logo
'You mattered': Friends mourn Jane Lee, businesswoman who spoke out days before death

'You mattered': Friends mourn Jane Lee, businesswoman who spoke out days before death

New Paper5 days ago
Jane Lee, small business owner and a beloved friend to many, died on July 19 after posting on Facebook that she had been the target of a workplace injury scam.
In her final posts, Lee claimed that an employee had faked an injury in a bid to file a false compensation claim. The mother of two added that it was a premeditated scheme involving the worker's husband and possibly a law firm.
The posts, written just a day before her death, ended with an emotional message to her staff, friends, and family: "I'm truly sorry that I couldn't find the strength to face this battle on my own."
When The New Paper visited Lee's wake on July 21, the mood was sombre as loved ones gathered to honour Lee's memory. Family members and mourners alike declined to speak to TNP.
Her brother-in-law David Loh posted: "Awful way to start the week with the passing of a family member. May you rest in peace Jane. The Lord will bless and look after Victor and your kids. Till we meet again."
Lee, who was reportedly in her 40s, was the founder of Sumo Salad in Holland Village. In online posts, friends fondly recalled not just the food she served, but her kindness and generosity.
Sumo Well was still open for operations on July 21. TNP PHOTO: ETHEL TSENG
"Thank you for serving us beautiful salads and tea," wrote Max. "During Covid, I remembered how you gave me delivery jobs to make ends meet. All the good things you have done, we will never forget."
Calis Looi, who said she was her best friend of 37 years, posted: "I couldn't believe it. I kept hoping for a reply from you, even a simple emoji would have been enough.
"When May and I visited your wake, it was so painful that I couldn't bring myself to say a proper goodbye. But I promise to send you off properly. Let's meet again in our next life."
Lee's story has struck a chord with many in the business community, particularly fellow SME owners. Ng Keng Guan wrote that he had reached out to Lee after reading her post. "It takes a lot of courage and a great deal of accumulated stress to take such a step.
"Several of our mutual friends who work in the same industry also spoke about the immense pressure they face. Running a business in Singapore is already tough, and when you add family responsibilities and societal stress, it can become overwhelming."
Jeffery Khoo, a Progress Singapore Party (PSP) candidate for Marymount SMC in this year's general election, also paid tribute in a Facebook post: "We have been Facebook friends for many years. She invited me to her shop but regrettably I did not get to meet her in person."
"Her final post before her passing is very disturbing. If found that there is truly a devious scam involved, please come down hard on the perpetrators. The damage done is irreversible."
In response to queries from TNP, police said that the case has been classified as an unnatural death and that investigations are ongoing.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) also said it was investigating Lee's allegations about the fraudulent work injury claim.
MOM said it had been in touch with Lee and is working with the insurer to assess the claim.
It added that it would not hesitate to take action against those found abusing the Work Injury Compensation system.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after LTA tests
Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after LTA tests

Straits Times

time22 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after LTA tests

LTA's tests will include drilling probes that are up to 20m deep into the soil to check that there are no air pockets. SINGAPORE - The cavity along Tanjong Katong Road South that resulted in the formation of a sinkhole has been backfilled, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will conduct tests before the caved-in road is repaved. Giving this update in a Facebook post on July 28, Mr Goh Pei Ming, an MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, said the LTA's tests will include drilling probes that are up to 20m deep into the soil to check that there are no air pockets. These come on top of radar scans to assess ground conditions. A section of Tanjong Katong Road South collapsed on the evening of July 26, swallowing a car and its driver. The driver was rescued, and sent to Raffles Hospital for observation and had experienced muscular pain. The road has since been closed, with traffic and bus services diverted. The tests and analysis will take some time, said Mr Goh, who is also Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development. 'I understand residents are keen to know when the road can be reopened. I think it is best we give the agencies the time to be doubly sure the road is safe before we reopen,' he added. Mr Goh said traffic was smooth when he visited the site on the morning of July 28, noting that LTA had put out messages to motorists, as well as worked with the Ministry of Education to notify parents of road diversions. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Not feasible for S'pore to avoid net‑zero; all options to cut energy emissions on table: Tan See Leng Singapore With regional interest in nuclear energy rising, S'pore must build capabilities too: Tan See Leng Singapore New Mandai North Crematorium, ash-scattering garden to open on Aug 15 Singapore Science Journals: Lessons from weird fish sold in Singapore's wet markets World US and EU clinch deal with broad 15% tariffs on EU goods to avert trade war Asia Displaced villagers at Thai-Cambodian border hope to go home as leaders set to meet for talks

Malaysia's banks missed the digital moment, and now AI is forcing a reckoning, says veteran banker
Malaysia's banks missed the digital moment, and now AI is forcing a reckoning, says veteran banker

Business Times

time4 hours ago

  • Business Times

Malaysia's banks missed the digital moment, and now AI is forcing a reckoning, says veteran banker

[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia missed a crucial opportunity between 2018 and the Covid-19 pandemic to modernise its banking sector and become a regional digital leader. As that window closed, industry players now face greater challenges to achieve growth, said veteran banker Andrew Sheng. 'Between 2018 and the pandemic, that was the time for a huge transformation online. Especially during pandemic, everyone moves online – work, shopping and finance. That was when banks needed to go all in on digital, but we missed it,' the 79-year-old former central banker and currently an adjunct professor at the University of Malaya and Tsinghua University told The Business Times. He noted that while other markets were embracing rapid technological upgrades, driven by competition, user expectations and regulatory shifts, many Malaysian banks remained conservative, slow-moving, and hesitant to innovate. 'That was the time for a huge transformation online. But the digital offerings of Malaysian banks, in my view, are slightly dated,' he said. Sheng previously served as chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong from 1998 to 2005, and held roles as a central banker with both the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Bank Negara Malaysia. Sheng also acted as chief adviser to the China Banking Regulatory Commission. In recognition of the impact he made, Time magazine included him among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Sheng noted that some of the country's largest banks had previously shown ambition beyond national borders, particularly CIMB and Maybank with their regional expansion strategies. But even those forward-looking moves lost momentum in recent years. 'Since 2018, they have become more cautious… And then came the pandemic, when digital transformation should have been accelerated. But I don't see agentic offerings. My bank knows my spending patterns, but it's not giving me tailored investment advice or proactive digital tools,' he added. The shortcomings go beyond the lack of advanced digital products. Sheng points to fundamental failures in basic customer service – failures that expose the sector's resistance to modernisation. 'Some of the banks are still in this old-fashioned call centre model,' he said. 'When you call them in the middle of the night, you either get somebody in Bangladesh or the service just isn't available.' Even basic digital tools such as chatbots, which are widely deployed across South-east Asia, remain underused or poorly implemented in Malaysia. He described this as a systemic issue – one rooted not in technology, but in culture and governance. 'Getting a bank to move digitally when most of the staff are less digitally oriented is a major management challenge. The boards and CEOs need to be totally digitally focused. But most are made up of former bankers or businesspeople. They see the threat, but they don't internalise it. 'TechFin' is eating the bankers' lunch Former central banker Andrew Sheng said: 'Platforms using crypto, blockchain, and decentralised finance are eating the banks' lunch. And that trend is only going to accelerate.' PHOTO: ANDREW SHENG While Malaysian banks stagnated, technology platforms surged ahead, not just supporting finance, but redefining it, and Sheng believes the real disruption isn't traditional fintech, where banks adopt tech tools, but what he calls 'TechFin' – where tech companies disrupt finance from the outside. 'Since Covid, the dominant issue is not fintech – it's the financialisation of technology. It's TechFin rather than FinTech. The tech platforms overwhelm the finance industry,' he explained. The competitive imbalance is stark, with tech companies having better software, more data, less regulation, and far more agility than traditional banks. Furthermore, they do not carry much debts. Banks, on the other hand, are highly leveraged, highly regulated, and can't seem to compete, he said, noting that such a scenario isn't theoretical. Across Asia, consumers now use mobile-based QR code systems, which are operated by tech firms, not banks – to transact in real time, said Sheng, adding that the beneficiaries aren't the banks, but e-wallet providers such as Alipay, WeChat Pay, or even small fintech startups. This disruption extends far beyond payments. Sheng warns that even core financial activities, lending, wealth management, insurance, are being unbundled and digitalised by faster, leaner players. 'Platforms using crypto, blockchain, and decentralised finance are eating the banks' lunch. And that trend is only going to accelerate,' said Sheng, who is set to deliver the keynote address at MyFintech Week, Malaysia's flagship fintech event, scheduled for early August. Tokenisation is the next frontier With a population of just 33 million, Malaysia lacks the market size to build scale slowly. PHOTO: AFP Compounding the threat is the rapid evolution of tokenised digital assets, which Sheng believes is a development that will radically transform capital markets and trade. Yet again, Malaysia is playing catch-up. 'Practically anything can be tokenised today… Liabilities, assets, and even a scribble by the next Picasso can be turned into a digital asset and sold,' he said. Tokenisation, enabled by blockchain and decentralised infrastructure, allows assets to be divided, digitalised, and traded globally in real time. Gold, carbon credits, and even commodities such as palm oil are now being explored as tokenised products. 'If palm oil could be tokenised and made available to someone like me to buy a ton because I like the weather, why not?' Sheng said. 'But the reality is, I can't do it right now in Malaysia. Someone else will.' And that's the real danger. He noted that if Malaysia does not act, others will dominate the digital asset space, and consequently, Malaysian capital, investors, and talent will go elsewhere. 'If you're not going to do it, someone else will… The money and the flows will go elsewhere,' he added. With a population of just 33 million, Malaysia lacks the market size to build scale slowly. Countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines, with over 100 million people each, are better positioned to develop digital ecosystems quickly and able to attract regional liquidity. Power shift to asset managers Non-bank players such as Citadel and Jane Street, which have grown into trading behemoths that rival conventional banks in volume and influence. PHOTO: REUTERS Beyond Malaysia and South-east Asia, Sheng observed that the global financial system is undergoing a quiet but profound power shift, away from conventional banks and towards dominant asset managers and trading platforms. 'Technology tends to concentrate. The top five banks in any country dominate most of the banking business. But the top five asset managers, not necessarily banks, are now just as powerful, if not more,' he said. He noted that while large banking institutions such as JPMorgan and UBS remain influential, their growing strength lies less in traditional lending and more in their roles as global asset managers and market traders. He cited UBS' increasing weight in asset management and JPMorgan's dominance across the dollar market, investment banking, and trading. Sheng also highlighted the rise of non-bank players such as Citadel and Jane Street, which have grown into trading behemoths that rival conventional banks in volume and influence. He noted that such a trend is being accelerated by digitalisation and scale. Technology amplifies the advantages of incumbents with deep data, large capital bases, and global reach, pushing smaller or slower institutions further to the margins. At the same time, he warned, banks in emerging markets such as Malaysia are falling behind in digital transformation, leaving them vulnerable. 'Every bank needs to ask: how do we cut costs, improve productivity, manage risk, and create new value?' Sheng said. 'Those who don't ask that question now may not be around to answer it later.'

S'pore pressing ahead with R&D on emerging energy options, including hydrogen, geothermal
S'pore pressing ahead with R&D on emerging energy options, including hydrogen, geothermal

Straits Times

time6 hours ago

  • Straits Times

S'pore pressing ahead with R&D on emerging energy options, including hydrogen, geothermal

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Singapore is likely to continue to rely on natural gas, a fossil fuel, even as it looks for cleaner energy sources. SINGAPORE - Singapore is considering all possible options to reduce emissions from its carbon-intensive energy sector. But some technologies, such as those relating to hydrogen, geothermal and carbon capture, need more time to mature before they become viable for the country. In his first interview as Singapore's Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology, Dr Tan See Leng spoke at length on some of these areas, and how Singapore is pushing ahead with research and development on these fronts. 'It is hard to commit today to hydrogen, carbon capture, or for that matter, geothermal, because at this particular point in time, we don't have enough details yet,' he said. 'But we are relentless in our pursuit for research and development, so we have scholars all over to look at which is the cutting-edge technology... Even if we cannot be a first mover in some of it, we want to be the fastest adopter.' Dr Tan said Singapore will spare no effort in ensuring that the nation achieves its target of net-zero emissions by 2050 . 'At the same time, we want... all the different supply pathways to be resilient and affordable. I think that is the key and objective,' he said. On hydrogen Hydrogen can be considered a clean fuel as it does not produce any planet-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned. It can be produced by passing an electrical current through water, separating it into hydrogen and oxygen. But in order to be considered green, the electricity must be generated by renewable energy, so the process does not emit any CO2. Dr Tan said that due to Singapore's limited renewable energy resources, it is unable to produce green hydrogen domestically . The Republic would have to instead import this fuel – which must be transported at extremely low temperatures of around minus 253 deg C. For context, some Covid-19 mRNA vaccines had to be transported at temperatures ranging from minus 90 deg C to minus 60 deg C, and required specialised cold-chain logistics management. Dr Tan said transporting green hydrogen over long distances is costly, and Singapore is investing in research in developing carrier systems that will allow the country to import it. For example, the Government has a Directed Hydrogen Programme, which has awarded about $43 million to six projects that can help make hydrogen technologies more viable and scalable. One way to transport hydrogen is by using ammonia as a carrier. Ammonia is relatively stable and can be stored and transported at ambient temperatures. Ammonia can either be combusted directly for electricity generation or 'cracked' to separate hydrogen from it, although this reaction would require very high operating temperatures. Singapore in October 2022 also launched the National Hydrogen Strategy, which will accelerate the development and deployment of hydrogen. Dr Tan also noted a $62.5 million Low- Carbon Technology Translational Testbed that will support companies in scaling up low-carbon solutions closer to commercial development. On geothermal energy Geothermal energy is another potential energy source that Singapore is exploring. A 2022 report commissioned by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) mentioned that emerging technology, including nuclear and geothermal, could potentially supply around 10 per cent of Singapore's energy needs by 2050. In July, The Straits Times reported that a second discovery of high temperatures underground in northern Singapore has shown the potential of using geothermal energy to generate electricity here. Geothermal energy refers to heat derived from the earth's core . However, Dr Tan noted that geothermal energy here is still at a 'very nascent' stage. For example , experts have said it remains to be seen if there is feasibility for sustained energy provision – referring to whether the underground heat reservoirs are able to provide sufficient energy to generate electricity in a stable way – to tell if the energy is economically feasible. EMA had told ST that the authority's current focus is to map out Singapore's underground heat resource . It has commissioned another study to investigate this and the results are expected to be completed in 2026. EMA is also studying other aspects of geothermal energy deployment, such as how deep geothermal systems would need to be regulated, and what their potential impact on the environment is. On carbon capture and storage Carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions essentially refer to technology that can take planet-warming CO2 out of the atmosphere for storage underground. Singapore is likely to continue to rely on natural gas, a fossil fuel, even as it looks for cleaner energy sources. But one area being explored is whether emissions from the energy and chemical sectors in Singapore can be captured and stored, Dr Tan said. He noted that the Government is working with an industry consortium formed by ExxonMobil and Shell, known as S Hub, to study the feasibility of aggregating CO2 emissions in Singapore for storage in other countries. S Hub has plans to develop a CCS project that can permanently store 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 a year by 2030, either in rock formations deep underground or under the seabed. On July 14, three power generation companies were given the green light to conduct CCS feasibility studies to help Singapore transition to a low-carbon future. They will study two pathways of capturing carbon in the power sector to remove carbon emissions. The first method involves installing an on-site unit to capture CO2 from exhaust gas after natural gas has been burned. The waste gas typically contains CO2, water vapour, nitrogen and oxygen. The other technique involves capturing the CO2 generated when hydrogen is produced from natural gas. The hydrogen can be burned to generate electricity and does not produce any CO2 during the combustion. 'We are starting small. We only target those very hard-to-abate sectors,' said Dr Tan. These are emissions-intensive sectors that have limited alternatives for decarbonisation, and include the power, industry and chemical sectors found on Jurong Island. He said carbon capture is a 'well-proven' technology that has been in use in Norway. Other organisations – including the International Energy Agency and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN's climate science body – consider carbon capture a credible pathway for countries to reach net-zero emissions, he added.

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