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  A Singaporean family's trip to Johor Bahru turned into a stressful ordeal on December 18, 2024, when they discovered their car had been broken into while they were shopping. Azhar, who was traveling with his wife and their one-year-old son, had borrowed his colleague's car for the trip. They arrived at Little Genius Baby Products Centre in Tebrau 3 around 10 am, parking the car before heading into the store to shop. When they returned to the car at noon, they found the right passenger window shattered. A backpack, left visibly on the back seat, was missing. The stolen items included a hot water thermos for their son and the wife's AirPods. Azhar explained, "We thought it was broad daylight, and the compound was supposed to have security walking around." He speculated that the thief may have targeted the car because it was an older Hyundai Sonata without an alarm system. The Aftermath The family had to abandon their plans for the day, which included visiting an i...

  Credit: Singapore Police Force On December 24, 2024, a 24-year-old man was arrested for allegedly causing grievous hurt to a 25-year-old man with a knife along Jalan Besar Road. The incident occurred around 3:40 am on Christmas Eve, following a prior dispute between the two men. The victim sustained laceration wounds and was conscious when transported to the hospital for medical treatment. The suspect fled the scene immediately after the attack. However, officers from the Central Police Division swiftly identified him and apprehended him later the same day at a residential unit in Keat Hong Close. During the arrest, a 19-year-old woman was also detained for allegedly harboring the suspect. Legal Implications The suspect is expected to face charges on December 26, 2024. If convicted of voluntarily causing grievous hurt with a weapon, he may face life imprisonment or a prison term of up to 15 years, along with a possible fine or caning. Additionally, the police issued a reminder to...

  Credit: Singapore Police Force The police arrested a 27-year-old woman on December 22, 2024, for her alleged involvement in a loanshark harassment case in Woodlands. The incident was reported the day prior when graffiti was found sprayed on the wall beside a residential unit along Woodlands Street 41, accompanied by a debtor’s note left on the floor in front of the unit. Using police camera footage and investigative efforts, officers from the Woodlands Police Division identified the suspect and apprehended her within four hours of the report. A debtor’s note was seized as evidence. Preliminary investigations indicate the suspect may be linked to multiple similar harassment cases across Singapore. The suspect will be charged in court under the Moneylenders Act 2008 on December 23, 2024. First-time offenders convicted of loanshark harassment face penalties that include fines ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, imprisonment of up to five years, and up to six strokes of the cane. The pol...

  Credit: SCDF Facebook On Christmas Eve, about 50 residents were evacuated from Block 921 Tampines Street 91 after a fire broke out in a Housing Board flat. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) stated that the fire likely started from a power-assisted bicycle (PAB) battery that was charging in the unit's bedroom. The incident occurred around 9:40 PM, with firefighters from Tampines Fire Station and Changi Fire Station responding promptly. Upon arrival, responders encountered thick black smoke emanating from the first-floor unit. The fire was confined to the bedroom and was successfully extinguished using a water jet. Fortunately, no one was home at the time, and no injuries were reported. As a precaution, SCDF and the police evacuated around 50 residents from the block. Ambulance assistance was not required. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers associated with charging batteries for mobility devices. The SCDF advised the public to refrain from leaving batter...

  A 33-year-old Singaporean man, Chua Wang Cheng, also known as Cai Wangchen, was sentenced to six months in jail on December 23 for creating fake social media accounts to post anti-Islamic content under another person’s identity. Chua was convicted of one charge under the Protection from Harassment Act and two charges of deliberately sharing content intended to wound the religious feelings of Muslims. Four additional charges were considered during sentencing. The court heard that Chua’s actions stemmed from a grudge he held against the victim, a former acquaintance he had met in 2011 during national service. Chua found the victim to be arrogant and sarcastic, which led to years of resentment. In February 2019, Chua created a Facebook account using the victim’s name and photograph. He added over 600 Facebook users as "friends" and began posting inflammatory content designed to incite hatred among Singapore’s racial and religious groups. After complaints were lodged, the polic...

  A 49-year-old man, Lim Hwa Ghee, was sentenced to a 10-day short detention order on December 24 for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Ms. Chua Sok Hoon, during a heated altercation shortly after their breakup. The court considered one charge of voluntarily causing hurt, with another charge of criminal intimidation taken into account for sentencing. Lim and Ms. Chua, aged 46, had been living together in her flat until their relationship ended following an argument in April 2023. Two days after the breakup, on April 8, Lim returned to the flat to discuss their relationship and his living arrangements. This discussion escalated into a violent confrontation. During the dispute, Ms. Chua grabbed Lim's shirt to prevent him from leaving the flat, which led Lim to push her shoulders. When she slapped him in response, he retaliated by slapping her twice. Lim then fetched a kitchen chopper, dragged her to the bedroom, and pinned her chest down on the bed. He swung the chopper beside her face s...

  On December 21, the Singapore Police conducted an unusual anti-drink driving operation on the Central Expressway (CTE) in the early hours, targeting motorists leaving the city after 2 AM. This initiative was part of an extensive islandwide crackdown on drink driving, following statistics showing that drink driving had caused 10 fatalities in the first 10 months of 2024. The roadblock, located just before the Jalan Bahagia exit towards Ang Mo Kio, closed two lanes of the four-lane expressway and caused a tailback over a kilometer long. The delays frustrated some motorists, leading to honking that disturbed nearby residents. The police justified the roadblock, emphasizing the necessity of conducting such operations on expressways to deter offenders effectively. According to the authorities, this was the first time in over a decade that a roadblock had been set up on an expressway. Bernard Tay, chairman of the Singapore Road Safety Council, explained that the operation targeted year...

  A 21-year-old man was arrested after allegedly stabbing a 25-year-old food delivery rider with a Swiss Army knife at Block 214 Marsiling Lane on December 22. The incident occurred around 10:35 PM, following a dispute over payment. Passers-by detained the attacker until police arrived, and he will be charged with voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in jail, fines, caning, or a combination of these penalties. The delivery rider, identified by his brother Daniel, was making a delivery when the altercation occurred. According to Daniel, the accused initially indicated he would pay S$50 in cash and instructed the rider to prepare S$33 in change. The rider suggested using PayNow for the change instead, explaining that he did not have the cash readily available. This proposal reportedly angered the accused, who responded rudely through text. Upon arriving at the HDB block, the rider notified the accused and asked for the unit number, w...

  A 27-year-old man, Aaryan Raina Gobinath, was sentenced to 14 weeks in jail on December 23 after being found guilty of threatening to distribute intimate videos of his ex-girlfriend. He admitted to one amalgamated charge of making such threats, knowing they would distress the victim. Another amalgamated charge for making non-consensual recordings was considered during sentencing. The victim, whose identity is protected by a gag order, had been in a relationship with Gobinath before they broke up and remained friends. However, their relationship turned sour when Gobinath secretly recorded intimate videos of her. Using the screen recording function, he captured two videos during video calls in October 2022. Additionally, he recorded two other videos during their interactions in October and November 2022. Except for the November recording, all were made without her consent. The situation escalated on November 19, 2022, when Gobinath quarreled with the victim and threatened to share ...

  A tragic incident involving two elderly neighbors unfolded on December 22 at Block 805 King George’s Avenue. The conflict began when 69-year-old Cai Jintong, reportedly upset over his neighbor’s failure to apologize for an undisclosed issue, decided to confront the 71-year-old man with a stick outside his flat. The confrontation quickly escalated into a physical fight, during which the older man allegedly drew a knife. Eyewitness accounts suggest that Mr. Cai sustained injuries during the altercation. Following the fight, he managed to leave the scene but collapsed near the lift entrance of the block. Bystanders reported seeing him unconscious, and emergency services were called. Tragically, Mr. Cai, who was believed to have pre-existing heart conditions, was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital. Initial investigations by the authorities confirmed that the two men had engaged in a heated argument, which escalated into a physical brawl. The 71-year-old man was arrest...

  MaNaDr Clinic has been stripped of its license following investigations into extremely short teleconsultations. The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced this decision on December 20, stating that the clinic would no longer provide outpatient services at its premises at 371 Beach Road City Gate, patients’ homes, or via teleconsultations. The clinic received a notice in October from MOH indicating the intention to revoke its license. After reviewing the findings and MaNaDr Clinic’s responses, MOH determined that the clinic operated with a culture that disregarded ethical and clinical standards. This assessment stemmed from the observation of widespread inappropriate practices, including teleconsultations of very short durations. MOH revealed that in a sampled month, over 100,000 teleconsultations conducted by MaNaDr Clinic lasted one minute or less. The shortest consultation recorded was a mere second. Such practices pointed to a lack of effective oversight and governance within the ...

  The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has intensified its enforcement efforts against illegal chauffeur services, apprehending 12 drivers at Changi Airport on December 18. In a statement shared on December 19, LTA revealed that these individuals were operating without the required Public Service Vehicle Licence (PSVL) for cross-border trips. Their foreign-registered vehicles have been seized as part of the crackdown. The offenders were found offering unauthorized transportation services within Singapore and between Singapore and Malaysia. LTA has emphasized that such services are unsafe and potentially dangerous, as they may lack proper insurance coverage, thereby putting passengers at significant risk. This latest operation follows similar enforcement actions in August, where 14 drivers were caught for similar violations at Changi Airport. LTA continues to remind the public to avoid unlicensed transport services, highlighting the importance of safety and regulatory compliance. Acco...

  In the early hours of December 20, 2024, a hazardous prank caused significant disruption along Commonwealth Avenue, near Queens Condo and Stirling Road. At approximately 2:00 AM, bicycles were deliberately placed on the road near a bus stop, creating an obstruction that endangered drivers and passengers. A private hire vehicle (PHV) driver encountered the bicycles and was forced to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision. This sudden maneuver caused the passenger’s takeaway food to spill all over the car’s interior. Despite the driver’s efforts to remove two of the bicycles from the road, the incident escalated when a taxi struck one of the remaining bicycles. The taxi driver did not stop after the collision, possibly in shock or unaware of the full extent of the situation. This incident highlights the dangers that PHV drivers and other motorists face on the road daily, particularly from irresponsible acts such as this. Bicycles and other objects left on the road can cause severe...

  Thirty-four drivers, aged between 24 and 63, are set to face court charges on December 19, 2024, for drink driving offences. These motorists were apprehended between August and December 2024 during Police enforcement checks, which detected alcohol consumption through breathalyser tests. Among them, two are repeat offenders, while two others face additional charges for abandoning their vehicles in ways that obstructed traffic and posed risks to others. The two repeat offenders, aged 36 and 44, were stopped on September 30 and November 5, 2024, respectively. Investigations revealed they were driving under the influence of alcohol, and both had prior convictions for drink driving. Being repeat offenders, they will be charged under Section 67(1)(b) and Section 67(2)(b) of the Road Traffic Act 1961. Conviction under these sections carries mandatory imprisonment alongside other penalties. The other two motorists, aged 52 and 33, left their cars in stationary positions that caused incon...

  A dramatic encounter between armed burglars and a house owner in Muar, Johor, went viral after CCTV footage of the incident was shared online. The break-in occurred on Dec 17 at around 5pm, with footage showing two intruders targeting a residential property in broad daylight. The incident began when one burglar climbed over the gate and waited inside the compound. Moments later, a white car reversed into the driveway. One of the burglars, armed with a machete, approached the vehicle and opened a door. Footage showed the burglars entering the house while a woman, identified as the domestic helper, was in the living room with a baby. One intruder walked past her unnoticed before leaving empty-handed. Another clip captured a burglar rummaging through drawers in a separate room, again leaving without items. The homeowner, alerted by surveillance cameras, rushed home with a male relative to confront the burglars. Armed with objects, they engaged in a fight, damaging the burglars' vehi...

  A 27-year-old car salesman, Edwin Toh Jing Wei, was sentenced to 21 months in jail on Dec 19 for scamming six victims, including his neighbor, of $128,603. Driven by a gambling addiction and $50,000 in debts, Toh exploited his position at Privilege Motors to deceive clients into depositing payments into his personal bank account instead of the company's account. The court detailed three key cases: Luxury Car Fraud : On Aug 27, 2023, Toh sold a $190,000 Mercedes-Benz and instructed the buyer to transfer $29,563 to his personal account, claiming it was an outstanding payment. The customer later discovered the company had not received the money. Persistent Deception : On Sept 4, 2023, another Mercedes-Benz buyer transferred $65,164 to Toh after being shown fabricated screenshots of previous transactions. The scam was revealed when the company reported the funds missing. Neighbor Betrayal : On Sept 1, 2023, Toh convinced his neighbor to purchase a Mazda 3 for $16,000. After the neigh...

  On Dec 17, 2024, the Singapore State Courts sentenced Ng Shi Xiang, 38, to a fine of $712,163.76 for conspiring to evade duty and GST by illegally diverting duty-suspended liquor for local sale. This scheme, masterminded by 43-year-old Chua Tong Ling Melvyn, involved falsely declaring the liquor as "sea stores" meant for export. The operation came to light on April 2, 2020, when Singapore Customs officers observed suspicious activity. A lorry carrying duty-suspended liquor left a licensed warehouse but diverted from its intended route to Penjuru Terminal. Four pallets of liquor were seized nearby, triggering an investigation. The investigation revealed that Chua enlisted Ng to locate companies to act as fake exporters. Ng introduced Poh Chee Chean, the director of Universeroc Pte Ltd, who allowed his company to be used in exchange for $5 per carton of liquor declared. Poh provided pre-signed checks and login credentials to facilitate the scheme. To legitimize the fake expor...

A 33-year-old man, Mohd Taufik Hashim, was charged on Dec 18 for attacking three police officers during his arrest in Clementi. He faces multiple charges, including voluntarily causing hurt to public servants, using criminal force, and failing to provide a urine sample for a drug test. The incident occurred on Monday during anti-crime patrols near Clementi Avenue 3. Officers found Taufik in possession of suspected controlled drugs, drug paraphernalia, thread scissors, and a mobile phone allegedly belonging to someone else. When approached, Taufik turned aggressive. He is accused of spitting twice at a sergeant’s face and uniform, punching another officer's cheek, and kicking his chest. These actions resulted in bruises, neck strain, and other injuries. Taufik also allegedly kicked a special constable sergeant, causing additional injuries. At the time of the incident, Taufik was on a remission order following a prison sentence and caning for consuming methamphetamine. Breaching a re...

  Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed The Online Citizen (TOC) to issue correction notices under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) for an article and related social media posts published on Nov 22, 2024. The alternative news outlet was instructed to place the correction notices on its website, Facebook, Instagram, and X posts. MHA stated that TOC’s article falsely alleged that Singapore suppresses dissenting views on the death penalty through the use of POFMA correction directions. The ministry clarified that POFMA directions are only issued when false statements of fact are communicated, and if it is in the public interest to address them. According to MHA, the correction directions do not demand the removal of the original content or adoption of the government’s position. Instead, they require recipients to publish the government’s clarification alongside the original post to allow readers to compare the claims and clarificatio...

  The trial of Jipson Quah, a general practitioner suspended from practice since March 2022, began on Dec 16, 2024, over allegations of administering saline shots instead of Sinopharm vaccines between 2021 and 2022. Quah, alongside his clinic assistant Thomas Chua and Iris Koh, founder of the anti-vaccine group Healing the Divide, faces charges of conspiring to falsify vaccination records. Patients allegedly paid Quah between $1,000 and $6,000 for the saline injections, with the intent to bypass pandemic restrictions on unvaccinated individuals. Quah would record them as having received the Sinopharm vaccine in the Health Promotion Board’s system. Deputy Public Prosecutors outlined the case, referencing police interviews where Quah admitted to administering saline shots to avoid side effects feared by patients, many referred by Koh. The saline injections were priced similarly to the Sinopharm vaccine, but some patients offered substantial "tokens of appreciation," which Quah ...