The hawkers and merchants at Chinatown have banded together to raise money for the victims of the devastating earthquake that killed thousands in Turkey and Syria.

About 105 stalls took part in the fundraiser and raised about $24,900 in just a week for the victims, according to Shin Min Daily News.

A notice board with a list of the names of the participating stalls and the amount of money that they have donated were pasted on a wall next to the escalator on the second floor of the hawker centre.

The boss of Liao Fan Hawker Chan, Chan Hon Meng, spoke to SMDN and said that he asked his workers if they wanted to donate and help the earthquake victims, and more than 50 workers participated in the donation drive, raising $4,900 in just 3 days.

He said that they have been paying close attention to the tragedy in Turkey and wanted to let his workers take part in the charity, but didn’t expect such an overwhelming response and dedication from them.

The owner of Shang Hai Fried Xiao Long Bao, Jiang, also donated $500 to the cause and said that “when disaster struck, help came from everywhere. We decided to help after seeing the appeal for donations by the Chinatown Complex.

Jiang also added that “since we started our business, we have had support from our customers and so we also hope to help others. This donation drive shows the solidarity that we have, and we want to give back to society.”

Facebook user Niaom Ng shared how she purchased a birthday cake online with an artwork of a cute little huskey on it.

However, when she received the cake, it was nothing like the drawing advertised and it was even off-centre.

Here is what she said

Also sharing my experience with happy.cake.day from Carousell. They never responded to my request to leave feedback as well so I couldn’t. I will let the picture speak for itself, you can judge the quality of the artwork and the off-center positioning of the cake. It was really disappointing since it was a birthday cake.

There was also a delay in the delivery but that would be less of a concern if the cake turned out acceptable. Posting here because they don’t have other channels available for feedback plus admin turned off commenting on the other post. 

Netizens’ comments

1. This baker (I doubt he/she really is an experienced baker!!) is such a JOKE!!! Decorate the Customers Cakes like lousy trial & error arts!!
   Please do not show advertised cakes photos in your Carousel, those are done by experienced and well-trained bakers which you CLEARLY ARE NOT ONE!!
   Go back to the drawing table and baking class before you sell cakes again.. don’t be a dishonest seller cos the money you gained from it will not bring blessings to your life
2. Another kitty case.. lol.. the drawing really cannot make it. I ask my sec 3 art student gal draw mayb beta.
   Summore I read the previous post, the seller seem tat didn’t realise where the issue. Keep explaining the price for a 1kg cake is $65 + delivery $15….etc.
3. Think she is busy and ask her kids to draw instead. Lol
4. These fails surely makes everyone laugh. So in a way happy.cake.day is certainly living up to their name.

133 Suspected Drug Offenders Arrested in Two-week Island-wide Operation

18 Feb 2023

Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) arrested 133 suspected drug offenders in a two-week island-wide drug operation from 6 to 17 February 2023. During the operation, controlled drugs of about 64g of heroin, 528g of ‘Ice’, 94g of cannabis, 512g of ketamine, 5g of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), 670g of ‘Ecstasy’ tablets, 214 Tapentadol tablets and three bottles of liquid suspected to contain GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) were seized. These drugs have an estimated street value of about $231,600.

Some of the areas covered during this island-wide operation included Hougang, Jurong and Tampines.

9 February 2023: 32-year-old Singaporean woman arrested for suspected drug offences

On 9 February, CNB officers conducted an anti-drug operation at a residential unit in the vicinity of Sembawang Drive and arrested a 32-year-old woman. A small amount of heroin, ‘Ice’ and various drug paraphernalia were seized from the unit.

The woman’s 2-month-old infant was also present in the unit. The woman, who was under investigation for drugs offences since last year, is suspected to have had used drugs illegally during and after her pregnancy. Appropriate arrangements were made to ensure that the welfare of the infant was taken care of, and the infant was subsequently placed in the safe custody of a next-of-kin.

Station Inspector Marlina Djumadi, a CNB officer who was involved in the operation, said:

“As a parent myself, we will always do things in the best interests of our children. I was saddened to learn that the woman may have continued to use drugs illegally during her pregnancy, possibly endangering the health of her newborn child. Illegal drug use is not a victimless crime – it has dire consequences on families and innocent children. I hope that the woman will be able to get the help that she needs, so that she will be able to better care, protect and provide for her child.”

Investigations into all arrested suspects are ongoing.

CENTRAL NARCOTICS BUREAU

18 February 2023

An elderly man in Singapore placed an order online and paid for a 32-inch Xiaomi television after being enticed by the cheap price, and getting scammed by the seller.

The 61-year-old, Mr Shen Ruiqiang who works as a train engineer, saw a listing for a 32-inch Xiaomi TV being listed for about USD$138 on Lazada.

He then placed an order for the television straight away.

After waiting 4 days for his parcel, his excitement soon dissipated after he noticed a small pink package had arrived at his home in Chai Chee.

He then immediately realised that he had been scammed.

Shen looked through the shop listing once more and noticed that there was something off about the brand logo, it was listed as “xiao-miss’ instead of Xiaomi.

He said that he had been looking forward to going home that day and finally watch TV at night, but all he got was a small packet of tissues that weight less than 400 grams.

Shen reached out to Lazada’s customer service to request a refund but was told that he had to wait for the seller to agree to the refund and for the platform to evaluate whether it was eligible for a refund, and then go through the whole refund process.

Each step of the process could take about 3 to 5 days and ultimately up to 2 months for him to get his money back from the platform.

Shen then went to the police for help and he was told that he should wait for the platform to refund him, but if he didn’t get his refund then he can report the case.

Lazada has since responded that they have suspended the seller from their platform and that although they detect fraudulent sellers, they also encourage customers to check the price, product and customer reviews before buying anything.