Most people would squirm or even run away at the sight of rats. But not these four kids, who were caught on camera picking up and playing with a rat at a playground in Bedok South. The video, accompanied by photos, were posted on Facebook group Complaint Singapore by user Michael Wong on Wednesday (May 8), and caused safety concerns among netizens. In the video, the boys, who look to be in school uniform, are playing at the playground when they spot the rodent. They take turns to use their slippers as «gloves» to hold the rat, even running around and going on the playground slide while doing so. In one photo, one of the boys is seen holding the rat with his bare hands. In the post, Wong said he had given feedback to the East Coast Town Council about two weeks ago regarding a «rat issue» but had not received a response. Some netizens who saw Wong's post expressed concern for the boys, saying that rats carry numerous diseases and handling them improperly could be a hazard. One wrote: «Poor kids have no idea how dangerous it is. Later [if they] forget to wash hand, and go take food, good luck!»

Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam has called out anti-death penalty activists for spreading misinformation and helping death row inmates «abuse» legal processes.  During his ministerial statement in Parliament today (May 8) on Singapore's drug control policy, Shanmugam also criticised anti-death penalty activists for painting a one-sided image of convicted drug traffickers to mislead the public.  «They publish videos, pictures, stories from the trafficker’s childhood, sharing interviews with family members... portraying the trafficker as a victim of unfortunate circumstances.»  However, these stories omit the realities of the harms these traffickers have caused to the victims of drug abuse, he said. During his statement, the home affairs minister brought up several cases where innocent victims were harmed by drug abusers, such as a man who fatally stabbed his mother and punched his grandmother to death while under the influence of drugs. 

When a fire broke out at a three-room Whampoa flat in the wee hours of Monday (May 6), it claimed the life of 60-year-old hawker Cai Wanyuan (transliteration), while his wife and mother were rescued by firefighters. But three other family members also live in the sixth-floor flat at Blk 76 Lorong Limau — Cai's second son, his wife and their four-year-old daughter.  Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao at the mortuary on Tuesday, Cai's youngest son, Cai Jincheng (transliteration), 29, said the family of three were holidaying in Johor Bahru when the fire broke out. He added that the family is searching for answers regarding how the fire started and why his father was trapped in the bedroom. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is investigating the cause of the fire.  Another relative, who declined to be named, told Zaobao that Cai, who was asleep, was purportedly the first person to discover the fire in the living room. He then woke his wife and told her to check on his mother, who was sleeping in the utility room in the kitchen.

It's nice to slow down and smell the roses on a leisurely bike ride — but perhaps only if you're along a park connector. Do that on the road and you could be accused of hogging the road. One driver claimed a cyclist was going too slowly and ended up getting into an argument with him, according to a video uploaded to the SgfollowsAll Instagram page on Tuesday (May 7). In the 40-second clip, a female driver has wound down her window and is filming the cyclist, who is on his bike on the driver's side of the car. She accuses him of cycling «very slowly» and asks sarcastically: «You're walking in the garden ah?» Raising her voice, she adds: «You're cycling very dangerously. On top of that, I need to move!» In response, the cyclist says he was cycling on the left side of the road and that he couldn't go faster because he wasn't driving a car. As the driver continues to confront him in a heightened tone, he tells her not to be rude. «You know you're on camera, that's why you're very nice,» she replies exasperatedly, adding that she will upload the video online.

SINGAPORE — Former transport minister S. Iswaran, who faces criminal charges involving more than $400,000 worth of items, has filed an application to the High Court seeking clarity on the prosecution's handling of the case against him. He arrived with his team of lawyers at the Supreme Court building at about 9.25am on May 8. His lawyer, Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, is arguing the case before Justice Vincent Hoong, while the prosecution is represented by Deputy Attorney-General Tai Wei Shyong. One issue mentioned by Singh is how the trial against Iswaran should proceed in relation to the two sets of charges that he faces — one relating to hotel and property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, and the other relating to David Lum Kok Seng, the managing director of mainboard-listed Lum Chang Holdings. Singh questioned whether the charges should be tried separately or should they be tried jointly. Iswaran currently faces a total of 35 criminal charges — 32 under Section 165 of the Penal Code, two for corruption and one for obstructing the course of justice.

SINGAPORE — The software company at the centre of a hacking incident in April has been asked by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to appoint a forensic investigator to evaluate its systems and processes, and provide recommendations to prevent a recurrence. Preliminary investigations by Mobile Guardian, which is headquartered in Surrey, UK, show that an unauthorised individual had gained access to a support account on its management portal, using it to view information of customers based in the United States and Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore.  This affected about 67,000 parents and 22,000 school employees across 127 schools in Singapore, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing in a written parliamentary reply on May 7.  He was responding to questions by MPs Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang GRC), Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC) and Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar GRC) about MOE's approach to ensuring the security and integrity of students' personal learning devices, as well as measures to protect against online harm and data breaches. 

SINGAPORE - Singapore has been ranked the fourth wealthiest city in the world, overtaking London, according to Henley & Partners. According to the investment migration consultant's 2024 World's Wealthiest Cities Report, 3,400 high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) moved to Singapore in 2023 alone. The Republic - which is widely regarded as the most business-friendly city globally - is now home to 244,800 resident millionaires or individuals with liquid investable wealth of US$1 million (S$1.35 million) or more, 336 centi-millionaires with investable wealth of US$100 million or more, and 30 billionaires with investable wealth of US$1 billion or more. This follows an impressive 64 per cent increase in millionaires over the past 10 years from 2013 to 2023, with Singapore looking set to unseat Tokyo as Asia's wealthiest city very soon. Tokyo, which led the pack as the world's wealthiest city a decade ago, has suffered a 5 per cent drop in its resident HNWI population over the same 10-year period and now sits in third place with 298,300 millionaires, 267 centi-millionaires and 14 billionaires.

The rollout of the On-Board Unit (OBU) for ERP 2.0 has led to some questions about the three-piece setup for motor vehicles, and whether the new components will cause a huge power drain. Responding to AsiaOne, a spokesperson from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has confirmed that «the power draw is comparable to that of an in-car camera». Comprising a touchscreen display, processing unit and an antenna, the new OBU is a computing device that allows motorists to access essential ERP and gantry information, real-time traffic updates and road safety alerts, while also enabling seamless payment with Cepas cards. The OBU is part of the government's efforts to replace the existing ERP system, which has been in use for over 25 years and is approaching the end of its operational lifespan. At present, more than 18,000 vehicles have been fitted with the new unit since installations began last August. What's the fuss about the OBU's placement? Placing the processing unit under the glove compartment has raised eyebrows. Netizens pointed out that such placement could potentially cause inconvenience or safety issues for drivers.

SINGAPORE - Teck Lee LRT station will open to serve the new Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) campus in Punggol, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) confirmed on May 7. This comes two decades after its completion. Teck Lee LRT station is the last station on the west loop of the Punggol LRT line that has yet to open. The Punggol LRT line opened in 2005 and links commuters from residential areas to Punggol MRT station on the North East Line and the Punggol bus interchange. The opening of Teck Lee LRT station, first reported by news outlet CNA, is part of LTA's wider efforts to enhance public transport connectivity for students and other parties, in the light of upcoming developments in Punggol such as the opening of the SIT campus, an LTA spokesperson said. These enhancements will also include bus route amendments. LTA did not specify when Teck Lee LRT station would be opened, saying that more details will be announced when they are finalised.  The SIT campus will welcome its first students in September.

Looking to overcome that mid-year slump? This might be your chance. The jackpot for the upcoming Toto draw on Thursday (May 9) has snowballed to an estimated $10 million, after the previous three draws saw no Group 1 winners. The prize money snowballed from $1.2 million to $2.9 million to $5.8 million, according to the Singapore Pools website. The Group 2 prize for the latest draw on Monday was split into four winning shares, with each winner taking home over $154,000. The last draw with a jackpot of at least $10 million was held on March 14, with three punters sharing a prize pool of $13.4 million. A snaking queue of eager punters had formed then at one Singapore Pools outlet in Jurong West. Thursday's draw will be held at 9.30pm.

The junction of Tampines Ave 1 and Tampines Ave 4 where the six-vehicle crash occurred was designed with international safety standards in mind, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor in Parliament on Tuesday (May 7).  Khor was addressing a Parliamentary question from Sembawang MP Poh Li San about how the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will improve the traffic safety provisions at this junction where the accident occurred on April 22.  The crash took the lives of a 17-year-old student, who was a passenger in one of the cars, and a 57-year-old woman, who was in the van.  The driver has since been charged and is out on $30k bail and electronically tagged.

Shortly after refuelling his Singapore-registered motorbike at a petrol station in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, a man found himself stranded when the vehicle suddenly stopped running and could not be restarted. With the help of some Good Samaritans, he towed the bike to a nearby workshop, where he and a mechanic discovered that water had gotten into his fuel tank. Taking to Facebook on Monday (May 6), Herwan Yusoff claimed that there was water in the V-Power petrol he had pumped from the Shell petrol station along Jalan Wong Ah Fook at around 2pm last Sunday. He also posted a picture of the fuel drained from his motorbike, and said that there's a layer of water at the bottom of the container. Herwan wrote: «The mechanic mentioned that this wasn't the first time such an incident occurred, especially after heavy rain. It seems that the storage tank at the station might have a leak, allowing water to seep in during storms. »This could have caused serious damage to my bike if left untreated."

SINGAPORE — An auxiliary policeman was the leader of a team tasked to patrol around Geylang when he made off with illegal sex enhancement drugs (SEDs) seized from peddlers in the area. Mohd Aris Jalil, 66, who took the drugs for his own consumption, pleaded guilty on May 7 to one count of criminal breach of trust and was sentenced to six weeks' jail. The Singaporean — one of four men linked to the case who were hauled in court in November 2023 — is no longer working as an auxiliary policeman for security firm Certis Cisco. The cases involving two of the other men — Malaysian Thiru Murugan Shanmugam, 30, and Chinese national Chen Zixiong, 32 — are pending. Thiru is also a former Certis Cisco auxiliary policeman, while Chen is said to be an SED peddler. At the time of the offences, the fourth man, Mohammad Hafizudin Hanapiah, 30, was a security officer employed by Dynamiz Security and contracted to Certis Cisco. Hafizudin, who is no longer working for Certis Cisco, was sentenced to three months and two weeks' jail in January after he pleaded guilty to a graft charge.

The 60-year-old man who died in the Whampoa HDB flat blaze in the wee hours of Monday (May 6) had been dishing out nasi lemak at the hawker centre near his home for four decades. Cai Wanyuan (transliteration) ran Hi Leskmi Nasi Lemak at Whampoa Makan Place with his wife, who was rescued from the fire along with his mother.  Cai was found in one of the bedrooms of the sixth-floor unit at Block 76 Lorong Limau, and was pronounced dead at the scene, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in a Facebook post.  His younger brother, Cai Wancai (transliteration), 58, told Shin Min Daily News that his brother had been selling nasi lemak at the hawker centre for the past 40 years.  The younger Cai, who owns a roast meat stall, recounted the morning of the fire: «I found out at around 2am that my brother's flat was on fire. When I rushed over, I saw my mother sitting downstairs. She was frightened but unharmed. She was later taken to the hospital.» He said his brother lived in the flat with his wife and their mother. Both women were found in the utility room in the kitchen area and evacuated from the burning flat, said the SCDF. 

For over 60 years, Maris Stella High School has always been known as a boys' school. But that's going to change in 2027, when the primary school section will, for the first time, take in girls. In an announcement on May 6, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that Maris Stella High (Primary) will be going co-educational in 2027. Both the primary and secondary schools at Maris Stella's Mount Vernon campus will also be rebuilt from 2027 to 2029. Speaking to AsiaOne, Ong Chin Kai, father of two, said that the primary school becoming co-ed was a fair decision. «It's only right for the community, with new estates being built around the school, [for the school] to be inclusive...for everyone to get the opportunity to go to a school nearby,» said the 45-year-old.

A woman who was hoping to gift a piece of gold jewellery to her relatives got a rude shock when she opened her safe and found it empty. The Pinevale condominium resident surnamed Wang, 56, had recently returned home from her holiday when she discovered the theft on Oct 24, 2023, reported Shin Min Daily News. She had planned to fly overseas the next day to visit her relatives.  Inside the safe were several pieces of gold jewellery, including a necklace worn during her wedding tea ceremony and her child's full month celebration gift, said Wang, who works in the finance industry. She estimates the jewellery to be worth about $60,000 to $70,000, adding that around $20,000 to $30,000 in euros and US Dollars were also missing from the safe. However, Wang told Shin Min that it is difficult to determine when exactly the cash and jewellery were stolen as she has no CCTV cameras at her Tampines home and had last checked the contents in her safe several months back. «I asked my maid about the theft and searched her room but didn't find any gold jewellery, so I decided to call the police,» she said.

SINGAPORE — It was in a record label office in 2012 that former Singapore Idol judge Ken Lim allegedly asked a singer-songwriter if she was a virgin, and what would happen if he had sex with her right then. Unaware that this was a crime, the woman kept silent for more than a decade. But, after she was made aware that Lim had been charged over similar offences, she decided to come forward and report the matter to the police. On May 6, the singer-songwriter took the stand in a trial against Lim. Lim, who is facing six counts of insulting a woman's modesty and one count of molestation, is expected to undergo five different trials, each involving one of his five alleged victims. There is a gag order in place to protect the victims' identities. In her opening statement on May 6, Deputy Public Prosecutor Gail Wong said the victim who took the stand that day had met Lim twice in his office in 2012 after being introduced by a mutual contact. Lim was the executive director of record label Hype Records at that time.

SINGAPORE — From 2027 to 2029, Maris Stella High School (MSHS) will be rebuilt to provide better facilities for both its primary and secondary school students. The primary school section will, for the first time, take in girls in 2027 when it moves to its holding site at the former MacPherson Primary School site in Mattar Road. The school, which currently admits 270 Primary 1 pupils, will look into increasing its intake in 2027. The secondary school section's holding site will be at the former Bedok North Secondary School site in Jalan Damai. Maris Stella High School was founded in 1958 and moved to its current Mount Vernon site in 1966. The Catholic boys' school is known for its strong bilingual programme and counts among its alumni Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. In a statement on May 6, the Ministry of Education said MSHS (Primary) will turn co-educational to better serve the needs of local residents.

SINGAPORE — From 2027 to 2029, Maris Stella High School (MSHS) will be rebuilt to provide better facilities for both its primary and secondary school students. The primary school section will, for the first time, take in girls in 2027 when it moves to its holding site at the former MacPherson Primary School site in Mattar Road. The school, which currently admits 270 Primary 1 pupils, will look into increasing its intake in 2027. The secondary school section's holding site will be at the former Bedok North Secondary School site in Jalan Damai. Maris Stella High School was founded in 1958 and moved to its current Mount Vernon site in 1966. The Catholic boys' school is known for its strong bilingual programme and counts among its alumni Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. In a statement on May 6, the Ministry of Education said MSHS (Primary) will turn co-educational to better serve the needs of local residents.

She wants her AirPods back - and she's pulling out all the stops for it. A determined Rachel Ong decided to put up fliers under a HDB block in Keat Hong in Choa Chu Kang after her AirPods were taken by a stranger, she shared in a post to Facebook group Complaint Singapore last Thursday (May 2). Ong, a 24-year-old working in administration, lost her AirPods at Choa Chu Kang interchange after alighting from bus 301 last Wednesday at around 6pm. A stranger had picked them up, and Ong was able to track them to a HDB block in Keat Hong. Because she couldn't find the stranger, Ong created fliers and posted them around the block, offering a $20 reward for returning the AirPods. Addressing the stranger, she wrote on her Facebook post: «I won't bite nor call the cops on you, I just want my stuff back.» According to her, the AirPods, named «Xiaobaooo's Toothbrush», were gifted by an «important person» who «scrimped and saved» to purchase the earbuds, giving them to her to «commemorate and occasion».

Tempers flared at a food centre in Circuit Road when a stall owner and a diner got into a physical altercation over cutlery.  The incident occurred at Block 79 Circuit Road last Thursday (May 2) at about 4.30pm, reported Shin Min Daily News. A 64-year-old laksa stall owner surnamed Liang told the Chinese evening daily that a young man had bought food from the fishball noodle stall next to hers.  He then asked Liang for a fork and spoon, but got upset when Liang said no.  «I tried to tell him nicely, but he was very angry. He pushed my pots and utensils onto the floor.»  Outraged, Liang grabbed the pendant that the man was wearing. He then hit her on the head, she claimed. During the tussle, the pendant dropped onto the ground, which escalated tensions.  The food centre's manager eventually broke up the fight and called the police.  «He asked the man to sit on the other side [of the table] and helped retrieve the pendant,» said Liang.  When police officers arrived, they escorted the man away, said Liang, who added that she was worried that he would return.

A private-hire vehicle (PHV) driver has expressed concern about her fellow drivers flouting the rules when it comes to child seats after her encounter with a passenger. In a post on Facebook group Professional PHV Drivers Singapore on Sunday (May 5), Tada driver Charlene Lin detailed her experience with a passenger who insisted that a child seat was not needed for her toddler. Upon reaching the passenger's location at the Civil Service Club at Pasir Ris, Lin found out that the group of four she was picking up included a toddler, who she believed was less than 1.35m tall. She then told the passenger that she could not accept the ride as she did not have a child seat. However, the passenger insisted that Lin could still fulfil the ride, adding that other drivers had done so for an additional payment of $4. The Tada app allows passengers with young children to opt for a vehicle which carries either a baby seat for children 1m and below, or a booster seat for children between 1m and 1.35m at an additional cost of $4 and $2 respectively.

One food delivery customer took to social media recently to express dissatisfaction with their meal, after claiming what was ordered turned out to be «totally different» from the menu. In a Facebook post on Saturday (May 4), user Nan Wei shared how she had placed a takeaway order with Alijiang at Vivo City through the Deliverychinatown app. When the food arrived however, she was disappointed by the portion size of a vegetable dish which cost $19.95. «The [takeaway] box was not even one-third full», Nan Wei said. «Contacted Deliverychinatown to complain about the pathetic amount of vegetables that was served for what [I] was charged for.» After lamenting that the amount of vegetables served was totally different from the photo shown in the menu, Nan Wei said that the response she got was that the latter is «only meant for reference». According to screenshots from a series of messages, a representative from Deliverychinatown told Nan Wei said the eatery would not be providing a refund as there were no issues with the portion size. 

To budge or not to budge. This was the dilemma for two drivers after getting themselves into a road incident last Wednesday (May 1) evening. Driving through a narrow private residential enclave at Lentor Green, the driver of a silver Toyota Prius was met by a fellow road-user driving a Toyota Estima upon making a right turn. It seemed as though both drivers wanted to make a turn but neither were keen to provide enough space for the other to do so. The situation escalated to the point where police were called in to intervene. A 46-second clip recorded from the cam car of the Prius was shared on Facebook group SG Road Vigilante - SGRV on May 4.

SINGAPORE — Noel Peter Xavier was pulled from the brink of death almost 11 years ago at the age of 40. Then a workaholic and a party animal, he felt unwell on May 13, 2013, after a party at his friend's place. «It happened to be Mother's Day that day, and I was rushing home to share a meal with my mother. She had prepared briyani, my favourite,» said Xavier, who was divorced at the time. «I was on my way home when I felt the left side of my body pulling away from the rest of me. It felt heavy. My head was spinning and I threw up. To steady myself, I sat by the kerb. That was when I blacked out. I guess passers-by thought I had a heart attack, and they called an ambulance.» He had suffered a stroke, and doctors found a blood clot the size of a golf ball in his brain. After two operations — during one of which he suffered another stroke on the operating table — Xavier fell into a coma, with doctors giving him only a five per cent chance of survival. But he overcame the odds and even wrote a book, titled Zero To Hero, which documents his journey out of darkness. It will be launched at the National Library in Victoria Street in early June.

A man ordered items from Tip Top Curry Puff at One Raffles Place on Labour Day (May 1) — only to be told that the store was closed and he could not get a refund. Stomp contributor Jon shared with Stomp he had paid $10.08 for his order but was livid when he was told by a Grab customer service agent that they were 'unable to process a refund' for him as the order was ongoing. The agent explained that the opening hours for the store differed on Labour Day due to it being a public holiday and apologised that this was not updated on the app. Jon asked the agent: «Are you expecting me to pay for something you cannot deliver? Or do I have to put this on Stomp just to get my refund?» PHOTO: Stomp The agent apologised again and said that because the order was categorised as a self-pick-up, only the merchant could cancel the order. 

SINGAPORE — Regrets, she's had a few — but they don't keep Carolyn Too up at night. Pain, however, does — a sharp stabbing pain from cancer tumours in her abdomen. «When it gets really bad, I take an ice pack and put it on my stomach until the pain subsides,» says the 48-year-old, who was told by her oncologist in May 2023 that she probably had six months to live. As she is also a renal patient, Too takes painkillers only when the pain is unbearable, as analgesics reduce blood flow to the kidney. After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022, she went through two rounds of unsuccessful chemotherapy and an operation to remove her womb. The cancer has spread to other parts of her body. For someone facing Death's dark gaze, the former business development manager is remarkably cheerful, chirpy even. «When I was told I had only six months, I said: 'Okay, fine. Let's make the best of the six months.' I refuse to mope about it. I can wake up every day and say: 'I'm dying, I'm dying.' But I try not to. »My mind at that point in time was: 'Bucket list, bucket list. What do I want?'"

Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling has shared an update on the 15-year-old girl found living at the wet market along Circuit Road in a 10-minute video posted to Facebook on Friday (May 3). Recalling her visit to the child at the hospital on Thursday, Tin said the girl is «coping well», «healthy» and «cheerful». The teenager had showed Tin her new soft toys, along with a Pokemon game card that another child patient had given to her. Her father also regularly visits her at the hospital, added the MacPherson MP. She said: «While the father is assisting with investigations… the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is also working hard to work out a longer-term care arrangement for her.» To that end, foster care appears to be the best option for the girl and the MSF is currently reaching out to its foster network to do so, Tin said.

SINGAPORE — Heavy rain prompted flood warnings for large parts of Singapore on the morning of May 4, and caused delays at Changi Airport. At about 10am, PUB posted a flood alert on social media platform X that heavy rain was expected over «many areas of Singapore» from 10am to 10.45am. Earlier, the national water agency also put up three posts saying that heavy rain was expected from 6.45am to 7.45am, 7.45am to 8.30am, and 8.05am to 9am. PUB also told the public at about 8.10am to avoid TPE (Punggol West Flyover) and Jalan Pokok Serunai in Bedok for an hour, because of heavy rain. The agency warned about the risk of flash floods as well, in Upper Paya Lebar Service Road (from Lim Teck Boo Road to Rochdale Road), Jalan Lokam near Upper Paya Lebar Road, Thrift Drive near Jalan Usaha, Jalan Seaview, the junction of Mountbatten Road and Tanjong Katong Road South, as well as Craig Road from Duxton Road to Tanjong Pagar Road. An event involving Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat launching an unmanned aircraft flying area at the Dover Hiking Trail was postponed because of the bad weather.

A terminally ill taxi driver suffering from renal failure and autonomic dysfunction has organised a banquet to express his gratitude to family, friends and doctors, also donating $3,000 to charity and planning his own funeral, Shin Min Daily News reported on Friday (May 3). The 46-year-old Su Zhixiong (transliterated) also suffers from hyperlipidemia, hypertension, hyperglycemia and had lost two toes to diabetes in 2019. Due to his autonomic dysfunction, standing too long makes him dizzy and might cause him to faint. A checkup also revealed he has kidney disease and requires treatment, but he refused to do so, reported the Chinese daily.  «In the past four years, I've been in and out of the hospital, sometimes staying for 12 to 18 days,» he told Shin Min, adding that the cost of dialysis is too high and he doesn't wish to financially burden his family even more. As his condition deteriorated, so did his relationship with his mother due to the pressure on the household's finances. He reportedly forced himself to continue working as a taxi driver till March, when his condition worsened and his vision started blurring.