any detailed engineering and risk assessment, as axle box failures are not common,' it stated. See also Transport Minister apologises for MRT power disruptions
In deciding the penalty amount, LTA took into account the over S$10 million SMRT had already spent on repair works and on providing free alternative bus and shuttle train services at affected stations during the disruption period.
Train services fully resumed on Oct 1, 2024, after six days of repair work.
The following month, LTA announced a decline in the Rail Service Reliability Performance , particularly for the East-West Line (EWL). /TISG
Read also: F&B operators near Buona Vista MRT station said their sales dropped up to 70% amid East-West Line service disruption
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Dying or thriving? The curious case of Holland Village and One Holland Village's contrasting fortunes
Much has been made of the slow and painful loss of Holland Village's identity over the past year, following the closures of several longstanding establishments. These include the magazine stand Thambi, party shop Khiam Teck, soft-serve ice cream parlour Sunday Folks and furniture store Lim's Holland Village. More recently, Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao shut its doors in June after two decades; and Wala Wala Cafe Bar, open since 1993, is expected to close before its lease ends this year. Whereas the end of a heritage business anywhere else in Singapore might evoke a general sense of sadness, the string of notable closures in Holland Village throughout 2024 to date means outrage and nostalgia are now practically synonymous with the neighbourhood's identity. And it would appear this identity is dying, at least judging by news headlines. In reality, the vibe shift is less clear-cut – the once-bustling expatriate enclave has not entirely faded into the background. ARE PARTS OF HOLLAND VILLAGE 'THRIVING'? Since breaking the news on the departures of Thambi, Khiam Teck and Lim's Holland Village in 2024, CNA Lifestyle has been a regular visitor to the neighbourhood. Over the past two months in particular, we have spent a couple of days each week observing foot traffic across various parts of Holland Village. Admittedly, the older pockets – particularly along Lorong Mambong and Lorong Liput – lack the vibrancy that once made the neighbourhood a cool hangout, even in mid-day. On weekday afternoons, most food and beverage (F&B) outlets see only a handful of patrons. Pre-pandemic, these stretches would've been teeming with office workers out for lunch – the lower footfall now could be related to the persistence of hybrid work arrangements. Still, the area hasn't grown completely quiet. Come evening, bars and restaurants see a noticeable uptick in activity, although the crowds no longer pack the streets as they once did. Amid the neighbourhood's supposed decline, casual dining restaurant Chip Bee Bistro – the brainchild of PS Cafe co-founder Peter Teo – opened on Jul 24 in the heart of Chip Bee Gardens in Holland Village. And then, there is One Holland Village, the mixed-use development under Far East Organization whose outdoor concept mall opened in December 2023. The lifestyle destination – which replaced the large open-air car park adjacent to Lorong Mambong and Lorong Liput – has successfully drawn crowds since its opening, including during weekdays. And it's particularly popular among pet owners for its pet-friendly approach. It is hardly the ghost town that many seem to associate with its surrounding vicinity. For Professor Chang Tou Chuang, who teaches social and cultural geography at the National University of Singapore (NUS), One Holland Village is 'thriving to the point where (sometimes) you cannot go there for a meal without a reservation'. But even outside the neighbourhood's newest lifestyle hub, he's had to wait 45 minutes on a Monday afternoon for a foot massage in Holland Road Shopping Centre – despite some floors of the place having gotten 'very, very quiet' thanks to vacant shop lots. 'So although we say some places are dying, the manicure and massage and foot reflexology places are still taking a huge chunk of units on the third floor there. They're not F&B (so) they provide something totally different,' he told CNA Lifestyle. "When we say the whole of Holland Village is going to decline, (we have to) be very precise which parts we mean," he cautioned. The area cannot be treated as a 'homogenous whole'. ONE HOLLAND VILLAGE AS CASE STUDY Despite nostalgia-driven narratives, the urge to save what's left of the Holland Village many of us remember feels counterproductive at this stage with change well underway. With the last two vestiges of its 'architectural identity' – party shop Khiam Teck and magazine stand Thambi – now gone, there is scant physical structure remaining that would be considered central to Holland Village's soul, Prof Chang believes. Rather, the neighbourhood's iconic identity has always been tied to its buzzing atmosphere created by crowds 'milling around'. And there's still hope that it can return. As such, what matters more now is how Holland Village – and in particular the emergence of One Holland Village – can offer lessons on what meaningful urban evolution might look like in Singapore. A survey of 2,000 people in Singapore aged 16 and above, conducted in 2021 by DesignSingapore Council and various government agencies, found that the top reason people love places in their neighbourhoods is that they can spend time with their loved ones there. The second most common reason was that these places granted them a space to take a breather and escape everyday life. And as far as some who spoke to CNA Lifestyle were concerned, One Holland Village has been able to tick these boxes through its 'placemaking' – the process of designing public spaces into places that foster community connection, identity and liveability. Office worker Raynaldo Pagsinohin shared that he enjoys visiting the mall during lunch, often by himself. The 58-year-old, who has been working at Buona Vista for 16 years, used to head to One-north or Clementi for lunch. Now, he's at One Holland Village around twice a week, largely drawn to the area by its open concept, green architecture and many seats available for people-watching. The relaxing ambiance is 'friendly to my eyes', he said, highlighting its similarity to another of his favourite spots, HillV2 at Hillview. The mixed-use development in Bukit Batok is also part of Far East Organization's slate of malls, and adopts a similar design. Meanwhile, 51-year-old Ruby Huang frequents One Holland Village once a week, because most of the restaurants are pet-friendly. Even if they don't allow pets inside, there is plenty of outdoor seating, the owner of a corgi said. She's not alone. The mall can feel 'a bit overwhelming' with even more pet-owners and their pets on weekends, she added, but noted that the crowd is a good sign. 'It's thriving to the point that Holland Road Shopping Centre now says pets are welcome too, not just in the (CS Fresh) supermarket, although you must still put them into a stroller (when you're inside the building). That change only happened after One Holland Village opened, I believe.' WHAT MAKES A PLACE When it comes to placemaking, the key lies less in applying novel concepts and more in understanding how the community will use the space. According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) 2021 report, How To Make A Great Place, 'the small details matter'. For example, the way seating is arranged can influence the way people enjoy use and enjoy the space. The design of spaces should create opportunities for 'chance encounters and social interactions', the report said. At One Holland Village, for instance, the Village Square is a 530sqm open-air public space sheltered by a canopy. It creates a 'central focal point' for gatherings, events and performances by offering a shared space that invites community participation, said Far East Organization's executive director for property services Marc Boey. The chairs and tables in the Village Square are available for anyone to arrange to their liking at any time, added NUS' Prof Chang. It's an example of how an urban space 'provides the resources and lets people use them' however they wish, giving them a sense of responsibility to the wider community. It aligns with one of the elements that make a great place, as stated in the URA report. Such a place "allows for flexible use of space, and inspires spontaneity and creativity, for people to make the place feel like their own.' Consider also the staple busking act in One Holland Village. Prof Chang noted that while such performers require a permit, their presence and constant music makes the place feel welcoming. 'It doesn't seem very obvious that this person has been approved by any licensing unit. It feels organic; it doesn't feel thought-out even though it is,' he said, and added that it takes a 'very skilled planner' to curate a place that patrons can connect with effortlessly. The URA report also identified elements such as reflecting local identity and ensuring easy accessibility as key to making a great place. For One Holland Village, the need to complement and respect the neighbourhood's existing 'low-rise, shopping-street character' was a 'deliberate and central tenet' of the planning process, said Boey. Key considerations included the thoughtful integration of building forms and materials, as well as enhancing public connectivity, he added. 'We considered the terrain, climate and character of the surrounding shophouses and homes.' The team also worked with authorities to create a 'seamless flow' between the mall and the adjacent hawker centre – and some have taken notice. Dr Felicity Chan from the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) was initially sad to see Holland Village's 'low-rise feel' start to fade, but was happy with how the neighbourhood's new entrant adapted. 'I feel like One Holland Village didn't try too hard to blend, but they did try not to create something that's outlandishly different. They understood that the street should continue into the mall, and those are very beautiful, subtle gestures,' said the deputy director for the Master of Science in Urban Science, Policy and Planning. 'This is probably the result of post-COVID space design which is more open – but this is also the feel of Holland Village. It's never been a closed-up space. So I'm glad that when they developed the mall, they respected the vibes.' WILL ONE HOLLAND VILLAGE'S SUCCESS BRING CROWDS BACK? For now, the success of One Holland Village doesn't appear to have spilt over to the surrounding areas. This could be due to factors like weather and parking convenience among others. 'When you have a huge parking lot underneath (One Holland Village) and in this kind of (hot and wet) weather – where you don't want to be walking so much – you'll stay in the shade,' said Dr Chan. 'Now people can just go straight up from the car park. They don't have a need to venture out (into the older parts of Holland Village) anymore.' As a result, one part of Holland Village ends up 'cannibalising the other', added Prof Chang. Still, even within One Holland Village, F&B outlets appear to be less packed compared to months after the mall's opening. The restaurant manager at Extra Virgin Pizza, who declined to be named, told CNA Lifestyle the weekday lunch crowd isn't 'too much' – there were a handful of customers on the couple of days we passed by – but it picks up at dinner time and on weekends as expected. He noted that the footfall used to be higher when the outlet first opened. Japanese cafe Tsujiri's owner Andrew Goh shared similar concerns, despite the F&B outlet being at a prominent spot on Level 2 near the escalator. Over the past nine months, his sales have fallen by at least 40 per cent – a decline that he pegged to more people travelling to Malaysia during the weekends and the death of novelty over the mall's pet-friendly concept. 'We are expecting a better crowd than what it is now (around 700 customers per month), but we have to (carry) on and hopefully the whole market situation will be better as soon as possible,' he said. In other words, it might take much more to rejuvenate Holland Village as a whole and for the long term. This goes beyond ensuring tenants find it financially sustainable to stick around. Dr Chan pointed to introducing a Business Improvement District (BID) as a possible starting point. The business-led and funded initiative encourages businesses and local communities to take greater ownership in developing projects that enhance their precincts. 'There will always be the tension of having to leave something behind, but it's not that you cannot enjoy One Holland Village as it is,' she said. 'I think more effort could be made (for) Holland Village (to become) a business improvement district, so it doesn't need to be the case where one part thrives and the other dies. It's about the whole neighbourhood. Because One Holland Village, if not for Holland Village, would be really out of place.'
Independent Singapore
11 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Johor proposes second RTS link to Tuas ahead of 2027 Johor Bahru–Woodlands line launch
Photo: Facebook/Onn Hafiz Ghazi JOHOR BAHRU: Johor has proposed a second Rapid Transit System (RTS2) link connecting Iskandar Puteri to Tuas as part of efforts to boost cross-border cooperation with Singapore. The proposal was among several raised by Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi during a meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at The Istana on Thursday (July 31), ahead of the planned 2027 launch of the Johor Bahru–Woodlands RTS Link. According to The Star , citing the Facebook post of the Johor Chief Minister, he said, 'In line with the royal decree of Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, I presented several strategic proposals, including a plan to connect Tuas and Iskandar Puteri via an RTS2 system.' Mr Ghazi also shared that they discussed the progress of the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) implementation, including the establishment of the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J), which now serves as the main facilitator for investment support and policy coordination. He added that PM Wong welcomed the JS-SEZ progress and shared positive views on the potential for broader cooperation in energy, regional logistics, and stronger Johor-Singapore ties. According to him, PM Wong also appreciated Johor's efforts in maintaining a fair and competitive labour market and was open to reviewing the proposals constructively. Johor has received over 577 investment enquiries under the JS-SEZ to date, with 70 investors showing serious interest, including 11 referred directly by Singapore's investment agencies, said Mr Ghazi. He also shared that Johor recorded RM30.1 billion (S$9.12 billion) in investments in the first quarter of the year, along with a 6.4% gross domestic product (GDP) growth—the highest among all Malaysian states. 'Overall, the discussions are very positive, and I am confident that this meeting opens a new chapter in the Johor-Singapore bilateral relationship,' he said. /TISG Read also: First JB-SG RTS Link train begins off-site systems integration testing at SRTC () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
CNA
11 hours ago
- CNA
Billion-dollar money laundering case: 4 law firms linked to seized properties named, 2 more identified and reprimanded
SINGAPORE: Four law firms that breached their anti-money laundering obligations over the purchase of properties in the S$3 billion (US$2.2 billion) money laundering case have been named, following the conclusion of investigations into their cases. In an update on Friday (Aug 1), the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) said it had completed the regulatory action related to the four law firms - Anthony Law Corporation, Fortis Law Corporation, Legal Solutions LLC and Malkin & Maxwell LLP. As such, MinLaw added it was now able to furnish more details on their conveyancing of the real estate properties seized as part of the anti-money laundering operation in August 2023. Conveyancing refers to the legal process of transferring the ownership of a property from one person to another. Their penalties were previously made known on Jul 15, but MinLaw then did not name the four firms. It then said 24 law practices were involved in investigations by Singapore's director of legal services (DLS) Sarala Kumari Subramaniam, supported by MinLaw, and 11 of the probes had been concluded. As of Jul 31, 13 of the 24 law practices had been dealt with, the ministry said on Friday. Two more law firms - William Poh & Louis Lim, now known as Louis Lim & Partners, and Templars Law LLC were also named, as inquiries and regulatory action had concluded, it added. With 13 of the probes having concluded, MinLaw also identified five lawyers involved in the conveyancing of the seized real estate properties. They are: Mr Tan Chau Chuang, Mr Andrew Wong Wei Kiat, Mr Tan Tse Chia Patrick, Mr Ee Tian Huat Patrick and Mr Poh Tian Hock William. All have been referred to the Law Society to "consider if there are grounds for further professional disciplinary action against these lawyers". MinLaw previously said on Jul 15 that one lawyer had been referred to the Law Society for disciplinary action, without naming the individual. While a Law Society spokesperson then confirmed that the lawyer had been referred to it for disciplinary action, it was unable to reveal the identities of those involved. "As the referral relates to disciplinary matters, such proceedings are confidential," it then said. ENFORCEMENT ACTION TAKEN All law practices and lawyers are subject to anti-money laundering obligations under the Legal Profession Act 1966. These include performing an adequate analysis of the risks of money laundering in relation to each client and performing customer due diligence measures that are in line with a client's risk profile. Lawyers and law firms also have to file a suspicious transaction report with the police if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that a client might be engaged in money laundering. Expanding on the enforcement action taken, the ministry said Anthony Law Corporation had acted for nine clients to convey 25 properties valued at around S$135 million in total. According to MinLaw, its breaches included inadequate scrutiny of the transactions, which was not commensurate with the clients' and transactions' money laundering risks. "Anthony Law Corporation did not corroborate or verify the clients' explanations for why the transactions were being funded by seemingly unrelated third parties, even though these were red flags," it said. The firm also failed to comply with documentation requirements. If a law practice or lawyer decides to continue to act for the client despite suspicions of money laundering, they must substantiate and document the reasons for this and adopt commensurate risk mitigation measures, including enhanced customer due diligence and monitoring measures. However, while Anthony Law retained and continued to undertake transactions for some of these clients despite filing suspicious transaction reports against them, it did not substantiate or document its reasons for why it had considered it appropriate to do so, said MinLaw. The firm was ordered to pay a financial penalty of S$100,000. One of its lawyers, Mr Tan Chau Chuang, has since been referred to the Law Society. Fortis Law Corporation acted for 16 clients to convey 55 properties valued at around S$398.7 million in total. The firm did not conduct checks to verify the clients' claims that the payments for the transactions were indeed from legitimate remittance companies, said MinLaw. As a result, it was handed a financial penalty of S$30,000 and two lawyers - Mr Wong and Mr Tan Tse Chia Patrick - were referred to the Law Society. Mr Wong is no longer practising with Fortis Law. Both Anthony Law and Fortis Law have paid the financial penalty, MinLaw noted. Legal Solutions LLC, the third firm to receive a financial penalty, acted for two clients to convey 20 properties valued at around S$117 million in total. 'It did not adequately document the details of its analysis of the clients' money-laundering risks,' said the ministry. "It also did not perform all the required enhanced customer due diligence measures after it filed a suspicious transaction report, such as documenting its internal discussions on, and reasons for, retaining the clients despite filing the suspicious transaction report." Legal Solutions has been ordered by Ms Subramaniam to pay a financial penalty of S$70,000, while a lawyer, Mr Ee, has been referred to the Law Society. He no longer practices at the firm. Meanwhile, Malkin & Maxwell LLP has been reprimanded to remind it to be mindful of its anti-money laundering obligations and responsibilities. MinLaw said it was taken into consideration that the firm had acted for one client to convey one property valued at around S$40 million. Inquiries revealed that while Malkin & Maxwell conducted checks into the client's source of funds, its independent checks were "not sufficiently in-depth". Instead, it relied unduly on checks that it assumed third parties would have done on its client. William Poh & Louis Lim and Templars Law LLC were also reprimanded by Ms Subramaniam to remind them to be mindful of their anti-money laundering obligations and responsibilities. Mr Poh, a lawyer who previously worked at William Poh & Louis Lim before joining Templars Law, has been referred to the Law Society. According to MinLaw, Mr Poh was the managing partner and sole partner-in-charge of conveyancing matters at William Poh & Louis Lim until around May 2023. During his time at the firm, he commenced transactions for six clients to convey 32 properties valued at around S$246.7 million in total. Twenty-six of those property transactions concluded while Mr Poh was practising with William Poh & Louis Lim, said MinLaw. The lawyer later left the firm in or around May 2023 to join Templars Law, and his previous firm amended its name to Louis Lim & Partners after his departure. Mr Poh brought the remaining six property transactions to Templars Law and concluded the transactions soon after in June 2023, said MinLaw. Some of the breaches observed by Ms Subramaniam included not obtaining certain documents as part of customer due diligence, not adequately scrutinising the clients' and transactions' money-laundering risks and not applying commensurate risk mitigation measures. HOW REFERRALS TO THE LAW SOCIETY ARE HANDLED A lawyer who breaches his or her anti-money laundering obligations is liable, among other things, to face disciplinary proceedings. 'Lawyers whom the director of legal services has referred to the Law Society will be subject to the disciplinary proceedings process and framework in the Legal Profession Act,' said MinLaw. Under this framework, each lawyer's case will undergo further fact-finding by the relevant committee or tribunal to assess if there have been breaches, and if so, the lawyer's individual culpability and any appropriate disciplinary action and penalties against him or her. This disciplinary process is separate from the director of legal services' inquiries and enforcement actions against the law practices. 'We urge the public to refrain from speculating or sharing unverified information while the process is ongoing,' said MinLaw. The billion-dollar money-laundering case involved millions of dollars earned over the years from an illicit gambling ring with Southeast Asian bases, and that was aimed at punters in China. Investigations into the transnational case date back to 2021 and culminated in islandwide police raids in August 2023. Singapore police seized luxury cars, watches, jewellery, designer goods, cryptocurrency and cash. More than 150 properties were also seized, including homes in Singapore's most upmarket neighbourhoods. The fees that Anthony Law, Fortis Law, Legal Solutions, Malkin & Maxwell, William Poh & Louis Lim and Templars Law collected in total from acting for their clients for these property transactions ranged from S$15,000 to around S$170,000, said MinLaw. "In imposing the financial penalties, alongside other regulatory measures that include following up with these law practices on their remedial measures to strengthen compliance with anti-money laundering obligations, the DLS aims to ensure that law practices in Singapore observe their anti-money laundering obligations and keep Singapore a clean and money-laundering-free business- and financial-hub," it added.
