The Singapore Police Force said in a press release on 13 April that they have arrested 3 men between the ages of 20 and 23 for loanshark harassment.

They had allegedly splashed a unit at Marine Terrace with coffee, as well as allegedly vandalising the lift lobby with graffiti.

The trio were also found to have allegedly been involved in two other cases of loanshark harassment.

Singapore Police Force’s statement

TRIO ARRESTED FOR LOANSHARK HARASSMENT

The Police have arrested three men, aged between 20 and 23, for their suspected involvement in a case of loanshark harassment.

On 6 April 2023, the Police were alerted to a case of loanshark harassment along Marine Terrace where a residential unit was splashed with coffee. The wall near the lift lobby was also scrawled with graffiti.

Through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from Police cameras and CCTVs, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identities of the men and arrested them on 12 April 2023. Preliminary investigations revealed that the three men were allegedly involved in two other cases of loanshark harassment. Two mobile phones were seized as case exhibits.

The three men will be charged in court on 14 April 2023 under the Moneylenders Act 2008. First-time offenders found guilty of loanshark harassment shall be punished with an imprisonment term of up to five years, a fine between $5,000 and $50,000, and caning of up to six strokes.

The Police have zero tolerance against loanshark harassment activities. Those who deliberately 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 them in any way. Members of 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.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
13 April 2023 @ 10:10 PM

Grab is set to increase their platform fee from 30 cents to 70 cents, up by 40 cents, in a move that’s being described as being in line and trying to keep up with their competition.

The new increased platform fees will kick in from 5 May onwards.

At the moment, the current platform fee still stands at 30 cents for every trip, including the recently reintroduced GrabShare.

Grab defended their decision to raise their platform fees in an email sent out to customers, saying that the extra fees go towards supporting the development of improvements to their app, as reported by The Straits Times.

Among the improvements to their app include benefits to the drivers, safety features and increased reliability; and the mail also shared some of the ways that they are trying to improve on their shortage of drivers.

The company is trying to solve the shortage of drivers by recruiting them through new joiner and referral program schemes, as well as introducing technology-enabled features such as “Hotspot Navigation”, which will let the drivers see where there are a higher demand for Grab passengers.

The fare priced will then surge lesser once more drivers head to the areas with higher demand for passengers, and the customers can then get their rides faster.

According to Grab’s trial run of the new feature, the results have apparently been rather positive so far.

According to Channel NewsAsia, other ride hailing companies such as Gojek and Tada are also implementing the same platform prices, with Gojek charging a platform fee of 70 cents for each trip, while TADA is charging a platform fee of 55 cents for trips up to $18 followed by 75 cents for trips above that.

Alternatively, there is also Ryde, which charges a 30 cent platform fee; and Comfort DelGro’s taxi booking app which charges no platform fee, $0.00.

38-year-old Omjai Chanta, a former mamasan at a nightclub in Singapore, quit her job as a siam diu “mummy” to chase her dreams of becoming a hawker instead, according to 8world.

Omjai, who hails from Chiang Mai, Thailand, first came to Singapore back in 2009 to join the nightlife industry, and has now opened a stall at a coffeeshop in Ang Mo Kio selling Thai food.

When she first came to Singapore, she worked at a siam diu for 7 years and eventually became a permanent resident here.

She said that working as a mamasan negatively affected her health because she had to drink whatever alcohol that her customers offered her in order to entertain them, regardless if it was whiskey, champagne or beer.

On top of that, she also had to take care of the other girls who were working at the siam diu, and eventually it all culminated in her having high blood pressure.

She started having doubts about being a mamasan and eventually took the chance to quit the industry when the pandemic stopped the nightlife industry in Singapore.

When restrictions were eventually lifted and nightclubs returned to business, Omjai decided against going back to being a mamasan and chose to open a hawker stall instead.

She forked out $15,000 of her savings and opened a stall at a coffee shop in Ang Mo Kio last year, selling a wide variety of Thai dishes.

She revealed that she has no formal cooking training, but her husband and the siam diu girls at her former nightclub liked her food and she felt more confident in her culinary abilities because of their support.

However, she shared that when she was still working as a siam diu mummy, she could earn up to $10,000 per month, but now as a hawker, there are days where she makes only $100 to $200, and she has harboured the thought of quitting before, but the support from her husband and former colleagues helped her carry on.

Address

Kim Sen Thai Noodle is open from 12 pm to 3 pm and 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm from Tuesday to Sunday (they are closed on Mondays).

They are located at Block 181 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, #01-2922, Singapore 560181

A nail salon in Paradigm Mall, Johor Bahru, posted an appeal for payment from a customer who used their services and refused to make payment.

The nail salon said that the woman did a pedicure service with them but later told them that she didn’t have enough cash to pay them on the spot.

They trusted her and allowed her to transfer them the payment of RM88 when she is free, however the woman never made payment.

Nailash said that they waited from 3 April until now but she had still not paid, and when they contacted the woman via Whatsapp through 4 different numbers, the woman blocked all 4 of their numbers.

The woman also had the cheek to insult and make fun of the staff member’s name on Whatsapp, who was pressing her for the payment.

Here is what they said (SIC)

Hi every beastie, please help us to find this lady with her phone number *sg phone number redacted* who have done a pedicure service that haven pay us yet.

We trust her as a friend that she said she is not enough cash to pay us on the sport and promise us will be transfer us while she free.

We have been wait from 3rd April 2023 till now but haven received any payment. Come on guys,is just RM88,I repeat just RM88 that she wanted to run away with our pretty work?

Who is her friend please kindly reminding her to done the payment,maybe she is forget about a small amount RM88.

We tried to contact her thru whatsaap with 4 different phone number and has been block by her while we remind her about the RM88 and at the last message that we received a rude word from her, so disappointed with her,with a pretty face but what kind of color inside the heart. Our heart is broke men..