5 S’pore News That You Should Know About That Were Reported Yesterday (3 January 2020)

Let’s face it: in this social media world, exciting and viral news like a cat feeding a baby bear would often appear in your Facebook news feed, while important news like the GDP growth of Singapore this year wouldn’t get the same reach.

It’s understandable since social media platforms would prioritise engaging and viral content to keep users in their platform.

In order to ensure that you’d still know about important news instead of just social news, below are the top five Singapore news that was reported yesterday which you should know, simplified for you in a bite-sized format:

Jakarta Might Experience More Flooding, S’pore Embassy Asks S’poreans There To Be Prepared

On 2 Jan 2020, Jakarta and its surrounding areas were victims to the heaviest downpour in a single day.

It resulted in severe flooding and landslides which has killed at least 43 people and left 400,000 people homeless.

Singaporeans who are in Jakarta are encouraged to e-register themselves with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if they haven’t done so.

They are also encouraged to keep their documents and valuables safe, and to prepare spare batteries in case of power outages.

“Follow local media outlets to keep track of the situation”, they advise, “and expect delays when travelling to the airport.”

You can read more here.

M’sia VEP Enforcement To Be Delayed Cuz Most S’porean Cars Don’t Have The RFID Tag

If you remember, Malaysia announced the Vehicle Entry Permit quite a while ago. It was supposed to take effect from 1 Oct 2019 but was postponed due to “technical issues”.

Then, it was mentioned that the VEP will be enforced in 2020. Which we’re three days into.

Unfortunately, it’ll have to be postponed again.

This time, because only about 25% of Singapore vehicles registered for the scheme has the RFID tag.

Malaysia plans to get the remaining vehicles equipped with the RFID tag within six months.

Previously, Singapore vehicle owners complain about the long waiting time, lack of appointment slots and help from the Malaysian authorities.

You can read more here.

Businesses Switching To Paper Bags Instead of Plastic Bags Isn’t Helping The Environment

With going green as the buzzword of 2019, everyone’s aware of this simple truth:

Plastic = bad. Anything else = good.

Which explains why businesses like KFC isn’t giving out straws anymore and you see other businesses switching to paper bags.

Good, right?

Apparently, it’s not, according to some experts.

According to them, it takes more resources to produce paper than plastic. Plus, they get easily contaminated, which means you can’t recycle them even if they’re “100 percent recyclable”.

And more paper = lesser trees, which contribute to climate change as well.

So recycling is out, reducing is out; how about reusing?

Apparently, it’s out as well because unlike plastic, they tear easily.

While it’s good that businesses are getting more environmentally conscious, going green isn’t just about choosing one material over another.

Plastic is just the punching bag for the green movement.

You can read more here.

SingPost Getting Into The CNY Mood

In case you’re wondering, this year is the year of the rat.

And SingPost is looking to remind Singaporeans of that by offering a new stamp set featuring the Zodiac Sign of the year.

1st local (left): $0.30 and $1.40 stamps.

And because there are 12 Zodiac signs, SingPost will be releasing a new Zodiac design every year until 2031.

You can find out more here.

GV Plaza Singapura Denies Bedbugs Accusation After Moviegoer Opens Up On Facebook

On 27 Dec 2019, Facebook user Jeanette Tan took to Facebook to share her movie experience.

She claimed that after she and her fiance went to watch a movie at Golden Village Plaza Singapura, her fiance had bite marks on his right arm.

Professionals whom they’ve consulted said that he was attacked by bedbugs.

In response, the cinema said that once they were aware of the incident, they blocked off the theatre and activated their pest control.

They did not find any evidence of bedbugs within the area but disinfected the entire theatre as a precaution.

You can read more here.

Do come back tomorrow to the Goody Feed app so you’ll always stay informed!