The Police have arrested a 39-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman for their suspected involvement in loanshark harassment.

On 27 September 2023, the Police were alerted to a case of loanshark harassment at a residential unit along Hougang Street 91, where the unit was splashed with paint and a debtor’s note was left behind.

Through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from Police cameras, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division established the identities of the man and woman and arrested them on 28 September 2023. Preliminary investigations revealed that the duo is believed to be involved in other similar cases of loanshark harassment. Related paraphernalia, including debtor’s notes, were seized as case exhibits.

The duo will be charged in court on 29 September 2023 under the Moneylenders Act 2008. For first time offenders, the offence of loanshark harassment carries a fine between $5000 and $50,000, with imprisonment of up to five years, and caning of up to six strokes.

The Police have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment activities. Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance and disruption to public safety and security, will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law. 

Members of the public are advised to stay away from loansharks and not to work with or assist the loansharks in any way. The public can call the Police at ‘999‘ or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664 if they suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in loansharking activities. 

The Police have arrested 12 men, aged between 21 and 36, for their suspected involvement in a spate of banking-related malware cases.

Between June and August 2023, the Police received multiple reports of banking-related malware cases, which typically involved unauthorised transactions from victims’ bank accounts even though they did not divulge their one-time passwords to anyone.

Through extensive probes and follow-up investigations, Police established the identities of the 12 men believed to be involved in a money-laundering syndicate responsible for the reported cases. On 27 and 28 September 2023, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and Police Intelligence Department conducted an enforcement operation at multiple locations island-wide, leading to the arrests. An array of items, including cash amounting to more than $13,000, two laptops, 32 bank cards, 23 mobile devices, drug paraphernalia and a knife were seized during the operation. 60 bank accounts were also frozen to prevent further misuse.

The 12 men are being investigated for multiple offences, such as assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct, possession and consumption of controlled drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of offensive weapon, unauthorised access to computer material and acting as a member of an unlawful society and locally-linked organised criminal group.

Six of the men will be charged in court on 29 September 2023 for the offence of transferring benefits from criminal conduct, punishable under section 54(5) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992. If convicted, the offence carries an imprisonment of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. The Police will be seeking a court order to remand them for further investigations. Police investigations are ongoing against the other six men.

Members of the public are advised against downloading applications from third-party or dubious sites that can lead to malware installed into victims’ mobile phones, computers, and other Information Communications Technology devices. Such malware has resulted in confidential and sensitive data, such as banking credentials, being stolen. To avoid being an accomplice to crimes, members of the public should reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines, as you will be held accountable if these are found to be linked to unlawful activities.  

The Police will continue to take tough enforcement action against those involved in perpetrating banking-related malware cases, and will ensure that they face the full brunt of the law.

A fight broke out between two women after one of them let her 8-year-old son used the women’s toilet, according to Channel NewsAsia.

The boy’s mother then drove against traffic and sped up, driving towards the other woman before stopping her car at the very last moment, avoiding running her over.

The Background Story

The story unfolds in a commercial office building located at Block 750A Chai Chee Lane, where a seemingly ordinary day took a dramatic turn.

Wang Jing, a 39-year-old mother, had taken her eight-year-old son to the building for basketball lessons on July 5th 2022.

Around 3 pm that afternoon, Wang’s son needed to use the restroom. Without a second thought, she instructed him to enter the women’s restroom while she waited outside.

Inside the restroom were 33-year-old Tan Siok Khim Irish and her colleague, Ms. Tay Lay Leng. This is where the spark of the dispute ignited.

As Wang’s son exited the restroom along with the two women, Ms. Tay made a comment that would set off a chain reaction.

She expressed her opinion that Wang’s son, at eight years old, was too old to be using the women’s restroom. According to her, he should have used the men’s restroom at the other end of the building.

Wang, overhearing this remark, did not take it lightly. Tempers flared, and she began to make comments about Tan’s appearance, suggesting that she looked androgynous.

The Physical Altercation

The tension reached its breaking point inside the building’s elevator. Wang loudly asserted that there was no issue with her son using the women’s restroom.

The situation became more intense when she swung her hand towards Tan’s face, tearing her mask in the process. Ms. Tay tried to intervene by standing between the two women, but it wasn’t enough to defuse the situation.

Upon reaching the ground floor, the dispute spilled out of the elevator. It was here that Wang’s actions took a more aggressive turn.

Ms. Tay reported feeling “light hits on her back.” Tan, fearing for her friend’s safety, pushed Wang in the chest, causing her to fall backward.

The Dramatic Conclusion

But the confrontation didn’t end there. Wang, fueled by anger, went to her vehicle and embarked on a frantic search for the two women in her car.

She spotted them at a zebra crossing and, astonishingly, drove against traffic, accelerating towards them. It was only at the last moment that she stopped her car, avoiding a collision with Ms. Tay.

Wang then confronted Tan, grabbing her shirt and insisting that she stay until the police arrived. This standoff continued until law enforcement finally intervened.

As a result of the altercation, Tan suffered mild bruising, swelling on her cheek, a bruise on her lips, and abrasions on her neck.

Legal Consequences

In the aftermath of this incident, both parties faced legal repercussions. Tan was fined S$1,000 for her role in the scuffle. However, the prosecution argued that Wang, as the initial aggressor, deserved a higher fine of S$2,500.

Ultimately, Wang Jing was fined S$3,000 on 29 September by the court for her conduct. She pleaded guilty to one count each of criminal force and a rash act endangering personal safety, with a third charge taken into consideration. Medical reports indicated that Tan’s injuries were less severe than initially thought.

According to the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD)’s annual Population in Brief report on 29 September, Singapore’s population has reached a record high of 5.92 million people at of June, earlier this year, marking an increase of about 5% from the previous year.

Snippet from NPTD’s report

The Population in Brief is an annual publication that provides data and key updates on Singapore’s population trends. The publication covers various areas that contribute to a sustainable population that has a strong and cohesive society with Singaporeans at its heart, a dynamic and vibrant economy to provide good jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans, and a high quality living environment and home for all Singaporeans.
The key population trends are as follows:

Marriages

In 2022, there were 24,767 citizen marriages, a record high. The number of citizen marriages increased for the second consecutive year since 2020, when the number of marriages dropped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the annual average number of citizen marriages in the last five years (22,700) remained lower than that of the preceding five years (23,600).

Births

There were 30,429 citizen births in 2022, 4.0% fewer than the 31,713 citizen births in 2021. The annual average number of births in the past five years (31,800) was also lower than that in the preceding five years (32,700). The resident total fertility rate (TFR) reached a historic low of 1.04 in 2022.

Pandemic decline

Overall, Singapore’s total population stood at 5.92 million as at June 2023, a 5.0% increase from June 2022. Taking into account the decline in total population in 2020 and 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the average total population growth rate over the past five years was comparable to the preceding five-year period.

PR population increased

The citizen population increased by 1.6% from 3.55 million in June 2022 to 3.61 million in June 2023. The Permanent Resident (PR) population increased by 3.7% from 0.52 million in June 2022 to 0.54 million in June 2022 to 0.54 million in June 2023. With the easing of travel restrictions related to COVID-19, more citizens and PRs living overseas returned to Singapore, and this was the largest contributing factor to the increases in the citizen and PR populations. The citizen population continued to age, with 19.1% aged 65 and above in June 2023, compared to 11.7% in June 2013.

Non-resident population increased

The non-resident population increased by 13.1% from 1.56 million in June 2022 to 1.77 million in June 2023. The increase was seen across all pass types, and the largest increase came from Work Permit Holders in the
Construction, Marine Shipyard, and Process (CMP) sectors, as contractors hired more workers to catch up on projects that were delayed by COVID-19.

Source: population.gov.sg

Electricity Tariff Revision For The Period From 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2023

Singapore, 29 September 2023 – For the period from 1 October to 31 December 2023, the electricity tariff (before GST) will increase by an average of 3.7% or 0.98 cent per kWh compared with the previous quarter. This is due to higher energy costs compared with the previous quarter.

For households, the electricity tariff (before GST) will increase from 27.74 to 28.70 cents per kWh for the period from 1 October to 31 December 2023. The average monthly electricity bill for families living in HDB four-room flats will increase by $3.57 (before GST).

*before GST

SP Group reviews the electricity tariffs every quarter based on guidelines set by the electricity industry regulator, Energy Market Authority (EMA).

Please refer to Appendix 1 for the components of the electricity tariff, Appendix 2 for the tariffs approved by EMA, and Appendix 3 for the average monthly electricity bills for households.

Appendix 1

BREAKDOWN OF ELECTRICITY TARIFF

The electricity tariff consists of the following four components:

1. Energy costs (paid to the generation companies): This component is adjusted quarterly to reflect changes in the cost of fuel and power generation. The fuel cost is the cost of imported natural gas, which is tied to oil prices by commercial contracts. The cost of power generation covers mainly the costs of operating the power stations, such as the manpower and maintenance costs, as well as the capital cost of the stations.
2. Network costs (paid to SP Group): This is to recover the cost of transporting electricity through the power grid.
3. Market Support Services Fee (paid to SP Group): This is to recover the costs of billing and meter reading, data management, retail market systems as well as market development initiatives.
4. Market Administration and Power System Operation Fee (paid to Energy Market Company and Power System Operator): This fee is reviewed annually to recover the costs of operating the electricity wholesale market and power system.

Q4 2023 TARIFF FOR HOUSEHOLDS (before 8% GST)

Appendix 2

ELECTRICITY TARIFFS FROM 1 OCTOBER 2023

AVERAGE MONTHLY ELECTRICITY BILLS FOR HOUSEHOLDS
TARIFF WEF 1 OCTOBER 2023 (before GST)