Mothership

It's our 10th anniversary!✨(Yes we've been around for a decade now....) So here are 10 things you might not have known about Mothership. 10 years of memories, 1 incredible audience. Thanks for sticking around.

Babies born in Singapore in 2025 might get a ’special gift' to mark SG60. Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, hinted that a special gift is being planned for SG60 babies. She wrote in Facebook post on Nov. 5, 2024: "As a signal of the importance of marriage and parenthood to our future as we cross into our 60th year of nationhood, we are planning a special gift for our SG60 babies next year." 2025 marks the 60th year of Singapore's independence. A suite of celebratory SG60 events and activities have been lined up to mark the occasion. "For Singapore to remain strong and thrive in the years to come, we will need more Singaporean families and, of course, more Singaporean babies to write the next chapter of our Singapore story," Indranee added in her post. There are no details as yet of what the gift entails. Indranee concluded by saying that more details would be shared in due course. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g-7XjAei Photo credit: Indranee Rajah/Facebook

A Malaysian man ran 10km with a 7.5kg cat chilling on his shoulders the whole time. In a TikTok video uploaded on Oct. 28, the 42-year-old man documented his time at "The Magnificent Baling 100" race held in Kedah. As the competition kicked off, Apak forged on through various terrains with his cat, Jibek, draped languidly across his shoulders. When the sun became too glaring, Jibek was shielded from the elements with a cute bucket hat. Both man and cat later received a medal for completing the race. Speaking to Mothership, Apak shared that the cat mostly "remained calm on [his] back, enjoying the view". "Once a while I will feed him to make sure he is in a good mood... I also brought a portable fan, umbrella, and raincoat in case the weather was not so good," he said. He added that the seven-year-old feline would only jump off his back if he needed a toilet break. Jibek began accompanying Apak out on hikes in 2017. Apak said they started participating in running events in 2022 for fun and to stay fit, and have since taken part in 45 such events. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gQjVTAGq Photo credit: jibek.hikers.cat/TikTok

Geronimo Stilton will be coming to S'pore for a meet-and-greet on Nov. 16. The beloved editor and publisher of “The Rodent's Gazette” will be one of the featured presenters at the Singapore Writers Festival 2024. From 10am to 11am on Nov. 16, Geronimo will be at Victoria Theatre along with special correspondent, Thea Stilton. The two of them will be sharing tales from "A Thousand Wonders", a book about Italy. After the storytelling, the first 200 ticketholders will also be able to queue up for a meet-and-greet with both Geronimo and Thea for an autograph and photo. All child ticketholders will also get a Geronimo Stilton's friendship certificate. Tickets are priced at S$10 each. Elisabetta Dami, the writer of the Geronimo Stilton books, will also be joining a panel discussion on Nov. 16 as part of the festival. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gFxgHc-j Photo credit: Wikipedia, Singapore Writers Festival, License Global & Canva.

Piyush Gupta, the longtime chief of DBS Bank, will step down in March 2025. In his place, 56-year-old Tan Su Shan will take the reins as the bank's first female CEO. Tan graduated from Oxford University, worked in a senior role in Morgan Stanley before joining DBS, and served as a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) between 2012 and 2014. She also became the first Singaporean to be recognised as the world's best leader in private banking in 2014. Incidentally, her first-ever role was also at DBS, as an intern in her university years. "And this may also be my last job, so it's a homecoming of sorts," she said. But it hasn't all been smooth sailing. At the age of 26, Tan lost her job at Barings Bank when the 233-year-old institution suddenly collapsed in 1995. Around the same time, she also lost her home when her landlord terminated her rent, and ended a long-term relationship. "At the time, I felt that life was really challenging," she told Zaobao. "But I learnt how to see things from another perspective. What's the most important thing in life? I still had my health, my friends, my family. Even without a job or a house, life still goes on." Tan attributes her strength to her mother and grandmother — particularly the latter, who she described as an "iron woman". Her grandmother lost her husband during World War II and raised seven children alone, she said. This indomitable spirit deeply influenced Tan, teaching her to face challenges with her own philosophy: failure shouldn't be wasted, but rather learnt from. "Life has its ups and downs, both personally and professionally," she said. "Sometimes, you have to take a step back to take two steps forward." Read more: https://lnkd.in/ggdMB7Di Photo credit: Lianhe Zaobao

Two new vehicle entry permit (VEP) tag collection and installation locations will open in Johor: One in Johor Bahru near the Causeway, and another near the Second Link.   JPJ announced that a new location for the installation of VEP RFID (radio frequency identification) tags would be opening at the Paradigm Mall in Johor Bahru on Oct. 30, and is scheduled to operate until Jan. 31, 2025. The mall is located about 20 minutes away from the Causeway. The installation service is located on level seven of the mall's car park and will open from 10am to midnight until Oct. 31. From Nov. 1 until the end of January 2025, it will be open from 10am to 10pm. As for the second collection and installation centre, it is due to open in a mall in the Iskandar Puteri area, near the Second Link, The Straits Times reported, but full details, such as its exact location and opening date, were not available. These two locations appear to be replacing two others that were opened in the run-up to the Oct. 1 rollout of the VEP system in Malaysia. At that time, with demand for VEP tag installation high, and after direct complaints to Johor's Chief Minister, the JPJ opened two installation locations in Johor on Sep. 22. These were at the JPJ Johor Bahru branch at Taman Daya, as well as the Southern Region Road Transport Academy in Larkin. JPJ has confirmed that both locations will cease VEP tag installation from Oct. 30. As of now, VEP tag installation is only available at three locations, the Paradigm Mall location, as well as the VEP Collection Centre in Danga Bay in Johor Bahru, as well as the MY VEP location in Woodlands Centre in Singapore. At the moment, Singapore vehicles can still enter Malaysia without the VEP tag installed. Vehicles that are waiting to complete their tag collection and installation after registering for the VEP are able to enter and exit Malaysia. Vehicles that have yet to register for the VEP will be served written warnings and reminders to do so. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gPJJZjFF Photo credit: Canva & Google Maps

The owner of 88 Katong Laksa is back at his stall after a major operation for Stage 4 cancer. The owner, Charlie Soh shared in a post on Facebook that he had been hospitalised for nearly two weeks. "I'm a fighter," he wrote. In 2022, it was reported that Soh had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and decided to set up the hawker stall so his wife could support herself after his death. Doctors had told him that he had only a year left to live. He underwent multiple treatments, including a recent operation announced on Oct. 2 to remove a tumour from his spinal cord. And on Oct. 9, Soh shared that it was successful, though he was in "great pain." Soh added in his latest post that the stall business had been affected during his hospitalisation. His wife, Irene, had to operate the stall alone and close it early in order to visit him in the hospital. Despite his condition, Soh said he chooses to be at the stall rather than stay home, explaining that while he can’t help much, being there allows him to watch Irene run the business. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gtrQihEx Photo credit: Charlie Soh/Facebook

Migrant workers-turned-models got a makeover for a photoshoot sponsored by Singapore fashion brands. Local charity ItsRainingRaincoats (IRR) posted about the photoshoot on Oct. 31, Deepavali. The 10 models, who were selected by IRR from the migrant worker community, also got free haircuts sponsored by Bodeiga Barbershop in Clarke Quay, on Oct. 20. And on the day of the photoshoot, the models had makeup done, and swapped work gear for branded outfits, shoes and accessories, before posing for the camera. The photoshoot was made possible by six sponsors, including clothing store Graye and fashion brand Pedro. IRR said in the post that the project hopes to "shatter stereotypes" of migrant workers and showcase them in a "compelling and different light". It noted that the public may sometimes view migrant workers as a "human mass", especially if they wear the same uniforms and helmets. "What we miss seeing is the individual. Someone who is charming, handsome, has a unique personality, dreams and aspirations," the post read. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gZeixfcn Photo credit: ItsRainingRaincoats/Facebook

Singaporeans departing Thailand can use facial recognition from Dec. 1, 2024 instead of boarding passes. Six airports in Thailand will be implementing an automated biometric identification system using facial recognition technology for international passengers from Dec. 1, Bangkok Post reported. Domestic passengers will be able to do so from Nov. 1. The six airports that will be implementing this new system are:  •  Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK)  •  Don Mueang International Airport (DMK)  •  Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)  •  Mae Fah Luang-Chiang Rai International Airport (CEI)  •  Phuket International Airport (HKT)  •  Hat Yai International Airport (HDY) According to Airports Authority of Thailand (AOT) director Kirati Kitmanawat, passengers will only need to show their passport once during check-in. During counter check-in or self check-in, passengers will need to allow access to their biometric identification information. After which, passengers will not be required to show their passport and boarding passes to clear the boarding gate. Each registration is for only one journey. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gjSCx6T9 Photo credit: Google Maps

Up to 20,000 more COEs will be released in Singapore from February 2025. These additional Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) will be progressively injected by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) across all vehicle categories over the next few years. LTA said this was in light of recent vehicle usage trends and the improved capabilities of ERP2.0. It noted that travel patterns have evolved, driven in part by an increase in flexible work arrangements since the Covid-19 pandemic, with total vehicle mileage decreasing by around 6 per cent from 2019 to 2023. LTA said a similar approach was taken when the government injected an additional 10,500 COEs between 1997 and 2003, following the introduction of the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system. It will continue to closely monitor traffic conditions and adjust ERP charges as needed, and will consider further calibrations to the vehicle population in the future, LTA added. Noting that its "long-term vision remains centred on 'car-lite’”, LTA  said the Vehicle Growth Rate (VGR) for Categories A, B and D will be kept at 0 per cent per annum, while the VGR for Category C will remain at 0.25 per cent per annum from Feb. 1, 2025 until Jan. 31, 2028. LTA said, “The Vehicle Quota System (VQS) and VGR regulate vehicle ownership, while the ERP manages usage. Together with significant investments in our public transport network, these measures contribute towards our 'car-lite’ vision, with walking, cycling and riding public transport as the predominant travel modes." Read more: https://lnkd.in/gfr6G843 Photo credit: Canva