The Big Story: Case calls for more protection for passengers bumped off overbooked trips

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The practice of overbooking should be reviewed to protect consumers in Singapore's tourism and hospitality industry, said Consumers Association of Singapore president Melvin Yong.

In an interview with The Straits Times, he said that there is currently no regulation in Singapore for the practice of overbooking and how affected consumers should be compensated. Consumers can only rely on conditions of carriage or insurance coverage, which may not be entirely in their favour.

This comes after more than 100 passengers were unable to board a cruise ship at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre on Sept 4 due to overbooking of the cruise.

Separately, a debt-ridden Aetos auxiliary officer who robbed a licensed moneylending company in Jurong while armed with a loaded gun was sentenced to 16½ years' jail and ordered to be given 18 strokes of the cane on Tuesday.

The debt-ridden Mahadi Muhamad Mukhtar, 39, admitted in court that he decided to copy the approach used by David James Roach, the Canadian who robbed Standard Chartered Bank in 2016 and wrote his demands in a note.

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