A few hot spots in Johor, Malaysia could affect Singapore, with smoke haze potentially impacting the island over the next few days.In a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 10), the National Environment Agency (NEA) said that with prevailing northeasterly winds and dry conditions expected in the coming days, smoke haze could spread into Singapore.«As of 9pm today, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) ranged from 52 to 59, which is within the Moderate range,» said NEA.The agency added that it will continue to monitor the overall air quality situation and provide updates if necessary.In the comments section, several users noted a faint burning smell. «No wonder there's a smell,» said one user. Another added: «I smelled haze in the evening just now. It's a bit better now.»

Boarding a flight home can be nostalgic. But in times of uncertainty and conflict, the sight of a military plane bearing the Singapore flag and the words «Republic of Singapore Air Force», along with the familiar pixelated uniform, can bring relief — even tears.That was the experience of some 218 Singaporeans and their dependents who boarded the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) A330 multi-role tanker transport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday (March 10) evening.

An off-duty police officer raced into action to rescue a woman who was trapped under a car in Woodlands. For his swift actions and effort, he was presented with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Community Lifesaver Award.According to a blog post by The Singapore Police Force (SPF) on March 6, Sergeant Muhammad Sadiq Soharno was «jolted from his evening routine» at home on Nov 4, 2025.After hearing a loud bang, the airport patrol officer saw several people gathering around a car at the carpark from his window.They were shouting while looking at its tyres, Sgt Sadiq recalled. He rushed downstairs and saw a woman pinned under the vehicle.Drawing from his past experience as a firefighter during national service, Sgt Sadiq called for medical assistance before checking if the woman was conscious and breathing.The police officer then organised an «impromptu rescue team» — made up of bystanders who rushed to help —  to lift her out of the car.«What amazed me was how quickly everyone came together. People didn’t ask questions. They just stepped up and followed the plan,» he said.

Pump prices in Singapore rose again on Tuesday (March 10), with all fuel companies increasing their posted prices for all petrol grades. Amongst them, Shell raised its prices twice — in the morning and again in the evening. The adjustments come even as oil prices sank back to as low as US$84 on Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump said the war in Iran will «end very soon». This, in spite of Iran saying it would continue to block tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until US and Israeli attacks end. Checks by AsiaOne on the Consumer Association of Singapore's Price Kaki app at 9pm show that Caltex, Esso and SPC raised their posted prices in the afternoon. This was preceded by Shell, then Sinopec increasing their respective posted prices. Shell carried out a second round of price increases at 6pm the same day. 

A man was arrested for wielding a knife and attacking an auxiliary policeman outside the Geylang Serai Ramadan bazaar on Monday (March 9) night. Dashcam footage of the incident was uploaded to the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page, and has since garnered over 39,000 views. According to the Facebook post, the incident happened along Sims Avenue. In the video, the man is seen approaching the officer from behind and holding him in a headlock. A photo included in the clip shows the man handcuffed behind the back and being led away by three policemen. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they received calls for assistance at around 9.50pm. Preliminary investigations revealed that a 45-year-old man had allegedly pointed a knife at a male auxiliary police officer. The man was disarmed and subdued by members of the public, said the police. He was arrested for criminal intimidation, and a knife was seized as a case exhibit. Police investigations are ongoing. 

A 50-year-old Chinese national will be charged in court on Wednesday (March 11) for alleged theft onboard an aircraft. The police said in a news release on Tuesday evening that the alleged crime happened onboard a Jakarta-bound flight from Singapore at about 6.20pm on October 2, 2025. Preliminary investigations revealed that the Chinese national had left his assigned seat, walked several rows and allegedly removed a victim's bag, which was stored in the overhead compartment of the aircraft. He then carried the bag back to his seat, rummaged through the contents of the bag, and took cash amounting to $750 and three bank cards from the victim's wallet before returning the bag to its original location. Noticing the man's unusual movement and suspicious behaviour, Muhammad Fariz bin Johari, a cabin crew onboard the flight, alerted the victim to check his belongings. Upon the victim discovering his cash and cards missing, the cabin crew immediately informed the aircraft's captain, who in turn reported the matter to the Indonesian authorities. 

A car caught on fire on Tuesday (March 10) afternoon in Ang Mo Kio. Photos of the incident were shared on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook group, showing thick plumes of smoke and the car engulfed in flames. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said the incident occurred at around 2.10pm at the junction of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8. Firefighters extinguished the blaze with a water jet. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation, added SCDF. Due to the incident, bus service 853 was temporarily diverted, according to a post on Tower Transit's social media accounts.The bus service, which travels towards Yishun Interchange, skipped three bus stops during the diversion. Bus operations returned to normal as of 5.49pm in their latest update. SBS Transit bus services 22, 24, 133, 135, 159 and 851e were also diverted due to the fire, and skipped eight bus stops.Service operations were restored at 5.48pm, according to SBS Transit's update on X. [[nid:731191]]

Moving into a new home — in a new town — can be a stressful experience, but a female commuter who moved to Tengah in 2024 found her «companion» at the town's bus interchange.On July, 28 2024, the commuter, surnamed Ng, attended the bus interchange's opening carnival and took home a Tower Transit Singapore plushie.When Ng became pregnant, the plushie became her pregnancy term companion.The plushie's companionship duties extended to Ng's baby boy, becoming his «must-have» comfort object.

Some people may willingly pay a high price for a Pokemon card — but is it worth a possible criminal record?A Pokemon card trader confronted a man at SG HobbyCon who allegedly stole a card priced at $960, capturing the incident on camera.SG HobbyCon is a collectible and hobby convention that took place at Suntec City Convention Centre on March 7 and 8.The video, which was uploaded to Facebook on Monday (March 9), has since garnered over 820 reactions and 198,000 views as of Tuesday evening.The trader, who both collects and trades Pokemon cards, shared in his post that he saw the man flipping through his binder of cards at his HobbyCon booth, pulling out one — a Shining Celebi, which he priced at $960.His team at the booth was busy helping other customers, he said, but he noticed the man slide the card under his phone, inching it towards his pocket.«Little did he know I was right behind him the whole time like a ninja,» he quipped in his post.He added: «Not gonna lie… hunting Pokemon thieves feels almost as fun as hunting Pokemon.»

There will be no MRT service on the East-West Line (EWL) between Tanah Merah and Expo stations from March 14 to 17 to facilitate works to disconnect the reception tracks linking the EWL to Changi Depot. In a release on Tuesday (March 10), SMRT said that there will be a shuttle bus service, Shuttle 8 (S8), to maintain connectivity between the affected stations.Shuttle buses will arrive at a frequency of 5 to 8 minutes and cost the same as fares for train journeys, SMRT added.In the direction towards Expo, the first shuttle bus will depart from Tanah Merah MRT station Exit 2 at 5.10am on March 14, 16 and 17.The shuttle bus will drop passengers off at Expo MRT station Exit B. The last bus departs at 11.55pm on these days. The shuttle service will operate on a different schedule on March 15, a Sunday, with the first and last bus departing at 5.37am and 11.55pm, respectively.In the direction towards Tanah Merah, the first shuttle bus will depart Expo MRT station Exit B at 5.24am on March 14, 16 and 17, and passengers will be dropped off at Tanah Merah MRT station Exit 1. 

An off-duty Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer has been praised for helping to put out a fire which broke out at a Choa Chu Kang HDB rubbish chute. Photos and videos of the incident were shared on the Friends of Yew Tee Facebook page on Monday (March 9).Netizens shared their gratitude towards the officer in the comments section and lauded him as a «neighbourhood hero».Additionally, the Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council said that its team will conduct a site check and address any property damaged during the incident.According to the post, the fire broke out at an electronic waste recycling bin.The off-duty officer can be seen putting out the fire with a hose reel. Other pictures also show SCDF personnel investigating the fire.In response to AsiaOne's queries, SCDF said that it was alerted to the fire at Block 657 Choa Chu Kang Crescent on Monday (March 9) at around 6.20pm, and that the fire involved contents of a rubbish chute.It managed to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers and a hose reel, with the assistance of an off-duty SCDF Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit officer.

Workers' Party chief and Aljunied GRC MP Pritam Singh was shocked by the price of groceries while playing a game of The Price is Right! in a Facebook video posted on Sunday (March 8). In the two-minute long video, Singh stands at a HDB carpark as he is quizzed on the cost of everyday products. The biggest surprises to him were items like a can of luncheon meat, a bottle of soft drink and gula melaka pineapple pastries. Starting off with a bottle of floor cleaner, Singh was pretty accurate with his guess of $4, one cent more than the actual price. He was then handed a 1.5-litre bottle of soft drink which he guessed cost $1. When told it cost $2.10, the 49-year-old gave a suspicious side-eye. He quipped: «I can get it for $1 from somewhere, I'm sure.» His next guess was $2.10 for a can of luncheon meat and his eyes went wide with shock when he found out it cost $6.90. He was even more surprised when he was told that was the sale price, while the original price was $8.90. 

A total of 178 active mobility devices (AMD) were impounded by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) last month. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 10), the authority said its officers conducted various enforcement operations targeting errant riders, including youths, in February and detected 477 offences. LTA reiterated that users of active mobility devices must meet the minimum age of 16 and pass the mandatory theory test before they are allowed to ride on cycling paths. «We'll continue to take firm action against errant AM users to ensure the safety of all users on public paths and roads,» it said. Members of the public who encounter errant active mobility users can report them online at go.gov.sg/report-am. 

A man will be charged in court on Tuesday (March 10) with the murder of an elderly man in Geylang on Monday. The 48-year-old suspect faces the death penalty if convicted of killing the 70-year-old victim. In a statement on Tuesday, the police said they were alerted to a fight along Lorong 16 Geylang at about 8.15am on Monday. The victim found injured at the scene and sent unconscious to hospital, where he died. Meanwhile, the suspect was arrested at the scene and taken conscious to hospital. Preliminary investigations show that the duo knew each other, said the police. The victim was reported to have been the suspect's former employer and was stabbed in the chest during the fight. [[nid:731129]]dana.leong@asiaone.com 

Pump prices in Singapore may rise further on Tuesday (March 10) after Shell became the first company to raise its posted prices for all grades of fuel. In an update on its price board posted at 9am, Shell indicated that it has raised its price for the popular 95-octane petrol to $3.31, 98-octane petrol to $3.83, and its premium V-Power to $4.05. Meanwhile, its posted price for diesel rose to $3.24. The increases were by 26 cents for diesel and its 95- and 98-octane petrol; and, 29 cents for V-Power. 

mm2 Asia, the former operator of the now-shuttered Cathay Cineplexes cinema chain, will receive restructuring support from a private equity fund, the firm announced in a filing on the Singapore Exchange on March 9.mm2 Asia revealed that it has signed a term sheet with MMRA, a subsidiary of Hildrics Asia Growth Fund, for a potential $25 million capital injection as part of its restructuring plan.The agreement involves a $15 million share placement to MMRA, and a rights issue of up to $10 million, which the investor will fully underwrite. The proceeds raised are intended to fund the restructuring and working capital of the Group, mm2 Asia said.Hildrics Asia Growth Fund is a private equity fund that provides growth capital to mid-tier South-east Asian companies.The fund is managed by Hildrics Capital, whose chief executive Choo Kee Siong is a former managing director at UOB. Its chief operating officer Wee Teng Chuen is the son of UOB chief executive Wee Ee Cheong.

DBS chief executive officer Tan Su Shan received S$9.6 million in total compensation for the 12 months ended Dec 31, 2025, covering both her first nine months at the helm and the period she served as deputy CEO earlier in the year.Tan's remuneration comprised S$975,250 in salary, a S$3.7 million cash bonus, S$4.9 million in deferred compensation and S$68,694 in non-cash components, including club, car and driver benefits, DBS' annual report released on Monday (Mar 9) indicated.The figure excludes a retention award of S$737,250, which the bank said serves as a retention tool and compensates employees for the time value of deferred compensation.The S$9.6 million figure compares with the S$17.6 million pay package former CEO Piyush Gupta received for FY2024, his final full year in the role, before Tan took over in March 2025.For FY2025, Gupta received S$4.2 million in compensation for the period he served as CEO from Jan 1 to Mar 28, 2025. This comprised S$369,048 in salary, a S$1.8 million cash bonus, S$2 million in deferred compensation and S$42,297 in non-cash components.Tan succeeded Gupta on Mar 28, 2025.

A Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft took off from Changi Air Base on Tuesday (March 10) morning, a day after the Singapore Government confirmed two more repatriation flights for Singaporeans and their dependents stranded in the Middle East. The RSAF's A330 MRTT taking off from Changi Air Base on Tuesday (March 10) morning. PHOTO: Facebook/Zaqy Mohamad Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad said in a social media post after the MRTT's departure that the deployment is an «important mission».

Eleven men will be charged in court on Tuesday (March 10) and Wednesday for their alleged involvement in cases of molestation.The suspects, aged between 20 and 72, acted separately between March 2021 and January 2026, the police said in a news release on Monday. The youngest victims — two 15-year-old girls — were purportedly molested by a 30-year-old man at a boardwalk along Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade on New Year’s Day. He faces two counts of outrage of modesty. The oldest of the suspects, a 72-year-old man, allegedly molested a 19-year-old girl in a home on Aug 13, 2025. He will be charged with one count of outrage of modesty. On June 6, 2025, a 32-year-old man purportedly molested a 46-year-old woman in an office along Gul Avenue. Investigations found that he also molested a 24-year-old woman at the same location in 2021. He will be charged with two counts of outrage of modesty.On August 25, 2025, a 35-year-old man allegedly molested a 39-year-old woman at Orchard Gateway. He will be charged with two counts of aggravated outrage of modesty.

A Singaporean man died after he fell off a motorcycle and was runover by a truck in Batam, Indonesia. The accident occurred on March 4 at around 4.30pm near Top 100 Jodoh shopping centre, reported local media. Videos of the incident shared online show a green truck stopped in the middle of a road with a motorcycle wedged under its front wheel. The truck's bumper also appears dented by the impact of the collision. Around the accident site, onlookers are seen crouching to look under the truck and check on the trapped victims. Two people were trapped under the truck, reported Batam News. The deceased man, a 62-year-old Singaporean surnamed Cai (transliterated), had been a pillion rider on a ride-hailing motorcycle, reported Shin Min Daily News. Cai was rescued by the police after the accident but died from his injuries, the newspaper reported. Prior to his death, Cai had worked for a shipping company in Batam, reported Shin Min. According to local media, the truck driver fled the scene after the collision and has yet to be apprehended by police. [[nid:731089]]

An elderly man died after being attacked and stabbed in the chest during a fight in Geylang on Monday (March 9). Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they were alerted to a case of fighting along Lorong 16 Geylang at around 8.15am. Photos circulating online show the crime scene cordoned off by the police, with large bloodstains and evidence markers on the ground. Multiple police cars and police officers can also be seen in the pictures. The police said that a 48-year-old man was arrested for causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon. The suspect was sent conscious to hospital. The victim, a 70-year-old man, was taken unconscious to hospital where he later died. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said its officers sent one person to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and another to Raffles Hospital.Preliminary investigations revealed that both men knew each other, said the police. The elderly victim, who suffered stab wounds to the chest, was the former employer of the younger man, reported Lianhe Zaobao.Police investigations are ongoing.[[nid:731069]]

Pump prices in Singapore have continued to rise with three fuel companies increasing prices for their popular 95-octane petrol to around $3.15 on Monday (March 9). The adjustments come amidst surging oil prices as conflict in the Middle East, now in its second week, ensnared countries and places that are critical to the production and movement of oil and gas from the Persian Gulf. Oil prices on Sunday eclipsed US$100 (S$128) per barrel for the first time in more than three-and-a-half years as the Iran war hinders production and shipping in the Middle East. 

The three children of activist Han Hui Hui have been taken to hospital for medical assessment and care following allegations of family violence. In a joint statement, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and police said that Han's children, aged three, five and six, were brought to hospital on Feb 15 after they had an alleged altercation with Han's mother-in-law. This comes after a video surfaced on Han's Facebook page on Feb 28, in which she claimed that the ministry had taken her children away and that she was not allowed to see them in hospital after they had fallen ill. «MSF took my children away. They were perfectly healthy and happy but they took my children away for two weeks,» said the 33-year-old. «After two weeks, they are now crying, sad, depressed and hiding in a corner, and they are now vomiting and running a fever. I just want to see my children.» The police noted that they have received multiple reports concerning Han's household since August 2025, including various allegations of violence made by Han, her husband, and her mother-in-law against one another. 

Permanent Secretary for Defence Chan Heng Kee, 57, will be taking over as Head of Civil Service from Leo Yip, 63, on April 1.Yip, who is also Permanent Secretary for the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Permanent Secretary (PMO) (Strategy), will be retiring after 43 years of service in the public sector.Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister-in-Charge of Public Service Chan Chun Sing thanked Yip for his «extensive contributions» to the public service.«I would like to express my gratitude to Leo for his exemplary leadership and extensive contributions to the public service and Singapore over four decades,» Chan said, adding that the retiring permanent secretary was instrumental in charting new direction, pushing boundaries, and strengthening capabilities in the public service.Yip started his career in the Singapore Police Force in 1982. Since then, he has served in various roles, including as principal private secretary to then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Chairman of the Economic Development Board, and Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs.

The police have arrested two directors of a fund management company and seized over $160 million of the company's assets over alleged money laundering. In a joint news release on Monday (March 9), the police and Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said they jointly conducted enforcement operations against Capital Asia Investments Pte Ltd. The company and its directors are suspected of money laundering and failure to comply with various obligations as a licensed capital markets services licence holder under the Financial Services and Markets Act. MAS said in the news release that it had received information about possible unlawful activities by the company and has been reviewing its activities. Its supervisory review found «serious control failings» in the company's compliance with MAS' anti-money laundering requirements. Meanwhile, police said its Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office also received financial intelligence regarding the alleged involvement of the company and its related entities in a transnational money laundering network. 

The engine compartment of a Toyota Prius hybrid car caught fire at a Housing and Development Board (HDB) carpark in Yishun on Monday (March 9). The incident happened at about 11.05am at the sixth-floor of Block 512 Yishun Street 41 — a multistorey carpark. Eyewitnesses told AsiaOne that there were no other cars parked near the vehicle when it caught fire. Photos of the aftermath show heat and smoke damage on the ceiling and walls near the burnt car.  Heat and smoke damage were seen on the walls and ceiling near where the Toyota Prius car was parked. PHOTO: AsiaOne reader At least three Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) vehicles were seen responding to the incident. 

A Singaporean couple escaped with only minor injuries after their car flipped on an expressway in Malaysia.In a TikTok video shared on Saturday (March 7), user rr_unscripted said that he was driving from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur with his wife when another car «suddenly entered» their lane.«Everything turned to chaos,» he recounted.Footage of the accident posted on Instagram showed the couple's sports utility vehicle (SUV) colliding into a lorry, before spinning and hitting a road divider.The car flipped before landing upright on the opposite side of the expressway.

For a second night running, scenes of tearful but joyful reunion played out at Changi Airport Terminal 3, as some 167 Singaporeans and their dependents landed safely in Singapore from Muscat, Oman on Sunday (March 8) night.Along with the 152 persons who returned home on Saturday, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has reunited 319 Singaporeans and their dependents with their families, for now — with plans underway to dispatch a third repatriation flight from Saudi Arabia later this week.

A motorcyclist had a close shave with death after colliding with a car and narrowly avoiding a passing minibus in Sengkang on Friday (March 6).Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted to an accident involving a car, a minibus and a motorcycle along Sengkang East Road towards Punggol Way at about 7.05pm.A 56-year-old male motorcyclist was taken conscious to Sengkang General Hospital and is assisting with investigations. Police investigations are ongoing.In a video shared on a Facebook page for Grab delivery riders, a motorcyclist is seen riding along a road before turning right.As he approaches a red light, he appears to slow down but fails to brake in time and crashes into a car stopped in front of him, before falling sideways onto the road.At the same time, a white minibus passes on his left, coming dangerously close to the fallen motorcyclist and narrowly missing him before stopping.

Planning a trip to Malaysia for the March school holidays or to celebrate Hari Raya Puasa?You may want to reconsider, as the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has warned of very heavy traffic at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints from March 13 to 22 in a travel advisory issued on March 9.Travellers might also experience longer queues at immigration as the authority continues its stepped-up security checks at arrival points at all checkpoints due to the heightened global security situation, including the recent Middle East crisis.Travellers are advised to check the traffic situation at the checkpoints before embarking on their journey and can also use QR code clearance for more convenience.«Those who need to travel during this peak period can also consider taking the cross-border bus services to avoid congestion,» the authority added.Over the Chinese New Year festive period, more than three million travellers used Singapore's land checkpoints from Feb 13 to 19. Almost 565,000 travellers crossed on Feb 13, said ICA.

An infant is among four who have been taken to a hospital following an accident involving two buses and a car in Ang Mo Kio on Sunday (March 8), according to a video uploaded to TikTok by user Biker6074 that same day.In the video, a green SBS Transit bus can be seen parked along the road of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, blocking two lanes of traffic.A police vehicle is also parked up ahead, with officers taking photographs of a car further in front and of the bus.The video then cuts to a second bus - this vehicle is visibly damaged, with its windscreen cracked and bumper crumpled from the impact of a collision.Separately, photographs of the incident were posted to Facebook group Singapura Channel, showing multiple SBS Transit workers on the scene.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police stated that they were alerted to an accident involving two buses and a car along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 towards Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 just before noon on Sunday.A 60-year-old male car driver and three bus passengers aged between seven months and 77 years of age were subsequently conveyed conscious to the hospital.

A 28-year-old man was arrested on Saturday (March 7) for his alleged involvement in a case of loanshark harassment in Yishun.The incident happened at a residential unit along Yishun Street 22.A photograph of the alleged crime scene provided by the police shows the main gate and door of the said unit splashed with red paint. Another photograph shows a debtor's note which reads: «Own (Owe) money. Pay money. Call me back for payment (sic).»The man was arrested by officers from Woodlands Police Division through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras. He was arrested within four hours of the report made. A plastic bag containing a can of paint, white tape, black permanent marker and one debtor's note were seized as case exhibits.The man will be charged in court on Monday. If found guilty of loanshark harassment, he could be jailed for up to five years, fined up to $50,000, and receive up to six strokes of the cane.

The police have noticed an increase in scam cases that involve cryptocurrency transfers and have advised members of the public on areas to note.In an advisory issued on Sunday (March 8), police said the uptick in cryptocurrency transfers-related scams were primarily due to investment, jobs, and government officials impersonation scams, adding that victims lost about $182.2 million in cryptocurrency in 2025.Victims of such scams would typically chance upon advertisements relating to purported cryptocurrency-related «investments» or «job opportunities» on social media platforms.They would be directed by scammers to create cryptocurrency accounts and purchase cryptocurrencies, either for «investment purposes» or to earn a «commission» in return for helping to boost the values of cryptocurrencies.Scammers would subsequently ask the victims to transfer the cryptocurrencies to designated cryptocurrency wallets or share their account login credentials and seed phrases. This allowed scammers to gain control and withdraw the victims' cryptocurrencies.

Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam on Sunday (March 8) said the video showing a man stepping on the Quran in a public bus is «deeply offensive».Shanmugam, who is also the Minister for Home Affairs, spoke to the media at the sidelines of a breaking of fast event in Yishun.«Anyone who has seen the video will know it is deeply offensive, let alone during Ramadan. The police have taken action,» he said.The minister also revealed that police have identified the suspect —  a person who has uploaded similar videos before.The said person was charged and convicted in court last July for a similar offence and was released from prison in December the same year.«There was some evidence that he was mentally unwell. He is now overseas, and police will interview him when he returns,» Shanmugam added.Providing an update on Meta's follow-up, the minister said that Meta has complied with the disabling directions and has taken the video down.

A 4-year-old boy was allegedly slapped twice by a man outside a preschool in Woodlands on Friday (March 6).According to the boy's mother, the incident took place at about 12pm at Block 875 Woodlands Street 82. Checks by AsiaOne indicate that there is a PCF Sparkletots Preschool at the said address. This also corresponds with the uniform seen in a picture accompanying the Instagram post made by the boy's mother.According to the boy's mother, he was playing catching with his classmates when he showed his middle finger after being caught. The alleged assailant, the father of another child, was said to have grabbed the boy by his collar and slapped him across the face.In a follow-up post on her Instagram story, the boy's mother claimed that the man also pointed his finger at his face and threatened to break his fingers.«To a child at this age, it is not discipline but intimidation. Moments like this can stay in a child's mind and cause rear fear and emotional drama,» she wrote, adding that her child is now afraid to return to school even though he had tried to be brave and said there was «no pain» while holding back his tears.