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https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.com/people/bugatti-singapore-victor-kwan-wearnes-prestige-189451?cid=FBcna&fbclid=IwAR1uEuwJPFg_N5VKCgQAO-g6XgXR6WqIrgtqv5hXfpiBLxa9xTkD-IJLu8U A multimillion-dollar Bugatti sports car can’t even be legally driven on Singapore roads, so if the opening of its first showroom in Southeast Asia is not the ultimate flex, we don’t know what is. The French carmaker strictly produces only left-hand drives and you could scour the world and never find a right-hand drive Bugatti, assures Victor Kwan, managing director of Wearnes Prestige. Why, then, open a showroom here? “When you talk luxury, you think real estate, fashion, automotive… and Bugatti is at the top of luxury automotive, so to have a Bugatti showroom here is a significant moment for the Singapore automotive market and signifies Singapore’s status as a luxury hub,” said Kwan, who heads all the ultra-premium marques under the Wearnes distribution umbrella, including Bentley, Aston Martin, Alpine and Lotus across the region. The new showroom, one of only 30 Bugatti showrooms in the world, is it's second in Asia after Japan. The space was designed by Bugatti’s headquarters in Molsheim, France, and boasts room for two of these achingly beautiful beasts. Currently, however, only one takes centre stage: The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport, which can be yours but can’t be driven off the lot, for a super cool €3.1 million (S$4.98 million) for a base model without options. Now that’s a big chunk of change of Crazy Rich Asians proportions and owning a Bugatti (especially in Singapore) clearly puts you snugly in the league of one percent-ers. Or more like zero-point-five percent-ers. ==================== Thoughts on Bugatti opening a showroom to show off their sports cars that can't be driven in SG? 😮

A 54-year-old cleaner was found dead in the central refuse chute compactor room of Block 623C in Punggol Central on Saturday (Oct 16) morning. The man was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force at about 8.15am, the police said in a statement. No foul play is suspected and the police are investigating it as a case of unnatural death. The man, a block cleaner with Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council, was found caught between the door and the discharge outlet of the waste compactor in the central rubbish chute, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a statement. Identified only as Mr Lee, the Singaporean was employed by Lian Cheng Contracting. MOM is investigating the incident and has instructed Lian Cheng to stop all works involving access to central rubbish chutes, as well as the operation of waste compactors. Residents said Mr Lee was friendly and often greeted them as he worked, Chinese language newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported on Sunday. A 70-year-old resident said Mr Lee would even offer to help her with her groceries. Another resident said that she saw a couple standing near the compactor room at about 8am. She said they were on their phones, and told Shin Min that she believes they were calling the police for help. A foreman told Shin Min that Mr Lee had worked in Punggol for more than three years and cleaned three blocks of flats in the area. He worked part time for four hours a day. Following the incident, the foreman said that 11 compactor rooms from Block 621A to Block 624C were locked, and the management reminded the cleaners not to enter these rooms to clean up, reported Shin Min. Mr Sharael Taha, chairman of the town council, was at the scene to console and help Mr Lee's family. He said the town council is working closely with the employer and the authorities in their investigations. Ms Yeo Wan Ling, MP for the Punggol Shore ward where the incident happened, was also at the scene with her team to offer assistance and console the cleaner's family. In a Facebook post, Ms Yeo requested members of the public who had received images of the incident to delete them and refrain from circulating them. She also asked for the public to respect the privacy of the man's family. This current case brings the total number of workplace fatalities in Singapore to 32 this year. In 2016, a 37-year-old Bangladeshi worker was crushed to death while operating waste compacting machinery in Bedok. ------------------------------------------- Condolences to the family! 😞 It's really sad that something as unfortunate as this could happen in SG, are there no reinforcements on the regulations stated regarding cleaners entering the trash compactor?

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/5-arrested-more-than-6000-cartons-of-duty-unpaid-cigarettes-seized-by More than 6,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized by Singapore Customs officers who observed activity at the loading and unloading bay of an industrial building in Woodlands Industrial Park. Four men - three Singaporeans and a Malaysian - as well as one Malaysian woman, all between 21 and 54 years old, were arrested last Thursday, Singapore Customs said in a statement on Monday (Sept 6). Customs officers had observed boxes being transferred into a Singapore-registered truck at the loading and unloading bay of the industrial building and suspected that they contained duty-unpaid cigarettes. They found 1,120 cartons of such cigarettes in the truck and arrested the Malaysian woman and three Singaporean men. Further checks uncovered another 4,928 cartons in another Singapore-registered truck in the vicinity, making it a haul of 6,048 cartons in all. Subsequently, the driver of a Malaysia-registered lorry that was suspected to be used to deliver the cigarettes was arrested at Tuas Checkpoint when he attempted to leave Singapore. The duty as well as goods and services tax (GST) evaded amounted to $516,490 and $41,430. All three vehicles were also seized. The agency said investigations are ongoing. "We would like to seek the cooperation of owners of industrial premises to be alert and look out for suspicious persons and activities to prevent their premises from being misused," said, Mr Yeo Sew Meng, assistant director-general of intelligence and investigation at Singapore Customs. The agency warned that buying, selling, conveying, delivering or storing duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and GST Act. Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, jailed up to six years, or both. Vehicles used in the commission of such offences are also liable to be forfeited, added the agency. Those with information on smuggling activities or evasion of customs duty or GST can call the Singapore Customs hotline on 1800-233-0000 or e-mail [email protected] ======================= Seems to be an increase in the number of people caught smuggling recently 😔. We are in the middle of a pandemic and still got people doing stupid stuff like this haiz 😤

More than 20 pivoted nightspots allowed to reopen for F&B as of end August SINGAPORE: A month after authorities introduced tighter measures as a condition for nightspots operating as food outlets to reopen, more than 20 such establishments have been given the go-ahead to resume operations. In response to queries from CNA, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) on Tuesday (Sep 7) said that as of Aug 30, it had approved the reopening of these outlets that have pivoted to food and beverage operations. "These establishments have implemented the additional Safe Management Measures (SMMs), passed inspections, and received a conditional permit from MTI to resume operations," said MSE. "Establishments that do not pass inspections are not allowed to reopen until they pass a later inspection, which they may apply for when they are ready." In July, the emergence of a COVID-19 cluster linked to former KTV lounges and nightclubs led to a two-week shutdown of more than 400 pivoted nightspots. All employees of such establishments were told to undergo a one-time polymerase chain reaction test and the nightspots had to receive approval from the authorities before being allowed to reopen. Another condition that these pivoted nightspots had to meet before being allowed to reopen: Only the main hall was to be used for F&B operations. All private rooms were to be locked and not to be used for "any purpose". Blackout windows or opaque doors were also not allowed to be used along the perimeter of the outlet, with the interior to be made "clearly visible" to people outside. Upon the resumption of operations, all employees would also have to undergo fast and easy testing at a Health Promotion Board Quick Test Centre every seven days. SafeEntry Gateway would also have to be implemented at the entrance and exit of the premises, while prevailing licensing conditions were to be complied with. As of Monday, data from the Health Ministry showed that there were 253 cases in the KTV COVID-19 cluster. Source: CNA – https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/covid-19-nightlife-establishments-inspections-operations-reopen-2161541 -------- What do ya'll think of this new measure for the night scene? Is it too early considering that the last cluster from this group is only 2 months ago AND the extent of the spread? I'm personally quite worried cause I feel that its not possible to effectively regulate and monitor these establishments. hmmm

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/120-bus-captains-across-seven-interchanges-infected-with-covid-19-so-far-lta A total of 120 bus captains have been infected with Covid-19 so far, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) which is working with public transport operators to minimise the impact on services. The number of clusters involving bus interchanges has grown to seven after the first two - at Bishan and Sengkang - were announced on Aug 14. An LTA spokesman told The Straits Times on Monday (Aug 30) that there are currently 23 infected bus captains in the Bishan cluster and 14 in the Sengkang one. Two new clusters - identified on Aug 26 - currently involve 33 bus captains at the Toa Payoh interchange, and 13 at the Punggol one. Another three clusters - announced over the last three days - currently involve nine bus captains in the Clementi interchange, 15 in the Jurong East interchange and 13 in the Boon Lay interchange. According to the Ministry of Health (MOH) website, another 54 cases - staff from these interchanges and their contacts- are also linked to the seven clusters. The LTA spokesman said many of the cases were picked up early and clusters isolated as a result of community surveillance testing and proactive regular testing. Of the 120 infected bus captains, four were unvaccinated. The rest are fully inoculated, and most are asymptomatic or showing only mild symptoms. Overall, 99 per cent of front-line public transport workers have completed their first dose of the vaccine, and over 95 per cent are fully inoculated, said the spokesman. Asked what is being done to ensure commuter safety at bus interchanges, he added: "Once a cluster at a public transport node is detected, deep cleaning and disinfection is carried at the location as well as on all affected buses and common facilities. This is in addition to the stepped up cleaning regime that operators have put in place since last year." Safe management measures are also strictly enforced, and in light of the recent developments, workers will have to take their meals and smoke breaks alone even if they are fully vaccinated, said the spokesman. He added that the authorities are monitoring the situation closely and will work with the operators to make further adjustments where necessary. ===================== Oof, everyone should be more careful when they visit bus interchanges during this period! 😞 It's so scary how asymptomatic cases can spread so quickly over a short amount of time. Stay safe guys! 😥

PHOTO: FIRMUS CAPITAL ELECTRIC car maker Tesla has leased a building in Toa Payoh Lorong 8's industrial area for its showroom, corporate office and service centre. This was announced on Thursday by private equity real estate investment manager Firmus Capital, which acquired the property and has entered an agreement to lease it entirely to Tesla's Singapore subsidiary, Tesla Motors Singapore Private Limited, for a period of up to 20 years. The 58,743 sq ft property has a total lettable area of 59,049 sq ft, said Firmus in a statement; its manager noted that Firmus has until now focused its investments in Australia. The building will house a showroom for Tesla's electric vehicles, a technical support and service centre, as well as Tesla's Singapore corporate office." The acquisition of the Toa Payoh property was made by a new fund Firmus formed in March this year. Firmus added that it is working on a second purchase within this quarter, and that it will possess S$200 million in assets under management once it completes this second acquisition. Tesla last indicated it was setting up shop in Singapore when it put up roles for servicing staff, sales advisers and store leaders in July last year, and more recently last September; job postings on LinkedIn were seeking senior developers, among other positions, but it declined to say how many jobs it was opening up in the Republic. This can probably be seen as the most concrete move Tesla has made towards beginning the sale of its high-end electric vehicles in Singapore, after years of founder Elon Musk complaining about the Republic's authorities being "not supportive". As for the property in Toa Payoh, Firmus said renovations are underway. It did not say when its lessee would commence operations. Last month, The Straits Times reported that Tesla would operate out of the facility in Toa Payoh, but that it would additionally have "experience stores" in places such as malls like Raffles City and Jewel Changi Airport, which would allow for test drives to be arranged. It also reported that the centre was slated to start running this month. Source - The Business Times: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/technology/tesla-setting-up-shop-at-toa-payoh-lorong-8-property-with-lease-term-of-up-to-20-years --------- Just curious, what would encourage you guys to buy a Tesla? Currently the prices are like $150K++ for a base Model 3. Also, looking at google maps i think the previous occupant of this building was Tan Chong Motors (correct me if i'm wrong) - symbolic much? haha

SINGAPORE - A 90-year-old man who was fully vaccinated but had a history of chronic kidney disease and hypertension died from Covid-19 complications on Tuesday (Aug 17), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said. He is the first fully vaccinated person to die from issues linked to Covid-19 in Singapore. The man developed symptoms on July 29 and tested positive for Covid-19 on Aug 1 as part of community surveillance testing. On Aug 2, he developed shortness of breath and giddiness and was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital where he was admitted directly to the intensive care unit for septic shock from Covid-19 pneumonia. He had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, but was advanced in age and had a history of chronic kidney disease and hypertension, said MOH in its daily update. In total, 45 people have died from complications due to the Covid-19 infection. No new clusters were announced on Tuesday. The cluster linked to a dormitory located at 43 Sungei Kadut Loop grew to 14, with one new case added to its tally. There were a total of 56 new infections reported on Tuesday and, of these, 52 were locally transmitted. Of the local cases, 35 were linked to previous cases and already quarantined and another three linked cases were not in quarantine when they tested positive. A total of 14 cases remain unlinked. Four imported cases were detected and isolated upon arrival in Singapore. MOH also said six clusters have been closed. With that, there are now 93 active clusters, ranging between three and 1,155 infections. MOH also said the number of new cases in the community has fallen from 481 the week before to 322 in the past week. The number of unlinked cases has decreased from 135 to 91 in the same period. Currently, 404 patients are in hospital. Most are well and under observation, said MOH. Of them, 30 require oxygen supplementation, while six are in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Of the seriously ill, 31 are seniors aged above 60, and of them, 25 are completely unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. MOH said there is continuing evidence that almost all fully vaccinated individuals do not suffer serious disease when infected, unless they have underlying medical conditions that make them more susceptible. Over the past 28 days, the percentage of unvaccinated people who became severely ill or died was 9.6 per cent, while that for the fully vaccinated was 1.4 per cent, the ministry added. On the country's vaccination progress, MOH said 76 per cent of Singapore's population were fully vaccinated as at Monday, while 82 per cent had received at least one dose. A total of 8,464,972 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered under the national vaccination programme, covering 4,440,268 people, with 4,155,680 people having completed the full vaccination regimen. In addition, 151,089 doses of other vaccines recognised in the World Health Organisation's Emergency Use Listing have been administered, covering 83,968 people. =============== It's sad to hear this after putting in so much effort to persuade our elderly population to take the vaccine 😞 Condolences to the family.