Singapore has dealt with sensitive issues such as tudung wearing and decriminalising sex between men in a way that enabled people to better understand each other, accept their differences and work out practical arrangements, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He spoke on the Government’s handling of such issues and other topics such as racism and social safety nets in two wide-ranging media interviews at the Istana on April 26 and 28, ahead of his handover to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on May 15. Here are some key takeaways from the interviews: Dealing with sensitive topics Besides allowing nurses to wear the tudung with their uniforms and repealing Section 377A of the Penal Code, PM Lee cited the terrorism threat posed by the Jemaah Islamiyah group after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks as another sensitive issue that the Government dealt with. “New York was far away, but it took place in our region, in Bali, in Jakarta subsequently, and how do we react?” said PM Lee. “We are multiracial. We have Muslims, we have non-Muslims. Do we trust each other or not?”

A 27-year-old auxiliary police officer was arrested on Thursday (May 9) for failing to return his service revolver, ammunition and baton after his shift.  The police said in a press release that they were alerted by Certis at about 9.50pm that the officer did not return his firearms after his duty at Changi Airport.  CCTV footage showed that he changed out of his uniform and left his workplace with a fully-loaded Taurus revolver that contained five bullets.  He was also carrying a speed revolver loaded with another five bullets, and a baton in a pouch.  Over 100 deployed to find him More than 100 police officers from various units were deployed to search for the man, who was eventually found loitering at a mall in Victoria Street past midnight.  The police said he did not put up a struggle and did not try to reach for the gun when he was arrested.  All equipment issued to him were successfully recovered.  He will be charged in court on May 11 for the unlawful carrying of a firearm.  If found guilty, he could be imprisoned for five to 14 years, and may be liable for at least six strokes of the cane. 

Several customers have called out the operator of a tingkat meal service for «wasting their time» after they did not receive food that they paid for. In a Facebook post on the Complaint Singapore page on Friday (May 10), one customer, who goes by Panda Xanh, said that he paid $159.50 for a 10-day package with Tingkat Singapore on May 7. But on the first day of delivery, the meal service told the customer that they were not able to fulfil the order after their chiller had broken down. «The chef deems the food is not safe to consume as it is under uncold [sic] temperature overnight,» Tingkit Singapore said in a text message to the customer. But Panda Xanh said that he was not impressed by their service. «What about my money?» he said. «I searched on Google and realised that there were many people like me who paid into their bank account, but they did not deliver any food or deliver food that was fishy and smelly.» The social media user claimed that amidst the number of complaints, Tingkat Singapore was still promoting their meal service through Facebook advertisements.

Although she has stayed clear of drugs for 15 years now, the journey to recovery wasn't easy for 39-year-old Hannah Chun.  Growing up in a broken home, Chun began consuming drugs at 13 to cover up the abandonment, rejection and hurt that she was going through.  Her parents divorced when she was about eight years old, and her mum left the house, reported Christian publication Salt and Light.  Her two sisters then left the home, leaving her alone with her 'temperamental' father and grandfather. She also dropped out of school at 13 and started drinking, smoking and taking drugs. At 15, she began sourcing for drugs overseas and selling them to her friends who were also drug abusers.  "I felt rejected, abandoned and alone,” she told the Christian publication.  Son used pencil to hurt others For Chun, her turning point came when she saw her eldest son, who was about four then, acting up in school. The boy would use a pencil to poke his friends' hands, injuring them. He was also very fearful.  Chun added that he also exhibited other worrying behaviours at home. 

SINGAPORE — Hin Leong founder Lim Oon Kuin has been convicted of two cheating charges and one count of instigating forgery for the purpose of cheating in what prosecutors have described as «one of the world's largest collapses of an oil trading firm». Prosecutors alleged that 16 banks in Singapore suffered US$291.9 million (S$395.1 million) in actual monetary losses out of the US$2.7 billion in loans they were duped into extending to Hin Leong by Lim. The losses are part of the alleged US$3.5 billion debt owed by Hin Leong to 23 banks. On May 10, State Courts judge Toh Han Li found the 81 year-old former oil tycoon guilty of three charges that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges. The remaining 127 charges were stood down pending resolution of the 62-day criminal trial. Lim's sentencing is scheduled for Oct 3. He faces a jail term of up to 10 years and will also be liable to a fine for each charge of cheating and forgery. Lim declined comment when approached by The Straits Times after the ruling was handed down on May 10.

One individual has walked away with over $13.12 million on Thursday (May 9) night, setting the record for the largest prize money won a single ticket in Singapore lottery history. Prior to this, the highest jackpot payout for a single ticket stood at $13.07 million, drawn in October last year, according to the Singapore Pools website. This year, the prize pool had snowballed after three draws with no winners, going from $1.2 million to $2.9 million, then to $5.8 million before reaching over an estimated $10 million. Long queues were seen at Singapore Pools outlets across Singapore as the prize pool ballooned. According to Singapore Pools' website, the winner had bet through system 7, purchasing the winning ticket online via the Singapore Pools app. The winning numbers? 9, 15, 20, 26, 43 and 49. The additional number was 36. Five other punters were winners of the Group 2 prize, taking home $127,391 each. The bets were placed at outlets such as the Singapore Pools Chinatown Point branch, NTUC FairPrice in Boon Lay Shopping Complex and Giant supermarket in Pioneer Mall.

A fire broke out at 3 Toa Payoh Industrial Park on May 9 night, with one firefighter taken to the hospital for cramps. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post at 11.47pm the same night that it was alerted to the fire at about 9.40pm and was at the scene fighting the fire. “The fire, measuring about four basketball courts, involved two units. The first unit is a car workshop and the second unit is an industrial workshop,” SCDF said in an update on Facebook at 12.33am on May 10. “The fire was extinguished in about 1½ hours with six water jets and one unmanned firefighting machine.” A total of 15 emergency vehicles and about 60 firefighters were deployed to this incident, SCDF added. A firefighter had cramps in his legs and was conscious and stable when taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital as a precaution. There were no other reported injuries. “SCDF is currently carrying out the damping down operation of the affected area,” it added, referring to the use of water to douse wet burnt surfaces after a fire, to prevent it from rekindling.

SINGAPORE — After 20 years of weekly Cabinet meetings that soldiered on even during the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has led his last meeting. Commemorating the moment in a Facebook post on May 9, PM Lee thanked his colleagues for their steadfast support during the meetings, which had continued through the pandemic via teleconferencing. PM Lee said: «It has been my privilege to lead my Cabinet team for the past 20 years. »In Cabinet, the prime minister is primus inter pares — not the boss with his subordinates, but the first among equals, all deliberating together to find the best solutions for Singapore.« In April, the Prime Minister's Office announced that Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will take over the mantle from PM Lee as Singapore's prime minister on May 15. PM Lee said: »From next week, PM Lawrence Wong will take charge in Cabinet meetings, but I will continue to contribute as senior minister. «Singapore will be in good hands under the 4G team, and I am ready to support the new team in their work for Singapore's success.»

They're watching the birds, but who's watching them? In the last few days, folks from birdwatchers to shutterbugs to curious onlookers have been flocking to Telok Blangah to take pictures of a family of owls — a mother and two babies — nestled in the hollow of a tree next to a bus stop.  The Sunda Scops owls, a common resident in Singapore, can usually be found at Bukit Batok Nature Park, Central Catchment Forest, Pasir Ris Park and many more locations, according to the Bird Society of Singapore. But the crowds have reportedly also caused some inconvenience to road users. A TikTok video uploaded on Tuesday (May 7) shows a large group of people — many with telephoto cameras and tripods set up — packed onto the grass patch next to the tree and road. Although there is a guard rail, some people have spilled out onto the side of the road. In the same video, which was shot on Tuesday evening, people with camera equipment are standing on the short dividers on the road. «All these inconsiderate people causing a nuisance to road users just to take photos of baby owls,» a TikTok user said.

Growing up in a Marine Parade HDB estate with a school teacher mother and sales manager father, Lawrence Wong went to neighbourhood schools. This «much more typical upbringing» of the deputy prime minister was brought up in an interview with The Economist on Monday (May 6).  The 51-year-old, who will become Singapore's fourth prime minister on May 15, said: «My background is what it is. If it is helpful that it makes it more relatable to Singaporeans, so much the better.» Wong attended Haig Boys' Primary School, Tanjong Katong Secondary Technical  School and Victoria Junior College. He then headed to the United States for further studies on a government scholarship. He had previously explained why he chose Tanjong Katong after his Primary School Leaving Examination, instead of the «elite» schools that many other government scholars go to.

A man was trapped for over an hour after the lift he was in suddenly plunged from the 17th storey and got stuck between the ninth and 10th floor. His friend, surnamed Sun, told Shin Min Daily News that the man was leaving his workplace at Oxley Tower in Robinson Road at around 7pm on Monday (May 6) when the lift malfunctioned. «My friend said he felt what seemed like the lift wire rope breaking, and then the lift plummeted quickly. At the same time, the alarm was triggered,» said Sun, who is in her 30s. She added that her friend was stuck inside with no mobile signal. About 45 minutes later, he managed to send a voice message to their mobile group chat for help. «I quickly called 995 after hearing his message. He was panicked and said he was almost out of oxygen,» Sun recounted. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne they received a call for assistance at around 7.50pm that day.

Their home, their rules — but when this couple began cluttering up the common corridor, their neighbours weren't too happy. A couple living in a Bukit Batok HDB block earned the ire of their neighbours after they allegedly began using the corridor outside their flat as their personal storage space, Shin Min Daily News reported on Tuesday (May 7). Items outside their flat and in the common areas include fish tanks, pails, strollers, bicycles and more. Speaking to Shin Min, a 59-year-old resident surnamed Zheng (transliteration) who has lived at Block 289C along Bukit Batok Street 25 for 26 years recalled how there had never been issues with the neighbours on his floor. In March last year, however, a young couple whom Zheng described to be in their 30s moved in, leaving items piled outside their flat. Thinking that the clutter was because the couple — and their four children — were still settling in, Zheng didn't have any concerns at the time. A month later, however, he found the mess still around. «Seeing no changes a few months later, I contacted the Town Council,» Zheng said.

SINGAPORE — As the United States and China seek out a new equilibrium in their relationship, Singapore must brace itself for possibly a decade or more of unpredictability, and hopefully help steer global events towards peace, rather than war, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. In an interview with The Economist magazine on May 6, he said the Republic is neither pro-China nor pro-America, but «pro-Singapore». DPM Wong said the global order is shifting, and the transition will be messy because while America's unipolar moment has ended, it remains a pre-eminent power in a world that will have more than one major power. «China certainly looks at the US as trying to contain, encircle, and suppress them, and trying to deny them their rightful place in the world,» he said in a transcript released by the Ministry of Communications and Information on May 8. It is not just the leadership that thinks like that, but a lot of Chinese officials, noted DPM Wong, who will take over as Singapore's fourth prime minister on May 15.

More than 30 flights operated by budget carrier Scoot were cancelled over a recent five-day period, which the airline said was due to operational reasons. From May 2 to 6, 33 Scoot flights were cancelled, according to data from Changi Airport’s website. Some of these flights were travelling to or from Bangkok in Thailand, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Manila in the Philippines. There was heavy rain on May 4, which delayed 27 flights leaving Changi Airport. Twelve departing and arriving Scoot flights were cancelled that day, based on checks by The Straits Times. On May 7, two Scoot flights were re-timed and there was no cancellation. One Scoot flight was re-timed on May 8, with no flight cancelled. In response to ST’s queries on May 6, Scoot – the low-cost arm of Singapore Airlines (SIA) – apologised for changes to some of its flight schedules, which it blamed on “operational reasons”.

A home-based pet grooming business that lost a client’s dog, which was later killed in a traffic accident on April 29, is under investigation. The National Parks Board (NParks) is conducting a probe into the case, involving a three-year-old cavalier poodle called Emma under the charge of the pet groomer Awesome Pawsome. Emma’s owner, Ms Janet Tan, 56, had sent her dog to Awesome Pawsome at Ghim Moh Link on the evening of April 29 after she found knots in her fur. Awesome Pawsome was not Ms Tan’s usual groomer, but she decided to send Emma there anyway because it was a short distance from her home and had more than 200 positive reviews on Google. When she turned up at the groomer’s premises for her 5.30pm appointment that day, she found it unusual that it was located in a HDB flat, she told The Straits Times. Running a pet grooming service from a Housing Board residential unit is prohibited, but Ms Tan did not know that. There was only a maid present in the flat, and Ms Tan said she was “concerned” about leaving Emma with her.

SINGAPORE — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was presented with a personalised 3D cake after Parliament adjourned on May 8, marking his final sitting in the house as prime minister. In a Facebook post, West Coast GRC MP Rachel Ong said: «Today being PM Lee's last Parliament sitting as PM, we invited all members of Parliament to a tea for PM. The PAP Women MPs got PM a cake to show our appreciation for all he has done.» Designed together with pastry chef Herve Potus from Shangri-La Singapore to honour PM Lee's two decades of leadership, the cake reflected a selection of PM Lee's favourite items such as a variety of Nonya kueh, a bowl of mee siam, a Peranakan table runner, and an assortment of books on mathematics, coding, technology and politics.

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.