https://www.scmp.com/rss/522918/feed The latest news and top stories on Ong Ye Kung. He has served as Singapore’s Health Minister since 2021, also holding the role of Coordinating Minister for Social Policies. Previously, he was Minister for Transport and Minister for Education. His career includes significant public service as CEO of the Workforce Development Agency and Deputy Chief Negotiator for the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. He is also a Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Aidan Jones,Kolette Lim Aidan Jones,Kolette Lim Death is the family business for Viroj Suriyasenee, a second-generation Thai funeral director. His bespoke coffins range from plain wooden boxes to ornate creations trimmed in gold with plush red velvet interiors, priced anywhere from US$30 to US$30,000 – each one representing a story of loss, grief and a life concluded. They also speak to the sheer scale of Asia’s ever-growing, multibillion-dollar death economy. All the coffins Viroj makes are destined for the cremation furnace, yet the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347355/ageing-southeast-asia-fights-fears-death-brave-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347355/ageing-southeast-asia-fights-fears-death-brave-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Since losing his only daughter in a fall from their high-rise flat in Singapore, Delfard Tay has turned grief into purpose, sounding the alarm on drug-laced vapes that put teenagers’ lives at risk. Authorities in the Southeast Asian island state have clamped down on e-cigarettes, introducing strict measures in August to combat a worrying rise in the use of so-called Kpods – vapes spiked with synthetic drugs such as ketamine. Tay said that his daughter, 19-year-old Shermaine, was struggling with... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3328339/kpod-took-his-daughters-life-now-singaporean-father-aims-avert-another-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3328339/kpod-took-his-daughters-life-now-singaporean-father-aims-avert-another-tragedy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 07:15:10 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Singapore’s population has reached a record 6.11 million, driven by a rise in foreign workers and new arrivals, even as data points to deeper demographic pressures, including a rapidly ageing society and persistently low birth rates. The 1.2 per cent year-on-year rise in total population was mainly driven by the non-resident segment, which grew 2.7 per cent to 1.91 million, up from 1.86 million in June 2024. The increase was due largely to more work permit holders and foreign domestic workers,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3327273/singapore-population-hits-record-611-million-foreign-worker-numbers-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3327273/singapore-population-hits-record-611-million-foreign-worker-numbers-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:57:18 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Singapore will start classifying some substances used in vape pods as controlled drugs from next month, paving the way for stiffer penalties as the city state steps up efforts to crack down on vaping. Etomidate, a clinical agent used for inducing general anaesthesia, and related compounds will be treated as Class C drugs for a period of six months, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Home Affairs said at a briefing on Thursday. The government plans to have new legislation in early... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3323487/singapore-cane-and-jail-dealers-drug-laced-vapes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3323487/singapore-cane-and-jail-dealers-drug-laced-vapes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 08:35:08 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Safi Sharif, 35, is among the few young Singaporeans who have entered the hawker trade out of a genuine passion for cooking. But he is feeling the strain – physically from 14-hour days that begin at 6.30am, and financially from the pressure to keep prices low despite rising costs. Safi cooks at an eatery at Project Penyek at Senja Hawker Centre in the city state’s western region. He told This Week in Asia that stalls there were expected to offer a budget meal option – in his case, a fried... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322305/singapore-prides-itself-cheap-hawker-meals-who-should-foot-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3322305/singapore-prides-itself-cheap-hawker-meals-who-should-foot-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 04:00:13 +0000 Sasha Gonzales Sasha Gonzales Singaporean Lesley Quak is proactively “engineering” her longevity, striving to not just live longer but healthier, too. Less than a decade ago, the financial services director at insurance company AIA Singapore suffered from high cholesterol and high blood pressure. She was also slightly overweight and felt sluggish all the time. “It was like my body was working against me, and I was worried about what the future held for my health,” says Quak, 65, who is married with one son. Keen to lower her... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3321200/how-age-well-singaporean-companies-gamify-health-blue-zone-30-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3321200/how-age-well-singaporean-companies-gamify-health-blue-zone-30-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 23:15:09 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore is working to list etomidate, an anaesthetic that has been found in vapes, as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Sunday. “Vaping, especially those that are laced with etomidate, is increasing. It is causing quite serious concern among agencies, including the Ministry of Home Affairs [MHA] and Ministry of Health [MOH],” he told reporters. Recently, authorities randomly tested more than 100 vapes that were seized, and one-third were found to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3318906/singapore-plans-list-etomidate-vapes-illegal-drug?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3318906/singapore-plans-list-etomidate-vapes-illegal-drug?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 10:59:47 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau A major insurer in Singapore has suspended pre-treatment approval for policyholders seeking treatment in two private hospitals due to high costs, in a case that has prompted scrutiny of the city state’s reputable healthcare industry. Great Eastern’s move has spurred industry experts to call for calibrated adjustments to the healthcare insurance system involving the key stakeholders instead of an overhaul, and greater data transparency to help policyholders make informed decisions as expenses... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3317435/do-singapores-insurers-and-private-hospitals-need-rethink-costs-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3317435/do-singapores-insurers-and-private-hospitals-need-rethink-costs-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 12:46:39 +0000