Berita Hari Ini - 2007

fatz

Dalam Negeri.........MALAYSIA
Kanak-kanak mati terjerut tali buaian

Oleh: SHARIZA ABDULLAH

ALOR STAR 25 Ogos

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SUNTIKAN $1/2 JUTA BAGI DANA PENDIDIKAN ISLAM
Langkah bantu anak dari keluarga susah untuk ikuti pengajian Islam di madrasah masjid
Oleh
Hisham Hambari SEBANYAK setengah juta dolar telah disalurkan ke Dana Pendidikan Islam (IEF) untuk membantu dan memastikan kanak-kanak daripada keluarga berpendapatan rendah dapat mengikuti pengajian Islam separuh masa di madrasah masjid-masjid setempat.
Suntikan dana itu diumumkan Menteri Bertanggungjawab bagi Ehwal Masyarakat Islam, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, semasa berucap di Konvensyen Madrasah Masjid anjuran Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Muis), semalam.
Jumlah itu tidak termasuk $200,000 yang diterima IEF dari agihan wakaf. Dengan tokokan tersebut, IEF kini berjumlah $1.2 juta.
Dibentuk dua tahun lalu, IEF bertujuan meningkatkan penyertaan belia dalam pendidikan Islam separuh masa.
'Memandangkan pentingnya pengetahuan agama dalam masyarakat, kita ingin memastikan bahawa pendidikan agama disediakan untuk semua.
'Kita tidak ingin adanya anak Muslim yang tidak mengikuti pendidikan agama kerana disebabkan masalah kewangan,' kata Dr Yaacob di Pusat Pameran dan Konvensyen Antarabangsa Suntec itu.
Beliau berkata, dana itu akan juga digunakan untuk menampung kos latihan para asatizah.
Dr Yaacob turut mengalu-alukan keputusan konvensyen itu, yang disertai 700 anggota lembaga pentadbir dan asatizah masjid, kerana menerima Sistem Pendidikan Islam Singapura (SIES) yang disemak itu.
SIES akan mula dilaksanakan pada 2010 sebagai asas sistem pendidikan madrasah separuh masa masjid di sini dan dijangka dilaksanakan sepenuhnya menjelang 2015.
SIES akan menjalankan kurikulum agama aLIVE.
Diperkenalkan pada 2004, aLIVE, seperti Kids aLIVE dan Teens aLIVE, adalah program pendidikan agama menyeluruh dan interafktif yang dikhususkan mengikut peringkat umur.
'Kurikulum pendidikan agama separuh masa adalah penting untuk kami merealisasikan visi kita untuk membina sebuah masyarakat cemerlang, bersesuaian dengan pelbagai usaha lain untuk meningkatkan dan memperkukuhkan masa depan masyarakat kita,' kata Dr Yaacob.
Presiden Muis, Haji Mohd Alami Musa, pula berkata segala maklum balas konvensyen akan diteliti.
'Banyak idea telah diketengahkan dan ini semua akan diambil kira oleh Muis untuk menghasilkan satu sistem pendidikan Islam yang sebaik mungkin untuk golongan muda kita.
'Ini merupakan titik bersejarah bagi umat Islam Singapura kerana pemimpin masjid dan asatizah kita telah mengambil satu keputusan untuk terus membangunkan SIES dan untuk melaksanakannya secekap mungkin,' katanya.
Perangkaan Muis menunjukkan 40 peratus daripada 108,000 belia Muslim antara lima dengan 17 tahun sedang mengikuti program pendidikan Islam separuh masa berstruktur di Singapura.



SEMAKAN SIES


Menawarkan Program aLIVE sebagai kurikulum agama dasar di masjid.

Menyediakan latihan profesional dan pengayaan kepada asatizah masjid.

Mewujudkan sistem kewangan dan pentadbiran bersepadu untuk masjid menjalankan SIES.

Menyebarluaskan jangkauan Program aLIVE kepada belia luar masjid.

fatz

Singapura : 27 Ogos 2007        
         
PESERTA MARATON MENINGGAL SELEPAS LARIAN

Para pegawai, doktor lakukan pelbagai usaha tetapi gagal selamatkan kapten

SEORANG peserta maraton rebah dan meninggal dunia sebaik sahaja mengakhiri larian Safra Sheares Bridge Run & Army Half Marathon sejauh 21 kilometer semalam.

Mendiang Encik Ho Si Qiu, 25 tahun, seorang pegawai tentera sepenuh masa berpangkat kapten, menghadapi kecelakaan itu selepas menamatkan larian di Jambatan Benjamin Sheares itu pada 7 pagi.

Kenyataan daripada penganjur bersama larian itu - Persatuan Perkhidmatan Negara Safra, pasukan tentera dan Majlis Sukan Singapura (SSC) - semalam berkata Kapten Ho diberi rawatan kecemasan serta-merta dan dikejarkan ke Hospital Besar Singapura (SGH) pada 7.23 pagi.

Beliau dihantar ke SGH dengan ambulan yang tiba di hospital itu sekitar 7.35 pagi.

Namun, sekitar setengah jam kemudian, beliau disahkan meninggal dunia selepas segala usaha menyelamatkannya dijalankan oleh para doktor SGH.

Kapten Ho adalah komander platun daripada Sekolah Pegawai Kadet (OCS).

Pihak penganjur menyampaikan ucap takziah kepada keluarga mendiang.

Mereka juga menambah bahawa langkah-langkah keselamatan yang wajar telah diambil dalam larian tersebut dengan menyediakan 13 pusat perubatan dan lebih 100 pegawai perubatan.

Sebanyak 16 ambulans, setiap satu dilengkapi dengan alat mengembalikan degupan jantung, turut disediakan.

Punca kematian mendiang Encik Ho masih disiasat.

Sekitar 70,000 orang menyertai acara larian kali ini, tambahan 5,000 peserta berbanding tahun lalu.

Dalam sidang Parlimen Julai lalu, Setiausaha Parlimen (Pembangunan Masyarakat, Belia dan Sukan), Encik Teo Ser Luck, mendedahkan seramai 24 orang meninggal dunia dalam acara berkaitan sukan sejak lima tahun lalu.

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Authorities confirm vegetables in Singapore safe to eat
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 27 August 2007 2325 hrs
  

SINGAPORE: Vegetables available in Singapore are not affected by the cancerous pesticide found on vegetables in Selangor.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority says imported vegetables are put through a comprehensive checking system to make sure they are safe to eat.

Singapore imports 48 per cent of its vegetables from Malaysia.

Through a five-year study, researchers in Malaysia have recently found that some popular greens are highly contaminated with cancer-causing pesticide residues.

All celery and curry leaf samples taken from a wholesale market in Selayang were tested positive for three groups of pesticides.

At least 40 per cent of spinach, kangkong, round cabbage and Chinese mustard samples were tainted.

Scientists think the crops were harvested too early, before the pesticides could disintegrate.

They say potential health risks are small, as consumers will wash and cook the vegetables before eating. - CNA/ac

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Flooding in some parts of Singapore due to heavy rain
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 28 August 2007 1700 hrs


SINGAPORE: There was flooding in some parts of the island on Tuesday due to heavy rain, leading to traffic chaos.

The rain started early as Singaporeans were about to go to work or school, and it did not let up for much of the morning.

The rainfall recorded over a period of seven hours, from 7am to 2pm, hit 143mm

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CPF Act amended to help ex-spouses divide their matrimonial assets
By Lee U-Wen, TODAY | Posted: 28 August 2007 1107 hrs
                                 

The new rules will allow divorced couples to divide their matrimonial assets in a 'smooth and equitable' manner
           
  
SINGAPORE - Divorced couples will soon find it easier to divide their matrimonial assets in a "smooth and equitable" manner, thanks to changes to the Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme.

From Oct 1, an ex-spouse no longer has to wait for her husband to turn 55 and be eligible to withdraw his CPF. These rules, passed under the CPF (Amendment) Bill in Parliament yesterday, now allow the immediate transfer of CPF monies to the ex-spouse's CPF account, so long as the latter is a citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident.

There is also no need for the member to set aside the prevailing minimum sum and Medisave minimum sum first before distributing the rest to his ex-spouse.

Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen said the aim was to "facilitate the division of matrimonial assets under the Women's Charter, provided there is no leakage from the CPF system."

The House also approved changes to allow family members to support one another financially, including raising the top-up limit to the prevailing minimum sum. Previously, this was pegged to the individual recipient's minimum sum level, which would have been much lower.

Another change involving divorced couples will allow for the immediate transfer of a property to the former spouse. Currently, when a member uses his CPF to buy property and a court orders the ownership to be transferred to the ex-spouse, the member must return, in cash, to the CPF account whatever amount is due to it. With the change, this is no longer necessary.

Instead, a charge will be placed on the amount of money used to buy the house, such that if the ex-spouse sells the house later, that money will be refunded to the member's account.

And to help more Singaporeans have enough for old age, members will be allowed to transfer funds from their ordinary account to their grandparents' retirement account, if both parties meet the top-up criteria. Previously, they could only do so using cash. Top-ups will also be allowed to spouses and siblings under-55 using CPF or cash from January.

Members of Parliament welcomed the changes, but asked for more public education measures. Agreeing that the changes were complex, Dr Ng said simple cartoons would be used to convey messages and more roadshows would be organised. He will also deliver a ministerial statement in Parliament on Sept 17. - TODAY/fa

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Heavy rains cause flash floods around central Singapore
HEAVY rains in the central region of Singapore resulted in flash floods around the area on Tuesday.

A statement from the Public Utilities Board (PUB) said rainfall reached 143 millimeters today over a 7 hour period - between 7 am and 2pm.

The average total monthly rainfall for August stands at 175 millimeters.

PUB said the heavy rains today coincided with rising tide levels.

Areas affected by the flash floods included Commonwealth Avenue, Ganges Avenue, King's Road and Balmoral Road.

The Board said floodings in these areas are expected to ease with the completion of two major flood alleviation projects - the construction of an additional bigger canal at Commonwealth Avenue and the development of the Marina Barrage.

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SAF troops with black armbands to be deployed at 4 key areas

All in, about 2,000 SAF soldiers - National Servicemen, army regulars and NSmen - will be patrolling Changi Airport, Jurong Island, Sembawang Wharves and ExxonMobil Refinery. -- PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM

TROOPS from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) with beefed-up powers to search, detain and arrest suspicious individuals will be deployed at four key installations from Wednesday.
Each soldier on patrol will be distinguished by a black armband on his right arm marked 'Military Security' and a special identification pass on the armband.
All in, about 2,000 SAF soldiers - National Servicemen, army regulars and NSmen - will be patrolling Changi Airport, Jurong Island, Sembawang Wharves and ExxonMobil Refinery.

In addition to combat training, these soldiers will have been trained in areas such as assessing threats and analysing suspicious behaviour.
The SAF and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) identified these four locations because they are considered high-profile terrorist targets, Mindef said.

Two of these four locations - Changi Airport and Jurong Island - and various SAF camps have been on the list of places that have had SAF troops on patrol since the Sept 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York in 2001.
Just a few months later, in Jan 2002, Singapore authorities thwarted a planned attack by terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) to attack Yishun MRT station and US naval vessels. Thirteen members of JI were detained.

Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean noted in Parliament in May this year that the SAF has been supporting the Home Team and other government agencies in domestic security operations, and that soldiers with these beefed-up powers were being put in place at the Home Team's request, 'to effectively meet the evolving security challenges'.

Dr Alvin Chew, a research fellow specialising in terrorism and security issues at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said the SAF's presence would be a 'psychological deterrence' for any potential perpetrators.

fatz

Marina Barrage will house world's largest water pumps
By Foo Siew Shyan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 August 2007 1823 hrs



SINGAPORE : Singapore's flood control measures will go one step further after the Marina Barrage becomes operational by the end of this year.

Works are currently underway to install drainage pumps next to the reservoir.

These pumps are the world's largest and are specially brought in from the Netherlands.

Their job is to drain out excess water during flooding.

Each pump weighs 28 tonnes, or about the weight of 400 men.

And when operational, it will be able to drain, in one minute, an amount of water that can fill up an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

When completed, water from the southern and central parts of Singapore such as Ang Mo Kio and Thomson will flow into the Marina Reservoir, which has a catchment area one-sixth the size of the island.

When there is heavy rain and high tide, the pumps will be set in motion, draining water from the reservoir into the sea.

But if the tide is low during heavy rain, flood gates will open to release the water into the sea.

This will help ensure that water levels in the Marina Reservoir, which is set to be a freshwater lake, is kept constant.

It also means that low-lying areas like Chinatown and Little India will be spared from flooding.

Yap Kheng Guan, Director, 3P Network, PUB, says: "So look at this system - the gates and the pumps - as means in which you can manage this water level. The water level will not become so high that it will threaten some of the low-lying areas in Singapore".

Water agency PUB expects to activate two of the pumps for an average of 4 to 5 times a year during high tide or monsoon seasons. - CNA/ch

LoLiPoP

Home > Latest News > Courts and Crime
Aug 30, 2007   
Nonoi's murder trial: Verdict to be given on Friday  
THE defence and prosecution in the murder trial of toddler Nonoi filed their written submissions on Thursday. The judge will give the verdict on Friday.
Mohammed Ali Johari, 30, Nonoi's stepfather, has been accused of sexually assaulting and murdering the child when he dunked her in a pail of water to stop her 'incessant crying'.

Nonoi's naked body was found under a flyover last year.

On Thursday, the defence said there was no proof the accused was the one who inflicted the vaginal injuries.

The cause of two-year-old Nonoi's death was still unascertained, defence said.

Ali had given conflicting statements as to how long he dipped Nonoi head-first in the bucket of water, and whether there was a phone call which he went to answer, leaving her in the water.

She was motionless on the floor when he returned from the phone call which he first claimed was 'cut off', then claimed at the witness stand later that it was merely 'a sound'.

Prosecution on Thursday repeated that police investigations had shown that there was no such phone call.

When prosecution had grilled Ali at the witness stand, he had said repeatedly he 'could not recall' why he did not get help when he saw Nonoi motionless on the floor.

Defence said on Thursday that the reason why Ali could not recall was beacuse he was a confused man in a panic state.

According to investigations, Ali has low IQ and no parenting skills. For such a man, the toddler's incessant crying might have triggered him to inflict physical punishment the way he did.

As for the charges of sexual assault , expert witnesses have testified that if Nonoi had vaginal injuries the day before she died, her mother Mastura Kamsir would have found out when she bathed her.

Nonoi's vaginal injuries were quite serious. If the injuries were inflicted prior to the day Ali had dipped her in water, her mother would have known, according to defence.


siot punya jantan :@

fatz

CAAS to be corporatised to help it stay competitive
By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia |  Posted: 30 August 2007 2226 hrs

SINGAPORE : The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), which operates Changi Airport, will soon be corporatised, to help it stay competitive.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim announced this when he toured the upcoming Terminal 3 on Thursday.

This new terminal scheduled to open on January 9, next year.

The CAAS has been busy conducting integrated trials at Terminal 3 since June.

More than 5,000 staff and volunteers have been testing out the passenger check-in process, immigration clearance and the security system.

And so far, the trials have been smooth.

The interior of Terminal 3 is all decked out, and a lot of attention has gone to every detail, even in the restrooms.

So it is all systems go, come opening day on January 9.

The S$1.75 billion terminal will be able to handle 22 million passengers annually, bringing the total annual passenger capacity of Changi Airport to about 70 million.

With Changi's success, the Transport Ministry believes that it is timely for CAAS to be corporatised, so that business can take off.

Furthermore, the government is keen to boost Changi as an aviation hub, and it believes that corporatising CAAS is a key move.

Mr Lim said, "What is critical for us is never to take any of our competitive advantage as a permanent advantage. So we need to constantly review our position and to ensure that we are always ahead of the competition.

"Many of our major competitors are corporatised or privatised, so we are competing with these players, and increasingly you look at airports not just as a basic infrastructure but as a business, so we are going to corporatise CAAS."

While Changi saw an average passenger growth of 4.9 percent a year between 2001 and 2006, its competitors fared better.

Hong Kong's International Airport saw a jump of 7.4 percent, Bangkok 7.8 percent and Dubai 22.6 percent.

Passenger numbers aside, corporatisation will also allow Changi Airport International to be strengthened.

The investment arm of Changi Airport has been actively building a portfolio of assets in India, China, Russia and the Middle East.

Corporatisation sometimes comes with staff retrenchment, as operations are streamlined, which was what happened with HDB and PSA.

CAAS declined comment on this, but Mr Lim said that corporatising CAAS should be a 'plus' for staff.

He said, "The opportunities have actually now widened, instead of being narrow... there are many more areas now that they can look forward to; it's a positive development for them."

The Minister added that with corporatisation, CAAS will also have greater flexibility to attract and retain top talent, who are sometimes being pursued by the competitors of Changi.

Corporatisation is expected to take one-and-a-half to two years and a consultant will be appointed to assist in this.

With corporatisation, the regulatory arm and business arm of CAAS will now be two separate entities.

However, CAAS will continue to be 100 percent owned by the government. But Mr Lim has not ruled out the possibility of private sector ownership in the future. - CNA/ms

fatz

Nonoi's stepdad gets death sentence for murdering toddler
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 31 August 2007 1806 hrs
         
         
SINGAPORE: It's the gallows for Nonoi's stepfather Mohammed Ali Johari.

The High Court has sentenced the 31-year-old to death for killing two-year-old Nur Asyura Mohamed Fauzi, also known as Nonoi.

But his family and lawyers say they will appeal against the verdict.

In passing sentence on Friday, Judge Kan Ting Chiu said evidence in court showed the child was killed when Mohammed Ali dunked her in a pail of water three times last year.

Nonoi's naked body was then dumped under the Aljunied Flyover.

She was initially reported as missing, leading to an islandwide search on 1 March, 2006.

The truth only came to light when Mohammed Ali confessed three days later to the police that he killed the child.

The defence had argued that Mohammed Ali was provoked by the little girl's non-stop wailing.

But the judge dismissed the argument as evidence did not show that Mohammed Ali had lost self-control.

Even though it was proven that Mohammed Ali had killed the girl, the judge said he was not convinced by the prosecution that the murder was intentional.

Defence lawyer R S Bajwa said: "All I can say at this stage is that the court concluded that he did not intend to kill the child. That's something we'll be taking up on appeal. The court also did not say anything about whether he was responsible for the sexual injuries found on the child."

The courtroom was full, with three quarters of the seats taken up by Mohammed Ali's parents and other family members. But Nonoi's mother was nowhere in sight.

When the death sentence was passed, Mohammed Ali was calm. But his mother broke down and fainted, and his siblings started sobbing.

The lawyers then requested the officers to let Mohammed Ali's father have a brief moment with his son.

"I told him to pray. He agreed. That's all. There's nothing else for him to do now," said the father, in Malay. - CNA/ir

SweetCandy

Si bapa tiri Nonoi.. dah kena jatuh hukuman gantung.apa nak jadi.. memalukan bangsa kita.

LoLiPoP

mmg patut pun kena gantung

budak 2 tahun apa dia tau

paper report kata si Ali ni low IQ...tapi part buat anak pandai pulak :@

fatz

Three outstanding Muslims honoured with MUIS Awards
By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 01 September 2007 1959 hrs
  
           
SINGAPORE : The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore - or MUIS - conferred on Saturday the MUIS Awards to three individuals for their outstanding contributions to the Singapore Muslim community and Singapore.

The award ceremony was held on Saturday morning at the Malay Heritage Centre.

Mosque activist Ibrahim Mohd Noor, and Mohamed Nasir Juri, a specialist resource for the Korban Committee, received the Jasa Bakti, or Meritorious Service Awards.

Community leader and inter-faith harmony proponent Syed Hassan Bin Mohamed Salim Alatas - was honoured with the highest award - the Jasa Cemerlang, or Excellent Service Award.

The Council also presented a cheque for S$100,000 to President SR Nathan for the money it raised for the President's Challenge.

MUIS President Mohd Alami Musa said Muslims in Singapore have a good balance between their Muslim identity and their Singaporean identity.

This, he said, was because Singapore Muslims practice Islam in an adaptive, moderate, progressive and inclusive manner.

For example, he said 'by and large, the community accepts the new Fatwa - or religious ruling - on presumed consent for their inclusion into the Human Organ Transplant Act.

This shows that the community is prepared to be progressive by modifying their position based on changing context.

Just last week, mosque leaders decided to adopt new and creative approaches on how Islam should be taught to the young to suit their changing profiles. - CNA/ch

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Malay/Muslim community is better off now than 25 years ago: PM Lee
By May Wong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 02 September 2007 2240 hrs
         
       

SINGAPORE: The Malay/Muslim community in Singapore is much better off today compared to 25 years ago, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

A comprehensive report detailing the Malay/Muslim community's progress over the last 25 years was given out on Sunday at the Mendaki's 25th anniversary celebrations.

More Malay students are pursuing post-secondary education and more in the community are also holding better-paying jobs.

Mr Lee gave an example - more than 80 per cent of Malay students now make it to post-secondary education such as ITEs and polytechnics.

From just 1.3 per cent 25 years ago, now 34 per cent of Malay students make it to tertiary institutions.

"Success in education has fed through and raised the socio-economic status of the Malay/Muslim community. There is a growing middle-class with increasing purchasing power. More Malay/Muslim households have upgraded to better housing too. The vast majority own their own homes

fatz

Sep 3, 2007         

ICA foils attempt to smuggle cigs
A MALAYSIAN was caught trying to smuggle about $95,000 worth of contraband cigarettes at the Woodlands Checkpoint.

Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) uncovered the cigarettes in a Malaysian-registered bus on Monday morning.

The bus arrived at the Checkpoint at about 4.20am and aroused ICA officers' suspicion when the driver appeared nervous and uncertain about his destination.

A search led to the discovery of 1,049 cartons of cigarettes hidden within modified air-conditioning and speaker compartments.

The total market value of the cigarettes is estimated to be around $94,400, while the Customs duties and GST involved are estimated to be about $73,800 and $6,600.

The 33-year-old Malaysian driver admitted that he knew there were cigarettes hidden on the bus.

He claimed that he was promised a sum of RM$500 (S$217) for successful delivery.

Upon conviction by the court, first time offenders can be fined up to a maximum of 20 times the amount of duty evaded.

For second or subsequent convictions, offenders can be jailed for up to two years, as well as fined. Offenders also face further fines based on the amount of GST evaded.

miezarra_27

Dunia oh dunia sekarang ni...

Tuesday September 4, 2:30 PM

Malaysian court annuls same-sex marriage

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Malaysian court has ordered a couple to separate, declaring their marriage a same-sex union as the husband was a woman, local media reported on Tuesday.

An Islamic court in the central state of Malacca ruled as void the marriage between 40-year-old Mohd Sufian Mohamad and 43-year-old Zaiton Aziz after medical examinations showed Sufian was a woman, the New Straits Times said.

Same-sex relationships are not recognised in this moderate Muslim country which also bans Muslim transsexuals from changing their gender.

A mosque official solemnised the marriage between Sufian, who was born Mazinah Mohamad, and Zaiton in December 2002 but the state religious affairs department refused to register the marriage after becoming suspicious of Sufian's gender. "According to (Zaiton's) statement, she had never seen or touched her husband's private parts and had taken him to be a man all along and that she felt good and satisfied together (with her partner)," Judge Che Saufi Che Husin said in the ruling.
"This is astounding and illogical, It is abnormal to go through life as husband and wife as such."

He gave the couple 14 days to appeal, The Star newspaper said.

The couple did not show any emotion when the judgment was read out, said the newspaper, which carried a photograph of a bespectacled Sufian sporting a crew-cut and Zaiton in a headscarf and traditional Malay dress.

fatz

NETS and SingTel to offer wireless mobile payments
Posted: 04 September 2007 1632 hrs


SINGAPORE: Next generation mobile payment applications will soon be available through a collaboration between NETS and SingTel.

In trials to be carried out in the later part of the year, SingTel users will be able to wirelessly top up cash stored in their mobile phones.

The application, which is the first in Asia, covers wireless downloads and top-ups of stored value wallets in Near Field Communication (NFC) phones, which are also being tested out for the first time.

NFC is a combination of identification and wireless technologies that enable an NFC device to connect to another NFC or NFC-compatible device.

Conducted with wireless technology through Over-The-Air (OTA) capabilities, the application will make use of mobile phone technologies and applications that will speed up Singapore's move towards a cashless society.

During the public trial that will commence in the fourth quarter of this year, SingTel users will be able to download an mNETS application via GPRS. This will allow the mobile users to store and later top up the value on the mNETS in their phones any time.

Users can store up to S$500 in their mNETS wallets and use the existing wireless infrastructure to make a S$40 top-up per phone every day, using pre-registered credit cards from local banks DBS, OCBC or UOB.

To pay for purchases, users can use NETS FlashPay by simply flashing the mobile phone at NETS contactless terminals.

The technology being tested out will mean people will no longer need to carry cash or wallets when they go out.

NETS CEO Poh Mui Hoon said, "The NFC will be the next big thing for electronic payments. We anticipate that with the alliance with SingTel, we will be looking at three out of ten mobile phones being NFC-compatible in 2012 and users can use mNETS services to make contactless payments."

While NETS is looking at ways to make mobile payments pervasive across the economy, SingTel is hoping to expand the usage of mobile NFC.

"We are working towards implementing mobile NFC for security card access, loyalty cards, redemption of mobile or merchant coupons and storing of contact details, for instance," said SingTel's Executive Vice President of Consumer Business and CEO of SingTel Mobile, Quek Peck Leng.

For a start, electronic coupons known as mNETS Coupons, offering discounts and freebies, will be available for download with an NFC-enabled phone.

All users will have to do is simply flash their NFC enabled mobiles on mNETS Posters or billboards to download the mNETS Coupon that will be offered by participating merchants, including Cheers and FairPrice Xpress, K Box, Cathay Cineplexes and Yoshinoya Restaurants.

One major limitation of the public trials of the NFC technology is that there is only one Nokia phone model that is compatible with the technology at this point in time, so the success of the service really depends on handset manufacturers.

SingTel said it would put out 200 Nokia 6131 for consumers by the end of this year as part of the trial.

It is also exploring possibilities with different companies like Motorola and Ericsson.

SingTel added that Nokia has a very firm road map for NFC technology, which is why the partnership between the two companies was inked.


- CNA/yb/so