SINGAPORE – The director of several companies that owe wages to more than 400 migrant workers has been declared bankrupt.
A bankruptcy order was made against Indian national and Singapore permanent resident Ramu Palani Velu on Aug 13.
He is the director of seven local companies that provide air-conditioning, plumbing and building services.
SINGAPORE: The Cabinet changes that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced last week revealed a stark reality facing Singapore: The choices were limited from the numbers available to him.
He had too few cards to play and it showed in the way first-term Members of Parliament have been fast-tracked into political office.
The new line-up featured the promotions of six parliamentarians who had spent most of their careers in the civil service or the miliary and who were elected for the first time in the General Election (GE) last year. Among these, Mr Jeffrey Siow and Mr David Neo were made full ministers while Ms Jasmin Lau was appointed acting minister.
SINGAPORE: A police officer failed in his appeal on Friday (Jul 31) to overturn his conviction and reduce his jail sentence for his role in the fatal abuse of a young Myanmar maid by his ex-wife and former mother-in-law.
High Court Judge See Kee Oon instead increased Kelvin Chelvam’s sentence to 11 years and six months’ jail. He had earlier been sentenced to 10 years’ jail after being convicted at trial over the death of Ms Piang Ngaih Don, who died on Jul 26, 2016, after months of physical abuse.
SINGAPORE: A woman swapped seats with her then-boyfriend after police signalled for their car to stop, then lied that she had been the driver because he was banned from driving.
Carrissa Loh, 30, was sentenced to two weeks' jail and fined S$2,400 (US$1,870) on Friday (July 31). She was also disqualified from holding or obtaining any class of driving licence for a year.
Her ex-boyfriend, Marcus Ng Weii, had earlier been sentenced to five weeks' jail.
A video of a man aggressively demanding a priority seat on the MRT has gone viral, with many netizens suggesting he could simply have asked more politely.
The 30-second video, shared on Facebook by Kelvin Ngui, shows an elderly man confronting another commuter who isn’t visible in the video and is seated in a priority seat.
“F**k you,” he tells the younger man, adding that everyone is looking at him. He asks whether he saw the priority seat sign, before unleashing a string of Hokkien vulgarities.
SINGAPORE: A beauty and wellness chain has agreed to provide up to S$1 million (US$775,000) in refunds to affected customers after an investigation found that some of its employees had used high-pressure sales tactics to induce customers into making purchases they did not intend to make.
DNA Brands, which operates beauty and wellness outlets including The Mineral Boutique, Beautique, SAE-REN, Jingran, Harmonix, Allura and Comfeet, was investigated for unfair sales practices, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) said on Thursday (Jul 30).
SINGAPORE - A man who allowed his two sons to sit on the boot of a moving Porsche was fined $5,000 on July 29.
Prem Anan Sugunakumar, 40, a Singaporean, was also disqualified from driving for six months after pleading guilty to one count of committing a rash act to endanger the personal safety of children below the age of 14.
A Singapore content creator, Kasey Avarielle Low, 28, recently shared her experience confronting a man at a HDB void deck.
He was allegedly taking photos of her butt while she was playing pickleball with friends, she said.
Her video has since racked up more than 500,000 views on Instagram.
Speaking to Mothership, Low said she decided to confront the man because she did not want to "leave it to chance" and let him get away with it.
SINGAPORE: Metro Holdings will stop operating its department stores at Paragon and Causeway Point when the current leases expire, as it intends to progressively move away from traditional large-format department stores.
In a bourse filing on Monday (Jul 20), Metro said the shift follows a "strategic review" of its retail operations as it seeks to better align with evolving consumer preferences, shopping habits and market trends.
A British man will be charged in court on Saturday (July 18) after he was arrested for allegedly stealing from retail shops in Changi Airport.
Police said in a news release on Friday night that they were alerted to a case of shop theft at The Shilla Cosmetics & Perfumes outlet, located in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 3, on Wednesday night.
The 56-year-old's alleged offence came to light when a retail staff discovered a missing item from the Chanel display shelf and went on to review closed circuit television (CCTV) footage.
A 22-year-old British man was convicted of assaulting a 66-year-old private-hire vehicle driver in Singapore.
The driver sustained fractures to his skull and died about a year after the incident on Jun. 14, 2025.
Oruche Morgan Fidelis pleaded guilty to an amended charge of using criminal force after pleading not guilty to the original charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt on Jul. 15, Shin Min Daily News reported.
SINGAPORE: Over four years, a domestic helper emptied her employer's safe of more than S$217,000 (US$168,000) in cash and jewellery, using the stolen proceeds to buy condominium units, cars and land in the Philippines.
Raguindin Alma Bassig, 47, a Philippine national, was sentenced to three years and two months' jail on Friday (Jul 17) after pleading guilty to two counts of theft by a servant.
An Irish transit passenger who grabbed a Changi Airport duty manager by the collar and struck him in the face after downing five bottles of alcohol was fined $1,000.
Taylor Douglas Michael, a 47-year-old Irish national, pleaded guilty on July 13 to one charge of using criminal force. Another charge under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act was taken into consideration during sentencing.
According to Shin Min Daily News, Michael, an electronics engineer, was transiting through Singapore on his way back to Ireland. He remained in the transit area of Changi Airport Terminal 1 from 10.36pm on June 7 to 12.11am the following day.
During that time, he became heavily intoxicated and started causing a disturbance, which led to a police report.
With the help of Michael’s female companion, a 44-year-old airport duty manager located the Irish national and escorted him to an information counter.
While walking there, Michael suddenly became agitated and began shouting. Despite efforts by his partner and the manager to calm him down, he remained uncooperative and was subsequently brought to Gate D41 to be seated in a wheelchair.
Michael initially complied, but suddenly stood up, grabbed the duty manager by the collar, and shoved him. He then flailed his arms and struck the manager on the left cheek.
His companion immediately stepped in to assist the duty manager, and the two pinned the Irish national to the ground until police arrived and arrested him.
During investigations, Michael admitted that he had consumed four bottles of vodka and one bottle of gin before the arrest.
In mitigation, Michael told the court that he has a mental illness and had been travelling home to seek treatment, appealing for leniency.
The taxi driver who lost consciousness while driving on the East Coast Parkway has died, police said in an update on Friday (July 10).
During the Monday incident, the 73-year-old male driver was ferrying a woman named Winnie Lee and her six-year-old son. After realising he had become unresponsive, they exited the ComfortDelGro taxi.
In response to AsiaOne's queries today, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted at about 12.50pm on Monday.
The man was taken unconscious to the hospital where he subsequently died, the police added.
Lee, 36, previously told AsiaOne that she was heading towards Crawford Lane to meet her husband for lunch when she noticed the bushes along the expressway's guardrails brushing against the car's window.
A ComfortDelGro spokesperson had told AsiaOne earlier that the driver was taken to a hospital and was receiving medical attention.
Police investigations are ongoing.
A woman was alarmed after she noticed two holes in the wall while showering in a temporary toilet during Home Improvement Plan (HIP) works at her home in Serangoon.
In a Xiaohongshu post uploaded on June 20, the user warned other women to be alert while using temporary shower facilities, adding that one of the holes was positioned at about chest height.
She said that she was showering late at night after working later than usual, when she noticed holes in the wall.
The woman tried to cover one of the holes with toilet paper after noticing that the hole was completely see-through. As she was doing so, she said someone tried to block the hole with a "stone-like" object.
Startled, the user hit the wall and cursed loudly, before noticing that the other hole was also subsequently blocked.
The resident said she no longer felt comfortable using the shower and left shortly after rinsing off.
When the user tried to see who was behind the cubicles, she said there was a barrier and the area was not accessible to the average person.
She added that she made a police report after the incident.
In the comments, the user told a netizen that this incident occurred at Block 536 Serangoon North Avenue 4.
Responding to AsiaOne, the user said that this occurred at about 11pm on June 19.
The resident, who declined to be named, said that her house was undergoing HIP works for 10 days, and that she had been using the temporary shower for four days up till that point.
"I was shocked when I found out. Since then, I've developed a phobia because of what happened. I no longer feel safe showering in that toilet," she told AsiaOne.
In a statement to AsiaOne, HDB said that it is aware of feedback from a resident at Block 536 Serangoon North Avenue 4, regarding two holes found in the wall of a temporary toilet cubicle provided for residents whose units are undergoing HIP works.
The HIP Information Centre first received feedback from a resident on the night of June 19, it added.
"The area immediately behind the toilet cubicles is enclosed and kept locked at all times as it houses the temporary sanitary pipes and water heaters, and is only accessible to authorised personnel. The area is also patrolled by a security guard regularly and throughout the day," HDB said.
The board also said that the two holes were previously drilled to install a soap holder, which has since been relocated after feedback from residents.
The holes were caused by the relocation of the soap holder and should have been sealed immediately in accordance with existing procedures, it added.
The holes were sealed the following morning after HDB received the resident's feedback.
HDB also said that the HIP contractor has reached out to the resident to update her on the findings of the investigation, as well as the follow-up actions taken, including the planned installation of a security camera to monitor access to the enclosed area.
The resident confirmed with AsiaOne that HDB contacted her a few days after the incident.
"The safety of our residents is of paramount importance. Arising from this incident, HDB will impose demerit points and a fine on the HIP contractor for breaching the operating procedures," the board concluded.
"We have reminded the contractor to seal any created holes immediately and ensure that the toilet conditions are inspected daily."
Residents who wish to provide feedback can reach out to the HIP Information Centre for assistance, it added.
SINGAPORE — A 32-year-old man who tried to rape a former flatmate failed in his appeal for a retrial, and instead had his jail term increased by just over a year for the "troubling" way he had argued his appeal.
Gao Xiong, who was a PhD student at the time of his offences, was originally sentenced on Dec 1, 2025, by the High Court to six years, six months and six weeks' jail, as well as three strokes of the cane.
He was represented by a lawyer when he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted rape and three counts of criminal trespass.
At his appeal hearing on May 12, the Chinese national, who did not have a lawyer, claimed that he was "confused" when he pleaded guilty and that he was not given the opportunity to address the court.
Gao also blamed the victim for causing him to perpetuate the crime. He even tried to blame her flatmate, who had dragged him away from the woman, claiming that the intervention prevented him from apologising to the victim.
On July 3, the Court of Appeal increased Gao's jail term to seven years, seven months and six weeks.
The jail term for the attempted rape charge was raised from six years and six months to seven years and seven months. The six-week jail term for the most serious trespass charge was unchanged.
The court, comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Tay Yong Kwang and Justice Hri Kumar Nair, found it appropriate to enhance Gao's sentence on account of his conduct, which "plainly constituted an abuse of the court's process".
The court said Gao had sought to undermine the integrity and propriety of the High Court proceedings during which he pleaded guilty by making baseless claims.
There was no doubt that the High Court judge was meticulous and took all necessary steps to ensure that he fully understood the charges and the statement of facts that he fully accepted.
The court noted that Gao was represented by a lawyer at the time, and that an interpreter was present to ensure that he understood the proceedings.
When Gao appeared unclear, the judge stood down the proceedings so that his lawyer could speak to him to confirm that he wished to plead guilty, the court pointed out.
"It is evident from the appellant's conduct in the appeal that he utterly lacked any insight into or remorse for his offending behaviour," the court added.
Aside from trying to shift the blame to others, Gao also downplayed the harm which he had caused to the victim.
Gao and the victim, a Chinese national completing her tertiary studies in Singapore at the time of the offences, used to live in separate rooms in a condominium unit, alongside other tenants.
He was already living there when the victim, who was then 22 years old, moved in on July 10, 2023.
Gao moved out at the end of August 2023.
In early October 2023, he began texting her to ask her out.
She rejected him and told him to stop bothering her, but he continued to pester her.
On Oct 8, 2023, when he returned to the unit to look for her, she called the police.
Gao left when the police arrived, but remained at the bus stop outside overnight, and continued to send her text messages.
The next day, Oct 9, the victim decided to stay in her room.
Gao returned to the unit that night and was let in by one of the tenants.
After the victim opened her room door in response to his knocks, he told her he had left his bank card in the unit and said he wanted to apologise for his angry texts the night before.
She rejected the apology and said she would be calling the police. The woman tried to close the door, but he forced his way into the room.
He pushed her to the floor, pulled at her dress and exposed himself.
On hearing the victim's screams, one of the other tenants dragged Gao out of her room.
Gao remained in the unit, and the victim eventually got one of her roommates to call the police.
Gao was initially remanded after he was charged on Oct 11, 2023, with attempted rape.
After he was bailed out on May 2, 2024, he committed further incidents of trespass.
On May 10, 2024, while he was at the State Courts for a pre-trial conference, he insisted on speaking to the judge who was in a separate room.
Ignoring a "no entry" sign, he entered a room marked Chamber 8-40 and left only when a staff member went to get help. At some point, the panic alarm was activated.
He also returned to the condo unit in an attempt to persuade his victim to withdraw her allegations against him.
On May 5, 2024, he was told that she had moved out. He went back again on May 26, 2024, to get her contact number, but to no avail.
Gao was remanded again on May 31, 2024, after his bailor discharged himself.
In its judgment, the Court of Appeal also established a three-stage framework for judges in sentencing criminal attempt offences.
The first stage is to determine the starting sentence by considering the actual steps taken in the attempt.
Next, the judge should determine the discount to be given based on the progress of the attempt and whether the offender voluntarily stopped his actions or was prevented by external factors.
Finally, the sentence should be adjusted based on aggravating or mitigating factors specific to each offender.
Gao's case is the first matter before the apex court involving a criminal attempt offence after the Penal Code was amended to abolish the statutory one-half sentencing limit for criminal attempt offences.
Previously, the imprisonment term that can be imposed on a person who tries but fails to commit an offence was capped at half the maximum sentence of a completed offence.
Courts are no longer bound by this rule. The law now states that attempts with no explicit punishment provision shall be "punished with such punishment as is prescribed for that offence".
SINGAPORE – A Singaporean man was fined RM20,000 (S$6,300) in Malaysia for illegally filling his Singapore-registered car with subsidised RON95 petrol in April.
He pleaded guilty in a Johor court, and was sentenced on July 2 to a RM20,000 fine, or three months’ jail in default, Malaysian news outlets New Straits Times (NST) and Astro Audio reported.
The man, who is in his 50s, paid the fine on the same day.
He was caught on April 9 during an operation by officers from Malaysia’s Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN).
Investigations found that he had committed an offence under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 by buying the subsidised petrol using a foreign-registered vehicle.
Johor KPDN director Lilis Saslinda Pornomo said the successful prosecution proved the ministry’s continuous commitment to combating the misappropriation of controlled goods to protect consumer interests and ensure national supply stability, NST reported.
The law allows enforcement action to be taken against both petrol station operators found selling RON95 to foreign-registered vehicles, as well as the drivers and owners of such vehicles.
Previously, only petrol station operators were subject to legal action.
The first person to be arrested after the ban came into place was a man who filled his Singapore-registered car with the subsidised petrol at a station in Johor Bahru on April 9.
A petrol station near Kuala Lumpur was also being investigated in April after a motorist driving a Singapore-registered car was caught filling up with RON95 petrol.
KPDN said then that a case has been filed against the petrol station, and copies of related documents were later seized for further action and investigation.
Lazada has retrenched 5 per cent of its Southeast Asian workforce, including an undisclosed number of employees in Singapore.
On Tuesday (June 23), a Lazada spokesperson told AsiaOne that the e-commerce platform is "reviewing selected roles across Southeast Asia".
The company did not disclose which roles were affected in the exercise, but said the review is in line with its "continued effort to ensure the organisation remains focused, efficient, and aligned with current business needs".
The cuts are not part of artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives, Business Times reported.
Lazada said it is "working closely with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU), an affiliate of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), to ensure the process is handled responsibly, and support is accorded to affected employees".
It is also working with relevant government entities and agencies across other markets, where required, to "ensure the process is managed in accordance with local requirements and with due consideration for those impacted".
In response to AsiaOne's queries, FDAWU general secretary Sankaradass S Chami said that Lazada had informed the union about the restructuring exercise in advance.
He said that the union will "work closely" with Lazada management to support eligible affected employees through the transition, providing them with a year of union membership and training grant support.
"Where roles are affected, employees will be engaged directly and with care, respect, and dignity," said the Lazada spokesperson.
"We are committed to supporting affected employees through the transition with relevant guidance and support, in line with applicable requirements."
Founded in 2012, the leading Southeast Asian e-commerce company is headquartered in Singapore, with markets in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Philippines.
Lazada's layoffs comes after its rival Shopee cut 8 per cent of its developer workforce in June.
Meta also announced job cuts in May, with about 8,000 people affected as it moves towards reassigning more jobs related to AI.
Lazada's last round of layoffs was in January 2024, impacting both senior and junior workers across the region.