SINGAPORE - The Hindu community now has a sheltered space to perform seaside rituals for their departed loved ones with the opening of a new facility at Changi Beach.Announced five years ago, Karma Kaariya Nilaiyam - a one-storey building with four private halls - was officially launched on Dec 29 and is located next to Carpark 2 of the beach.Families can book the private halls online to carry out post-death Hindu rites or Karumathi prayers, performed on the 13th or 16th day after cremation, said the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB), which funds and manages the facility.Previously, most families would place a mat on the ground at Changi Beach to prepare for and carry out the rituals, typically in the pre-dawn hours. This left them exposed to a dark environment, heavy rain and winds, HEB secretary Satish Appoo told the media on Dec 29.Families had to take along their own light sources, and the only sheltered spaces available were empty beach pavilions, he added.«This facility provides a calm, dignified and respectful environment. Families are still mourning, so they need privacy to focus on these rituals,» added Satish.

A Malaysian man linked to an organised criminal group in Cambodia that scammed Singaporeans was arrested on Sunday (Dec 28). The 24-year-old is purportedly involved with the 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians wanted by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) over their alleged involvement with that group.The police said in a news release on Dec 29 that Eugene Goh was arrested while trying to enter Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint.Checks by AsiaOne against the list of 34 persons wanted by SPF indicate that Goh's name was not among those listed.According to the police's statement, Goh's involvement was established through ongoing investigations against the 34-man organised crime group. Goh is the second Malaysian to be arrested in relation to the scam ring. 

Two teenagers riding a personal mobility device (PMD) were taken to hospital following an accident in Yishun on Sunday evening (Dec 28).Dashcam footage of the accident, shared on the Facebook group SG Road Vigilante, showed the two 13-year-olds dressed in black riding a black PMD, with one riding pillion. The PMD did not have its headlights switched on.The car was believed to have been making a right turn when the collision occurred, sending both riders flying. The impact also scattered debris across the road.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said that they were alerted to an accident involving a PMD and a car at the junction of Yishun Ring Road and Yishun Avenue 2 at about 11.10pm. A 13-year-old male PMD rider and his 13-year-old male pillion were taken conscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.Under the Active Mobility Act, motorised personal mobility devices are not allowed to be used on roads. First-time offenders face a fine of up to $2,000 and/or a jail term of up to three months.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) announced it will seek a new operator for One Punggol Hawker Centre in January 2026 after the current operator cut its tenancy short.In a statement on Monday (Dec 29), NEA said that One Punggol Hawker Centre's current operator, Timbre + Hawkers, will conclude its tenancy on Aug 14, 2026 — one year before its current term was scheduled to end.Timbre is in its second term, having completed two of the three years.«Timbre had indicated that the tenancy posed challenges for its ongoing operations at One Punggol Hawker Centre,» the agency said, adding that it came to a mutual agreement with Timbre on its end date.In a separate statement, Timbre said that the decision was made after «taking into account overall operational considerations and prevailing market conditions».One Punggol Hawker Centre opened in 2022 and current has 31 hawkers, according to its website.New operator will retain existing stallholders: NEAAccording to NEA, Timbre has committed to upholding the vibrancy of One Punggol Hawker Centre until the conclusion of its tenancy.

A man who drove a bus along the Pan Island Expressway at 79kmh is among six motorists to be charged on Tuesday (Dec 30) for speeding offences involving heavy vehicles. The 30-year-old was driving towards the East Coast Parkway on Aug 31 and exceeded the vehicle's speed limit of 60kmh, the police said in a statement on Monday. The offences by the six motorists were allegedly committed between August and October. The suspects, who are aged between 30 and 50, were driving heavy vehicles which were not fitted with speed limiters. Two of the cases involved buses, three involved cement mixers and one involved a tipper truck. The motorists were caught driving at speeds which exceeded the imposed limits of their vehicles. Those convicted of speeding can be fined up to $1,000, jailed for up to three months, or both. Subsequent convictions will lead to a higher fine and jail term. Offenders may also face disqualification from driving all vehicles.The number of speeding violations surged 45.5 per cent in the first half of 2025 from the same period the previous year, with more than 118,000 offences recorded. 

A 70-year-old male car driver is assisting with police investigations following a hit-and-run accident in Ang Mo Kio on Sunday (Dec 28). The police told AsiaOne that they were alerted to the accident involving two cars and a lorry at Block 223 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 at about 8.20pm. Dashcam footage shared on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page shows a red Porsche reversing out of its parking lot, before ramming into a stationary lorry next to it. The car reverses and then moves forward again, this time hitting a BMW parked two lots away — causing a severely dented bumper.  No injuries were reported from the accident, said the police. [[nid:726635]]chingshijie@asiaone.com 

A woman's trip on low-cost airline Scoot took an unexpected turn when a gift box fell from an overhead compartment and injured her during a six-hour flight to Singapore last month. The passenger, 43-year-old accountant Dong Mingming (transliteration) was seated in seat 13B on Scoot flight TR187 from Qingdao, China to Singapore on Nov 5. Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Dong said the incident took place about half an hour after takeoff, when she had removed her glasses and closed her eyes to rest. A male passenger opened the overhead luggage compartment and a heavy object fell out, striking her right eyelid. «I immediately felt a sharp pain and I couldn't open my eyes at all; my vision became blurry,» said Dong. She later learned that a gift box had fallen from the overhead compartment. Noticing that her eyelid was bleeding, the flight attendants offered her ice and alcohol wipes. «Because of the eye injury, I dared not move around rashly,» added Dong. After the flight landed at Changi Airport, Dong sought medical treatment at Singapore General Hospital. 

A Muay Thai studio in Bencoolen is appealing to netizens for help to find the culprits after its banner was damaged overnight.Benjamin Lim, co-founder of MT30, a kickboxing gym located in GR.iD mall, uploaded CCTV footage of the incident on his personal Instagram account late last month.Timestamps on the footage indicate that the incident occurred on Nov 11 at 6.05am, showing two men standing outside the glass doors at the entrance of the studio.A man in a white T-shirt appears hunched over, and grabs onto the banner to support himself while his friend in a black hoodie seems to console him.The man in white proceeds to tug on the banner in a fit of rage, causing it to crumple to the ground.He subsequently pushes his friend away and slams his arms onto the glass wall before walking away from the fitness studio.Police report lodgedSpeaking to AsiaOne, Lim said that he only noticed the damaged banner after reaching the studio the next day.Mall security was also aware of the incident, and a police report has been made, he said.

A 39-year-old Malaysian man has been arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs through Woodlands Checkpoint last Monday evening (Dec 22).In a joint statement released on Monday (Dec 29), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said a total of seven bundles believed to contain controlled drugs were found on him.The bundles were assessed to contain more than 3.2kg of cannabis and 1.7kg of Ice.The drugs seized were estimated to be worth more than $237,000, and could potentially feed the addiction of about 1,440 abusers for a week.Based on information received from the ICA's integrated targeting centre, he was referred for enhanced checks, where officers found two black bundles believed to contain controlled drugs in his bag.Officers from the CNB were immediately alerted and further checks led to the recovery of the drugs.

Selling items online? Beware of suspicious links sent by fake buyers under the guise of making payment or arranging delivery, the police have warned.In an advisory issued on Monday (Dec 29), they said that at least 223 people have fallen for this phishing scam variant since November, with total losses reaching at least $622,000.In these cases, victims would receive a phishing link from scammers posing as interested buyers and will be asked to provide their personal information such as banking credentials and card details on the webpage.Subsequently, they would realise that unauthorised transactions had been made on their bank cards, including transfers to overseas cryptocurrency service providers like Binance, BTCC and ByBit.Members of the public are urged to exercise extra caution when selling items on online platforms, and not provide banking details, card details or any other confidential information to unknown individuals.Online sellers are strongly encouraged to meet buyers in person to complete the transaction.

Eighteen town councils will receive a total of $1.8 million to their service and conservancy charges (S&CC) operating grant due to a discrepancy in the distribution of grants over a 14-year period, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said on Monday (Dec 29). The amounts awarded to each town council range from $22,000 to $383,000, and will be disbursed by Jan 31 next year. This one-off adjustment arose from a discrepancy in each year's disbursement computation from financial year 2011 to 2024, which led to a shortfall in the amount of grants distributed to the affected town councils over that period. The shortfall was discovered by the Housing and Development Board during an internal review of the grant computation process, said MND. The grant amount for each financial year is calculated using household data before the start of the year. It is then adjusted to account for changes in the number of households during the year. 

Four people, including a baby, were taken to hospital following an accident along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) on Sunday (Dec 28).A video posted on TikTok showed the aftermath of the accident, with traffic piling up on the expressway and police cars and ambulances at the scene.At least four vehicles were involved in the chain collision, and police could be seen speaking with some of the drivers. 

Large crowds are expected around the Marina Bay and Kallang Basin areas on New Year's Eve and the police will be implementing security and traffic arrangements such as crowd control measures, enhanced patrols, and road closures to keep partygoers safe.In an advisory on Sunday (Dec 28), the police said the arrangements will be in place from the evening of Dec 31.«Police officers, auxiliary police officers, and security officers will be deployed to ensure the safety and security of the public, as well as to manage crowds in the vicinity of Marina Bay and The Kallang.»Certain entrances and exits of MRT stations around Marina Bay and Kallang Basin will be closed to regulate crowd flow, and the police advised using other stations such as Esplanade, Promenade, Downtown, Marina Bay, Kallang and Mountbatten MRT stations. «Trains may bypass some stations, such as Bayfront and Stadium MRT station, to divert crowds away from these affected areas,» the police said.

A man in Singapore lost $3,999 to a scam on TikTok, after believing a woman who claimed to be held captive in Singapore. In a Dec 27 report by Shin Min Daily News, a 49-year-old air-con technician surnamed Lin (transliterated) said he was scrolling on TikTok when he received a message on Dec 16 from a woman claiming to be from Guangdong, China.She told him she had lost $20,000 to an investment scam three months after arriving in Singapore and was being held hostage after not being able repay the amount to her 'boss'.Lin said while the woman had asked him for financial help right from the beginning, he remained vigilant and did not make any promises.She would also call him «dear» and promised to be his girlfriend if he helped to clear her debt, he said.However, his heart softened when she called him crying, claiming she would be forced into prostitution if she didn’t pay up.He told Shin Min that he had requested to speak to her through video call multiple times during the course of their interaction, but she told him she wasn’t allowed to do so.

SINGAPORE - The Workers' Party leadership is looking into a request from a cadre member to hold a special meeting.The opposition party said in a statement on Dec 28 that a request to hold a special cadre members' conference was submitted.Party chairwoman Sylvia Lim has acknowledged the request of the cadre member, added the WP, which was responding to a media query.The central executive committee (CEC) — comprising 19 members, including its 13 elected MPs — will be following up on the request in accordance with the party's Constitution, it said.The party's Constitution on its website states that a special cadre members' conference can be called at any time by the party's chair, the CEC, or 10 per cent of the cadre membership or at least 20 cadre members, whichever is higher.Past estimates of the number of WP cadres have reported the figure as at about 100. Only cadre members, who are appointed by the CEC, can be present at cadre members' conferences and to vote.It is not clear if the request was put forward by a sufficient number of cadres.

Singapore Pools, the city state's only legal lottery operator, will be holding its 2026 New Year draw on Friday (Jan 2).According to the Singapore Pools' website, the draw will be held at 9.30pm at the Singapore Pools Building along Middle Road.Sales for the draw will close 30 minutes prior.Sale of $10 and $20 lottery packs will begin from 6.10pm onwards on Dec 29.One winner walked away with a prize money of over $5.5 million in the 2025 New Year draw.[[nid:725128]]editor@asiaone.com 

The Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) is scheduled to close on Jan 25 for system renewal works, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a Facebook post on Dec 26.This is to facilitate the migration of BPLRT's interim Operations Control Centre (OCC) to the refurbished control centre.Commuters can take existing bus services or make use of LRT Shuttle B, which will run from Choa Chu Kang to Bukit Panjang via Petir every five to 15 minutes.Renewal work to enhance BPLRT's reliability began in 2018 and are expected to be completed by 2026.[[nid:727282]]syarifahsn@asiaone.com

SINGAPORE – Some 13,480 Housing Board flats are expected to reach their minimum occupation period (MOP) in 2026, the bulk of which are in Punggol, Queenstown, and Tampines.This influx is nearly double the 6,970 units that hit their five-year MOP in 2025, and could moderate resale price growth by addressing the demand for housing, said property analysts.These flats are spread across 22 projects in 14 towns, they added.According to analysts' data, Punggol is projected to have the largest supply of 3,222 MOP flats across five projects - most of which are in the Punggol Northshore neighbourhood. This is followed by Queenstown with 2,405 units in Dawson.In Tampines, the majority of the 2,133 MOP units are located in Tampines North, while Toa Payoh is expected to have 1,594 MOP flats in the new Bidadari estate.Resale flats in Dawson and Bidadari are frequently among million-dollar flat transactions.Those in the Dawson area have set some of the highest prices to date.Of the flats set to hit their MOP in 2026, 5,909 are four-room flats and 2,711 are five-room units. Another 2,299 are two-room flats and 2,561 are three-room units.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) have issued a warning over a scam variant involving the impersonation of the Commissioner of Police. In an advisory issued on Sunday (Dec 28), police said the scam variant involves victims receiving a «warning letter» which claims that the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore and SPF have initiated investigations against them over their alleged involvement in criminal activities. Victims would be instructed to submit their written statement to a designated email address.They are also «warned» that failure to do so could result in various consequences such as arrest.«The police would like to emphasise that these emails are not issued by SPF or any Singapore government officials,» the advisory said.Members of the public are also reminded that Singapore government officials will never make the following requests over emails or phone calls: money transfers, disclosure of bank login details, installation of mobile apps from unofficial app stores, or transfer calls to the police or other «government officials».

A total of 1,771 persons are being investigated for various offences following a nearly month-long series of multi-agency enforcement operations.The operations, conducted between Nov 22 and Dec 20, involved more than 4,500 officers from across the police's seven land divisions, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Traffic Police (TP). It also involved officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Health Sciences Authority (HSA), Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Singapore Customs. In a news release on Saturday (Dec 27), the police said they mounted over 1,400 operations during the above-mentioned period, including checks on more than 15,900 persons, resulting in 546 arrests. The range of offences uncovered includes traffic violations, e-vaporisers-related offences, duty-unpaid cigarettes, immigration violations and illegal employment, as well as drug-related offences.

SINGAPORE – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has expressed surprise at Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) secretary-general Mark Chay’s comments on the Young Lions’ attitude at the SEA Games.During a post-Games review on Dec 20, he said that after the opening 3-1 defeat by Timor-Leste on Dec 6 in Bangkok, the players “just walked off the field, didn’t even acknowledge the crowd”.Chay added: “I understand disappointment, but they need to really look at sportsmanship, really look at attitude and respect of the sport, as well as the people who went there to support them.”At the FAS’ own Games review at its Jalan Besar Stadium headquarters on Dec 26, general secretary Badri Ghent said officials’ reaction was one of “shock and surprise” after coming across Chay’s comments.Emphasising that sportsmanship is a non-negotiable trait at FAS, Badri said he had a “constructive meeting” with Chay to address some of the points he brought up.“I was especially surprised because I was there at the game, and myself and some of the supporters can vouch for the fact that the players did so (acknowledge fans),” said Badri.

A Singaporean man was jailed for 12 weeks on Friday (Dec 26) after pleading guilty to one count of dishonest misappropriation. Mohamed Basheer Hanif Mohamed, 27, refused to return more than $9,000 that the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) had mistakenly transferred to him on Nov 10, 2023.He spent the funds on daily expenses and a hotel staycation instead.According to court records obtained by CNA, on the same day, Basheer had noticed a transfer of $9,087.04 to his POSB account, which previously contained no money. He started to withdraw the funds for personal use.A finance officer from NTU and POSB attempted to contact Basheer several times in vain. The former emailed him on Nov 21, but he responded, saying that he did not know about the erroneous transfer as he had stopped using the bank account.Basheer also refused to provide an updated phone number and address to the university and told the finance officer to stop contacting him.The man also did not make any restitution.For dishonest misappropriation, Basheer could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, or both. 

A man has taken to social media to argue his case that $750 a month for full-time national servicemen (NSF) is not enough in today’s economy.In a TikTok video on Wednesday (Dec 24), the man named Sheldon said that he decided to speak up after seeing social media comments where people complained that they were paid up to $400 while serving national service.The latest adjustment in July 2025 saw an increase of between $35 and $75 in the NS monthly allowance. Recruits in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), as well as trainee special constables in the Singapore Police Force saw their allowance rise from $755 to $790.But Sheldon argued that even with the latest revision, the allowance did not account for inflation.He cited an example, saying that the price of a McSpicy — an NSF favourite book out meal — was previously $4.50 and is now about $9.50.This means that NSFs today can buy fewer burgers, he said, adding that his commander could have bought 106 burgers.«With $750, you can get a whopping 77 McSpicies,» he said. «Yes, while we are making more money, we have less buying power.»

A 43-year-old woman who was arrested for allegedly writing «offensive words» at The Salvation Army premises along Upper Bukit Timah Road will be charged for vandalism on Saturday (Dec 27).The police said in a news release on Friday evening (Dec 26) that the woman, a Chinese-Australian, had scribbled the words on Christmas Day on the walls of the building at Praisehaven — The Salvation Army's premises — and on three vans.«A can of red spray paint was found at the premises and seized as a case exhibit,» added the police.When AsiaOne visited the premises on Friday afternoon, the «offensive words», described by The Salvation Army's public relations head as «sensitive in nature and concerned religion», were being scrubbed.In a Facebook post later, The Salvation Army said that the act appeared to be intended to disrupt the Christmas celebrations scheduled at the location.According to the police, the woman was arrested within five hours of the report being made at 9.15am following ground enquiries and with the aid of police cameras.

Six individuals aged between 19 and 34 were arrested following a two-week operation for their suspected involvement in scams as money mules. In a statement on Friday (Dec 26), the police said that another 13 individuals, aged between 17 and 60, are also under investigation. The operation, conducted by officers from the Central Division Investigation Branch, took place between Dec 10 and Dec 24.The suspects are believed to be involved in more than 45 cases of scams comprising mainly e-commerce scams, friend impersonation scams, job scams, government official impersonation scams, investment scams and rental scams, where victims reportedly lost over $406,800.They are being investigated for the alleged offences of cheating, abetting unknown persons to secure unauthorised access to the bank’s computer system and money laundering.

National carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) has cancelled several flights to and from New York as a winter storm descended on the city and neighbouring regions.According to the US Weather Prediction Center, heavy snow is expected to start falling in New York City and across Long Island from the afternoon of Dec 26 to 27, with as much as 20cm piling up before the storm winds down.An advisory posted on SIA's website on Thursday (Dec 25) afternoon, and updated again at 11pm, indicated that the following flights have been cancelled:SQ26 departing New York's John F. Kennedy airport (JFK) at 8.35am on Dec 26SQ24 departing Singapore for JFK at 12.10pm on Dec 26SQ25 departing JFK for Frankfurt at 8.15pm on Dec 26SQ23 departing JFK for Singapore at 10.05pm on Dec 26SQ22 departing Singapore for New York's Newark at 5.30am on Dec 27SQ21 departing Newark for Singapore at 5.45pm on Dec 27SIA also said that the situation remains fluid and that other SIA flights may also be affected. Affected customers will be contacted by SIA.

A SMRT bus captain was recorded on dashcam footage confronting a car driver for purportedly hogging a lane on Wednesday (Dec 24). The incident occurred along Woodlands Ave 1 at about 2.55pm, according to Facebook page SGRV. In the footage obtained from the vehicle between the bus and car, the bus is seen inching forward and trying to manoeuvre into a bus bay but is unable to do so. The bus captain then alights and approaches the car in front of the dashcam vehicle. He animatedly gestures towards the road in front of the car which is seemingly empty and raises one arm in apparent exasperation. The said car subsequently moves forward as the traffic light ahead turns green. Netizens are divided over whether the bus driver should have confronted the car driver. «I feel the bus driver could have told the driver more nicely first. If driver still does not wanna move, then bus driver can raise his request in a stricter tone (sic),» opined a Facebook user. Another raised the possibility that the car might not have had enough space to drive forward.

Singapore's manufacturing output recorded a 14.3 per cent jump in November, year-on-year, led by strong performance in biomedical manufacturing, the Economic Development Board said on Friday (Dec 26).The factory output numbers showed moderation from October's high of 28.9 per cent.Excluding the volatile biomedical manufacturing sector, manufacturing output rose by 4.6 per cent year-on-year, compared to October's revised 15.5 per cent growth.According to data provided, all clusters, except for general manufacturing, recorded growth in November.Biomedical engineering surged by 79.3 per cent year-on-year in November, driven by growth in pharmaceuticals and medical technology.Pharmaceutical output grew by 124.3 per cent in particular, due to increased production of active pharmaceutical ingredients.The second best performing cluster was transport engineering, up 24.2 per cent year-on-year. The aerospace segment in particular expanded by 33.8 per cent, bolstered by higher production of aircraft parts and sustained maintenance, repair and overhaul jobs from commercial airlines.

A 57-year-old man who allegedly assaulted a 73-year-old man in Woodlands Mart on Dec 21 was taken back to the crime scene on Friday (Dec 26) as part of a police probe. Teo Eng Chye is accused of causing grievous hurt to victim Foo Suan Chew at the Fork & Spoon food court. Foo's thyroid cartilage was fractured and he later died in hospital. Teo arrived at the neighbourhood mall in a police car at about 10.40am on Friday wearing a face mask as well as wrist and ankle restraints. Flanked by investigators, he was led around the food court, and then to a table in a corner as curious members of the public peered in from the glass entrance. He was then escorted to the establishment's toilet and questioned there for about an hour. AsiaOne understands that Teo and Foo began fighting in the toilet.

National water agency PUB will call for a tender on Friday (Dec 26) to study the feasibility for a potential new water desalination plant in Singapore. The city-state currently has five operational desalination plants: three in Tuas South, and one each at Marina East and Jurong Island. In a statement on Friday, PUB said the feasibility study is expected to take around 10 months to complete. «[It] will entail the development of various plant design options, and assessments on the technical feasibility and economic viability of the proposed designs,» said the agency, adding that the study will also assess the viability of a dual-mode plant similar to the existing plant in Marina East. A dual-mode desalination plant is equipped with the capability to treat either seawater of freshwater, with the flexibility to switch between modes, thereby enhancing the weather-resilience of Singapore's water supply. PUB expects the feasibility study to incorporate lessons learnt from existing desalination plants, such as including higher multi-storey buildings and deeper basements to house treatment facilities. 

An Airbnb in Johor Bahru was allegedly left in a state of complete disarray after a Singaporean man vomited all over the property and caused damages amounting to $1,430.Eva Er, the Airbnb owner, made a Facebook post on Monday (Dec 22) detailing the incident that happened the day prior.Er said that the Singaporean man rented her unit for six days — from Dec 15 to Dec 21 — and looked younger than 30 years old, reported China Press.The 32-year-old also noted that communication during check in was smooth and that he was polite when asking questions.Nauseating smell of vomit, green stainsAccording to Er, the Singaporean man did not respond to repeated phone calls on the day he was supposed to check out.She subsequently entered the unit with a security guard and a cleaner to check on the unit, and found him laying naked on the sofa.«When I opened the door to my room, there was a strong smell of vomit, which made me feel nauseous,» she said.Photos attached to the post showed trails of green and brown vomit on the floor and bedsheets.

A man who said he and former lawyer M Ravi were taking drugs before the latter died was charged in court on Friday (Dec 26) for allegedly arranging a gathering where controlled drugs were consumed. Shawn Loo Zhi Jian, 40, had allegedly arranged a gathering with Ravi to consume methamphetamine at an Upper Boon Keng Road flat on Dec 24 between 1 am and 5am, according to court documents. He is expected to be back in court on Jan 2, 2026. Loo is an assistant vice president at a foreign bank, according to his LinkedIn profile. In a joint statement on Friday, the police and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said the 40-year-old Singaporean, previously identified only as «A», knew Ravi since 2023 and that the two had met through a social networking app. «The 40-year-old man stated that they had met at the Ravi's apartment on Dec 24 to consume drugs, which allegedly came from both of them, and engage in other activities,» the statement read. The statement did not elaborate on what these «other activities» are. 

A man who said he and former lawyer M. Ravi were taking drugs before the latter died was charged in court on Friday (Dec 26) for allegedly arranging a gathering where controlled drugs were consumed. Shawn Loo Zhi Jian, 40, had allegedly arranged a gathering with Ravi to consume methamphetamine at an Upper Boon Keng Road flat on Dec 24 between 1 am and 5am, according to court documents.He is expected to be back in court on Jan 2, 2026.Loo is an assistant vice president at a foreign bank, according to his LinkedIn profile. In a joint statement on Friday, the police and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that the 40-year-old Singaporean, previously identified only as “A”, knew Ravi since 2023 and that the two had met through a social networking app. “The 40-year-old man stated that they had met at the Ravi’s apartment on Dec 24 to consume drugs, which allegedly came from both of them, and engage in other activities,” the statement read.The statement did not elaborate on what these “other activities” are.According to Loo, Ravi later began to exhibit “concerning symptoms” and became unresponsive. 

A man who said he and former lawyer M. Ravi were taking drugs before the latter died will be charged in court on Friday (Dec 26) for allegedly arranging a gathering where controlled drugs were consumed. In a joint statement on Friday, the police and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that the 40-year-old Singaporean, previously identified only as “A”, knew Ravi since 2023 and that the two had met through a social networking app. “The 40-year-old man stated that they had met at the Ravi’s apartment on Dec 24 to consume drugs, which allegedly came from both of them, and engage in other activities,” the statement read.The statement did not elaborate on what these “other activities” are.According to the man, Ravi later began to exhibit “concerning symptoms” and became unresponsive. He went on to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and called for the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) assistance. Ravi was taken unconscious by SCDF paramedics to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead at 6.50am. He was 56 years old.

Graffiti was found on walls and vehicles parked at Praisehaven - The Salvation Army on Christmas (Dec 25) morning. Photographs posted on Sgfollowsall's Instagram account show at least three parked vans and two walls covered with pieces of cloth at the Upper Bukit Timah premises. According to the post, staff from the outlet found «several parts of the walls and vehicles» spray painted red, adding that the words were «ill-intended». «Rags have been placed over the sprayed area and (the) Christmas celebration event is currently ongoing,» according to the post.«The police is on scene and currently investigating the matter».It is unknown what the spray painted words were, although AsiaOne understands that workers have started to paint over them.Three pictures posted by Sgfollowsall showing graffiti sprayed on vehicles and walls at The Salvation Army's premises along Upper Bukit Timah Road.