Singapore’s first Chief of Armed Forces and Brigadier-General Kirpa Ram Vij died on 29 Oct. He was 87. Before becoming the Director of General Staff, Mr Vij served in the civil service. He was head of the SAF between 1970 and 1974, and became a brigadier-general in 1972. Mr Vij was appointed the Deputy Secretary…

What is the deal with ageing in Singapore? With one in four Singaporeans aged 65 or older by 2030, there is the need to chart the way forward to grow old more confidently and gracefully. Yet, Singapore still talks about the growing longer life expectancy, without realising that health expectancy has a 10-year debt behind…

As it turns out, many of us love to scare ourselves half to death, especially during Halloween.  We love to be in a state of panic – with our hearts beating a little faster, our lungs breathing a little harder, sweating profusely and butterflies in the pit of our stomachs – whenever we hear the…

Former top civil servant Sim Kee Boon was not immortal, says his granddaughter Leanne Sim. In fact, he was as human as could be with all the flaws that came with being a man. And writing his biography took two geneses and eight years before it was completed. Ms Sim, who co-wrote her grandfather’s book,…

Singapore’s new work pass is among several initiatives to strengthen its position as a global talent hub. Known as the Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass,  it is the nation’s card up its sleeve to attract the world’s best and brightest across all sectors to its shores. Applicants will need to earn a fixed monthly salary of…

More than 9 in 10 in Singapore believe that lifestyle choices have “some” or “a huge” impact on the environment, a joint survey found.  And though the top actions that respondents think have the biggest impact on helping the environment are reusing and upcycling, reducing food waste and cutting down one-time use disposables, only half…

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has approved of the thin white singlet worn by the kopi tiam (Singlish for coffee shop) as a fashion statement. Who would have thought! Now the singlet, better known in fashion speak as the tank top, is changing its price bracket rapidly.  From just S$2.90 at the stall in…

A sexist ad, posted by dating website Match.com was recently banned by the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) earlier this month – four months after it was posted on popular video-sharing app TikTok in June.  ASA is an independent regulator that enforces the country’s ad rules. The clip showed a subservient woman giving a man…