A recent incident involving a driver’s attempt to reserve a parking spot has sparked controversy and raised concerns among social media users.

The incident, which took place in Bendemeer, Singapore, was shared on the Complaint Singapore Facebook group, attracting criticism and highlighting the inconsiderate and illegal nature of the driver’s actions.

Facebook user Goh Jacky posted a photo of a potted plant being used to chope a parking lot at Jalan Semerbak.

He captioned the Facebook post, “This one win liao lor grandfather road.” The post included an image revealing a parking lot occupied by a potted plant on a three-legged stand, effectively blocking access to the space.

It remains unclear whether this incident was an isolated occurrence or a recurring problem. However, it is presumed that the driver resorted to using a potted plant to reserve the parking spot due to a lack of available parking spaces provided by private property owners. This situation forces latecomers to park farther away, causing inconvenience for residents in the area.

Aside from being inconsiderate, obstructing public roads with objects is against the law in Singapore. The Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act of 1906 states that individuals who place articles on public roads to cause obstructions or hinder road use can be fined up to S$5,000.

Social media users who came across the OP’s post that was reshared on ROADS.sg shared their opinions on the matter.

One user highlighted that reserving parking spots in private estates is not a new phenomenon, with people commonly using dustbins and traffic cones for this purpose. They called on the authorities to address such offenders, as these practices are becoming increasingly normalized.

Another Facebook user mentioned that they have frequently driven through the area but have not witnessed similar behavior. They suggested that the owner of the potted plant may have placed it temporarily for sunlight rather than attempting to reserve the parking spot.

However, another user promptly dismissed this theory, citing the unlikely placement of the plant as evidence against it.

Injecting humor into the discussion, a Facebook user jokingly referred to the potted plant as a new type of “green car.”

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on his Facebook page today that he has tested positive for Covid-19. This is the first time that he has contracted the virus.

PM Lee revealed that he received the positive test result this morning and shared an image of the test. Despite the diagnosis, he mentioned that he is generally feeling fine at the moment.

In compliance with medical advice, PM Lee will be self-isolating until he is no longer displaying symptoms, although he did not disclose whether he is currently experiencing any.

As a precautionary measure, he has been prescribed Paxlovid, an antiviral oral medication commonly used to treat mild to moderate cases of Covid-19 in adults. Given that PM Lee is 71 years old, it is crucial for him to take extra precautions and follow the prescribed treatment.

PM Lee has been receiving his Covid-19 vaccine booster shots, with the last one administered in November of the last year.

In light of his situation, he took the opportunity to remind the public about the importance of keeping their vaccinations up-to-date as a means of reducing the risk of severe illness.

In addition to his health update, PM Lee shared details about his recent work trips to South Africa and Kenya. From 14 to 16 May, he visited Cape Town, South Africa, where he engaged in meetings with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. He also had the opportunity to meet Deputy President Paul Mashatile and attend a reception with overseas Singaporeans during his visit.

Following his time in South Africa, PM Lee travelled to Nairobi, Kenya, from 17 to 19 May. While in Kenya, he had a meeting with Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto.

Throughout his travels, PM Lee was accompanied by a delegation of ministers and Members of Parliament, including Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Dr Janil Puthucheary, Alvin Tan, Mr Vikram Nair and Ms Mariam Jaafar.

Concluding his post, PM Lee urged fellow Singaporeans to prioritize their well-being as the virus remains endemic here in Singapore.

PM Lee’s statement on Facebook

I tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time this morning. This comes after my recent work trips. I am generally feeling ok but my doctors have advised me to self-isolate until I am asymptomatic. They have also prescribed me Paxlovid, an antiviral medication, because of my age.

My most recent COVID-19 vaccine booster was in November. Please continue to keep your vaccinations up-to-date, as it reduces the risk of severe illness. As COVID-19 remains endemic in Singapore, we must continue to stay safe and healthy. – LHL

A man, aged 26, has been apprehended and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday on charges of embezzlement and theft of high-end watches with an estimated combined value of approximately $1.6 million.

According to a statement released by the Singapore Police Force on Sunday (21 May), the individual was employed as a salesperson at a prestigious watch store situated on Orchard Road.

Between September 2022 and May 2023, he reportedly accepted significant sums of money from various individuals with the intention of purchasing luxury watches on their behalf.

Subsequently, it is alleged that the suspect misused the funds entrusted to him and also pilfered a number of luxury watches from the store.

These timepieces were then exchanged for cash at a pawnshop, as revealed by the authorities.

A spokesperson for the police said that following a thorough investigation and subsequent inquiries, law enforcement officers from the Central Division were able to recover 23 luxury watches with an estimated value of $900,000.

The suspect is set to face charges in court for the offence of criminal breach of trust by an employee, as confirmed by the police.

If convicted, he may face a maximum penalty of a fine and up to 15 years of imprisonment.

Similar crimes involving luxury watches

40-year-old Maya Amara Putri, an Indonesian maid who worked for a German couple in Singapore, was caught stealing her employer’s Patek Philippe watch and was sentenced to 21 months and 1 week in prison on 16 May.

She had pleaded guilty to 4 charges including theft by servant and transferring criminal proceeds out of the country, with another 7 charges being considered during her sentencing.

The maid, who has 2 children and a sick mother back in Indonesia, would pawn off her own jewellery and send the money back home when her children needed it.

had allowed a friend to use her work permit to borrow money from loan sharks and she committed the crime to help repay the debt after her friend returned to Indonesia without paying it, resulting in the loan sharks targeting her instead.

According to Channel NewsAsia, sometime in March, Maya spotted her employer’s Patek Philippe watch which was worth about $63,840 in the toilet of their master bedroom, and she then stole it and pawned it away for about $6,000.

Her employers then noticed that the watch was missing and asked Maya, as well as another maid if they knew anything about the missing timepiece.

Maya later admitted to stealing the watch and the police were then called in.

However, the Patek Philippe watch was not the only thing stolen, Maya also stole a gold ring worth about $4,758, a pair of ear studs worth about $5,400, an Omega watch worth about $10,000 and a Rolex watch worth about $20,000.

With the money she received from pawning off the valuable items, she paid the loan sharks via bank transfers as well as sending about $204 back to her son in Indonesia.

The stolen items have since been recovered by the police, although Maya’s employers had to pay $6,800 to the pawn shop to get back the items that Paya pawned to them.

Facebook user Xiao Hei shared that she had visited a Courts outlet to buy some pillows, but none of the staff members of promoters were keen to serve her.

She said that the staff members were not keen to serve her because she was only buying pillows and it was “too cheap for them to earn anything,” referencing their potential commissions from selling pillows.

She then asked the staff if they were not serving them because she was looking at pillows, to which the staff allegedly scolded her and said that it was her problem for not asking for help.

She added that the store manager was also allegedly laughing at her and “watching the show”.

Here is what she said

I went on Sunday morning, thinking to buy pillows n some stuff from courts. there is no crowd in the store n all the staff n promoter were busy talking n walking around in the store..

no one is keen to serve us cos pillows too cheap for them to earn anything. walk to the mattress n true enough the staff approach us.

is it so obvious? and I asked the staff is it becos I was looking at pillow tat y no one is keen to serve us? guess wad n the staff reprimand me n said that it was my problem cos I didn’t ask for help..

so I asked him back.. so now is become my fault. the staff literally answered me YES!!! HE ShLD WIN THE AWARD FOR BEST SERVICE EVER!!

is it suppose to be in this way? the store manager was there laughing away… he really caught me in surprise.. instead to rectify the issue.. he just watching the show…

so is courts trying to tell me this is the correct manner becos the store manager was laughing? so this is the reason y the staff are behaving in this way..

so now I understand this is the reason y the staff can argue back with me!! of cos I did try to ask for help but all.pretend that they didn’t see it..

in every post there are people who are haters n people agreee to it.. its normal..I am not trying to b attention seeker as well.. those not present n see it den don’t assume so much!!

Discovering an unexpected foreign object in one’s meal can be highly unpleasant, especially when it occurs towards the end of the dining experience. Such was the unfortunate experience of a customer who found a piece of steel wire in a dessert purchased from a food centre located in Jalan Besar.

According to a report from Shin Min Daily News, the incident took place on May 13th at approximately 2:30 PM. The customer, known as Mr Yu, visited Berseh Food Centre with his wife on that day. Opting for the bubur cha cha, they made their purchase from a stall situated on the second floor.

As Mr Yu and his wife were nearing the end of their dessert, they came across a piece of steel wire in their bowl. The 60-year-old customer expressed his surprise at the discovery. He shared a photograph that showed only a small amount of milk remaining in the bowl.

When Mr Yu informed the stall owner about the incident, she reportedly dismissed any responsibility, claiming it had nothing to do with them. The stall owner pointed out that Mr Yu had nearly finished consuming the dessert when he found the wire.

In response, the customer refuted her statement, emphasizing that the wire had sunk to the bottom of the bowl. He questioned whether he would have purposely added the foreign object himself, considering it was just a bowl of dessert.

Initially, Mr Yu did not wish to escalate the situation and simply desired an explanation. However, the stall owner, identified as Ms Liao, remained sceptical of his claim during an interview with Shin Min Daily News.

She argued that the bowl was shallow and the dessert itself was white, making it implausible for Mr Yu to have discovered the wire only after consuming most of it.

Ms Liao, who is 58 years old, further explained that she exclusively used older steel wire balls for cleaning, whereas the wire found in the bowl appeared to be shimmering.

Ms Liao emphasized that every bowl of dessert she serves is meticulously prepared from scratch, with careful attention to hygiene and food safety.

Emotionally, she declared that she had been operating the stall for nearly two decades without ever encountering such an incident. She claimed that each dessert is thoroughly checked and made with heartfelt dedication.

Another stall owner, Mr Lee, revealed that the day of the incident had been particularly busy, which impeded the timely resolution of the matter.

Nevertheless, if Mr Yu chooses to return, the stall is prepared to offer him an apology and a refund, according to Mr Lee’s statement.