Top News Headlines In Singapore, Thailand And Indonesia : Sept 4, 2024

SINGAPORE

1.ILLEGAL BUT IN DEMAND: WHY SOME S’POREANS USE UNLICENSED CROSS-BORDER CHAUFFEURED RIDES -- THE STRAITS TIMES

For Ms Kuan (not her real name) and her husband, making day trips across the border to indulge in good food and pampering treatments is a cherished ritual.

2.RISE IN FOREIGN BUYING OF LUXURY HOMES IN SINGAPORE IN Q2 A SIGN OF MARKET THAWING AFTER COOLING? -- THE BUSINESS TIMES

Q2’s uptick is the first rise in foreign buyers’ share of the market since the government raised ABSD rates in April 2023

3.JOHOR-SINGAPORE SEZ: INTERNATIONAL FIRMS CALL FOR REDUCED RED TAPE, IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ZONE TO BE A SUCCESS -- CNA

Dutch tank storage company Vopak has long straddled its business on both sides of the Johor Strait.

THAILAND

1. 8 POLICE OFFICERS FIRED FOR ALLEGED INVOLVEMENT WITH GAMBLING WEBSITE -- THE NATION

The officers, reportedly close associates of Pol Gen Surachate ‘Big Joke’ Hakparn, removed for severe disciplinary violations.

2. THAI PILOTS CRY FOUL OVER FOREIGNERS FLYING DOMESTIC ROUTES -- BANGKOK POST

The Thai Pilots Association is raising the alarm over liberalising pilot jobs for foreigners flying domestic routes through wet lease arrangements, claiming it risks another red flag from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

INDONESIA

1.POPE FRANCIS RECEIVES INTERFAITH WELCOME -- THE JAKARTA POST

Pope Francis touched down in Jakarta on Tuesday at noon to start the first leg of his much-anticipated Asia-Pacific tour, with his arrival in Indonesia, home to one of the world’s largest Muslim populations, hailed by the country’s inter- faith groups as a significant move for promoting tolerance and peace.

-- BERNAMA