Singapore



Low Thia Khiang wondered why WP 'took so long' to reveal lie, adds Pritam is 'a good politician'

Former Workers' Party (WP) secretary-general Low Thia Khiang took the stand in his much-anticipated court appearance today (Oct 23), spending less than an hour in the witness box. Low's successor Pritam Singh is accused of lying before the Committee of Privi
Singapore

Low Thia Khiang wondered why WP 'took so long' to reveal lie, adds Pritam is 'a good politician'

Former Workers' Party (WP) secretary-general Low Thia Khiang took the stand in his much-anticipated court appearance today (Oct 23), spending less than an hour in the witness box. Low's successor Pritam Singh is accused of lying before the Committee of Privileges about what he wanted former WP MP Raeesah Khan to do regarding a lie she had made in Parliament. Appearing as a prosecution witness in Singh's trial, Low faced questions from Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Ben Mathias, where he recalled a meeting he had with Singh and WP chair Sylvia Lim at his home on Oct 11, 2021. «Sylvia broke the news to me that Raeesah lied in Parliament,» said the 68-year-old Low. «And she was considering holding a press conference for her to apologise.» Low, dressed in a grey suit and blue long-sleeved shirt, told the court he told the WP leaders that since Khan had lied in Parliament, the correct forum would be to apologise in Parliament. «I asked [Lim] if the Government knew [that Khan had lied], she said the Government did not know and it is not easy to know because there are so many police stations in Singapore,» he added.

'He was very filial': Mum of Clementi stabbing victim devastated by his death

The death of Clementi resident Winson Khoo has left his family devastated. The 41-year-old grassroots volunteer died in hospital after he was allegedly stabbed by 50-year-old Toh Chee Hong at Block 311B Clementi Avenue 4 on Monday (Oct 21). Both men knew
Singapore

'He was very filial': Mum of Clementi stabbing victim devastated by his death

The death of Clementi resident Winson Khoo has left his family devastated. The 41-year-old grassroots volunteer died in hospital after he was allegedly stabbed by 50-year-old Toh Chee Hong at Block 311B Clementi Avenue 4 on Monday (Oct 21). Both men knew each other, the police's preliminary investigations revealed. In an interview with Shin Min Daily News on Wednesday, Khoo's mother said she was unaware of the ill feelings — if any — between her son and Toh. She pointed out that she does not live with her son and does not know details of his daily life. Describing her son as filial and family-oriented, she said that he would bring his wife and their two sons to visit her every weekend. «My son treated us very well and never denied our requests, he was very filial. I'm extremely sad; the more I think about it, the sadder I get,» she said tearfully. A relative told the Chinese evening daily that the family is grieving.

Motorcyclist dies after being crushed between lorry and trailer along KJE

A motorcyclist died following an accident with a lorry and a trailer along the Kranji Expressway (KJE) on Wednesday (Oct 23) morning. In dashcam footage shared on Facebook, a group of bikers can be seen lane splitting on the expressway. As the motorcyclis
Singapore

Motorcyclist dies after being crushed between lorry and trailer along KJE

A motorcyclist died following an accident with a lorry and a trailer along the Kranji Expressway (KJE) on Wednesday (Oct 23) morning. In dashcam footage shared on Facebook, a group of bikers can be seen lane splitting on the expressway. As the motorcyclist speeds up, however, a trailer travelling in the lane to his left accelerates while the lorry in the right lane brakes suddenly. This causes the motorcyclist to collide with the lorry on his right before being crushed between the two vehicles. Multiple chunks of debris are sent flying following the crash and the rider is seen lying on the road. The vehicles involved in the accident as well as the car that captured the footage can be seen stopping along the road. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne that it was alerted to a road traffic accident that occurred along the KJE before Senja Road exit at about 7am on Wednesday. A person was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic, it added. Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that the motorcyclist was a 52-year-old man.

'Million-dollar view': Sengkang resident shares her experience living in award-winning HDB estate

When Farah Charles was selecting a flat in 2017, one of her main considerations was being able to live near her mother and sister, who both have homes in Punggol.  She decided to buy a four-room Build-to-Order (BTO) flat for $317,000 at Sengkang's Riv
Singapore

'Million-dollar view': Sengkang resident shares her experience living in award-winning HDB estate

When Farah Charles was selecting a flat in 2017, one of her main considerations was being able to live near her mother and sister, who both have homes in Punggol.  She decided to buy a four-room Build-to-Order (BTO) flat for $317,000 at Sengkang's Rivervale Shores, an estate which was completed in 2023.  Farah and her husband are currently staying in their new flat over the weekends with their five-year-old daughter. The family plan to officially move into their new home when the school holidays begin next month.  Rivervale Shores comprises 2,500 two-room Flexi, three-, four- and five- room flats across 16 residential blocks on 10-hectares of land, making it HDB's biggest BTO project to date.  Speaking to AsiaOne, the 32-year-old homemaker shared that she was drawn to the estate.

Man sheds tears hugging car he's letting go as COE comes to an end

It's no Romeo and Juliet, but this is a love story that many Singaporeans can sympathise with. TikTok user ntshatan's husband was seen shedding tears and hugging his car, reluctant to part with it, the user shared in a video uploaded on Oct 10. «My hu
Singapore

Man sheds tears hugging car he's letting go as COE comes to an end

It's no Romeo and Juliet, but this is a love story that many Singaporeans can sympathise with. TikTok user ntshatan's husband was seen shedding tears and hugging his car, reluctant to part with it, the user shared in a video uploaded on Oct 10. «My husband had to let go of his car today,» ntshatan wrote in the video. Throughout the video, her husband can be seen gently stroking his Honda Civic and hugging it, staring at it contemplatively. In another instance, he rests his chin on the roof of the vehicle, patting it lovingly. The man is visibly emotional as he inspects his vehicle for the last time, going around it as though to commit the car to his memory. «Breaks my heart to see him cry… but that's the reality of owning a car in Singapore,» ntshtan wrote, referring to the cost of having a Certificate of Entitlement (COE) for cars.

River Valley High School slashing: Teen loses appeal for shorter jail term

SINGAPORE — The Court of Appeal on Oct 23 upheld the sentence of 16 years' jail that was handed down to a teenager who killed his schoolmate at River Valley High School with an axe in 2021. Singapore's highest court dismissed the teen's appeal for a jail
Singapore

River Valley High School slashing: Teen loses appeal for shorter jail term

SINGAPORE — The Court of Appeal on Oct 23 upheld the sentence of 16 years' jail that was handed down to a teenager who killed his schoolmate at River Valley High School with an axe in 2021. Singapore's highest court dismissed the teen's appeal for a jail term of between eight and 10 years. The assailant, who cannot be named for legal reasons as he committed the crime when he was 16 years old, had initially faced a murder charge. It was later reduced to a charge of culpable homicide after he was found to be suffering from major depressive disorder at the time of the killing. He had pleaded guilty to the reduced charge on Dec 1, 2023 and was sentenced to 16 years' jail by the High Court.

Rodent climbing up man's leg at Serangoon coffee shop shocks diners

A relaxing afternoon break at a Serangoon coffee shop was ruined for one man who found an unwelcome visitor in his pants. The incident occcured at about 2pm last Saturday (Oct 19) at a coffee shop at Block 3 Lorong Lew Lian, reported Shin Min Daily News. Th
Singapore

Rodent climbing up man's leg at Serangoon coffee shop shocks diners

A relaxing afternoon break at a Serangoon coffee shop was ruined for one man who found an unwelcome visitor in his pants. The incident occcured at about 2pm last Saturday (Oct 19) at a coffee shop at Block 3 Lorong Lew Lian, reported Shin Min Daily News. The diner surnamed Liang said he had felt something worm its way into the leg of his long pants. «My pant leg felt peculiar, then I realised that something had made its way up to my crotch area,» he recounted. The frightened man immediately stood up, shaking his leg while frantically pulling on his pants. To his surprise, a rodent fell to the ground. «I was shell-shocked and very tense,» he told the Chinese evening daily. «The diners at the next table who witnessed this must have been shocked too.» According to Liang, a female coffee shop employee caught the rodent with tissues and tossed it away. He added that when he requested an explanation from the manager, he was told the rodent may have scampered into the coffee shop from elsewhere. The man said he has also reported the matter to the authorities.

33-year-old man arrested for allegedly running online prostitution ring

A 33-year-old man was arrested on Monday (Oct 21) for allegedly running a prostitution ring. He was arrested along with 16 other individuals in a series of raids conducted by the police within the vicinity of Airport Boulevard, Geylang Road, Dover Road, J
Singapore

33-year-old man arrested for allegedly running online prostitution ring

A 33-year-old man was arrested on Monday (Oct 21) for allegedly running a prostitution ring. He was arrested along with 16 other individuals in a series of raids conducted by the police within the vicinity of Airport Boulevard, Geylang Road, Dover Road, Jurong West Street 64, Minbu Road, Upper Serangoon Road and Upper Thomson Road. The 12 women and five men, aged between 20 and 50, were arrested for their alleged involvement in vice-related and illegal drug activities, according to a police press release. Two of the men — a 38-year-old and a 50-year-old — are also being investigated by the Central Narcotics Bureau for suspected drug-related offences. Investigations against the other individuals are still ongoing. During the raids, the police seized cash amounting to $6,100, mobile phones, vice-related paraphernalia, controlled drugs and drug paraphernalia.

HDB unveils development plans for Sembawang North and Woodlands North Coast, including 12,000 flats

About 14,000 private and public homes are planned for new estates in Sembawang and Woodlands, National Development Minister Desmond Lee announced on Tuesday (Oct 21). The first two Build-To-Order (BTO) housing projects will be launched next year, he added.
Singapore

HDB unveils development plans for Sembawang North and Woodlands North Coast, including 12,000 flats

About 14,000 private and public homes are planned for new estates in Sembawang and Woodlands, National Development Minister Desmond Lee announced on Tuesday (Oct 21). The first two Build-To-Order (BTO) housing projects will be launched next year, he added. Speaking at the yearly HDB Awards ceremony on Tuesday, Lee said that the government will «help Singaporeans fulfil their home ownership aspirations» by maintaining a stable supply of homes to meet «broad-based demand». About 10,000 new homes will be built in Sembawang North, a 53-hectare site within Sembawang town, according to HDB in a press release. At least 80 per cent, or 8,000, will be set aside for public housing. Future residents of Sembawang North can look forward to connectivity initiatives such as the Community Wharves Link - a network of pedestrian connections which will link public housing estates. New recreational, community and commercial facilities - including a neighbourhood centre with retail and dining options - will also be built in the area.

Former national striker Quah Kim Song to marry Workers' Party chair Sylvia Lim in January

The church bells will ring for two familiar faces in Singapore come 2025.  Workers' Party (WP) chair Sylvia Lim and former national striker Quah Kim Song will tie the knot in January.  Lim, a Catholic, told CNA that the ceremony «will take place in
Singapore

Former national striker Quah Kim Song to marry Workers' Party chair Sylvia Lim in January

The church bells will ring for two familiar faces in Singapore come 2025.  Workers' Party (WP) chair Sylvia Lim and former national striker Quah Kim Song will tie the knot in January.  Lim, a Catholic, told CNA that the ceremony «will take place in (a) church, in the presence of family members».  In an interview with AsiaOne, Quah, also a Catholic, shared that their marriage will be solemnised at the St Mary of the Angels in Bukit Batok. Lim was a member and cantor in that church's choir, according to the Catholic News in 2014. «We have been together for 12 years.  »It has been blissful, blessed and wonderful, (so) we decided to tie the knot and journey together all the way", said Quah.  The couple reportedly met at a WP variety show in January 2013. Since then, Quah, 72, has often been featured in Lim's Instagram posts.  Quah is a widower, and Lim has never been married.

Fatal Clementi stabbing: Suspect and victim were linked to grassroots activities

SINGAPORE — The two men were involved in grassroots activities of the Trivelis Residents' Network, which serves the Trivelis estate at Clementi Ave 4. But in the late afternoon of Monday (Oct 21), shouts and screams shattered the peace of the estate as on
Singapore

Fatal Clementi stabbing: Suspect and victim were linked to grassroots activities

SINGAPORE — The two men were involved in grassroots activities of the Trivelis Residents' Network, which serves the Trivelis estate at Clementi Ave 4. But in the late afternoon of Monday (Oct 21), shouts and screams shattered the peace of the estate as one of the men, a 50-year-old, attacked the other man, a 41-year-old. The latter was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital where he died, and the suspect was arrested. They were residents of the estate.

Singapore blocks 10 foreign-linked websites over potential hostile information threat

The authorities have disabled access to 10 inauthentic websites set up by foreign actors. These websites could be used to mount hostile information campaigns (HICs) against Singapore, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Infocomm Media Development A
Singapore

Singapore blocks 10 foreign-linked websites over potential hostile information threat

The authorities have disabled access to 10 inauthentic websites set up by foreign actors. These websites could be used to mount hostile information campaigns (HICs) against Singapore, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in a joint statement on Tuesday (Oct 22).  The Broadcasting Act allows the authorities to issue directions to take action against content that does not comply with regulations.  Investigations revealed that these inauthentic websites were designed to look like genuine Singapore websites through their domain names and incorporating familiar local features and visuals.  Two of the banned websites utilised domain names similar to popular local websites, such as www.zaobaodaily.com, a name similar to local Chinese news outlet Lianhe Zaobao. 

'Without basis': Singapore addresses allegations of criminal prosecution against Lee Hsien Yang amid UK asylum claims

The Singapore government has said that British media outlet The Guardian's proposition that Lee Hsien Yang and his family are victims of baseless and unfounded persecution is itself «without basis».  In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Oct 22),
Singapore

'Without basis': Singapore addresses allegations of criminal prosecution against Lee Hsien Yang amid UK asylum claims

The Singapore government has said that British media outlet The Guardian's proposition that Lee Hsien Yang and his family are victims of baseless and unfounded persecution is itself «without basis».  In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Oct 22), Lee revealed that he sought asylum in the (UK) in 2022 and is now a political refugee.  «The Singapore government's attacks against me are in the public record. They prosecuted my son, brought disciplinary proceedings against my wife, and launched a bogus police investigation that has dragged on for years,» he wrote. «On the basis of these facts, the UK has determined that I face a well-founded risk of persecution, and cannot safely return to Singapore.» He then added that he sought asylum protection as a last resort. «I remain a Singapore citizen and hope that some day it will become safe to return home,» he said.

Woman led to scam site when completing maid's Malaysia arrival card

A woman was filling in a Malaysia Digital Arrival Card for her maid when she was apparently led to a fake link and that took her to a site asking for her credit card details. She lost more than $123 to the scam. Yang, a 52-year-old retiree, told Shin Min D
Singapore

Woman led to scam site when completing maid's Malaysia arrival card

A woman was filling in a Malaysia Digital Arrival Card for her maid when she was apparently led to a fake link and that took her to a site asking for her credit card details. She lost more than $123 to the scam. Yang, a 52-year-old retiree, told Shin Min Daily News that she had gone to Malaysia with her maid at about 4pm on Oct 18. She was told that her maid needed to complete the Malaysian Digital Arrival Card in advance. «I used the maid's phone to find the website and clicked on the first link after searching. After filling in the information, I saw that I was also asked to fill in my credit card information.» Yang then used her own mobile phone to search for the website. «I went to the same website and saw that I was still asked to fill in my credit card details, which I thought was a security measure, so I filled it in.» She then received a text message from the bank within 10 minutes saying that US$94 (S$123) had been charged to her card. Yang immediately called the bank hotline and was told that the bank could not stop the transfer because she had filled in the information herself.

High demand for 2-room flexi flats in October BTO launch: As many as 20 applicants per unit

The October HDB Build-to-Order (BTO) sales exercise has seen a notable increase in demand for two-room flexi flats from first-time single applicants, with up to 20 applicants per unit in some estates. In the recent exercise, eligible first-time singles ca
Singapore

High demand for 2-room flexi flats in October BTO launch: As many as 20 applicants per unit

The October HDB Build-to-Order (BTO) sales exercise has seen a notable increase in demand for two-room flexi flats from first-time single applicants, with up to 20 applicants per unit in some estates. In the recent exercise, eligible first-time singles can now apply for new two-room Flexi flats across projects in all locations under the Housing Board's new classification framework, which deems projects as Standard, Plus or Prime based on factors like proximity to the city centre and transport connectivity, said the Housing Development Board (HDB) in a Facebook post on Monday (Oct 21). In previous exercises, they were limited to applying for projects in non-mature estates. This change led to a pent-up demand for two-room Flexi flats from first-time singles, resulting in an overall surge in BTO applications during this exercise, said HDB. It added that there were nearly 28,200 applications across all flat types received as of 5pm on Monday, with 20 per cent of them being from first-timer single applicants.

Married woman, 75, jailed for opening bank account on behalf of 'online boyfriend'

SINGAPORE — A 75-year-old married woman was sentenced to five weeks' jail on Oct 22 after she opened a bank account on behalf of her «online boyfriend» whom she had met on WhatsApp. Kang Pue Hua then received nearly $260,000 in her account fro
Singapore

Married woman, 75, jailed for opening bank account on behalf of 'online boyfriend'

SINGAPORE — A 75-year-old married woman was sentenced to five weeks' jail on Oct 22 after she opened a bank account on behalf of her «online boyfriend» whom she had met on WhatsApp. Kang Pue Hua then received nearly $260,000 in her account from suspicious sources. Separately, she also lied to the police that she had lost her automated teller machine (ATM) card linked to another account. In reality, she had handed it to her «boyfriend», known as «John Lee Marina», whose actual identity remains unknown. Public defender Vadi P.V.S.S. had earlier asked the court to either call for a report to assess Kang's suitability for probation or sentence her to not more than two weeks' jail. He told Deputy Principal District Judge Ong Chin Rhu that Kang had also been scammed of $20,000. Vadi added that Kang's husband was suffering from multiple health issues and «John» had promised to help her and her spouse. However, on Oct 22, Judge Ong said that probation was not appropriate in this case and that deterrence is the key sentencing consideration for Kang's offences.

$13m Toto jackpot split among 2, one ticket bought at popular Hougang outlet

Two lucky punters walked away with over $6.6 million each in the latest Toto draw that took place on Monday (Oct 21) night. No Group 1 winners were chosen for three consecutive draws prior to Monday, causing the grand prize to snowball to a whopping $13,214,
Singapore

$13m Toto jackpot split among 2, one ticket bought at popular Hougang outlet

Two lucky punters walked away with over $6.6 million each in the latest Toto draw that took place on Monday (Oct 21) night. No Group 1 winners were chosen for three consecutive draws prior to Monday, causing the grand prize to snowball to a whopping $13,214,250. The last time a Group 1 prize snowballed to over $10 million was earlier this year in May when a sole winner took home a total of $13.12 million. The winning numbers for Monday's draw were 4, 13, 19, 44, 46, and 49, with 31 as the additional number.

SBS Transit staff finds $10k cash in envelope on MRT train, returns it to distressed passenger

A customer service officer from SBS Transit was surprised to find a brown envelope containing some $10k wedged between the seats of an MRT train at Harbourfront MRT station on Monday (Oct 21).  Soh Sin Chye, 44, had discovered the envelope while on patrol
Singapore

SBS Transit staff finds $10k cash in envelope on MRT train, returns it to distressed passenger

A customer service officer from SBS Transit was surprised to find a brown envelope containing some $10k wedged between the seats of an MRT train at Harbourfront MRT station on Monday (Oct 21).  Soh Sin Chye, 44, had discovered the envelope while on patrol, and he promptly contacted the Operations Control Centre. He was then instructed to hand over the envelope to the station staff for safekeeping, said SBS Transit in a Facebook post on Monday.  The envelope also contained a passport and an ID card. «I was initially surprised by the amount of money, but my first thought was that it needed to be returned safely— it must have been incredibly important to the owner,» said Soh.

Rise in criminal activity and scams on Telegram worrying: Sun Xueling

SINGAPORE – Scams and other criminal activity on Telegram are extremely concerning, with scammers adding unsuspecting victims to chat groups to cheat them. Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling said this on Oct 21 at the Global Anti-Scam Summit As
Singapore

Rise in criminal activity and scams on Telegram worrying: Sun Xueling

SINGAPORE – Scams and other criminal activity on Telegram are extremely concerning, with scammers adding unsuspecting victims to chat groups to cheat them. Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling said this on Oct 21 at the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2024 at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. She said scammers have pivoted to online platforms, with Telegram emerging as a platform of concern. “Specifically, we have observed that scammers are creating and adding unsuspecting victims into channels and chat groups on Telegram, and deceiving them into parting with their monies,” she added. In the first half of 2024, the number of scam cases reported on Telegram spiked by 137 per cent, compared with the same period in 2023. Common scam types perpetrated on Telegram include investment scams and job scams. Ms Sun added that criminal activities on Telegram are not limited to scams.

Pritam Singh trial: Ex-WP cadre admits breaching explicit instructions not to discuss evidence to COP hearing

Former Workers' Party (WP) member Yudhishthra Nathan admitted in court on Monday (Oct 21) that he had disregarded clear instructions not to discuss evidence that he was supposed to provide to the Committee of Privileges (COP). Nathan was cross-examined by Pr
Singapore

Pritam Singh trial: Ex-WP cadre admits breaching explicit instructions not to discuss evidence to COP hearing

Former Workers' Party (WP) member Yudhishthra Nathan admitted in court on Monday (Oct 21) that he had disregarded clear instructions not to discuss evidence that he was supposed to provide to the Committee of Privileges (COP). Nathan was cross-examined by Pritam Singh's lawyer, Andre Jumabhoy, on the sixth day of the WP chief's ongoing trial. During his cross-examination, Jumabhoy asked the ex-WP cadre if he remembered speaking to fellow member Loh Pei Ying about which text messages to redact when providing evidence to the Committee of Privileges regarding former Sengkang MP Raeesah Khan's conduct in Parliament. Nathan said he and Loh spoke about the overall redaction process, adding that he had told her that he believed private views expressed to Khan after Oct 4, 2021 were «immaterial». The defence lawyer then asked Nathan if he was aware Loh had been told not to discuss her evidence with anybody, and whether Nathan had also been explicitly warned not to do so. «And you leave Parliament, and you do exactly that?» he asked, to which Nathan answered: «Yes.»

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