The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has launched a search and rescue operation after a distress call was received from a Cyprus-flagged passenger vessel, Spectrum of the Seas, reporting that a passenger had fallen overboard in the Singapore Strait. The incident occurred at approximately 7:50 am on 31 July 2023 while the vessel was en route into Singapore.

Upon receiving the notification, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Singapore, which is operated by the MPA, promptly initiated the search and rescue efforts. To aid in the mission, MRCC Singapore issued navigational safety broadcasts to all vessels traversing the Singapore Strait and those in port, urging them to be vigilant and report any sightings of the missing person to the MRCC.

As of the time of this report, the identity of the missing passenger and the circumstances surrounding the incident have not been disclosed. Authorities are actively investigating the matter to determine the sequence of events that led to the passenger falling overboard.

Following the incident, the passenger vessel Spectrum of the Seas was brought to a berth in Singapore to support the ongoing investigation. Subsequently, the vessel departed from Singapore at approximately 4:30 pm.

The search and rescue operation remains underway, with multiple vessels and maritime agencies collaborating to locate the missing passenger. The MPA has not provided any further updates regarding the search efforts at this time.

The MPA and relevant authorities have reminded all maritime operators and passengers to prioritize safety measures while on board vessels and to adhere strictly to safety guidelines and protocols. Incidents like these underscore the importance of vigilance and prompt reporting in emergency situations at sea.

The MPA will continue to provide updates on the search and rescue operation as more information becomes available. Anyone with relevant information about the incident is urged to contact the MRCC Singapore immediately.

The maritime community and the public at large are urged to extend their full cooperation and support during this challenging time. Our thoughts are with the missing passenger’s family and friends, and we hope for a swift and successful resolution to the search and rescue operation.

MPA’s statement

Passenger Fallen Overboard in Singapore Strait

     At about 7:50 am on 31 July 2023, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Singapore operated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was notified that a passenger onboard a Cyprus-flagged passenger vessel, Spectrum of the Seas, had fallen overboard in the Singapore Strait while enroute into Singapore.

2.   MRCC Singapore is coordinating the search and immediately issued navigational safety broadcast to vessels in the Singapore Strait and vessels in port to keep a lookout for the missing person and report any sightings to MRCC Singapore. 

3.   The passenger vessel was berthed earlier in Singapore to support the investigation, and had departed Singapore at around 4:30pm.

Image source: カテキン via Wikipedia Commons

In a shocking incident captured by a CCTV camera in Lengkong Tiga, Geylang, a man dressed in what appeared to be a Grab uniform was caught on camera defecating along a HDB corridor near the staircase.

The video, which emerged on Jul. 29, showcases the man pulling down his pants and defecating on the floor of a HDB common corridor. The incident has left residents and netizens appalled and questioning the motives behind such an unsettling act.

The incident occurred on a seemingly ordinary day, around noon. The CCTV footage begins with a view of a staircase landing, suggesting that the camera was positioned near the front door of a flat.

The man, dressed in a green long-sleeved Grab t-shirt, descends the stairs from the floor above. His behavior quickly raises suspicion, as he glances around nervously before pulling down his bermudas and assuming a half-squatting position.

To the utter disbelief of those watching the footage, the man proceeds to defecate on the corridor floor with apparent force.

The lack of any apparent reason for such a shocking act leaves viewers puzzled and disgusted. As the footage continues, the man fails to clean himself and simply pulls up his bermudas before walking away with a slight bow-legged gait. The mess he leaves behind is a distressing sight for anyone witnessing the video.

Other public pangsai cases

Zulkeflee Ab Razak, 47-years-old, was jailed 7 weeks and fined $300 on 29 April 2021 for one count of mischief, one count of leaving his house without reasonable excuse during the circuit breaker and one count of theft.

He had reportedly left his home during the 2020 Circuit Breaker and pooped inside an incense burner tin outside another man’s home.

He then cursed at the man when he was caught in the act.

Zulkeflee was unemployed at the time of the offences.

Some time around 3pm on 27 April 2020, Zulkeflee left his home to wander around Geylang for 3 hours, before boarding a bus to Bukit Batok to wander around some more.

He then went up to the 10th floor of a block of HDB flats.

The victim saw Zulkeflee walking from the lift to the staircase landing and felt suspicious because he had never seen Zulkeflee before in the vicinity, he went out of his flat to check.

He then saw Zulkeflee with his pants down and pooping inside his incense burner tin, which was placed at the staircase.

The victim then confronted Zulkeflee, who hurled vulgarities at him while pulling his pants up, before running down the staircase.

The victim then called the police.

He later called the police again after seeing Zulkeflee sitting on cordoned off benches.

The dead body of a 35-year-old man was found in the waters off of Changi Creek on Monday afternoon (31 July) at about 1.36pm, according to The Straits Times.

The authorities were alerted to the suspected drowning at 1.36pm, and the body was subsequently retrieved from the water.

Despite the efforts of the paramedic from the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. While investigations are ongoing, the police have ruled out foul play as a preliminary assessment.

The Discovery and Response

At approximately 1.35pm on that fateful day, a witness spotted a body floating in the water at Changi Creek. The authorities swiftly responded to the alert and dispatched a police boat to the scene.

The area was cordoned off, and a blue police tent was set up at the foot of a nearby bridge, where the body was located.

As with any unexplained death, the police conducted preliminary investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding the man’s demise.

Despite the eerie nature of the incident, initial assessments have not raised any suspicions of foul play, and police investigations are currently underway.

Other water deaths

Pulau Ubin death

The dead body of a 42-year-old man was found off the waters of Pulau Ubin on 14 March by a member of the public, according to The Straits Times.

The man reportedly visited Pulau Ubin on the morning of 11 March (Saturday) to go fishing.

But he soon went missing the next day (12 March), and his clothes and belongings had been left behind, hanging on the railing near Puaka Bridge.

A water rescue operation was then conducted by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)’s elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART).

But the search was subsequently called off about seven hours later.

Lianhe Zaobao reported that a 65-year-old island resident living in Pulau Ubin said that a man in his 40s had gone to Puaka Bridge to fish, on the morning of 12 March.

But he soon disappeared and left his clothes and belongings behind, including a fish that he had caught while he was fishing.

The resident said that he thinks the man might have entered the water body to look for something.

The SCDF confirmed that they received a call for help on Monday at about 12.20 pm, and a visual search from the shore was conducted by rescuers.

An underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was used in the search, which helps to map out underwater terrain using sonar-imaging technology.

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About 16 SCDF officers were at the scene, with the ROV and drones also being used in the search operation, but it was subsequently called off after about 7 hours.

The next morning, the body of the man was then found by a member of the public and was retrieved by the Police Coast Guard at about 8.40 am.

The police’s preliminary investigations do not indicate any foul play, and investigations are underway at the time of writing.

Merlion Park death

The Singapore Police are investigating after the dead body of a 31-year-old man was found floating in the waters off Merlion Park on 7 January.

The police said that they received a call for help on Saturday at about 6.30pm in the evening, the SCDF also received a call for a water rescue at the location, 21 Esplanade Drive at about the same time.

The SCDF said that when they arrived, a body was seen floating in the water, and rescuers then retrieved the body from the water body.

The body of the 31-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic from the SCDF.

The Singapore Police Force added that according to preliminary investigations, they are not suspecting any foul play, but police investigations are ongoing.

A 65-year-old man will be charged in court on 1 August 2023 for his alleged involvement in teaching a doctrine in a manner contrary to Muslim law and conducting a Muslim religious school without registering it with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS).

Following a Police report lodged by MUIS against the man on 24 August 2021, the Police commenced investigations against him. Upon the conclusion of investigations, the Police, in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, will be charging him for the following offences:

1. One count of an offence under Section 139(1) of the Administration of Muslim Law Act for teaching a doctrine in a manner contrary to Muslim law in Singapore between around 2004 and around 2020, and;
   
2. One count of an offence under Rule 5(1) punishable under Rule 5(2) of the Administration of Muslim Law Act (Muslim Religious Schools) Rules, for conducting a Muslim religious school between around 2017 and around 2020 at a café located along Jalan Pisang without registering it with MUIS.

Offenders convicted of teaching a doctrine in a manner contrary to Muslim law under Section 139(1) of the Administration of Muslim Law Act may be sentenced to an imprisonment term of up to 12 months, or a fine of up to $2,000, or both. Offenders convicted of not registering Muslim religious schools under Rule 5(1) of the Administration of Muslim Law (Muslim Religious Schools) Rules may be sentenced to an imprisonment term of up to 12 months, or a fine of up to $2,000, or both.