A Malaysian national was charged in court on Friday (Nov 7) for allegedly offering a bribe to a Traffic Police officer in relation to an illegal ride-hailing service. Lee Keh Meng, 44, allegedly offered a bribe of $50 to Sergeant Ahmad Hafiz Bin Abdul Sukur on Oct 23, as an inducement not to report a case of an unauthorised cross-border ride-hailing service. Sergeant Hafiz rejected the bribe, and the case was subsequently referred to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau by the police. Lee faces one charge punishable under Section 6(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. If convicted, he can be fined up to $100,000, or sentenced to imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both. [[nid:721951]]esther.lam@asiaone.com 

A preschool centre for children from lower-income families, operated by Beyond Social Services (BSS), will close by the end of 2025.The Healthy Start Child Development Centre (HSCDC) in Bukit Merah was the preschool that four-year-old Megan Khung attended before her death in 2020.In a statement on Oct 14, BSS said that HSCDC will wind down due to declining enrolment, which had fallen from more than 50 children in 2018 to just 14 in 2024.Referrals have decreased as families relocated due to housing redevelopment, the organisation added.More affordable and accessible preschools have become available in Bukit Merah and other areas, reducing the need for a specialised centre like HSCDC, said BSS.HSCDC opened in 2002, after a community survey in the Henderson and Bukit Merah estates found that many children were at risk due to inadequate childcare, parental incarceration or leaving school early.The organisation added that it plans to redirect its resources towards community-rooted initiatives.

The rule of law is a cornerstone of Singapore’s system, not “rule of the mob”, and suggesting that public opinion can trump a court decision is a "very dangerous idea”, said Law Minister Edwin Tong on Saturday (Nov 8).Tong, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, was speaking on the sidelines of a community event in Buona Vista. He was responding to a comment made by Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh on an episode of CNA's series The Assembly 2 which aired on Nov 5. During the interview, Singh was asked by a participant how he felt about being called “a liar” due to former WP Member of Parliament Raeesah Khan’s case.In his reply, Singh said that being in the “business of politics” means that political opponents will “do whatever it takes” to lower his and the Workers’ Party esteem in the public eyes.

A multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) registered in Singapore was caught at the Johor Bahru checkpoint on Wednesday (Nov 5) for allegedly providing illegal private-hire services.In a Facebook post the next day, the Johor Road Transport Department (JPJ) stated that it had been conducting Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) enforcement operations at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) CIQ Complex that day.JPJ officers detained the MPV, which was inbound, at the entrance of the checkpoint after finding that its driver conducted private-hire services without a valid operator's license.Pictures posted to Facebook showed two passengers in the vehicle during this time.The vehicle was seized, and its owner will be charged under the Road Transport and Land Public Transport Acts, said the post.The department stated that it will «continue to be committed to carrying out monitoring and enforcement to ensure all vehicles comply with the laws for the sake of safety and well-being of road users, especially on the Malaysia-Singapore international route».[[nid:724098]]bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com

Two suspects linked to the $3 billion money laundering case spent more than S$69.8 million on properties in London while on the run from the authorities in Singapore.The Straits Times, working with investigative reporting group, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), learnt that the pair had purchased the properties through their UK-listed firms between July and September 2023.One of the suspects, Su Binghai, bought nine apartments in London worth $27 million just one week after he escaped police raids in Singapore.China-born Su Binghai, who holds Cambodian citizenship, and has passports from Vanuatu, a South Pacific Ocean nation, and St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, was among 17 suspects who evaded arrest during the police operation on Aug 15, 2023.In all, 10 foreigners were arrested that day. They were eventually convicted, sentenced and barred from returning to Singapore.

Victims have lost about $52,000 to scammers impersonating Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officers since September this year.There have been at least seven cases of such scams, said the police in a news release on Friday (Nov 7).In this scam variant, victims would first receive unsolicited calls from scammers posing as representatives from a bank.These scammers would claim that a credit card had been found under the victim's name, or that transactions had been made using a credit card supposedly belonging to them, according to the police.Upon denying this, the victim would be transferred to another scammer impersonating an officer from MHA who would accuse them of being involved in criminal activities such as money laundering — even presenting them with fake official documents in some cases.These documents included a «warrant of arrest», a «notice of investigation» and a «court hearing appointment”, said the police.The scammers would subsequently instruct the victims to make monetary transactions »for investigation purposes". 

From March 1 next year, Singaporeans will be able to use their $100 SG Culture Pass credits to purchase SingLit books, said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo.Neo made the announcement during his opening speech at the Singapore Writers Festival 2025 on Friday (Nov 7) at Victoria Theatre.«Literature gives voice to our hopes and dreams, and gives us our bearings in times of change,» Neo said, adding that the works particularly by Singapore's early literary community have illuminated shared experiences and helped to shape national identity.According to Neo, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) has been working closely with bookstores, publishers and distributors since the announcement earlier this year by then-Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong.«I hope SG Culture Pass will be a key catalyst to help Singaporeans love SingLit,» Neo said, highlighting National Library Board’s 2024 National Reading Habits Survey, which found that only around one in three adults had read a SingLit book last year.

Two children were taken to hospital after a fire broke out at a second-floor Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat on Friday (Nov 7) afternoon.The incident took place at about 1.20pm at Block 128 Yishun Street 11.In a Facebook post on Nov 7, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that the fire started in the bedroom.«Upon arrival, a bedroom in a second-floor unit was on fire. Firefighters entered the smoke-filled unit and extinguished the fire with a water jet,» SCDF said.Three occupants from the affected unit had evacuated before SCDF's arrival.Police and SCDF also evacuated 50 residents from the affected block as a precautionary measure.Two people from the affected unit were assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital. AsiaOne understands that there are seven occupiers in the affected unit, including five children. At the time of the incident, only a woman and two of her youngest children were at home. The woman's husband and three other children were away when the fire broke out. 

Neighbours Singapore and Thailand strengthened cooperation on rice trade and healthcare during Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's one-day official visit to Singapore on Friday (Nov 7).At a joint press conference with his Thai counterpart after both sides held a bilateral meeting, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the two countries have forged a relationship built on «trust, respect and deep friendship». «Our ties today are deep and resilient, and our bilateral relations are excellent,» PM Wong said, adding that «there remains tremendous potential for us to do even more together».

The driver involved in the Telok Blangah hit-and-run case has been charged for various traffic offences.Kenneth Kang, 34, was handed seven charges on Friday (Nov 7), for: driving while under disqualification, dangerous driving, driving without due care and attention causing hurt, failing to stop after an accident, failing to make a police report after a traffic accident, failing to render assistance after a traffic accident, and leaving a vehicle in a position likely to cause danger. At about 8.30am on Nov 4, Kang was allegedly driving a car along Telok Blangah Drive despite being disqualified from holding a driving licence from Nov 11, 2024, to Nov 10, 2025, according to charge sheets.Police officers had been patrolling the area when they spotted a car that had mounted a kerb. As the officers were checking on him, the driver suddenly drove off — colliding with two cars, a van and a bus, said the police in a news release on Nov 6.A 48-year-old man, who was driving one of the cars, was injured and taken to hospital.

Two children were sent to hospital after a fire broke out at a second-floor Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat on Friday (Nov 7) afternoon.The incident took place at about 1.20pm at Block 128 Yishun Street 11.In a Facebook post on Nov 7, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that the fire started in the bedroom.«Upon arrival, a bedroom in a second-floor unit was on fire. Firefighters entered the smoke-filled unit and extinguished the fire with a water jet,» SCDF said.Three occupants from the affected unit had evacuated before SCDF's arrival.Police and SCDF also evacuated 50 residents from the affected block as a precautionary measure.Two people from the affected unit were assessed for smoke inhalation and taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital. AsiaOne understands that there are seven occupiers in the affected unit, including five children. At the time of the incident, only a woman and two of her youngest children were at home. The woman's husband and three other children were away when the fire broke out. 

A passenger on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from Singapore to Milan lost consciousness after take-off and died despite efforts to resuscitate him.Dr Desmond Wai, who was on SIA flight SQ378 from Singapore to Milan on Nov 5, shared with 8world how he heard an announcement asking if there were any doctors available to assist with a medical emergency two hours after takeoff. The gastroenterologist and hepatologist posted a video on TikTok on Thursday (Nov 6) night recounting the incident. «Some passenger stopped breathing on the plane,» he recounted. «They woke me up at 2am [and] asked me to help. So from 2am to 2.30am we did [cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)] and failed.»He said that he, along with two other doctors, went to the rear of the cabin to provide assistance and found a middle-aged man lying unconscious on the floor.The man had no pulse, and when the crew's use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) failed, the three doctors took turns performing CPR.The deceased was a terminal cancer patient, and his wife was also on the plane at the time, reported 8world. 

About three million Singaporeans aged 21 and above will receive between $100 and $600 in cash from Dec 5.This payout - under the enhanced Assurance Package (AP) - aims to help defray living expenses for Singaporean households and provide more support for lower to middle-income families. It was announced during Budget 2023.In a press release on Friday (Nov 7), the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said that adult Singaporeans must have an annual assessable income of not more than $100,000 and not own more than one property to qualify for this.These cash payments are given out to eligible Singaporeans each December from 2022 to 2026. They can check their eligibility and the amount they will receive on the govbenefits website by logging in with their Singpass credentials.MOF also cautioned that government officials will never ask the public to transfer money or disclose bank log-in details over a phone call, urging those who are unsure if something is a scam to call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.

Punters who bought one or more units of a set of iToto bet were the sole winners of the $12.3 million Toto prize money in Thursday’s (Nov 6) draw. An iToto bet comprises 28 units, with each unit costing $33. Punters may buy one or more units of an iToto bet. According to Singapore Pools’ website, all 28 units of an iToto bet must be sold before a new set of iToto numbers is generated islandwide. For the Nov 6 draw, 18 of the 28 units were purchased through the Singapore Pools account betting service.The remaining 10 units were purchased from 10 outlets across Singapore:Dawn Florist along Aljunied Avenue 2Fatt Chye Heng Trading along Hougang Avenue 3Nel’s Store along Bedok Reservoir RoadNTUC FairPrice Changi Business ParkNTUC FairPrice White SandsNTUC FairPrice Jurong PointSeah Geok Eng Agency along Rivervale DrivePapillon Florist along Jalan Bukit MerahSingapore Pools branch along Clementi Avenue 5Livewire Marina Bay SandsThe winning numbers were 3, 20, 24, 29, 32 and 44. The additional number was 46.

Jeremy Tan and Darryl Lo, who ran as independents in this year's general election, are now vying for a seat in the House as Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP).Tan, 35, who contested in Mountbatten SMC and received 36.16 per cent of votes against political newcomer Gho Sze Kee, sent in his application on Nov 5, according to The Straits Times.«Many Singaporeans are distinguished in their own right, and I hope that my application would encourage others to do so as well,» he told the newspaper.He also said that he would bring more diverse political representation into Parliament, which currently features only members of the ruling People's Action Party and the opposing Workers' Party.Lo, 28, who contested in Radin Mas SMC and garnered 23.47 per cent of the votes, submitted his application on Oct 29, reported CNA.He told The Straits Times that issues such as job security, cost of living and housing are central to public debate and hopes to represent the voices of younger Singaporeans if chosen.The NMP nomination process started on Oct 8 and concluded at 4.30pm today (Nov 6). 

The dining room of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's home at 38 Oxley Road is a space within the site that would be considered «less private», said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo in Parliament on Thursday (Nov 6).Neo was responding to questions posed by MPs following his ministerial statement on the Government's intention to preserve the site. MP for West Coast-Jurong West GRC Ang Wei Neng had sought clarification on Neo's statement that the Government would remove all traces of the Lee family's «private living spaces from the interior of the house». In particular, he asked if the basement dining area would be considered part of this «private space».Neo, in his response, had stated that the dining room would be one that would be considered «less private».

Jewish people in Singapore have been facing increased acts of hostility both online and offline in recent months, revealed Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, K Shanmugam.Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a closed-door session with members of the Chesed-El Synagogue on Thursday (Nov 6), Shanmugam said that there have been «worrying developments on the ground» in regard to antisemitism and religious hostility towards Jews.One such incident saw a member of the Jewish community with his kippah — a Jewish skullcap — being verbally attacked by a passing motorist who shouted «free Palestine» at him.«Followers of any faith who wear visible markers of their religion... should never be made to feel targeted based on their religion,» said Shanmugam.Earlier in September, some toilets in international schools, with Jewish students in attendance, were vandalised with anti-Israel vulgarities.«They faced unpleasant incidents, hostility, both online and offline, and they feel less secure,» he said.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will acquire Elbit Systems' Hermes 900 as its next-generation unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).In a Facebook post on Monday (Nov 3), RSAF said that the acquisition is part of the SAF2040 transformation.«Ministry of Defence (Mindef) / Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will progressively take delivery of the Hermes 900 (H900) UAV to replace the Hermes 450 (H450), which has been in service for close to two decades and is becoming obsolete,» RSAF added.In an interview with Janes ahead of the 2024 Singapore Airshow, then-Chief of Air Force, Major-General Kelvin Khong, told the defence journal that the air force will be replacing its fleet of Heron 1 and H450 unmanned UAVs «as part of the service's renewal plans», adding that the selected platform will suit SAF's operational requirements.The H450, also manufactured by Elbit, entered service with RSAF in 2007. It is deployed for real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, target acquisition and designation, and battle damage assessment.

The Immigrations and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) foiled an attempt to smuggle controlled drugs and drug paraphernalia into Singapore on Oct 17 at the Singapore Cruise Centre.In a Facebook post on Thursday (Nov 6), ICA said that a 50-year-old male Singaporean traveller was directed for enhanced screenings after anomalies were detected in the scanned images of his belongings. One syringe suspected to be used for consumption of controlled drugs, one sachet containing a small amount of substance suspected to be controlled drugs and seven drug paraphernalia were detected.The 50-year-old man was directed for a swab test and tested positive for methamphetamine. He was subsequently arrested in connection with the case. 

Gazetting the site of 38 Oxley Road — home of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew — will retain its historical significance while preventing anyone from acquiring the site just to have an address associated with Lee's residence, said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo.Giving a ministerial statement in Parliament on Thursday (Nov 6), Neo explained the Government's considerations for preserving the site in addition to the next steps needed to move forward.He also expressed agreement with the National Heritage Board's (NHB) and the Preservation of Sites and Monuments Advisory Board's (PSM AB) recommendations to gazette the site.«It is the confluence of people, place, and events that gives a site its historical significance. We have very few such sites in Singapore, where there is such a confluence. 38 Oxley Road is one of them,» he said, adding that the site is a «foundational part of Singapore's independence». Neo stated that 38 Oxley Road had served as a venue for conversations, activities and decisions of Singapore’s founding leaders.

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will visiting Singapore on Friday (Nov 7) to mark 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. In a statement on Nov 6, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said the upcoming visit will be Anutin's first official visit to Singapore since becoming Thailand's 32nd prime minister on Sept 5.When in Singapore, Anutin will receive a ceremonial welcome before holding a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The two leaders are expected to witness an exchange of bilateral memoranda of understanding in the areas of food security and healthcare.Anutin will also have an orchid named in his honour.Before leaving Singapore on the same evening, Anutin will call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Istana. 

Residents in Hougang will soon be able to enjoy the new and rejuvenated facilities at the Hougang Sports Centre when it reopens by June 2026.The update was given on Thursday (Nov 6) by Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo in a written response to a parliamentary question by Workers' Party MP for Hougang SMC Dennis Tan. Tan had asked about the status of renovation works and whether members of the public will be able to play pickleball in the sports centre. He had also asked for a similar update in a July 2024 parliament sitting after works started about what facilities will be enhanced or added. Hougang Sports Centre closed on April 1, 2024 for renovation.The acting minister also listed some of the new and refreshed facilities including: an expanded gym; additional fitness studios; sheltered teaching pool with ramp access; water play features; fitness stations; and a refurbished running track.The refreshed sports centre will also feature a revamped sports hall which can be used for activities such as basketball, badminton and pickleball.

SINGAPORE — A man engaged three foreign hackers to come to Singapore to probe «sites of interest» for vulnerabilities, conduct penetration attacks and obtain personal information from the exploited systems.Police arrested the trio — Chinese nationals Yan Peijian, Liu Yuqi and Huang Qin Zheng — in an operation in September 2024, and they were linked to an organised criminal group.Yan's laptop was later found to contain messages discussing vulnerable domains, which included five Australian, Argentinian and Vietnamese government sites.Liu's laptop contained a confidential e-mail between officers of Kazakhstan's ministries of foreign affairs and industry and infrastructure development.The prosecution said that Vanuatu citizen Xu Liangbiao, 38, had earlier engaged the trio, but he left Singapore on Aug 14, 2023, a day before the Singapore authorities arrested offenders linked to the $3 billion money-laundering case. His current whereabouts are unknown.

SINGAPORE — A man who deflated the tyres of seven cars in Woodlands has been handed a $3,000 fine.On Nov 6, Benjamin Chia Yit Loong, 24, a student at the National University of Singapore, pleaded guilty to one charge of mischief.The court heard that Chia, a Singaporean, was interested in climate change and environmental issues, and wished to make ownership of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) unattractive.He thus decided to deflate the tyres of cars parked near his house and to leave fliers on the environmental damage caused by SUVs on these cars.On Nov 19, 2024, at around 10am, Chia purchased a packet of green beans and took them with him to two multi-storey carparks in Woodlands Drive 14.He then unscrewed the tyre cap of each car, placed green beans inside the tyre valve and screwed the cap back in, causing the tyres to deflate.Deputy Public Prosecutor Lu Huiyi said Chia deflated all four tyres for the first car and subsequently deflated one to two tyres of each remaining car.He also left fliers on the cars' windscreens.

The Singapore government has not made a decision on whether to deploy nuclear energy, with studies presently focused on the suitability of latest nuclear technologies, including safety and viability aspects, said Minister-in-Charge of Energy, Science and Technology Dr Tan See Leng on Thursday (Nov 6).Dr Tan was responding to questions from both People's Action Party (PAP) and Workers' Party (WP) MPs, who asked a range of questions including deployment timeframe, potential sites and safety-related concerns. The minister said that while dedicated nuclear energy teams have been established at the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and National Environment Agency, they are presently focused on the safety and viability aspects. "EMA is focused on helping Singapore understand the safety and viability of various advanced nuclear power plant technologies. 

A Malaysian man will be charged in court on Thursday (Nov 6) for his suspected involvement in a government official impersonation scam (GOIS).In a press release on Nov 5, the police said they received a report on Nov 4 involving the impersonation of a government official purportedly from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The 33-year-old man was identified through follow-up investigations and subsequently arrested by the police. The victim who filed the report was allegedly told he was being investigated for money laundering and instructed to withdraw $15,000 from his bank accounts and hand it over to an unknown person for the purposes of investigation.Preliminary investigations revealed that the 33-year-old man is believed to be involved in other similar cases, allegedly being tasked by unknown persons to collect cash and valuables from victims of GOIS, before handing them to said unknown persons. Remanded by Anti-Scam CommandThe man will be charged in court with the offence of abetment by conspiracy to assist another to retain benefits from criminal conduct, according to the police. 

Decisive steps will be taken to give victims of online harms an avenue of «timely, effective, and accessible» redress, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 5). Teo was speaking during the debate on the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability), or OSRA Bill, which seeks to tackle online harms.«Two in five online harms survivors experience at least one severe form of impact. These include serious emotional mental or physical consequences like depression or self-harm,» said Teo. Teo added that platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram — where people often go for entertainment — are also spaces where such online harms can occur.She emphasised that the proposed legislation will give these victims a legal basis to seek redress, and provide them with means to identify who harmed them.New agency formed to support victims of online harmsMinister Teo stated that the OSRA will cover three main areas.

A «network issue» left close to 100 guests at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) unable to check-in on Monday (Nov 3), with some reportedly waiting for up to eight hours. According to Shin Min Daily News, a reader had informed the publication that the hotel's computer system had crashed, resulting in slow check-in procedures and long queues of guests. At 5pm, there were six counters near Tower 1, where close to a hundred guests were waiting in line, reported Shin Min. Several hotel staff members were seen assisting frustrated guests while addressing their queries.When reporters from 8world arrived at around 8pm, there were still long queues at the counter and travellers filled the lobby seats as they waited to check-in. Staff had resumed using the computer system to process check-ins and the hotel also provided water to guests, reported 8world. Responding to AsiaOne's queries on Tuesday, an MBS spokesperson said that a network issue which occurred on Monday morning had affected a number of computer systems including hotel check-ins and loyalty redemptions.

Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim will be making his first working visit to Saudi Arabia and Jordan as Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs from Nov 6 to 11.In a statement on Wednesday (Nov 5), the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) said that Assoc Prof Faishal's visit is intended to strengthen bilateral engagements and explore future collaborations.Apart from the official meetings, Assoc Prof Faishal will engage with Singaporean students studying in the two countries.He will also meet with members of the Singapore College of Islamic Studies residing in the two countries.In Jordan, Assoc Prof Faishal will witness a symbolic handover ceremony for Singapore's donation of prosthetic products to Jordan's Restoring Hope initiative, to help Palestinian amputees affected by the conflict in Gaza.Singapore, Saudi Arabi expected to ink haj agreement for 2026When in Saudi Arabia, Assoc Prof Faishal will attend the annual Haj and Umrah Exhibition and Conference in Jeddah, organised by the kingdom's Ministry of Haj and Umrah. 

Singapore is committed to support ongoing efforts to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza, while supporting the Palestinian Authority's rebuilding efforts through new and expanded capacity-building programmes, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.Dr Balakrishnan was speaking at a ceremony in the Palestinian Territories on Tuesday (Nov 4), where he handed over a US$500,000 (S$652,000) cheque to the World Food Programme (WFP) in support of their humanitarian work in Gaza. He reiterated Singapore's support for the WFP work to «fight hunger and bring hope» to Gazans in crisis, emphasising the critical role that relief agencies such as WFP play. «The WFP and other key relief agencies will continue to be needed even as the international community prepares for the immense challenge of rebuilding Gaza once a permanent ceasefire is reached,» Dr Balakrishnan said.

A 69-year-old man was found dead in a lorry at a parking lot in Jurong West on Monday (Nov 3).The elderly man was on his way to work when he died, reported Shin Min Daily News who spoke with his employer.Several police cars were dispatched to the scene, and a blue tent was set up in front of a white lorry, according to the Chinese evening daily. Officers remained there for over three hours, diverting traffic away from the scene and preventing passers-by from lingering.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that it received an alert regarding an unnatural death at around 11.50am on Nov 3 from Block 638 Jurong West Street 61, which corresponds to the address of Pioneer Mall.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) stated that it also received a call for assistance and found the man lying motionless in his vehicle.The man was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic.No foul play is suspected based on preliminary investigations, said the police.Police investigations are still ongoing.[[nid:724228]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

Workers' Party (WP) MP for Aljunied GRC Kenneth Tiong apologised in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 5) over a comment made in response to National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat's clarification during question time.Chee, who is also deputy chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) had earlier answered questions posed by Tiong who asked if individuals sanctioned by the US or convicted in Singapore's largest money-laundering case had operated local tax-exempt family offices.Tiong then posed a supplementary question to Chee, asking if the Government will mandate enhanced due diligence on existing client relationships across all regulated financial sectors, and not just when onboarding new clients. 

In the Megan Khung case, the lapse occurred because two officers under pressure did not follow operating procedures, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 5).«The Investigation Officer (IO) who dealt with the first police report, and her supervisor, failed to follow police's procedures to escalate the case to the regular case review sessions for monitoring and guidance,» said Goh.«The IO had assessed this as a case of child discipline with low safety concerns based on the information that she was presented with at that time.»Goh noted that the officers, who were under pressure at that time, committed a serious breach that led to a tragic outcome. «It was a serious breach, and it resulted in a tragic outcome. The police will learn from this, and reinforce procedures and training for its officers,» he added.Goh further explained that the demands on police officers continue to rise, requiring them to make difficult daily judgment calls, and that mistakes can occur when they are under pressure.

A man fled on foot after a car he was driving collided into four other vehicles, including a bus, in Telok Blangah yesterday (Nov 4) morning. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said officers had been patrolling along Telok Blangah Drive at about 8.30am when they spotted a car that had mounted a kerb. The driver suddenly drove off as officers were checking on him. During the police pursuit, the red car reportedly collided with two other cars, a van and a bus. The driver subsequently fled on foot along Telok Blangah Hill. In a video posted to Facebook group Singapore Road Vigilante on Nov 4, a police car is seen stopped behind a public bus at a traffic junction. Two police officers appear to approach the bus when a red car in between the two vehicles moves off, mounting the kerb before speeding away. The car appears to bear the logo of Drive Lah, a car rental company.The car is captured turning into a two-lane road later in the video, swerving between lanes, before it collides into the back of a public bus and both vehicles come to a stop. 

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is continuing with its enforcement against illegal cross-border and ride-hailing services in Singapore, with another nine nabbed in operations conducted over the past three weeks.The latest series of enforcement operations brings the total number of foreign-registered vehicles impounded for providing such illegal services to 126 since July. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Nov 4), Senior Minister of State for Transport Sun Xueling said that the drivers nabbed did not have the necessary insurance and posed safety risks.«I urge commuters to use only legal and licensed vehicles for cross-border travel needs,» she added.