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  A former police officer, previously jailed for corruption, has been convicted of more corruption charges. Station Inspector Poo Tze Chiang, 47, was found guilty on February 28 of soliciting and receiving S$36,000 in bribes from Chen Guangyun, 39, in exchange for helping him avoid prosecution for immigration-related offenses. Poo is currently interdicted from the police force. Chen, a Chinese national, first entered Singapore in 2014 but overstayed illegally. He was convicted in 2017 and sentenced to six months in jail and three strokes of the cane before being deported and banned from returning. However, he re-entered Singapore illegally by boat and was arrested in June 2019. Poo met Chen at a drinking session in 2019 and later claimed he could help reduce Chen’s charges or allow him to remain in Singapore. Desperate to stay in the country, Chen paid Poo in hopes of securing leniency. Poo even told Chen that his "boss" needed money to make the charges disappear. However, Po...

  A 36-year-old doctor, Oh Shen Leong, attempted to evade a police roadblock after a night of drinking and partying. On February 28, he pleaded guilty to failing to stop at the roadblock and driving without reasonable consideration for others. A third charge, for providing false information, will be considered during sentencing on April 17. On September 8, 2023, Oh had dinner with two friends, Chew and Low, before heading to Capital Zouk at Clarke Quay. During the night, he consumed a glass of wine, followed by gin and tonic and whiskey with Coke. At around 3 am on September 9, the trio decided to leave. Chew, who had driven her car to Clarke Quay, handed Oh the keys, believing he was in the best condition to drive. While driving towards Chew’s home, Oh exited the East Coast Parkway (ECP) and spotted a police roadblock at Tanjong Katong Road South. Aware that he had been drinking, he decided to avoid the checkpoint by reversing the vehicle onto the expressway and taking an alternat...

  A former principal research fellow at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Jason Scott Herrin, was sentenced to six months in jail on February 28 for possessing obscene photos of children. The 50-year-old American, who has since been fired from NTU, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child abuse material. Three other charges, including communicating with another person to offer 12-year-old girls money for sexual services and possessing 31 obscene films, were taken into consideration during sentencing. The case came to light in 2020 when Herrin’s phone was seized by the Police following an unrelated report. A forensic examination of the device revealed 90 obscene photographs depicting girls in various states of undress. Investigations showed that Herrin had been downloading such material since 2019. Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheldon Lim noted that while Herrin’s guilty plea was a mitigating factor, it came late in the legal process, after significant delays. Herrin was ...

  A 44-year-old man, Yoong Kok Kai, is facing serious legal consequences after a night of excessive drinking led to a high-speed crash at Tuas Checkpoint, leaving auxiliary police officer Ng Yi Shu, 30, in a vegetative state. Yoong has pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt by dangerous driving and driving under the influence. His sentencing is scheduled for March 17, 2025. On March 23, 2023, Yoong began drinking at 5 PM at a restaurant, consuming 1½ pints of beer before heading to another eatery where he drank whiskey. Later, he visited a pub and shared a three-litre beer tower with a waitress. Despite being intoxicated, he decided to drive home at 11:40 PM. For unknown reasons, he ended up near Tuas Checkpoint instead of heading home to Yishun. Speed cameras recorded him driving at 134 km/h on the Ayer Rajah Expressway, far exceeding the 90 km/h limit. Approaching Tuas Checkpoint, he was still speeding at 119 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. As he reached a bend near the checkpoint, safe...

  In Singapore, a four-car collision on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) near Paya Lebar resulted in two vehicles catching fire on the night of February 27, 2025. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the accident at around 10:15 pm, shortly after the Paya Lebar Road exit in the direction of Changi. Despite the dramatic scene, no injuries were reported. Videos circulating online revealed that one of the vehicles involved was a taxi. ComfortDelGro, the taxi operator, later confirmed that their cab was part of the accident but assured the public that the driver was unharmed and that no passengers were inside at the time. The company also stated that they would be assisting the authorities with their investigations. Local resident Andrew Goh, a 35-year-old tutor, happened to be taking his nightly walk nearby when he noticed a bright orange glow coming from the flyover above him. At first, he did not realize what was happening, but he soon saw that a large fire had bro...

  Two men, aged 21 and 56, have been arrested for their suspected involvement in separate loanshark harassment cases in Singapore. The arrests were made following police investigations into incidents of vandalism and intimidation linked to illegal moneylending activities. In the first case, which occurred on the morning of February 24, 2025, the police were alerted to a case of loanshark harassment at a residential unit along Serangoon North Avenue 4. The unit’s main door was splashed with red paint, and a debtor’s note was left outside. This type of harassment is a common intimidation tactic used by loansharks to threaten borrowers into repaying their debts. Officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division launched an investigation, reviewing security camera footage from police-installed surveillance systems. Their efforts quickly led to the identification of a 21-year-old suspect, who was arrested later that same day. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is linked to mult...

  A 55-year-old man betrayed the trust of his daughter and violated the sanctity of their home by sexually assaulting her over a period of three years. The abuse began when the girl was just 11 years old and continued until she was sent to a foster home in 2022, following her parents’ separation in 2021. The assaults came to light in 2023 when the daughter confided in her foster parents, who immediately reported the matter to her child protection officer. The man, who cannot be named to protect the victim’s identity, married his wife in 2006, and the couple had two daughters, including the victim. The family shared a bedroom with four single mattresses placed side by side. The man would sleep beside his wife, followed by their two daughters. The abuse occurred during this shared sleeping arrangement. The first incident took place between 2018 and April 2019, when the man waited until everyone was asleep before molesting his 11-year-old daughter. He kissed her on the lips, touch...

  On February 25, 2025, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) conducted a major anti-drug operation, leading to the arrest of two Singaporean men and the seizure of a large assortment of illegal substances. The estimated street value of the confiscated drugs exceeded SGD 135,000, and the amount seized was enough to sustain approximately 490 drug users for a week. The operation took place late at night in the Redhill Road area. CNB officers detained two suspects who were standing beside a car. The first suspect, a 37-year-old man, was then escorted to his nearby residential unit, where officers conducted a thorough search. The search resulted in the discovery of a substantial quantity of drugs, including 1,890g of cannabis, 139g of ketamine, 102g of methamphetamine (commonly known as ‘Ice’), 69g of cocaine, 93g of ‘Ecstasy’, 408 Erimin-5 tablets, 188 LSD stamps, 49 bottles of GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), and 36 vape devices suspected to contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Simultaneousl...

  A 56-year-old woman was arrested upon her return to Singapore on February 17 for her suspected involvement in a shop theft case at Changi Airport. The incident occurred on January 7 when an employee at a retail store in Terminal 4’s transit area discovered that a handbag worth $716 was missing from the display shelf. Surveillance footage showed that the suspect, a Chinese national, had entered the store, taken the handbag, and placed it on her luggage trolley before leaving the premises without making payment. By the time police identified her, she had already left Singapore. More than a month later, on February 17, the suspect returned to Singapore, unaware that authorities had been tracking the case. She was arrested upon arrival at Changi Airport and is set to be charged in court on February 27 with theft in dwelling. If convicted, she could face up to seven years in prison, a fine, or both. Assistant Commissioner of Police M Malathi, Commander of the Airport Police Division, ...

  An 85-year-old doctor, Kho Kwang Po, has been charged in Singapore for making offensive online remarks against Muslims. The case stems from a Facebook post he uploaded on April 21, 2021, which contained statements linking Muslims to violence and crime while also accusing religious leaders of dishonesty. Kho was charged under a law that criminalizes deliberate acts intended to wound the religious or racial feelings of others. If found guilty, he faces a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both. According to the charge sheet, Kho had initially created and posted the remarks several years earlier before reposting screenshots of them in April 2021. The police received reports about his online activity on June 29 and 30, 2021, triggering an investigation. However, Kho left Singapore in January 2022 while investigations were ongoing, only returning in October 2024. Upon his return, legal proceedings resumed, leading to his court appearance on February 26. During the hearing, Kho...

  Police in Johor Bahru (JB) are searching for the driver of an Audi TT involved in a multi-vehicle accident on Feb 25. The vehicle reportedly collided with four cars before the driver fled the scene. Photos of the crash and the alleged driver have been widely circulated on social media, sparking public interest in the incident. A viral Facebook post shared in a local JB group included images of a woman who was said to be behind the wheel of the Audi TT at the time of the crash. The post claimed that after the accident, a man helped the woman out of the car and quickly dragged her away, leaving the scene before authorities arrived. Eyewitnesses also reported smelling alcohol on the woman, leading to speculation that she may have been intoxicated while driving. Additionally, the post described how loud, heavy music was blaring from her car, further fueling speculation about the circumstances leading to the crash. Photos from the scene showed the severe damage caused by the impact. T...

  During the Budget debate in Parliament, Leader of the Opposition and Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh criticized the government’s decision to increase the Goods and Services Tax (GST), arguing that it was unnecessary given Singapore’s strong financial position. He also raised concerns about the government’s ability to accurately project its fiscal needs, labeling it as poor fiscal marksmanship. Singh pointed out that the government had initially projected a fiscal surplus of S$778 million for 2024, but later revised it significantly to S$6.4 billion. The 2025 fiscal surplus is now estimated at S$6.8 billion. He noted a recurring trend where the government predicted budget deficits in past years, only to report large surpluses later. This raised questions about whether the GST hike was truly necessary or if the government had overestimated its financial constraints. He argued that even if an increase was deemed necessary in 2023, the government had room to delay the second hike i...

  A woman previously fined for harassing her neighbor during the Covid-19 outbreak has found herself in legal trouble again. On February 26, 52-year-old Lim Sok Lay was fined $4,000 for her involvement in two separate incidents: disrupting her adult son’s lion dance competition and using criminal force on an acquaintance. Lim’s husband, 60-year-old Cheang Eng Hock, also faces charges related to the lion dance incident and is set to plead guilty on March 19. The couple, who disapproved of their son’s association with the Times Cultural Arts Lion Dance Troupe, decided to confront him and the troupe during a competition at West Coast Community Centre on July 29, 2023. Upon arriving at the venue, they saw their son and the troupe preparing for their performance. Holding cups of coffee, the couple deliberately poured the drinks over a lion dance costume, permanently staining it. Lim also kicked the headpiece of the costume, causing more than $1,300 in damage. The disruption lasted about...

  A newly completed Built-To-Order (BTO) flat in Tengah recently went viral after the homeowner encountered serious water seepage issues. A video circulating online showed water flooding from both the ceiling and a pre-installed Daikin fancoil unit. This incident has raised concerns about the Tengah Town Centralized Cooling System, Singapore’s first large-scale district cooling system for public housing. The Tengah Town Centralized Cooling System is designed to provide energy-efficient air-conditioning by circulating chilled water to homes and commercial buildings within Tengah. Operated by SP Group, the system is meant to offer a more sustainable and cost-effective cooling solution compared to traditional air-conditioning units. However, the viral video has sparked debate over the reliability of this system in actual home settings. In the footage, significant amounts of water were seen seeping from the ceiling, pooling onto the floor, while another part of the room showed water sp...

  A correction notice has been issued to The Online Citizen (TOC) over an article published on February 14 regarding the rental and renovation works at 26 Ridout Road. The order, issued under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), also requires TOC to include similar notices on its social media posts linking to the article. Additionally, a correction order was issued to the YouTube channel Twenty Two Thirty for a video posted on February 16 covering the same topic. Authorities state that this is not the first time TOC has spread misinformation regarding the rental of black-and-white colonial bungalows at 26 and 31 Ridout Road, properties rented by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, respectively. Despite a previous correction order issued on February 18, 2024, TOC continued to make claims suggesting impropriety by the ministers, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), and other public agencies. During ...

  Property technology firm PropertyGuru has laid off 174 employees, affecting 12 percent of its workforce, as it shuts down three business units to focus on its core online marketplace. The affected units are Sendhelper, a property maintenance service acquired in 2022, PropertyGuru Finance, which provided mortgage advice, and its data and software solutions unit. Additionally, the corporate development and investor relations departments will be phased out following the company's transition to a private entity. This restructuring comes after PropertyGuru was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange in December 2024, following a US$1.1 billion (S$1.47 billion) acquisition by EQT Private Capital Asia. A company spokesperson stated that while 34 employees with data and fintech expertise were redeployed, the layoffs were necessary after considering all alternatives. Affected employees span multiple markets and functions. To support those impacted, the company is providing a severance p...

  A tragic bridge collapse at an expressway construction site in Anseong, South Korea, resulted in four deaths and six injuries on Tuesday (Feb 25). Authorities reported that among the deceased were two Chinese nationals, while five of the six injured remain in critical condition. The accident occurred at around 9.50 am local time when workers were installing a deck on the bridge. Ko Kyung-man, an Anseong fire official, explained that all ten workers had been on the deck when the structure suddenly gave way, causing them to fall from both sides. Dramatic footage from local media showed a massive section of the bridge crumbling, sending thick clouds of smoke into the air. Reports indicate that five 50-meter steel structures, which were being lifted into position by cranes, collapsed in succession. Rescue workers at the scene were seen navigating twisted metal beams and shattered concrete as they searched for survivors. Rescue Efforts and Official Response Following the collapse, eme...

  A viral helmet camera video has captured a tense moment at Lucky Plaza, Orchard, where a young boy’s shoe became trapped in an escalator. The footage shows a man with two children heading up the escalator when, near the top, one of the boys’ shoes got caught. Realizing the situation, the man immediately turned back and tried to free the child, but despite his efforts, he was unable to pull him out in time. Fortunately, the person filming the incident quickly reacted and pressed the emergency "stop" button located beside the escalator. This stopped the escalator, preventing further injury. The boy was then instructed to remove his foot from the trapped shoe, allowing him to walk away unharmed. The incident has raised fresh concerns about escalator safety, as it occurred just around the same time as another similar case in Buangkok Mall, where a little girl’s foot got stuck in an escalator. These back-to-back incidents highlight the importance of escalator safety awareness, e...

  Five men were sentenced to jail and caning for their involvement in a violent brawl at Concorde Hotel and Shopping Mall in Orchard Road in 2023, which resulted in the death of a former bouncer. The five, aged between 26 and 34, were convicted of rioting and received sentences ranging from two to three years in jail, along with between two and six strokes of the cane. Those sentenced were: Sridharan Elangovan: 36 months’ jail, six strokes of the cane Manojkumar Velayanatham: 30 months’ jail, four strokes Sashikumar Pakirsamy: 24 months’ jail, two strokes Puthenvilla Keith Peter: 26 months’ jail, three strokes Raja Rishi: 30 months’ jail, four strokes Each had pleaded guilty to rioting, with three of them—Sridharan, Manojkumar, and Sashikumar—linked to a secret society. Another man, Asvain Pachan Pillai Sukumaran, was charged with murder for allegedly stabbing 29-year-old Mohammad Isrrat Mohd Ismail, a former bouncer at Club Rumours. His case is still pending. Court documents revea...

  A Chinese national was sentenced to eight months in jail after being caught stealing from a fellow passenger’s bag on a Scoot flight from Jeju, South Korea, to Singapore. Zhang Youqi, 30, had been working as a tour guide when he committed the theft on February 4. During the flight, Zhang noticed a woman retrieving her brown Gucci bag to take out her credit card when purchasing food. Observing that she was carrying a luxury item, he assumed there were valuables inside. When an opportunity arose, he discreetly took the bag and searched through it. He then removed US$885 (about $1,180) in cash and hid it in another row’s overhead compartment. As he attempted to return the bag to its original place, the woman noticed him and questioned his actions. Zhang falsely claimed that he was searching for his own bag. To appear innocent, he opened several other compartments, pretending to look for his belongings. The woman soon discovered that her money was missing and confronted Zhang, who de...

  DBS Group Holdings has announced plans to reduce its contract and temporary workforce by approximately 4,000 over the next three years as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to replace traditional job functions. Outgoing CEO Piyush Gupta confirmed that the reduction will happen through natural attrition, meaning roles will not be renewed once contracts expire. A DBS spokesperson emphasized that the workforce reduction would not affect permanent employees and is part of the bank’s ongoing digital transformation strategy. However, details on which specific roles will be impacted or the exact number of affected Singapore-based employees were not disclosed. DBS currently employs between 8,000 and 9,000 contract and temporary staff, contributing to its total workforce of around 41,000 employees. As AI and automation take on more tasks, banks worldwide are adapting by restructuring their workforce. The financial sector has been rapidly integrating AI into operations, particularly in...