TODAY’s brief, Tuesday, Dec 22

PAP’s Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council starts operations

The People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council is expected to begin operations in Punggol East today, following renovation and retrofitting works. The Workers’ Party handed over management of the estate to the PAP after losing the election there in the September General Election.

Kota Raya clash

Racial tensions in Malaysia are expected to come to the fore again after a Malay-rights activist, and leader of the pro-government ‘Red Shirt’ protestors, Mohd Ali Baharom, threatened retaliation against the Chinese community if they responded to a brawl between rioters and shopkeepers on Sunday at the Kota Raya mall in downtown Kuala Lumpur over an alleged cheating case. In a Facebook post yesterday, Prime Minister Najib Razak berated the rioters and urged people to refrain from vigilante action.

Beijing air pollution

Beijing’s residents will be eagerly awaiting if authorities will lift the city’s second red alert for pollution as it enters its final day today. First declared on Saturday evening, the alert forecasted extremely hazardous levels of PM2.5 particles over a four-day period. The state-run Beijing Daily reported authorities as saying that that readings of harmful PM2.5 particles could peak above 300 µg/m3 today, 12 times higher than World Health Organisation guidelines.

Weather forecast

Showers are expected mainly over northern and eastern Singapore in the afternoon, with temperatures ranging from 24°C to 34°C.