He cited the evolving role of bank tellers in the finance industry as an example.
“They sit there, you come, they smile, they chop your bank book, and then they do the transaction. But now, everybody is on ATMs,” he said.
Banks have been training tellers to redeploy them to other jobs within the system, instead of just letting them go. Some of them, for example, become customer service officers, shared Mr Lee.
“You need them because ATMs are good, but you want a personal touch,” he said.
“If the ATM frustrates you and you press the help button, you want somebody smiling there, and not just – if you do not know how to press this button, press two. And then you are dealing with a robotic voice and you get very frustrated. They are there, a face comes up, smiles, says ‘How can I help you’ as a real person, and talks you through it.”
Mr Lee said the jobs landscape will continue changing. For example, the advent of artificial intelligence may free up a real person from a particular task to do something else.
“We will work very hard to make sure that he or she can do something else,” he said.
He highlighted the SkillsFuture movement and the setting up of a dedicated organisation SkillsFuture Singapore, as part of national efforts in this area.
The S$4,000 will be more targeted in scope and can only be used for selected training programmes, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is also Finance Minister, announced in February.
This includes part-time and full-time diploma, post-diploma and undergraduate programmes, as well as courses for the Progressive Wage Model sectors, he said.
The existing basic tier of S$500 in credits can be used for a wide range of courses.
“It is not such a small amount of money, but it is a token of how seriously we take it and how much we want you to go and improve yourself and improve your opportunities,” said Mr Lee.
But a new generation of liberated, independent, and often educated baby boomers are opening doors and changing perceptions.
“After raising my children and then taking care of my grandchildren, I found myself somewhat buried. I felt like I needed some community involvement,” said Ms Kim Nan-hyang, a jobseeker who has been a homemaker most of her life.
“I came out primarily to gain experience, to see what I'm capable of and to explore various avenues.”
The 69-year-old approached the Seoul Senior Employment Support Centre, which was set up by the city's government, to seek professional help in her search.
“I'm interested in doing commentary work, like being a docent at places like the Kimchi Museum, but I don't have any specific relevant experience,” she said.
She told CNA that the centre has introduced her to various opportunities.
“If I can do some social service activities while also (reaping) economic benefits, I think it would be more rewarding,” she said. “It would give me a sense of pride in my abilities. I'm also thinking about starting a business.”
Washington has imposed sanctions on Iran and its proxies on the sale of Iranian oil.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will recognise sanctions imposed by the United Nations only and not by individual countries, said Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on May 9, following claims by a top US official that Iran has relied on Malaysian service providers to sell US-sanctioned oil in the region.
“I emphasised that we will only recognise sanctions if they are imposed by the United Nations Security Council.
“The delegation from the US respected our stance,” Datuk Seri Saifuddin told reporters following a meeting with the US Treasury Department’s top sanctions official Brian Nelson, who was visiting Kuala Lumpur.
Washington has imposed sanctions on Iran and its proxies, including on the sale of Iranian oil, aimed at choking money flows that it claimed were being used to foment instability in the Middle East.
Mr Nelson, speaking to the local media after the meeting, said of the Washington claims against Malaysian service providers: “I would only say we have seen and we’ve promulgated some sort of guidance to the (Malaysian) marine sector about the type of services that they are engaging in.
“These are ship-to-ship transfers, particularly at night, which we see from time to time.
“They are really designed to obfuscate the origin of the commodity, in this case, Iranian oil,” he told Malaysiakini.
Mr Nelson had said that the capacity of Iran to move its oil depended on parties such as port administrators and tugboat operators.
“Typical markers that we see are like when they turn off their location device and when they’re trying to obscure the name of the ship, or they falsify or forge critical documents about the commodities that were issued,” he added.
A recent Reuters report cited an unnamed senior US Treasury official as saying that there has been an uptick in money moving to Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, through the Malaysian financial system.
In the meeting with Mr Nelson, Mr Saifuddin said he underlined Malaysia’s commitment to combating terrorism financing, with a clear strategic plan to tackle illicit financing activities and money laundering.
The minister also acknowledged concerns raised by US officials over possible money laundering activities involving certain individuals and organisations in Malaysia with purported ties to Iran and its proxies like Hamas, and said these needed verification.
Malaysian government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil, speaking to reporters on May 8, said the country would comply with UN sanctions, but not necessarily with those imposed by individual countries.
“We want to assert that Malaysia, as a sovereign nation, we comply with UN sanctions,” Mr Fahmi told reporters.
“But when it comes to unilaterally applied sanctions, then I think we have to assess this situation.”
Commenting on the issue, economics professor Geoffrey Williams at the Malaysia University of Science and Technology said: “Malaysian businesses can do business with anyone unless there are UN sanctions regulations to stop it, but the US cannot stop Malaysian companies doing business with others.
“However, if Malaysian companies are involved in activities that the US does not like, then the Americans can stop doing business with them,” he said.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been vocal in his support for Hamas amid the ongoing war in Gaza, even at the risk of US sanctions against those who support the group that Washington has deemed a terrorist organisation.
Meanwhile, Mr Nelson, who earlier visited Singapore, had said that sanctions imposed in 2023 against four Malaysian firms accused of helping Iran’s drone production have been impactful, while also highlighting the issue of the illicit sale of Iranian oil in the region.
“Malaysia clearly doesn’t want its financial institutions and its shipping industry to be abused by rogue nations and outside actors. We don’t want that because of the central importance of Malaysia, both as a trading nation and as a financial centre, and given America’s significant business presence here,” Mr Nelson, who is the US Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, told reporters on May 9.
Mr Halmie Azrie Abdul Halim, a senior analyst at political risk consultancy Vriens and Partners, said the US delegation trip to Malaysia is an “intimidation tactic” because of Datuk Seri Anwar’s pro-Palestine stance.
Still, the “US would also not want to lose the support of Malaysia, which is one of its key Asean partners, as the country will assume the role of Asean chair next year”, he said.
Malaysia is among the US’ top 20 trading partners, with bilateral trade between the two nations amounting to US$78.3 billion (S$106 billion) in 2022.
“It is hoped that Hungary will take the opportunity of assuming the rotating EU presidency in the second half of this year to promote the stable and healthy development of China-EU relations,” he added.
The CCTV report quoted Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok as hailing “positive progress” in bilateral cooperation, saying Hungary had “benefited a lot” from the Belt and Road Initiative.
Sulyok also vowed support for three global development, security, and “civilisation” initiatives that China proposed, saying they were “crucial” to preventing “bloc confrontation”, a term Beijing often uses to refer to the US and its allies.
09:45
How do France’s ambitions as a global leader figure in China-US relations?
How do France’s ambitions as a global leader figure in China-US relations?
The talks between the two presidents capped a morning that started with a red-carpet welcome for Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan at Buda Castle.
They were greeted by Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban and their spouses, according to footage from Chinese state broadcaster CGTN.
The Chinese delegation also included the ministers of foreign affairs, commerce and finance as well as the head of the national planning agency.
Xi inspected a military guard with Sulyok before the pair headed indoors for talks.
Xi will hold separate talks with Orbán in the afternoon, when they are expected to sign more than a dozen deals, including cooperation agreements on the Belt and Road Initiative, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.
Ukraine was also expected to be on the agenda, Szijjártó said.
03:51
Xi Jinping hails ‘new chapter’ for China’s relations with Serbia as Belgrade backs his global vision
Xi Jinping hails ‘new chapter’ for China’s relations with Serbia as Belgrade backs his global vision
The trip comes amid a deep divide between China and the European Union on trade and the war in Ukraine, and is part of an effort by Beijing to enlist like-minded European countries to support an alternative to the West-led global order.
Like China, Hungary has retained close ties with Russia, and has often refused to fall in line with Nato and EU measures against Russia, including sanctions on Moscow and aid for Ukraine.
Hungary is also seen as the EU country closest to China, voicing opposition to the bloc’s “de-risking” agenda and blocking its statements criticising human rights.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a similar message when he met his counterpart in Beijing last month.
With Budapest assuming the rotating EU presidency in July, Wang called on Hungary to help promote “pragmatic and reasonable” China-EU relations.
In a statement released as Xi arrived in Budapest on Wednesday night, the Chinese president said China and Hungary were reliable friends and partners and their ties set an example for international relations based on “mutual respect” and “win-win cooperation”.
“I believe that no matter how the international situation changes, China and Hungary will persist in viewing and grasping their bilateral relations with a broad and long-term perspective … work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and make due contributions to promote peace, stability, development and prosperity in the world,” Xi was quoted as saying.
In an interview with Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet published on Wednesday, Xi said the two countries’ relations were on a “golden voyage”. He also praised Hungary’s “independent” policy towards China.
Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping tour the presidential Alexander Palace in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday. Photo: EPA-EFE
He said the two countries should lead regional cooperation and face global challenges together, calling for “real multilateralism” and saying the two shared “similar positions” on international and regional affairs.
He also called on “greater synergy” in their economic initiatives – the belt and road and Hungary’s Eastern Opening strategy – including acceleration of the Budapest-Belgrade railway, a flagship belt and road project.
Hungary is the biggest recipient of Chinese investment in central and eastern Europe, and was the biggest recipient of belt and road funding in 2022.
It is home to Chinese battery giant CATL’s biggest plant outside China and EV maker BYD’s first factory in the EU.
On the eve of Xi’s arrival in the country, the first batch of generator units was connected to the grid at a photovoltaic project in the Hungarian city of Tokaj, the first overseas investment by China’s State Power Investment Corporation.
The newly installed units are expected to reduce carbon emissions by 95,000 tonnes annually, according to CGTN.
SINGAPORE: Two people and a company dealing with wholesale trade were charged on Thursday (May 9) for supplying banned goods, including Pokka and Nescafe drinks, to North Korea.
The company is Eluva International, which faces 11 charges of supplying prohibited products to North Korea.
The two people charged are Eugene Lee Chun Foong, the director of Eluva International, and Koh Poh Choo, a woman linked to freight company Skyline Shipping, which allegedly aided Eluva International in its supply of prohibited goods. Both Eluva International and Skyline Shipping are registered in Singapore.
Lee, 49, and Koh, 57, are Singaporeans.
United Nations sanctions forbid a person in Singapore from exporting or transferring designated luxury items to North Korea. These include caviar, cosmetics and perfumes, and electronic items such as televisions and smartphones.
Eluva International has nine charges under the United Nations (Sanctions - Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Regulations 2010 and two under the Regulation of Imports and Exports Regulations. Lee's 11 charges mirror his company's. He is said to have consented to the exports.
The charges allege that the company supplied around S$661,850 (US$488,094) in banned goods to a person in North Korea through Dalian, a city in the east of China near Pyongyang.
The goods comprise more than S$512,000 in spirits, supplied between 2013 and 2017, and assorted brands of perfumes amounting to S$2,950 provided on Mar 17, 2013.
Apart from these, Eluva International allegedly supplied around S$146,900 worth of "designated luxury items", comprising Pokka Melon Milk, Nescafe Coffee, Coffee Mate and Pokka Strawberry Milk to North Korea via Dalian from November 2017 to January 2018.
A few of the charges named Lee, Irene Cho, Loh Mun Sang and company Rejo Beverages as co-conspirators.
Rejo Beverages was fined S$160,000 and its director, Loh, jailed for six weeks in 2023 for supplying banned goods to North Korea, according to a report by the Straits Times.
Koh faces six charges for offences between 2017 and 2018 . She is alleged to have helped Skyline Shipping abet Eluva International's supply of prohibited goods and designated luxury items to North Korea via Dalian.
These consist of Pokka Strawberry Milk, Pokka Melon Milk, Nescafe Coffee and Coffee Mate, worth about S$146,920, and assorted brands of spirits valued at around S$456,377.
All three cases will be heard in court again on Jun 6.
If convicted of contravening the United Nations Act, a person may be jailed up to 10 years, or fined up to S$500,000, or both. A company may be fined up to S$1 million.
For breaching the Regulation of Imports and Exports Regulations for a first time, a person may be jailed up to two years, or fined up to S$100,000 or up to three times the value of the goods, whichever is higher, or both.
Major US interventions in the past have changed Israeli behavior. In 1991, Israel begrudgingly attended the Madrid conference that led to a peace process with the Palestinians after then-president George W Bush held up US loan guarantees to build settlements.
In 1956, heavy US pressure including economic threats forced Israel as well as Britain and France to give up their grab of the Suez Canal from Egypt.
But experts questioned if Israel could be persuaded this time as it sees its war in existential terms after Oct 7, the deadliest attack ever on the country.
"I cannot imagine American displeasure with the prospect of a Rafah invasion doesn't loom large in the Israeli government's calculus," said Jon Alterman, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"At the same time, Israelis have other calculations, too," he said.
WILL ISRAEL LISTEN?
Raphael Cohen, director of the strategy and doctrine program at the RAND Corporation research group, noted that Israel dialed back air strikes and opened border crossings after Biden voiced anger last month following an Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers.
"Despite Netanyahu's rhetoric, Israel takes American pressure quite seriously," he said.
But avoiding a Rafah invasion "functionally means leaving at least four battalions of Hamas fighters plus its senior leadership intact and over 100 hostages in Hamas hands", he said.
"From an Israeli strategic perspective, that's probably a nonstarter and it also may fracture Netanyahu's coalition."
Even with the pause of US shipments, Israel is believed to have a significant weapons stockpile. It has a major domestic defense industry and the Biden administration has repeatedly shipped weapons that fall beneath the threshold for congressional notification.
Ari Tolany, who follows the arms trade for the progressive Center for International Policy, doubted the halt would have "an immediate operational impact" but said it sent a message to Israel not to drop 907kg bombs, as it already has in the war.
SINGAPORE: Kuala Lumpur beats Singapore as the best destination for remote work.
While Singapore has secured the 78th spot in the latest best destinations for remote work ranking, its neighbour Kuala Lumpur (KL) has outshone it, claiming the 22nd position, reports Must Share News.
The assessment, conducted by the global HR website Remote, praised KL for its fast internet, ample co-working spaces, and favourable visa conditions, making it an attractive location for remote workers.
The report did not elaborate on Singapore’s placement but noted it was chosen based on various factors. Meanwhile, Spain and Portugal took the top two spots on the list.
The report emphasised KL’s cultural richness and culinary diversity, highlighting the city’s “captivating smash of ethnicities from across Asia.”
Four of the 25 countries in the ranking were from Asia, with Taipei securing the highest position among Asian destinations at fifth overall. Meanwhile, Bangkok led Southeast Asia, claiming the 16th spot.
Notably, several Asian countries excelled in specific categories within the top five rankings.
Bangkok and Taipei topped the charts for the lowest cost of living among the top 20 destinations, with Tokyo leading in low inflation. KL also secured the fourth spot for remote work visas and incentives, alongside Bangkok in third.
The rankings were based on an analysis of 25 data series across eight key components, including internet infrastructure, attractiveness, openness, quality of life, incentives for remote workers, cost of living, safety, and inflation. /TISG
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