Singapore Budget 2015: Medisave Minimum Sum to be scrapped next year - Singapore Health News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/health/story/singapore-budget-2015-medisave-minimum-sum-be-scrapped-next-year-2015031?xtor=EREC-16-2%5BST_Newsletter_PM%5D-20150312-%5BSingapore+Budget+2015%3A+Medisave+Minimum+Sum+to+be+scrapped+next+year%5D

Singapore Budget 2015: Medisave Minimum Sum to be scrapped next year

SINGAPORE - The Medisave Minimum Sum requirement will be scrapped from next year so people will no longer need to top up their accounts to this amount - which now stands at $43,500 - before they can withdraw their CPF monies at the age of 55.

But the upper limit remains and this has been renamed the Basic Healthcare Sum.

This limit will go up from $48,500 now to $49,800 in January next year. Any amount in excess of this will be transferred to Retirement and Special Accounts, which will eventually contribute to people's CPF Life payouts in old age.

The change will make it easier for Singaporeans to understand and plan for their retirement, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong in Parliament on Thursday at the Committee of Supply debate.

-- GRAPHIC: MINISTRY OF HEALTH

It is one of several changes to Medisave to make healthcare more affordable, to maximise use of this compulsory healthcare savings, and to make it easier for people to plan for their healthcare needs as they age.

The Basic Healthcare Sum will also be fixed for each cohort when they turn 65 - even though it will continue to increase over the years for younger people.

Mr Gan explained: "Members can have more certainty on the amount of Medisave they should keep for their retirement healthcare needs."

Going forward, the amount of Medisave that can be used to pay for health insurance will also change from the current flat rate of $800 for everyone aged 65 years and younger, to one that is tiered by age cohort.

There will be no limit on the use of Medisave to pay the premiums of the basic MediShield Life when it is launched later this year.

What will change is the component used to pay for private integrated Shield plans.

Said Mr Gan: "We will have to balance between helping Singaporeans pay for their IP premiums using Medisave, and ensuring that Medisave is adequately preserved for healthcare needs, especially for the lower income."

Details of this scheme will be released later this year.

From June 1, Medisave use will be extended to treat epilepsy, osteoporosis, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. This brings to 19 the number of chronic conditions that can be paid for with Medisave.

salma@sph.com.sg

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Singapore Budget 2015: Medisave Minimum Sum to be scrapped next year - Singapore Health News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/health/story/singapore-budget-2015-medisave-minimum-sum-be-scrapped-next-year-2015031?xtor=EREC-16-2%5BST_Newsletter_PM%5D-20150312-%5BSingapore+Budget+2015%3A+Medisave+Minimum+Sum+to+be+scrapped+next+year%5D


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accident at MRT & ITE knife attack

A quick first-hand look at the Apple Watch - More Digital Life Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/digital-life/more-digital-life-stories/story/quick-first-hand-look-the-apple-watch-20150310?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20150310-[A+quick+first-hand+look+at+the+Apple+Watch]

A quick first-hand look at the Apple Watch

SAN FRANCISCO - At Apple's event on Tuesday, the tech giant's chief Tim Cook finally revealed the pricing of its Apple Watch. The highly anticipated wearable will range from $483 to beyond $13,000.

And I was itching to find out if the wearable was worth the hefty price tag.

With over 100 media personnel from all over the world squeezing into a demo area around the size of one and a half basketball court, getting my hands on the coveted Apple Watch was a challenge in itself.

I managed to only twiddle with the Apple Watch for just about five minutes before it was whisked out of my hands for the next person in line. And here are my first impressions from the little time I had with the wearable.

The Apple Watch I got to try on was the middle-ground stainless steel Watch model with the leather loop watch band. A model like that can cost more than $1,000. It has a very premium feel from the moment I put it on my wrist.

The stainless steel case feels smooth and does not seem to have any rough edges that made me uncomfortable as with some other wearables I've tried. It has a very refined ergonomic fit and is a solid timepiece. It's quite like wearing a Patek Philippe timepiece versus a Seiko watch.

There are two buttons on the watch's right side with the Digital Crown on top and the communications button below.

Tapping the Digital Crown takes me to the home screen, where I can see all the apps in circular icons. Here, turning the Digital Crown lets me zoom in and out to browse the apps. There is also an option to tap on the screen of the watch and move my finger around to see the many icons on the home screen. Tapping again on the Digital Crown get me to the centre of the home screen. A double tap gets me back to the watch face.

On the watch face, I can swipe up from the bottom of the display to access Glances, which is a quick view of my app's most important content.

I can force tap on the watch face to access customisation options. But an Apple representative told me that that I could not do this with the watch face on this particular unit.

Nonetheless, I found the apps opened really quickly and the transitions from home screen to watch face were silky smooth.

As I tried to open some apps to test them, I sensed many glaring at me, impatient for their turn with the Watch. I quickly recorded a demo video and promptly removed the Apple Watch from my wrist.

Yes, the Watch may seem expensive for some and rather hefty for what seems to be just another smart watch. But with its refined look and polished design, plus a whole slew of functions and gestures that are groundbreaking in themselves, it does seem justifiable.

Still, Singapore won't be among the first to get the Apple Watch. It'll be interesting to see the reception of the Watch from the other nine countries that will get it on April 24.

trevtan@sph.com.sg

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New mass fish death washes up thousands at Lim Chu Kang jetty - Singapore Environment News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/environment/story/new-mass-fish-death-washes-thousands-lim-chu-kang-jetty-20150307?xtor=EREC-16-1[ST_Newsletter_AM]-20150308-[New+mass+fish+death+washes+up+thousands+at+Lim+Chu+Kang+jetty]

New mass fish death washes up thousands at Lim Chu Kang jetty

SINGAPORE - Thousands of fish were found washed up on shore at Lim Chu Kang jetty on Saturday in the latest in a series of mass deaths.

Breeds big and small, including catfish and mullets, were discovered on the beach near where several fish farms are situated in the Strait of Johor.

Both sea and farm fish were affected.

Farmer Ong Kim Pit, 65, told The Sunday Times that he first saw fish jumping out of the water on Friday night, adding that his baby mullets were worst hit.

"It happened within minutes," he said. "My fish were jumping and jumping in the water. I don't know why."

Cleaners were seen removing bags of dead fish on Saturday.

It is not yet known what caused the mass deaths, but they came a week after a deadly wave of plankton bloom wiped out almost all of some Changi farmers' stocks.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said the bloom had killed an estimated 500 to 600 tonnes of fish as of last Wednesday, and affected 55 out of 63 farms in the East Johor Strait.

The AVA's preliminary findings showed elevated levels of Karlodinium veneficum in seawater samples, which has been associated with fish deaths worldwide.

Meanwhile, photos of dead fish at Kranji Reservoir Park and Sungeh Buloh Wetland Reserve also surfaced online on Saturday.

kcarolyn@sph.com.sg

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SMRT driver in KPE incident jailed for throwing Coke can and coins at car - Singapore Courts & Crime News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/courts-crime/story/smrt-driver-kpe-incident-jailed-throwing-coke-can-and-coins-car-20?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20150304-[SMRT+driver+in+KPE+incident+jailed+for+throwing+Coke+can+and+coins+at+car]

SMRT driver in KPE incident jailed for throwing Coke can and coins at car

SINGAPORE - A former relief taxi driver who terrorised a motorist on the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) tunnel last month was jailed for four weeks on Wednesday for the rash act.

The Feb 1 incident saw the SMRT driver tailgating, swerving in and out of lanes, and hurling vulgarities and objects at the white Toyota car. It was caught by the 36-year-old victim's in-car cameras. He posted 23 clips on YouTube.

Car salesman Wayne Lim Yen Yew, 32, had pleaded guilty to hurling a Coke can and coins at Mr Shaun Lim Chin Seng's car at about 5.40pm that day. He had also admitted to causing hurt to a 17-year-old in a 2012 carpark incident.

The court heard that while the two vehicles were on the KPE at about 5.40pm, Lim cut into the second lane behind the victim's car and tailgated him.

Lim then cut into the first lane and travelled alongside the Toyota, sped up and swerved his taxi slightly, causing a near collision.

The victim then drove to the first lane behind the SMRT taxi and switched his high beam lights on.

While the victim was driving behind the taxi, Lim began slowing down and filtered into the second lane and almost came to a complete stop, causing a car behind to brake abruptly to prevent a collision

Deputy Public Prosecutor Claire Poh said Lim went to the third lane and stopped his car. He wound down his window.

The victim drove past Lim's taxi to avoid any confrontation with him, but Lim started to follow the Toyota.

Lim drove past it and flung a Coke can, which hit the bumper of the Toyota.

When the victim asked why he did that, Lim responded with Hokkien vulgarities.

Subsequently, Lim thew one coin after another at the Toyota, which cost about $700 to repair and spray paint.

In the other case, the court heard that Mr Soo Kok Wing, 61, was behind the wheel with family members in the car while he waited for a spot at the open carpark beside Block 630, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 on Aug 5, 2012.

Lim, whose car was behind Mr Soo's, tried to overtake Mr Soo's car when he was trying to park. Lim then stopped in front of Mr Soo's car and abused Mr Soo as he was unhappy with the way Mr Soo had driven.

Lim alighted and hit Mr Soo's car. He then opened the driver's car door. When Mr Soo came out, Lim continued to scold him.

When Lim saw Mr Soo's 17-year-old son recording the incident with his phone, he opened the car door and tried to grab the iPhone. Lim then punched the teen once on the right side of his face. Mr Soo called the police.

Lim could have been jailed for up to six months and/or fined up to $2,500 for the rash act to endanger the personal safety of others. The maximum punishment for causing hurt is two years' jail and a $5,000 fine.

elena@sph.com.sg

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Two Germans who vandalised MRT train in Bishan depot get 9 months, 3 strokes each - Singapore Courts & Crime News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/courts-crime/story/two-germans-who-vandalised-mrt-train-bishan-depot-last-november-pl?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20150305-[Two+Germans+who+vandalised+MRT+train+in+Bishan+depot+get+9+months%2C+3+strokes+each]

Two Germans who vandalised MRT train in Bishan depot get 9 months, 3 strokes each

SINGAPORE - The two Germans who vandalised an MRT train have been sentenced to nine months' jail and three strokes of the cane each.

The jail term was backdated to Nov 22, 2014, when they were remanded.

Andreas Von Knorre, 22, and Elton Hinz, 21, were charged with entering Bishan SMRT depot, a protected place, without authorisation three times in the wee hours of Nov 6, 7 and 8 last year.

On Nov 8, they used indelible spray paint to spray graffiti on an SMRT train at the depot along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 between 2.48am and 3.29am on Nov 8.

On March 4, the two men, who were represented by lawyer Christopher Bridges, pleaded guilty to two charges of entering the protected place on Nov 7 and 8, and spraying graffiti on the train carriage on Nov 8. The other trespass charge on Nov 6 was taken into consideration.

The pair, who were working in Australia, had arrived in Singapore on Nov 4 and stayed at a hotel in Geylang. That day, they bought 12 cans of spray paint from Art Friend in Clementi. They went to a supermarket to buy yellow latex gloves.

The court heard that the duo entered the SMRT premises via a drainage system on Nov 6. They went there again over the next two days and committed vandalism on Nov 8.

SMRT suffered damage of about $13,650.

The two men are believed to have left the country after that. They were later located in Bangkok by the Thai police. Malaysia police arrested the pair at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Nov 20 and they were extradited to Singapore the next day.

The maximum penalty for vandalism is a fine of $2,000 or three years' jail plus three to eight strokes of the cane.

If convicted of entering a protected place, they could be fined up to $1,000 and/or jailed for up to two years on each charge.

elena@sph.com.sg

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