Daily round-up, Aug 23: Najib goes to jail after losing final appeal in 1MDB-linked case; worker missing after Keppel Shipyard pier collapses; Singapore core inflation rises

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Najib to serve 12-year jail sentence after failing in final bid to overturn guilty verdict in 1MDB-linked case

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will serve his 12-year prison sentence after the Federal Court dismissed his appeal to overturn the jail term and RM210 million (US$46.8 million) fine.

He was found guilty on three counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and one count of abuse of power, in the case involving funds from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB.

Najib's daughter-in-law said that he was taken to Kajang Prison, south of Kuala Lumpur, shortly after the court upheld his sentence.

Part of concrete pier at Keppel Shipyard in Tuas collapses, worker missing after falling into sea

A search is ongoing for a missing 38-year-old worker after part of a concrete pier at Keppel Shipyard in Tuas collapsed. It caused a crane that was on the pier to topple onto a vessel berthed next to it, a Manpower Ministry spokesperson said.

Four other workers – two Bangladeshis, one Chinese national and one Singaporean – suffered minor injuries and are in stable condition.

Singapore’s core inflation rises to 4.8% in July, driven by higher prices of food, electricity and gas

Singapore's core inflation rose further to 4.8 per cent in July, driven mainly by stronger increases in the prices of food, electricity and gas, official data showed. 

The last time Singapore reported higher year-on-year growth was in November 2008, when core inflation was 5.5 per cent.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) say that globally, supply chain frictions have eased slightly and some commodity prices have levelled off. 

But they added that global inflation is likely to stay elevated over the next few months.

Commentary: Low risk of getting COVID-19 from indoor places – even with masks off

In Singapore, masks will soon be optional indoors and required only on public transport and in healthcare settings.

The decision is not arbitrary, says Vincent Pang, a visiting assistant professor at Duke-NUS Medical School, who notes that the risk of COVID-19 transmission in indoor settings has now been significantly reduced.

However, there is still a need to closely monitor evolving genetic variants of the virus, he says, adding that proper mask-wearing remains highly recommended in nursing homes, dialysis centres and community recreational centres for seniors.

The millennial karung guni man who set up his own company to ‘make something of himself’

Bryan Peh is 29, has a university degree and is a karang guni man who has already worked in the recycling industry for eight years. 

He told CNA Lifestyle how he came to join the industry; how he works 9am to 7pm every day, including weekends; and about some of the more unusual objects he's salvaged in his line of work.