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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
HSA looking to get anti-vape cyber surveillance tool with AI capabilities
Find out what's new on ST website and app. HSA said on July 16 it had removed over 600 Telegram groups advertising the sale of vapes here since April 2024. SINGAPORE - The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) are planning to buy a cyber surveillance tool specifically targeting illegal vaping activities online. Such activities include the sale and promotion of e-vaporisers on social networks. Its search functions are expected to be extensive and include phone numbers, email and IP addresses. HSA put up the tender on the GeBiz platform on March 28 and closed it on April 15. GeBIZ, or Government Electronic Business, is the Singapore Government's one-stop e-procurement portal. All public sector invitations for quotations and tenders are posted on the platform. Tender documents indicate that the tool will be for both HSA and the Ministry of Health. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 30% of aviation jobs could be redesigned due to AI, automation; $200m fund to support workers: CAAS Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Singapore Residents in South West District get help to improve employability, find career opportunities Singapore Jail for contraband cigarette syndicate member over conspiracy to give bribes to security officer Life Kinokuniya opens third bookstore in Raffles City, weeks ahead of schedule Business DBS shares rally to a new record as STI clocks yet another high Singapore 5 foreigners charged over scheme to deliberately get arrested in S'pore to sell sex drugs Two suppliers have responded to the posting. Cobwebs Asia, the Singapore office of US web surveillance company Penlink, made a bid of $959,053. Penlink merged with Israeli surveillance contractor Cobwebs Technologies in 2023. The second supplier is Singaporean digital forensics company, Talon Laboratories, which made a bid of $422,000. The company was founded by digital forensic professionals who were previously from local law enforcement agencies. Both bidders boast platforms powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that can profile users and track their online activity in real-time. Telegram channels in Singapore selling and promoting vapes and Kpods. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM TELEGRAM The requirements set out in the tender include search functions across social media, forums and blogs. It should also be able to analyse profiles and score them based on the level of risk, with AI-based analysis methods for deep target profiling. Optional modules requested are for enhanced web investigations with location-based insights. The tender has not been awarded yet. The Straits Times has contacted HSA for comment. A large number of vape transactions here are arranged over the Telegram messaging platform, which HSA monitors alongside social media sites and e-commerce platforms. HSA said on July 16 it had removed over 600 Telegram groups advertising the sale of vapes here since April 2024. More than 6,800 online listings of vapes and its related components were previously removed from e-commerce and social media platforms from January 2024 to March 2025. HSA said its Tobacco Regulation Branch has been actively monitoring and enforcing the ban on advertisements and sales of vapes online using automated tools. When ST launched its anti-vaping campaign, Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, on July 13, several Telegram channels selling vapes became significantly less active. The campaign aims to raise awareness on the vape scourge. Of particular concern is the rise of etomidate-laced vapes, also known as 'Kpods'. Etomidate is a medicinal ingredient used in clinical practice as an anaesthetic agent and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act. It was designed to be injected directly into the veins under clinical supervision, and was never meant to be inhaled directly into the lungs. When vaped, it can trigger spams, breathing difficulties, seizures and even psychosis. Kpods have reportedly been pushed in Singapore by organised crime groups , with the local authorities now intensifying crackdowns . Public healthcare institutions have also been told to record all Kpod cases . Possessing, using or buying vapes carries a maximum fine of $2,000. Anyone who distributes, imports or sells vapes and their components can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000. Those found in possession of or using pods containing etomidate can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000.
New Paper
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- New Paper
Ground sensors on roadside parking spaces could make payments automatic under new URA pilot project
Paying for roadside parking might become automatic in the future, if a planned trial to install sensors on the ground goes well. These sensors embedded in the ground would be able to detect when a car drives into or leaves a roadside parking space, and communicate with the vehicle's on-board unit (OBU) via Bluetooth technology. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) called a tender on May 6 for proposals to study the effectiveness of such a system. The agency told The Straits Times on May 29 that the study aims to test the viability of using Bluetooth communications to facilitate automated payment for roadside parking to make it more convenient for motorists. These sensors would be flat and easily driven over by vehicles. Currently, motorists pay for roadside parking either with paper parking coupons, or through the app. This URA study is separate from other plans by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to also use the OBU for payments for roadside parking. This feature, which the LTA intends to roll out when most vehicles have OBUs fitted, will require motorists to use the OBU's touchscreen display to start the parking session. The parking session ends automatically when the vehicle is driven out of the parking space. LTA said that it will "work with URA to review the outcome of this study in assessing any future deployment plans". Across the island, URA manages approximately 13,000 roadside parking spaces. For this trial, URA intends to select a contractor and conduct a reliability test at Changi Beach Car Park 5 from October 2025 to July 2026. It also intends to carry out an operational pilot at carparks in Chinatown, Keong Saik and Bukit Timah from August 2026 to July 2027. According to tender documents published on government procurement portal GeBiz, the 10-month reliability test will need to be conducted on four vehicle types: passenger sedans, light goods vehicles such as lorries, heavy vehicles such as prime movers, as well as buses with 23 or more seats. URA did not comment on why it excluded motorcycles from the trial. For the 12-month operational pilot, the authority noted that the three carpark locations were chosen because it is possible to put in the sensors at these places for the trial while having them remain accessible to motorists. "We do not expect any disruptions to parking operations," said the URA spokesperson. ST understands that there will be no automated payments triggered in the study. The tender closes at 4pm on Aug 21, and the contract will be awarded by October 2025. Asked about when it hopes to roll out these parking sensors on a wider scale, URA said it will review the outcome of the study and other parallel initiatives in assessing future deployment plans. Motorists and operators whom ST spoke to mostly welcomed this new initiative, although some raised concerns. Mr Davidson Chua, 25, said that such a system could "remove the hassle" of manually starting a carpark session when he is in a rush. The business co-founder also hopes that the system would be able to inform motorists of the availability of parking spaces in the area. But Mr Chua noted that some motorists may be unhappy with this new initiative, as they can no longer "game the system" by avoiding payments whenever they can. Mr Lim Kian Chin, the managing director of Allied Container Group, a firm with a fleet of more than 80 lorries and prime movers, said that data collected from these sensors may improve land resource planning as the agency will know how well used parking spaces are and decide how best to use the available space. But Mr Lim, who is also chairman of the Singapore Transport Association, said that it may be troublesome for truck and lorry drivers who often temporarily park their vehicles at roadside parking spaces to run quick errands, such as delivering goods to the service counter of a building. As at June, over 500,000 vehicles have been fitted with new OBU, which is part of the new satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system known as ERP 2.0. These OBUs are capable of determining a vehicle's location and processing ERP charges. They can provide motorists with more information like real-time traffic alerts of road closures and accidents. The installation of the new OBUs in Singapore-registered vehicles is targeted to be completed by 2026.
Straits Times
15-06-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Ground sensors on roadside parking spaces could make payments automatic under new URA pilot project
Currently, motorists pay for roadside parking either with paper parking coupons, or through the app. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG Ground sensors on roadside parking spaces could make payments automatic under new URA pilot project SINGAPORE – Paying for roadside parking might become automatic in the future, if a planned trial to install sensors on the ground goes well. These sensors embedded in the ground would be able to detect when a car drives into or leaves a roadside parking space, and communicate with the vehicle's on-board unit (OBU) via Bluetooth technology. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) called a tender on May 6 for proposals to study the effectiveness of such a system. The agency told The Straits Times on May 29 that the study aims to test the viability of using Bluetooth communications to facilitate automated payment for roadside parking to make it more convenient for motorists. These sensors would be flat and easily driven over by vehicles. Currently, motorists pay for roadside parking either with paper parking coupons, or through the app. This URA study is separate from other plans by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to also use the OBU for payments for roadside parking. This feature, which the LTA intends to roll out when most vehicles have OBUs fitted, will require motorists to use the OBU's touchscreen display to start the parking session. The parking session ends automatically when the vehicle is driven out of the parking space. LTA said that it will 'work with URA to review the outcome of this study in assessing any future deployment plans'. Across the island, URA manages approximately 13,000 roadside parking spaces. For this trial, URA intends to select a contractor and conduct a reliability test at Changi Beach Car Park 5 from October 2025 to July 2026. It also intends to carry out an operational pilot at carparks in Chinatown, Keong Saik and Bukit Timah from August 2026 to July 2027 . According to tender documents published on government procurement portal GeBiz, the 10-month reliability test will need to be conducted on four vehicle types: passenger sedans, light goods vehicles such as lorries, heavy vehicles such as prime movers, as well as buses with 23 or more seats. URA did not comment on why it excluded motorcycles from the trial. For the 12-month operational pilot, the authority noted that the three carpark locations were chosen because it is possible to put in the sensors at these places for the trial while having them remain accessible to motorists. 'We do not expect any disruptions to parking operations,' said the URA spokesperson. ST understands that there will be no automated payments triggered in the study. The tender closes at 4pm on Aug 21 , and the contract will be awarded by October 2025 . Asked about when it hopes to roll out these parking sensors on a wider scale, URA said it will review the outcome of the study and other parallel initiatives in assessing future deployment plans. Motorists and operators whom ST spoke to mostly welcomed this new initiative, although some raised concerns. Mr Davidson Chua , 25 , said that such a system could 'remove the hassle' of manually starting a carpark session when he is in a rush. The business co-founde r also hopes that the system would be able to inform motorists of the availability of parking spaces in the area. But Mr Chua noted that some motorists may be unhappy with this new initiative, as they can no longer 'game the system' by avoiding payments whenever they can. Mr Lim Kian Chin , the managing director of Allied Container Group, a firm with a fleet of more than 80 lorries and prime movers, said that data collected from these sensors may improve land resource planning as the agency will know how well used parking spaces are and decide how best to use the available space. But Mr Lim, who is also chairman of the Singapore Transport Association , said that it may be troublesome for truck and lorry drivers who often temporarily park their vehicles at roadside parking spaces to run quick errands, such as delivering goods to the service counter of a building. As at June , over 500,000 vehicles have been fitted with new OBU, which is part of the new satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system known as ERP 2.0. These OBUs are capable of determining a vehicle's location and processing ERP charges. They can provide motorists with more information like real-time traffic alerts of road closures and accidents. The installation of the new OBUs in Singapore-registered vehicles is targeted to be completed by 2026. Esther Loi is a journalist at The Straits Times, where she covers transport issues. Lee Nian Tjoe is senior transport correspondent at The Straits Times, where he also oversees the Motoring section. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
The Star
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Singapore to begin automated immigration clearance at West Coast, Marina South piers from 2027
SINGAPORE: Those entering Singapore by sea via Marina South Pier and West Coast Pier will be able to clear immigration more quickly using automated lanes from 2027, after planned improvement works are completed. Retrofitting and renovation works will also be carried out at Changi Point Ferry Terminal, although plans to introduce automated immigration clearance there are not confirmed. The improvement works at West Coast and Marina South piers will start in December 2025, and are expected to be completed in the first half of 2027, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) told The Straits Times. At present, travellers have to clear immigration at manned counters at these two checkpoints. These counters will be progressively replaced with automated lanes and self-clearance immigration kiosks, said ICA. Immigration clearance will continue to be available during this period. The authority said that once these works are done, all sea travellers at both piers will be able to use automated clearance services. Travellers in these automated lanes would then need to scan their passports before going through biometric scans such as facial and iris checks. With the gradual roll-out of automated clearance, ICA will also be able to redeploy its officers. Instead of manning the manual counters at the piers, they will be tasked with profiling travellers using the automated lanes and pulling out those who are suspicious for further checks. On the whole, ICA noted that as at April 1, close to 14 million travellers had cleared immigration without presenting their passport at air and sea checkpoints in Singapore. According to tender documents published on government procurement website GeBiz on April 8, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and ICA are looking for a multidisciplinary consultancy team to carry out the necessary improvement works. Both authorities named Marina South Pier, West Coast Pier and Changi Point Ferry Terminal in the tender. Marina South Pier is used as a terminal for tourists boarding ferries to the Southern Islands and those going to and from ships at the Eastern anchorages. It measures around 3,000 sq m and comprises a three-storey building with immigration facilities, food establishments and ticketing booths, MPA and ICA noted in the tender. The Southern Islands include Sentosa Island, St John's Island and Lazarus Island. West Coast Pier serves passengers going to and from ships anchored around the Western islands, including Jurong Island and Pulau Bukom, both of which house oil and petrochemical facilities. Around 970sq m in size, the pier comprises a single-storey building with immigration facilities. Lastly, the 1,500sq m Changi Point Ferry Terminal at the eastern end of Singapore is used as a passenger terminal for those travelling to outlying islands such as Pulau Ubin. It has a single-storey building with immigration facilities. For all three terminals, the appointed consultancy team must carry out space planning and design works to provide the space and infrastructure needed for automated immigration clearance, according to the tender documents. The documents also show that the estimated project construction cost is $4 million across all three sites. When asked about the inclusion of Changi Point Ferry Terminal in the tender, MPA said on May 8: 'Changi Point Ferry Terminal was also included in the scope of consultancy services to allow MPA to assess the scope of future improvements, should the operational need arise.' Separately, on the traffic situation, ICA acknowledged that traveller volume through West Coast Pier and Marina South Pier is lower compared with other larger sea checkpoints such as Marina Bay Cruise Centre. But it noted that there are still instances of crowding during peak hours, with high numbers of arriving and departing passengers at the same time. Coupled with the limited queuing areas at both piers, travellers experience longer waiting times, said ICA. Therefore, the authority noted that replacing manual counters with automated lanes and self-clearance kiosks would help manage such surges in travel volume. Additionally, ICA said that automated immigration clearance allows the authority to tap advance traveller information and data analytics to identify high-risk travellers before they arrive at checkpoints in Singapore. These travellers – including those on ICA's watchlist – will be flagged for more stringent checks upon arrival as they clear immigration. The authority said its automated lanes are equipped with counter-forgery detection capabilities and multi-modal biometrics screening systems, which detect travellers using fraudulent passports and false or multiple identities – including those who previously committed crimes in Singapore and are re-entering the country under a different identity. At the close of the tender on April 21, there were 16 respondents, including engineering consultancy Arup Singapore and architecture firm Architects. Currently, passport-less clearance is available at Changi Airport, Marina Bay Cruise Centre and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. At Changi Airport, it takes an average of just 10 seconds to clear immigration, with travellers going through after biometric scanning. ICA said it will progressively roll out passport-less clearance for passengers at the remaining air and sea checkpoints. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Straits Times
Automated immigration clearance to begin at West Coast, Marina South piers from 2027
Improvement works planned at Marina South Pier (pictured) and West Coast Pier will allow the ICA to roll out automated clearance. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO SINGAPORE – Those entering Singapore by sea via Marina South Pier and West Coast Pier will be able to clear immigration more quickly using automated lanes from 2027 , after planned improvement works are completed. Retrofitting and renovation works will also be carried out at Changi Point Ferry Terminal, although plans to introduce automated immigration clearance there are not confirmed. The improvement works at West Coast and Marina South piers will start in December 2025 , and are expected to be completed in the first half of 2027 , the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) told The Straits Times . At present, travellers have to clear immigration at manned counters at these two checkpoints. These counters will be progressively replaced with automated lanes and self-clearance immigration kiosks, said ICA. Immigration clearance will continue to be available during this period. The authority said that once these works are done, all sea travellers at both piers will be able to use automated clearance services. Travellers in these automated lanes would then need to scan their passports before going through biometric scans such as facial and iris checks. With the gradual roll-out of automated clearance, ICA will also be able to redeploy its officers. Instead of manning the manual counters at the piers, they will be tasked with profiling travellers using the automated lanes and pulling out those who are suspicious for further checks. On the whole, ICA noted that as at April 1, close to 14 million travellers had cleared immigration without presenting their passport at air and sea checkpoints in Singapore. According to tender documents published on government procurement website GeBiz on April 8, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and ICA are looking for a multidisciplinary consultancy team to carry out the necessary improvement works. Both authorities named Marina South Pier, West Coast Pier and Changi Point Ferry Terminal in the tender. Marina South Pier is used as a terminal for tourists boarding ferries to the Southern Islands and those going to and from ships at the Eastern anchorages. It measures around 3,000 sq m and comprises a three-storey building with immigration facilities, food establishments and ticketing booths, MPA and ICA noted in the tender. The Southern Islands include Sentosa Island, St John's Island and Lazarus Island. West Coast Pier serves passengers going to and from ships anchored around the Western islands, including Jurong Island and Pulau Bukom, both of which house oil and petrochemical facilities. Around 970 sq m in size, the pier comprises a single-storey building with immigration facilities. Lastly, the 1,500 sq m Changi Point Ferry Terminal at the eastern end of Singapore is used as a passenger terminal for those travelling to outlying islands such as Pulau Ubin. It has a single-storey building with immigration facilities. For all three terminals, the appointed consultancy team must carry out space planning and design works to provide the space and infrastructure needed for automated immigration clearance, according to the tender documents. The documents also show that the estimated project construction cost is $4 million across all three sites. When asked about the inclusion of Changi Point Ferry Terminal in the tender, MPA said on May 8: 'Changi Point Ferry Terminal was also included in the scope of consultancy services to allow MPA to assess the scope of future improvements, should the operational need arise.' Separately, on the traffic situation, ICA acknowledged that traveller volume through West Coast Pier and Marina South Pier is lower compared with other larger sea checkpoints such as Marina Bay Cruise Centre. But it noted that there are still instances of crowding during peak hours, with high numbers of arriving and departing passengers at the same time. Coupled with the limited queuing areas at both piers, travellers experience longer waiting times, said ICA. Therefore, the authority noted that replacing manual counters with automated lanes and self-clearance kiosks would help manage such surges in travel volume. Additionally, ICA said that automated immigration clearance allows the authority to tap advance traveller information and data analytics to identify high-risk travellers before they arrive at checkpoints in Singapore. These travellers – including those on ICA's watchlist – will be flagged for more stringent checks upon arrival as they clear immigration. The authority said its automated lanes are equipped with counter-forgery detection capabilities and multi-modal biometrics screening systems, which detect travellers using fraudulent passports and false or multiple identities – including those who previously committed crimes in Singapore and are re-entering the country under a different identity . At the close of the tender on April 21 , there were 16 respondents, including engineering consultancy Arup Singapore and architecture firm Architects. Currently, passport-less clearance is available at Changi Airport, Marina Bay Cruise Centre and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. At Changi Airport, it takes an average of just 10 seconds to clear immigration, with travellers going through after biometric scanning. ICA said it will progressively roll out passport-less clearance for passengers at the remaining air and sea checkpoints. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
