Police investigating unauthorised payments linked to Koufu Eat app; Pritam Singh says WP has played its part as ‘loyal opposition’: Singapore live news

Singapore Post (SingPost) has appointed Neo Su Yin as its group chief operating officer (COO) – a newlycreated role following the termination of three senior figures at the company in the aftermath of whistle-blowing reports.

Neo is tasked with overseeing the group’s Singapore and international business units and property. She will "take guidance" from Simon Israel, SingPost’s chairman of the board, as the company works through "transitional management arrangements". She was previously the group’s Singapore CEO from November 2021 to April 2024.

"She has a proven track record and deep understanding of SingPost's business and operations. Her appointment greatly strengthens our leadership’s focus on driving operational performance and excellence – a core foundation for sustainable growth," said Israel.

SingPost sacked its group CEO Vincent Phang, group CFO Vincent Yik, and CEO of international business unit ops Li Yu on 22 December for what the company said was due to failure in handling whistle-blowing reports involving delivery performed for "one of its largest" customers.

All three are contesting the decision.

The growing popularity of digital Ang Baos reached an all-time high last Lunar New Year for DBS Bank and POSB Bank which saw the number of customers using the service doubling year-on-year, resulting in $39 million transferred through these solutions.

The banks revealed that over 7 in 10 customers embraced digital gifting for the first time through their QR Ang Bao and eGift services during the Year of the Dragon.

And for the Year of the Snake – which is set for 29 January 2025 – both DBS and POSB customers can expect “enhanced” QR Ang Baos as well as “personalised” eGift options.

“It’s heartening to see more customers embracing digital gifting each year, and we remain dedicated to delivering seamless, accessible gifting solutions and exciting promotions to make their Lunar New Year celebrations even more special,” said Calvin Ong, Managing Director and Head of Consumer Banking Group, at DBS Singapore.

You can find out more about this year's DBS/POSB digital Ang Bao offering, here.

HDB flat resale prices rose by 9.6% in 2024 which was almost double the 4.9% increase recorded in 2023.

The latest figure was based on a flash estimate released by HDB on Thursday (2 January).

According to HDB flash estimates, the fourth quarter Resale Price Index (RPI) in 2024 was 197.7 – an increase of 2.5% compared to the previous quarter. RPI provides information on the general price movements in the resale public housing market.

HDB said that resale prices in the fourth quarter of 2024 “continued to be driven by a strong broad-based demand, as well as some supply tightness in the market.”

“Households are strongly advised to exercise prudence in their property purchases as the property market moves in cycles and those who buy high will be hit harder if prices weaken,” said HDB in a statement.

An estimated 1,000 HDB resale flat transactions fetched a price of $1 million or more in 2024, reported Huttons Data Analytics.

Stefanie Sun says it has been “very stressful” preparing for her highly-anticipated concert in Singapore but that she “cannot wait” to see all her fans once again.

The legendary Mandopop queen shared her feelings on social media on 31 December in a post marking the end of 2024.

“I am welcoming 2025 with wide open arms,” she wrote.

The 46-year-old also treated fans to some personal pictures of herself and family including husband Nadim van der Ros and her two children.

Sun has sold more than 30 million records worldwide during a 25-year career.

She announced in October last year plans for a 25th anniversary tour in 2025 which initially featured two nights at the Singapore Indoor Stadium (5-6 April). Two more Singapore shows were added (12-13 April) after tickets quickly sold out.

Her 25th anniversary tour comes a decade after her last Kepler Concert Tour and will see her perform in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Nanjing, Chongqing, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Jeju Air flight 2216 crash landed at Muan International Airport last week tragically killing 179 of 181 people on board.

Aviation experts believe the two crew members who survived likely benefitted from sitting backwards at the rear of the aircraft with a safety harness.

Footage of the crash shows the Boeing 737-800 belly-landing and sliding down the runway before hitting an embankment and bursting into flames.

A former senior cabin crew member for Emirates told The Telegraph that crew at the rear of a Boeing 737-800 sit in backward facing seats and wear a four-point harness.

“The airplane usually breaks apart on impact and passengers in the rear tend to have a better chance of survival,” he said.

The chief of the Muan fire department also revealed that the flight attendants were rescued from the plane’s tail – the only part of the plane which retained some shape after the crash.

Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose 4.3% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, according to advance estimates by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on Thursday (2 January).

The preliminary data also showed that Singapore's economy grew 4.0% for the full year in 2024.This is Singapore’s fastest annual pace since exiting the pandemic, accelerating from an expansion of 1.1% in 2023 and 3.8% in 2022, according to Reuters.

Maybank economist Chua Hak Bin was quoted by Reuters as saying: “Singapore is starting the year in a sweet spot, with growth on a high and inflation at below 2%.”

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, in his New Year address, said Singapore’s economy performed better than expected in 2024, helping to set the foundations for what could be a complex international trading environment this year.

Police are investigating unauthorised payments through an app run by Koufu, one of Singapore’s largest food court operators.

Local media reported on Wednesday (1 January) that Koufu had notified the authorities after multiple reports by customers of fraudulent transactions linked to its Koufu Eat app.

The Koufu Eat app allows users to browse food options at various Koufu food courts and pay for their meals with a selected credit or debit card, or through PayLah.

App reviews on Google Play Store showed customers highlighting unauthorised payments as far back as October 2024.

On 3 December, a reviewer wrote: "Getting fraudulent transactions after adding my DBS credit card to the app."

There have been at least six reviews noting similar issues as of 31 December 2024.

A Koufu spokesperson clarified to local media outlets that the app does not store customers' credit card details. Its payment gateway is via eNETS.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed investigations are ongoing.