Two self-proclaimed financial experts have gone silent after about three years of persuading investors to put money into their business deals.

Lim Jian Bin, 36, and Jason Fong Wai Hong, 46, would drive Lamborghinis and wear expensive watches to meet potential investors, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

On social media and at wealth seminars, they promised guaranteed returns of up to 15 per cent each year.

In April and July 2026, Fong and Lim were declared bankrupt, according to ST.

Fong reportedly flew to Kuala Lumpur on Jun. 21, and has not left Malaysia since.

More than 50 people who invested about S$5 million in their schemes are now left wondering if they can recover their money.

Several of them have made police reports against the pair.

Who are they?

According to ST, Lim, who also called himself Takeshi Lim online, branded himself as someone who went from being a private-hire vehicle (PHV) driver to a savvy businessman.

As for Fong, he is a director and shareholder of six businesses dealing in consultancy services, retail, and fitness centres.

Lim described Fong as a mentor, and they were business partners running a Korean facial treatment franchise in April 2023.

In Facebook posts that have since been deleted, Lim shared photos of the pair in front of Lamborghinis when they travelled to Kuala Lumpur for a "supercar meetup".

Vending machine investments

Lim urged people to invest in a vending machine business known as Nozomii Vending, which operates over 500 machines, promising returns of 5 to 10 per cent a year.

Over three years from 2023, more than 40 investors committed up to S$4 million in this company.

A financial adviser who put in S$484,300, more than half of which from bank loans, told ST the returns initially came promptly, then slowed before eventually stopping altogether.

He still has S$196,000 in the business.

After Lim was declared bankrupt, he reportedly texted some of his investors claiming he had faced harassment and business sabotage in the run-up to the business failure.

In a message to one investor, quoted by ST, he apologised and said he was "ashamed and guilty" to face them.

The financial adviser, who still has S$196,000 in the vending machine business, could not contact Lim by July.

Property investments

Lim, along with Fong, also ran schemes based on commercial property deals.

Lim reportedly offered 5 per cent interest per year on his industrial property investments for three years.

As for Fong, seven people said they invested a total of S$390,000 towards a 134 sqm property in Telok Blangah Heights that he introduced them to.

This space is occupied by an unmanned laundromat.

One of them told ST he got to know Fong and this property deal from a financial wealth seminar in 2022.

Fong had promised him 15 per cent yearly dividends on his S$50,000 investment, which were paid on time for the first two years from 2023.

According to a police report cited by ST, several others had invested S$100,000 each in the same property.

After investors started pressing Fong about unpaid dividends in 2025, he left the group’s WhatsApp chat in September that year.

His ex-wife, who took over one of his firms, messaged the investors assuring them that they would get their money in the property back, while asking for "more time".

Police said investigations into both cases are ongoing, according to ST.

A 25-year-old Indian national was charged on Aug. 31 with murdering a 29-year-old man in the Tuas industrial district on Aug. 29.

Muruganathan Kathirvel is accused of causing the death of one Raj Maheshkumar by slashing his neck area with a chopper along Tuas South Avenue 9, according to chargesheets seen by Mothership.

In an earlier news release on Aug. 30, the police said they received a call for assistance along Tuas South Street 15 towards Tuas South Avenue 14 at about 10:10pm on Aug. 29.

Upon arrival, officers found the 29-year-old man lying motionless on the road.

He was subsequently pronounced dead at scene by a Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedic.

The 25-year-old man was later arrested within four hours, police said.

Preliminary investigations found that the two men were known to each other.

Kathirvel is set to return to court in September.

The offence of murder carries the death penalty.

Animal lovers in Singapore have put up a billboard in support of Wang Wang, a dog who died earlier in June after four boys in China reportedly set her on fire.

Wang Wang and her puppies were reportedly abused and killed by four boys under the age of 14 in Guangdong, China, sparking widespread outrage.

The case gained international attention, with animal lovers around the world expressing their support for the dogs.

According to BBC, the International Organisation for Animal Protection, based in Italy, said it had received more than 100 reports from people around the world calling for the organisation to intervene.

The incident has also reignited scrutiny over China’s lack of comprehensive animal cruelty laws.

Billboard in Singapore

According to a post in the Facebook group Justice for Wang Wang International Group, a billboard has been put up at Wilkie Edge in Selegie.

The billboard, which features a picture of Wang Wang, called for an end to animal abuse.

According to a Facebook post, the billboard of Wang Wang was only on display on Aug. 28 and 29.

The original poster said in the caption that they were touched to see Singaporeans doing their part in memory of Wang Wang, and thanked Singapore’s dog community for their support.

Hit and set dog on fire

According to Global Times, local authorities confirmed the case in a statement on Jun. 30.

Investigations were launched after videos of the boys violently abusing the dogs circulated on social media.

The boys were believed to have also filmed the acts themselves, including beating the stray dogs with sticks and setting the mother dog, Wang Wang, on fire.

In one video, Wang Wang could be heard yelping in pain as three boys simultaneously hit her with a long stick.

The dogs reportedly passed away from the abuse.

Authorities said the four boys have been placed in specialised education and called on the public to stop spreading information related to the case as it involved minors.

Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Member of Parliament (MP) and Mayor of the North-West district Alex Yam has called out comments questioning the nationality of the nine Singaporeans who remain missing after the Nepal floods, describing the comments as "racist" and "heartless".

'Loud minority'

Comments questioning the nationality of the nine missing Singaporeans have been left on social media posts about the news.

Such comments have appeared on platforms such as Facebook and TikTok.

In an Aug. 31 Facebook post, Yam listed the names of the nine missing Singaporeans, writing that "nine of our own" remain missing among the thousands still unaccounted for.

"A terrible tragedy. But scrolling through the comments, I found something else equally difficult to stomach," Yam wrote.

He went to quote some of the comments, which include, "they don't look Singaporean", or "just import more".

"While families wait desperately for news of their loved ones, a loud minority of people apparently looked at the names and faces of those missing and decided that this was the moment to ask whether they were really Singaporean," he continued.

Some comments went as far as hoping that "people remain stranded or die" or questioning why Singaporean authorities should help, according to Yam.

Time and place to argue

Yam wrote, "We can argue about immigration. We can argue about citizenship policies. We can argue about integration. There is a time and place for all of that. But surely not like this."

He also made the point that compassion and praying for the safety of others did not have to be on account of ancestry or acquaintance.

He hoped that the comments were left by "trolls", saying that he would "hate to think that this is what we have become".

The MP wrote in conclusion, "I pray we never become so angry with one another that we lose the ability to simply be human."

His post has garnered over 1,100 likes at the time of writing.

Following persistent congestion and below-optimal levels of traffic speeds since October 2025, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is resuming Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) operations in Orchard.

This will take effect on weekdays from Sep. 7, 2026.

LTA said it has been closely monitoring traffic conditions in the Orchard area, according to a press release on Aug. 31.

The Orchard Cordon consists of ERP operations at 11 locations: Buyong Road, Cairnhill Road, Clemenceau Avenue, Killiney Road, Kramat Road, Orchard Link, Orchard Road, Orchard Turn, Oxley Road, YMCA and Fort Canning Tunnel.

The ERP rate for these locations will be priced at S$1 between 11am to 7pm.

Managing congestion

Traffic speeds on Saturdays within Orchard have persistently remained below optimal levels since October 2025, LTA said.

The authority said it will monitor the situation and assess whether to resume ERP operations for the Orchard Cordon on Saturdays for the next quarter.

LTA has also observed heavy traffic across stretches of the Central Expressway (CTE) over a longer duration on weekday mornings, stretching till late morning.

Specifically, this has been observed at the CTE (AYE) before Braddell Road where speeds have persistently been lower than optimal, LTA said.

If road congestion continues, LTA said it will consider extending ERP operation hours.

Motorists are encouraged to plan their journeys and consider alternative routes, LTA added.

As the transition period for pet cat licensing draws to an end, it will be an offence under the Animals and Birds Act to keep unlicensed pet cats from Sep. 1, 2026.

The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) will investigate feedback on owners who have not complied, and take enforcement action.

Those found not adhering to the rule can be fined up to S$5,000.

Cat owners can apply for a licence through AVS’ Pet Animal Licensing System (PALS) after making sure their cat is microchipped by a licensed veterinarian, and completing a one-time online free pet ownership course.

Over 111,000 pet cats licensed

On Aug. 31, Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan posted an update on Facebook about the two-year transition period that kicked off on Sep. 1, 2024.

He previously shared on 18 July that around 66,000 pet cats, or about 7 in 10 in Singapore, had been licensed.

Since then, that number has grown to more than 111,000 licensed pet cats to date, Tan said.

He urged cat owners to license their pets soon, explaining that "microchipping and licensing our pet cats enhance traceability and owner accountability, and make it easier to identify and reunite lost cats with their owners".

As for community cats, over 4,700 have undergone the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage (TNRM) programme, he added.

Ownership rules

From Sep. 1, the cat ownership limits will also apply for new licence applications: a maximum of two cats in HDB flats, and three cats and dogs in private residences.

In their statement, AVS highlighted that people with more cats than these permitted limits are allowed to keep all their existing pet cats if they had licensed them within the transition period and are able to ensure that the cats’ health and welfare are taken care of.

AVS also reminded cat owners of the following rules to take care of their cats.

They need to ensure that their cats are kept in a safe environment, and take reasonable steps to protect them from hazards.

These steps can include installing mesh, grilles, screens, or other barriers to prevent the cats from roaming freely or falling from height.

When in public, cat owners will also need to ensure that their cats are kept under physical control and not allow them to freely roam, such as by placing their cat in a carrier or using a harness.

A man allegedly followed two girls around in Sengkang, got spotted, and ended up running away because the girls he was observing behind pillars decided they were having none of it and followed him back.

The chaotic scenes were captured for posterity and posted on TikTok on Aug. 29 by one of the girls, who goes by the muahchee moniker online.

At one point, muahchee's friend could be heard saying: "Ya, we can go, but I really wanna f***ing fight him."

A voice off-camera also said: "He hide in the pillar. He's squatting, he's squatting."

muahchee's friend then said: "I know you're scared but he messed with the wrong person. Take his face, take his face."

The girl who eventually did the chasing then said: "Bro, I would run after you, bro."

The TikTok's caption read: "if you cant tell laughing is our coping mechanism."

The in-video caption also read: "pov: if they r following u u follow them back!!"

@j.aeyyyyy if u cant tell laughing is our coping mechanism 😭😭😭 why r thr more creeps in sg now stay safe guys #sgisnotsafeafterall ♬ original sound - Shan Da baddest

What happened that night

In response to Mothership's queries, muahchee said the incident occurred after she and her friend were getting ice cream at a supermarket in Sengkang and were looking for a place to sit and chit chat.

They then decided to sit at a bench nearby at the housing estate.

Based on what the video showed, the girls had eventually made their way to Block 216A Compassvale Drive, which is opposite the Compass One mall.

He asked to pay them for their help

muahchee explained what happened prior to them chasing the man, who appeared to be balding and dressed in a grey t-shirt.

"While we were talking, we noticed this uncle, aka the stalker, walking around us multiple times," muahchee added.

He then solicited their help with the offer of giving them money.

muahchee said: "Eventually, he came up to us and asked, 'Can I pay you to do something for me?'"

"My friend yelled at him to get out because the whole situation was weird. But even after countless 'Get out's', bro was reluctant to leave and kept begging us to 'help' him," she continued.

The man walked away, muahchee said, and the girls decided to leave too in case "he came back".

On the way out of the estate, muahchee noticed someone staring at her from the car park "and he was sneaking around".

"When he realised we spotted him, he decided to go to another HDB block and started hiding behind the HDB pillars instead," muahchee said.

She then used her camera to zoom in on him and found out he was indeed loitering around.

Friend wanted to confront man

But muahchee was scared and wanted to leave but her friend insisted she wanted to take a picture of the man and decided to confront and chase after him.

muahchee said: "Unfortunately, bro's stamina was better than both of us HAHAHAHA so we lost track of him."

"By the way, in the midst of running, he was yelling, "I'm sorry'," muahchee added.

This sequence of events was caught on camera.

The man could be seen waving his hands at first before taking off on foot.

She also said: "So yeah, we went from getting ice cream to chasing a stalker."

No police report made

muahchee also said she suspected that the man was trying to film her and her friend at some point before the chase as she saw his phone pointing at them.

When asked if they made a police report, she said: "No, my friend just wanted to terrorise him HAHAHAHAH."

The aunt of a Thai university student who died in a car accident is seeking justice after her 19-year-old niece died in an August 2026 car accident.

According to Khaosod Online, she accused a doctor from a renowned hospital in Chiang Rai, Thailand, of beating a red light and causing the accident which killed two university students, and left one seriously injured.

Accident

Thairath.co reported that the accident occurred at about 8:24pm on Aug. 25, 2026.

The police received a report of a car colliding with a motorcycle carrying three university students at a traffic light intersection.

Police officers and rescue units were then dispatched to the scene, where they found that a red sedan had collided with a black motorcycle.

On Aug. 30, an update stated that the car had rear-ended the motorcycle, Thairath.co reported, adding that the police were gathering evidence in preparation for legal action.

Victims

Following the accident, the first fatality was identified as 19-year-old Nichapa Phromtong, a first-year law school student.

She sustained serious injuries and subsequently died.

Another first-year law student who was driving the motorcycle, 18-year-old Alfarin Kaso, was also taken to the hospital and died on Aug. 29, reported Thairath.co.

The other pillion, 18-year-old Patchareeporn Nakornchan, is receiving treatment, and her condition is being closely monitored.

Police statement

A breathalyser test conducted on the driver on Aug. 25 found that no alcohol was detected, according to a police superintendent.

He noted that the driver had valid motor vehicle insurance, adding that CCTV footage from the scene revealed that there was dimly lit orange lighting.

The vehicle did not show signs of slowing down, Thairath.co reported.

While evidence is still being gathered, the case was still pending the forensic examination report of the collision marks as of Aug. 30, as well as autopsy reports from two more doctors.

Police would expedite the investigation, the superintendent said.

He added that they would coordinate efforts ensuring that the injured and families of the deceased receive assistance and justice according to the law.

Accused of beating red light

The student's aunt, however, appealed to Khaosod Newspaper, saying she feared a delay in the investigation of the case.

She said she had raised her Nichapha since childhood and loved her dearly, and urged police to expedite the case.

Khaosod Online reported the woman as saying that though her niece wore a helmet, she reportedly suffered severe lacerations on her head.

She alleged that the doctor came to the funeral claiming that he did not have time to brake as the traffic light was about to change from yellow to red.

He also reportedly did not see the motorcycle about to stop at the intersection, which caused the rear-end collision.

She added that she does not want images or videos of the victim to be posted online because it is "very painful".

Khaosod Online reported that the university was also getting a lawyer to assist in the case.

Former Hong Kong-based Malaysian actress Datin Kong Yuk Chu has passed away at the age of 78.

Kong is the mother of Malaysian model Lisa Ch’ng and Jacquelin Ch’ng.

The announcement came via Instagram posts from both sisters and Hong Kong actor Mat Yeung, who wed Lisa on Aug. 2 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lisa 莊思明 리 사 (@lisa_chng)

“It is with deep sorrow and heavy hearts that we inform you that our beloved and revered mother has passed away, surrounded by family and loved ones, as she completed her journey through life.” Lisa’s caption read.

Lisa also thanked her mother for attending her wedding, saying it was an "irreplaceable gift".

In a subsequent post, Lisa also expressed her grief and gratitude towards Kong, accompanied by photos of her mother.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lisa 莊思明 리 사 (@lisa_chng)

“I'm so grateful to be your daughter. Thank you for everything you've given me.” Her caption read.

“Mommy, even though I still have so much I want to say to you, I won't write too much here. I'll save the rest to tell you in my dream. Every one of us loves you and misses you so much. We will always remember you!” She added.

Jacqueline’s post included pictures and videos of her and Kong with other family and friends.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jacquelin Chng (@jacquelinchng)

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we inform you that our dear and beloved mother has passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and loved ones, as she completed her journey through life. We will always love you and miss you.” Her caption read.

Kong’s wake will be held from Aug. 30 to Sep. 1.

The government is looking at getting social media platforms to turn off autoplay by default, with parents having the option of adjusting that setting, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo.

She was speaking at an interview with the media on Aug. 28, following Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s National Day Rally (NDR) speech on Aug. 23, in which he highlighted the need to make social media safer for young children.

Autoplay is a function on social media platforms where media automatically loads without the user requesting playback.

Citing a Jul. 30 report by the expert panel convened by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on the mental health impact of social media use, Teo said the panel flagged certain features as potentially exposing users to safety risks.

This includes direct messaging functions, infinite scroll and autoplay functions, or algorithmically curated feeds.

Meta's changes in the U.S.

During the interview, Teo acknowledged Meta's recent US$18 billion (S$22.9 billion) settlement with U.S. states and territories.

The lawsuit was brought forth on the back of allegations that its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, harmed children.

As part of the settlement, the social media giant agreed to implement a range of measures aimed at better protecting children online.

These include a default daily time limit of two hours across both platforms, and overnight access restrictions.

Asked whether the U.S. changes could set a precedent for Singapore, Teo said some measures Meta has agreed to overlap with Singapore’s discussions with the company.

But details differ. “Different societies have different expectations on online safety,” Teo explained.

For example, under Meta’s agreement with U.S. authorities, parents can turn off autoplay, but the default setting remains continuous autoplay.

In Singapore, the hope is that it is implemented the other way round — for autoplay to be turned off as a default, with parents having the option of adjusting that setting.

No magic number

In the U.S., Meta has agreed to daily time limits, which it will implement in two phases: first with a two-hour time limit, and subsequently with a one-hour limit.

But Teo said that what's worth thinking about is that there's "no magic number" as to what constitutes a good daily time limit.

"Take the case of Meta: if Facebook and Instagram set a per-platform daily limit of 60 minutes. It does not mean a service is very safe if used for 59 minutes, and very unsafe if used for 61 minutes," she said.

Teo stressed that it is more important to look at what a daily time limit would achieve, which is a reminder that "we should engage in other aspects of our lives".

"The measures have to be thought of holistically, and we should not be overly fixated on what the number is," she said.