A 34-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to 19 weeks’ jail after stealing S$6,200 from his 31-year-old girlfriend at the time and making a false police report that he had been robbed.

Reynold Lam Jia Yi faced three charges, including theft, providing false information to a public servant and a charge under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act.

Lam pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced on Aug. 4.

The other charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.

Gambled

In court documents seen by Mothership, Lam and his then girlfriend lived together at the time of the offence.

On Feb. 1, 2025, Lam lost about S$9,000 through gambling on football games.

He became financially desperate as the sum was meant to be salary for part-time movers he engaged for his work.

Lam was aware that his girlfriend usually kept her money in her handbags placed in the unlocked wardrobe of their bedroom.

Sometime between 9am and 12pm, while he was alone at home, Lam proceeded to take cash amounting to at least S$6,200 from two of his girlfriend’s handbags without her consent.

He then left his home with the cash and later used it for his own personal expenses.

Lie

To conceal the theft, Lam intended to lie to his girlfriend, telling her that he had taken the cash to deposit it in a bank account on her behalf, but was unfortunately robbed.

He also intended to falsely report to the police that he was robbed to make his lie more credible.

At about 9:14pm in the vicinity of Bishan Street 11, Lam called the police and told them he had been robbed by two individuals.

“Earlier, I was being robbed at Block 152 along the main road by two Malay subjects ran towards Block 170 at about 8 plus. They snatched my money while counting about SGD $11,000,” Lam alleged.

Due to the serious nature of Lam’s report, 20 police officers were dispatched to attend to his claim.

Upon their arrival, Lam gave the police officers a detailed account, which included the number of subjects involved in the robbery, their respective roles, their physical description and attire and the presence of a female witness.

As a result, officers spent about two hours and 54 minutes performing “on scene investigations” and combing the vicinity for evidence and culprits.

During investigations, Lam continued to maintain his lie.

Revelation

On Apr. 21, 2025, Lam admitted that he was not robbed after he was interviewed about the result of a polygraph test he underwent.

He also admitted that the lie was to conceal the theft, and he was aware that he made a false report to the police.

On Aug. 27, 2025, Lam was arrested and was later released on bail on the same day.

He had also made partial restitution of at least S$3,000.

A Secondary 1 student at Outram Secondary School (OSS) was allegedly assaulted by a classmate on May 28, leaving him with facial and dental injuries.

Classmate allegedly spat on his back

Speaking to Mothership, the boy's mother alleged that her son was walking from the school hall to the canteen when a classmate spat on his back.

Another student was present at the time, she said.

She alleged that her son wiped the saliva off his shirt with his hand and smeared it onto the classmate's shirt before continuing to walk towards the canteen.

According to the mother, her son was walking near a pillar on the left when the classmate ran towards him from behind, grabbed him, and threw him against the pillar on the right.

The boy's mother said the school called her immediately after the incident to inform her about what happened, and an ambulance had also been called.

She said she later met her son at the hospital.

The incident left her son with seven stitches to his upper lip, fractures in his mouth, three loose teeth, one broken tooth and bruises, she said.

According to the mother, her son was told to attend long-term follow-up appointments for his dental injuries over the next one to five years.

She added that a doctor recommended that her son see a psychiatrist after he began feeling sad, angry and scared following the incident, and experienced nightmares about it about twice a week.

Concerns over the school's handling of the incident

The boy's mother said she met school leaders on Jun. 22, when she was allegedly informed that the classmate would be caned following the school's investigations.

However, she claimed that during a subsequent call with the school on Jul. 9, she was told the disciplinary action had been put on hold after the other student appealed the findings.

According to the mother, the other student maintained that the incident was a "trip and fall", rather than him grabbing and throwing her son.

She alleged that the school subsequently asked her son to re-enact the incident and interviewed the same witnesses again as part of a second investigation.

The mother said she was informed again on Jul. 17 that the student would be caned following the second investigation.

However, she claimed the school later told her the punishment would only be carried out when the other student was "emotionally ready".

She said this left her feeling that the school was prioritising the other student's wellbeing over her son's.

"They don't provide counselling. They don't speak to my son... They don't ask. They don't show concern," she alleged.

The mother added that the school subsequently transferred the other student to a different class.

She also claimed that her son later received a text message from another classmate alleging that the student involved had previously admitted he intended to push him.

According to the mother, the classmate also alleged that the student had pushed him on a previous occasion and, when asked why, allegedly replied that he "just likes seeing how people react to it".

Witnesses allegedly asked to rewrite statements repeatedly

The boy's mother alleged that three to four students witnessed the incident.

She claimed these witnesses were asked to rewrite their statements three to five times during the school's investigation.

According to her, when the witnesses described the incident as a "grab and throw", they were repeatedly asked whether they were sure it was not a "trip and fall".

She also alleged that during her first meeting with the school, her son recounted that he had been grabbed by the other student and thrown to the ground.

According to the mother, he was then repeatedly asked whether he was sure that was what had happened, as the other student had claimed it was a "trip and fall".

She also claimed that during the first meeting with the school, when her son explained that he was being grabbed by the boy and thrown against the pillar, he was allegedly asked if he was sure that was what had happened.

The boy's mother said she lodged a police report following the incident.

According to an email she shared with Mothership, the police informed her that, after "careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case", it had decided to administer the other student with a stern warning.

The mother also shared a hospital memo stating that her son had "experienced a serious incident of assault" at school that required urgent medical care.

The memo added:

"In order to protect his mental and emotional wellbeing, please support this family in their request to transfer to another school so that he may continue to thrive in a safe learning environment."

Safety plan put in place: OSS

In response to Mothership's queries, the principal of OSS, Keith Tan, said the school is aware of the incident and have been taking it "very seriously".

"When the incident involving Student A and the affected student, Student B, happened in May 2026, Student B’s Form Teacher accompanied him to the hospital. He was discharged on the same day.

The school subsequently conducted comprehensive investigations, including multiple rounds of interviews and re-enactments with eyewitnesses, to rigorously establish the facts of the case."

Tan said the school remained in close contact with the families of both students throughout the process, keeping them informed of the investigation's outcomes and the consequences imposed in accordance with the school's disciplinary framework.

He added that the school has put in place a safety plan for Student B since Jun. 22 to support his well-being and recovery.

The measures include counselling support, steps to minimise contact between Student A and Student B, and excusing Student B from contact sports during his recovery.

Student A has also been transferred to another class.

Tan said the school has determined and is carrying out appropriate disciplinary measures against Student A, including suspension, an adjustment to the student's conduct grade and other consequences, in accordance with the school's disciplinary framework.

"We continue to engage the families of both students closely," he said. "The school remains committed to safeguarding the well-being of all students and maintaining a safe and respectful school environment."

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has engaged over 100 personal mobility aid (PMA) users and detected 29 offences over the last two months.

According to a Facebook post on Aug. 4, the engagements by LTA were part of regular enforcement operations to protect path users and ensure compliance with enhanced PMA rules that kicked in on Jun. 1, 2026.

The rules include requiring a certificate of medical need for mobility scooter users and a speed limit of 6km/h for PMAs.

Enforcement officers found three users riding mobility scooters without a valid certificate of medical need or exemption.

Five users were found speeding on a PMA.

A total of 21 cases involving the possession or use of non-UL2272-compliant e-scooters were also detected.

LTA said it will continue its engagements and education efforts to promote safe and responsible use of mobility scooters among users.

Members of the public can report errant active mobility device users at go.gov.sg/report-am.

With National Day falling on a Sunday this year, Singaporeans get a three-day weekend from Aug. 8 to 10. Hooray!

If you are still deciding how to spend your time, the Mandai Wildlife Reserve might have just made that decision easier.

Beyond its usual line-up of wildlife parks, Mandai is currently hosting the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue, the first real-life Minecraft adventure in Southeast Asia, from now till Sept. 13.

And if you are planning to make a full day of it, here is some good news: you can bundle your Minecraft Experience ticket with other Mandai attractions and save up to 20 per cent, making this NDP long weekend a good time to finally check everything off your list.

Here's a guide to the Minecraft Experience, along with three other Mandai attractions you can pair it with.

1. Minecraft Experience: Village Rescue

Before you meet Mandai's real-life animal residents, come face-to-face with some of the world's most iconic blocky creatures.

Step into the pixelated world of Minecraft at the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue, an immersive adventure at the Green Canvas, Exhibition Hall 1 & 2. Tickets are priced at S$46 for adults and S$40 for children.

This National Day, enjoy a special promotion with tickets at just two for S$61. The offer is not valid on the long weekend, but you can redeem it for visits on any other available date.

Whether you're dodging hostile mobs lurking in dark caves or meeting friendly favourites like sheep, pigs and other familiar companions, the experience brings the beloved game to life in a way that makes you feel as though you've stepped straight into the Overworld.

The hour-long adventure begins with guests receiving an Orb of Interaction, a handheld cube that lets them interact with the world around them. Guided by Tobin and Dayo, aspiring adventurers enter The Forest, where they'll learn the basics of surviving in Minecraft by chopping wood, gathering resources and fighting off mobs.

Guests journey through three Minecraft biomes to gather resources, battle mobs in a mineshaft, conquer the Nether and defeat Blazes before returning to the village to brew a potion and discover how many villagers they saved.

As you venture through each biome, you'll come across some of Minecraft's cutest animal mobs, including the adorable panda pictured above.

After encountering Minecraft's familiar creatures in the immersive experience, visitors can continue the adventure by meeting their real-world counterparts across the wildlife parks.

2. Singapore Zoo

And with National Day just around the corner, it's the perfect time to say hello to some of the zoo's very own locally-born stars.

And of course, Ah Meng Jr., granddaughter of the legendary Ah Meng, the beloved Sumatran orangutan who greeted world leaders and millions of visitors over the years.

You'll also have the chance to meet Ayaan, the newest male Sumatran orangutan born in March. His birth marks an important milestone in years-long conservation efforts to preserve a valuable genetic line that might otherwise have been lost.

This National Day, some of Mandai's stars will also join celebrations with special presentations from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31.

Expect flag displays, birthday-themed festivities and uniquely Singaporean touches as different animals take centre stage at various locations across the park throughout the month.

Take part in the “Frame Your Wild” activity and redeem an exclusive Stars of Mandai sticker sheet featuring animals proudly born in Singapore.

And on Aug. 9 itself, keep the celebrations going with a free National Day Watch Party at Mandai Wildlife EAST. Dress in your best red and white, gather with family and friends, and catch a live stream of the nation's biggest celebration surrounded by nature and wildlife.

3. Night Safari

Prefer your wildlife encounters after dark? The Night Safari, the world's first nocturnal zoo, offers guided tram rides and walking trails through several geographical regions, where nocturnal animals such as leopards, tapirs and flying foxes are most active.

For a limited time, join the keepers for a special edition of the “Pangolin Keeper Talk” and stand a chance to spot Mandai’s first pangolin pup in a decade.

4. Exploria

Exploria takes visitors through five immersive worlds, each combining large-scale projections, interactive technology and sensory effects to bring parts of the natural world most of us rarely encounter directly to life.

It offers a gamified interactive experience, with visitors being given an RFID wristband that allows them to unlock information, collect badges and rack up points as they explore, that combines conservation education with hands-on, family-friendly play — a good option if you'd like to balance out a day of outdoor exploring.

5. Glamping in the Wild

For an even more immersive wildlife experience, check into Glamping in the Wild — Reservoir Retreat at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve.

Set against scenic reservoir views, the all-inclusive stay includes admission to the wildlife parks, curated dining, exclusive animal encounters, all while enjoying a relaxing stay surrounded by nature.

Bundle tickets

Ready to plan your visit?

You can save up to 20 per cent on your ticket when you bundle Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue with Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Exploria, or Glamping in the wild.

What if you’re bringing the whole gang along? You can save further with the Family & Friends Bundle (minimum three pax) at S$42 per person, or the Group Bundle (minimum seven pax) at S$41 per person — worth considering if you're planning to make this an extended family or friend-group outing over the long weekend.

WildPass holders and Friends of Mandai members can also enjoy exclusive discounts.

Whether you are a longtime Minecraft player or have never touched the game, this NDP long weekend might just be the perfect excuse to head down to Mandai Wildlife Reserve and see how the two worlds — pixelated and real — come together.

Grab your bundled tickets here.

This branded article by Mandai Wildlife Group made this writer want to start fighting mobs.

A 24-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF) was sentenced to 12 years and nine months' jail on Aug. 5 after he raped a deaf and mute girl, then 13, when his pregnant wife left their flat to run errands.

Charge sheets and court documents seen by Mothership stated that the man was also sentenced to 12 strokes of the cane.

He pleaded guilty to one charge each of aggravated statutory rape, with another two charges taken into consideration during sentencing.

He also pleaded guilty to going AWOL after failing to report for duty at the Civil Defence Academy on Oct. 23, 2023, and remained absent without leave until his arrest.

There is a gag order on the identity of both the accused and victim to protect the victim.

Accused knew victim

Court documents stated that the accused knew the victim as he was previously schoolmates with her older brother.

The accused's wife had a close relationship with the victim's mother.

Prior to the offences, the girl had met the accused on a few occasions together with other people.

The accused communicated with her through very basic sign language and gestures, and by typing on their phones.

At the time of his offences, the accused, then 22, lived with his wife in a two-room rental flat.

Girl stayed over at flat

On Nov. 2, 2024, the girl's mother had arranged for her to spend the night at the flat as she had to attend an event and could not bring the victim.

Court documents stated that it was the girl's first time at the flat and her first and only time sleeping over with the accused and his wife.

Sexually inappropriate acts

The next morning on Nov. 3, 2024, the accused's wife left the flat to run errands, leaving the accused and the victim alone in the flat.

Despite knowing the girl was only 13 years old, the accused beckoned her to go to the bedroom with him and asked her to have sex with him.

Though the victim communicated that she did not want to, the accused continued asking her to have sex with him by typing messages into the "Notes" application of the victim's phone.

He offered to pay her when she continued to reject him.

According to court documents, the victim continued to reject the accused's requests for sex using her facial expressions and hand gestures.

They had previously never engaged in any intimate or sexual acts.

The accused then molested the girl and pulled her towards the bed.

Girl texted accused's wife for help

Unknown to the accused, the girl secretly texted his wife for help and said he wanted to have sex with her.

He then raped the girl, who struggled and tried to escape but he restrained her by holding onto her arms.

The accused heard his wife returning to the flat and unlocking the door.

He then stopped the sexual assault and told the victim to quickly go to the toilet and wash herself.

When his wife confronted him, he lied that the girl became angry and took a knife from the kitchen.

He also claimed that he showered and went to the bedroom.

Noting that the accused's wife was pregnant and not wanting them to break up, the girl did not tell his wife what happened.

Victim's mother noticed lovebite

On the same evening, the girl's mother picked her up and drove her to another house.

There, her relatives noticed that her forearm appeared to be hurting and that there was a love bite on the her neck.

Upon being questioned, the girl showed a photo of the accused to them and conveyed that he gave her the love bite.

Her mother then called the police on Nov. 3, 2024, and they arrested him that night.

Actively refused, more vulnerable: Prosecution

The prosecution sought a jail term of at least 12 years and four months to 13 years, as well as 12 strokes of the cane.

This was supported by offence-specific aggravating factors, court documents stated.

Firstly, the victim was under 14 and did not consent.

The accused also did not wear a condom during his offences, exposing the victim to the risk of pregnancy, and the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

CNA reported the deputy public prosecutor as saying that in this case, the victim had actively refused assent.

Being deaf and mute also makes her more vulnerable to sexual assault, the DPP added.

Defence arguments

The accused's defence lawyer sought a jail term of 10 to 10-and-a-half years, along with eight strokes of the cane.

Despite being deaf and mute, there was no evidence of the man exploiting her disability, the lawyer argued.

The girl could communicate to the accused that she did not consent, and texted his wife for help.

Justice did not consider any adjustment to sentence justified

CNA reported Justice Andre Maniam as saying that the defence's submission downplays the significance of the victim's disability.

He also did not accept that there was no evidence that the victim trusted the accused.

According to CNA, in mitigation, the accused apologised to the victim, his wife and his child, who was born when he was in remand.

He also said he attended religious counselling and is seeking to improve himself, CNA reported.

Justice Maniam said he did not consider any adjustment to the sentence justified given the circumstances.

A woman who left negative Google reviews after undergoing acupuncture treatment at a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinic in Singapore has been ordered to pay S$12, 500 in damages after a court found that the posts were defamatory.

According to a judgement paper cited by Shin Min Daily News, the plaintiff was Chau Mei Sze, a registered TCM practitioner who was practicing at Kin Teck Tong TCM Clinic at Plaza Singapura at the time of the incident.

The defendant, identified as Lin Ching Ling, was a patient who had received acupuncture treatment from Chau.

Chau filed a defamation suit on Dec. 20, 2024, alleging that the patient had posted defamatory comments on the clinic's Google review page.

She also sought an injunction restraining the patient from publishing similar defamatory statements in the future.

The case

According to Shin Min, the patient visited the clinic on Nov. 17, 2024, seeking treatment for neck and shoulder pain.

Chau performed acupuncture on the patient, while another therapist administered cupping and tuina massage.

After the treatment, the patient said she experienced severe neck and shoulder pain that night.

She further claimed that her right arm became so weak the following day that she was unable to lift it to brush her teeth, prompting her to call the clinic.

However, both parties gave differing accounts of the phone conversation.

Chau said she had asked the patient to return to the clinic for a review, but the patient claimed Chau had told her the symptoms were normal and would improve after a few days, so she did not return that day,

On Nov. 19, 2024, the patient returned to the clinic after being contacted by the clinic manager, and was examined by two other TCM practitioners.

The following day, she sought treatment at the National University Hospital's Emergency Department, where she was diagnosed with neurapraxia of upper extremity and cervical radiculopathy.

On Nov. 21, 2024, the patient posted a Google review recounting her experience, writing, among other points:

"Be careful if you're going in for neck/shoulderache for acupuncture. Or maybe just the specific physician or therapist are not qualified"

On Dec. 2, 2024, the clinic responded to the review, saying the patient's account might not accurately reflect the treatment she had received.

The next day, the patient was informed that the clinic would not be issuing her a refund.

According to Chau, the patient also threatened to file a police report and post more negative reviews if she was not given a refund.

Eight days later, the patient posted another review questioning the clinic's denial that there had been any error in the acupuncture treatment.

In her review, she described the clinic as a "money making" business that did not care about their customers' health.

The second review was later removed by Google before Dec. 17, 2024.

Court's findings

The judge found that both Google reviews clearly referred to Chau and could lower her reputation in the eyes of reasonable members of the public, Shin Min reported.

Though the reviews did not allege that Chau lacked professional qualifications, training, or certification, nor did they suggest that she was not entitled to charge for her treatment or bear the patient's future orthopaedic costs, they were sufficient to damage her reputation.

The judge found that the first review questioned whether Chau was qualified to perform acupuncture, while the second suggested that she lacked the competence to perform acupuncture or had administered it negligently or incorrectly, causing injury to the patient.

The court later ordered the patient to pay Chau S$10,000 in general damages and S$2,500 in aggravated damages.

Chau also argued that the patient's refusal to apologise or retract the reviews suggested that they were made in an attempt to pressure or retaliate against the clinic, rather than reflect her genuine belief.

The judge found there was no evidence that the patient knew, at the time she posted the reviews, that her pre-existing medical condition could have caused the symptoms she experienced.

However, the judge held that when the patient claimed in her second review that Chau had performed the acupuncture incorrectly and caused her arm weakness, there was no factual basis for making that allegation.

At most, she knew it was only one possible explanation and was therefore at least reckless as to the truth of the allegation.

The judge also found that the second review was more likely posted in retaliation for the clinic's refusal to issue a refund, or in an attempt to obtain one, and hence awarded aggravated damages.

Injunction refused

According to Shin Min, the judge noted that an injunction would only be granted if there was a likelihood that the patient would publish further defamatory statements.

However, Chau failed to produce evidence showing that the patient was likely to repeat the defamatory allegations.

The judge also noted that Chau did not pursue the injunction in her closing submissions, and dismissed that part of her claim.

A Thai civil servant has gone viral online for a peculiar reason – her heavily made-up appearance during a local municipal meeting.

The meeting was held on Aug. 3 in Yaha district, Yala, Thailand, according to a Facebook post by the subdistrict.

The post generated over 23,000 comments and more than 7,400 shares, with most comments highlighting the officer's appearance.

"What should I focus on?" one netizen wrote.

"Almost slipped past, caught my eye, stop by to read the comments for a bit," another said.

Others complimented the official's makeup, with one saying it was "very Japanese".

The official responded in the comment section, stating that the image had been edited to hide her wrinkles.

"To everyone who noticed how well this photo was edited: I brightened the image to hide the signs of fatigue from my very busy schedule lately," she wrote.

"I wondered if you would be able to tell that it had been brightened—so, kudos to everyone who spotted it!"

Member of Parliament (MP) for Aljunied GRC Kenneth Tiong said that the "biggest competitor" to Singaporean startups and SMEs are the Singaporean government-linked companies (GLCs) in his opening speech tabling the Workers' Party's (WP) first motion since 2023.

The motion titled "An economy of the future that works for all" was filed by Tiong and seconded by MP for Sengkang GRC Jamus Lim, focusing on the party's vision for the Singapore economy.

Tiong proposed creating an "updated growth model" that cares not solely about GDP growth, but about "structure of growth", and a special Research and Development (R&D) zone at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), among other suggestions.

"Before we can remake society to be young, we must remake society for the young," he said.

Lim meanwhile focused on how Singapore could wean away "from a top-down, foreign investment-reliant multinational economic model, and instead build a bottom-up domestic capital-led... SME focused one".

'A lasting share of our country's success?'

According to a WP press briefing on Aug. 1, Tiong said the motion can be summed up in a question: "How does an ordinary Singaporean get a lasting share of our country’s success?"

During the briefing, Lim said the motion should not necessarily be seen as a substitute but rather as a complement to current policies.

Lim told the media that the WP wants to ensure the message they send is both a reaction and distinct from the Economic Strategy Review (ESR), which was launched in 2025.

Motion consists of 2 parts

Speaking in Parliament, Tiong introduced the motion, which consists of two parts.

The first pushes for a "more equal and inclusive economy, with opportunities for entrepreneurs to experiment, households and businesses to succeed, workers to thrive, and ideas and innovation to flourish".

The motion will also ask the House if it believes in "an economic engine driven by dynamic local companies, healthy domestic demand, and Singaporeans and Singaporean capital venturing abroad".

Tiong cited the trend of multinational corporations (MNCs) and Singaporean companies moving overseas.

"High business costs and slow manpower approvals accelerate offshoring to regional centres based in countries like Malaysia and Vietnam," Tiong said.

He mentioned layoffs by H&M, which has shifted its regional headquarters to Kuala Lumpur, and Tiger Beer, which shifted its production to Malaysia and Vietnam, affecting about 130 jobs.

Yeo's and Gardenia also shifted their production facilities to Malaysia.

'Few dream of being entrepreneurs'

To elaborate on why this motion was put forth, Tiong outlined how "Singaporeans face a uniquely challenging set of circumstances".

"The major model of Singaporeans getting on the economic ladder has been jobs. Without a job, you're not able to afford renting a place or buying HDB flat. Without your own place, it is difficult to think about having children."

He said few of these children dream of being entrepreneurs, with nine out of 10 being employees.

"For almost all of us, the jobs ladder is the main route up, with not many Singaporeans becoming entrepreneurs."

He added that reasons include the small market and "daunting" cost of business, which lacks social safety nets for risk-taking, and that "not enough true growth capital exists for all the private wealth attracted here".

Job structure based on hosting large companies

Tiong said Singapore's "job structure rests on being the best place in the region for foreign companies to base themselves. We host many large companies, but build few of them."

He cited how of the three companies Singapore has in the Fortune Global 500, all are commodity traders, two of which were founded overseas before moving to Singapore.

Compared to South Korea's 13 and Taiwan's six companies on the same list, which were "built by their own people", Tiong said Singapore's companies "came here and can as easily go".

Tiong added: "The standard answer for advanced economies has been R&D, build what others cannot easily copy, so that firms come here in spite of our costs. But after decades and tens of billions, not one local R&D champion has emerged worth more than a billion dollars."

He noted that Singapore "should continue to invest, but the upshot is that our R&D complex is sadly not ready to be our growth engine".

'Engine of investment to jobs is faltering'

Tiong first suggested an updated growth model that "cares not only about the headline GDP growth figure but the structure of growth".

"It is acceptable as an exigency to grow first, and then redistribute by vouchers and rebates, but over the medium and long term, we should be building an economy where a fair distribution is produced by the growth itself, rather than repaired afterwards out of the proceeds, pre-distribution or redistribution."

He emphasised that this is why Singapore requires an economic engine "driven by dynamic local companies, healthy domestic demand, and Singaporeans and Singaporean capital venturing abroad".

Secondly, Tiong said Singapore needs an "honest measurement and prioritisation of what matters from growth".

He made three points on the "indigenous share of national income", "real income growth that keeps pace with productivity, not lag it" and "whether Singaporeans can still afford the city they built".

"These three North Stars point us towards a more equal and inclusive economy, with opportunities for entrepreneurs to experiment, households and businesses to succeed, workers to thrive, and ideas and innovation to flourish," he said.

Special zone around NTU

Tiong talked about universal land pricing and noted that Singapore has been good at "bringing other people's companies here".

However, he questioned: "We have been slow to put the same land that we own behind our people building their own. Why do we take a high land price as a law like gravity?"

He said the ideology of universal land pricing is coherent and convenient, but "the people of Singapore need to decide if this ideology still serves them".

Instead, he proposed that Singapore should stop treating market land value as a "natural price for every socially productive use of land".

He proposed a test — a university-centred special zone where state land is priced at development cost rather than market scarcity value.

This special zone, he suggested, could be surrounding NTU.

He elaborated:

"The bargain has four parts:

1. A place to live near where the work and the research happen at a price a starting salary can carry,
2. In service of something the country needs, [which is] more local enterprise and R&D,
3. With an upside staying with the risk takers,
4. And a say in the rules."

Tiong said the test “will be zoned for organic messiness, a district that is pro-worker and pro-business, built around the needs of young people and young companies”.

He proposed that the zone has its own board and stated that most of what he was asking did not require new legislation.

He cited the JTC Corporation, which writes its own contracts and the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s planning circular.

Tiong added:

"So the ask is threefold: a zone around NTU, a new use category for restricted, non-tradable, mixed housing and enterprise land, valued as the restricted interest it is, and a zone authority that runs its own operations and takes stakes in the enterprises it grows."

Tiong urged that "today's Singaporeans should have as much say over scarce land as the master planners of decades ago".

Rent-seeking mindset

Subsequently, Lim began his speech by sketching out Singapore's traditional growth model, which was to accumulate factors of production.

These factors of production are "to ride on increases in the labour force due to demographic change, while simultaneously building up complementary capital, both manufactured — in the form of machines, equipment, and factories—as well as human, through education".

He noted that while the traditional model was successful, it made Singapore somewhat obsessed with "courting foreign capital and fearful of right-minded pro-worker policies that would reduce our attractiveness as regional headquarters".

"Our educational system churned out a formidable number of excellent operators, but far fewer risk-taking entrepreneurs."

Lim added: "In the drive to economise on scarce land, our government's leasehold model has fostered a rent-seeking mindset in real estate, rather than treating land as just another normal input to production".

New model should evolve away from traditional reliance on MNCs

Lim said the new model should "evolve away from our traditional reliance on foreign MSCs as a driver of our growth and pivot toward SMEs as our homegrown economic engine".

"While the ESR speaks about both, it betrays somewhat an implicit bias toward the former."

Lim stated that a shift from fixation with tax competition, an undervalued exchange rate and wooing of footloose multinationals is needed.

He proposed: "We must instead promote bottom-up formation and growth of our indigenous companies and unleash the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of our local workforce."

This, Lim said, requires companies to be weaned off cost-cutting "as the only means to be competitive".

"What we want is for 'Made in Singapore' to be synonymous with better, not just faster or cheaper, which is best left to economies lower down the income ladder."

He noted that to enable the transformation, Singapore needs a "domestic body of medium-sized enterprises capable of growing to become the next wave of national corporate champions and driving a 21st-century innovation-led economy.

"We need Singaporeans to start Singaporean companies, and for these companies to grow and succeed domestically and on the world stage."

Advancing to the next stage of growth

Although there are many government-run schemes to boost productivity for SMEs, more can be done to allow them to advance to the next stage of growth, Lim said.

He said: “There remains additional room for the state to act well through its indirect influence on GLCs. Despite being half of our economy's value added, R&D spending by domestic enterprises accounts for only S$1 out of every S$5.”

Lim called for the GLCs to look towards “elevating their spending to more closely match those of other MNCs”.

He noted that SME productivity could also be supported by “tackling sky-high business costs”, and proposed capping rents to a “historical increase of about 3 per cent annually”.

He also urged “to revisit the dependency ratio ceiling (DRC) for certain sectors like F&B, where Singaporeans continue to shun open positions that are advertised even at attractive wages”.

The DRC refers to the maximum ratio of foreign workers to the total workforce that a company employs.

Lim noted:

“To be clear, what I'm calling for is not a wholesale overhaul of our GLC-heavy MNC-led and foreign capital reliant model, which has, to date, served as well.”

Last WP motion in 2023

The last time the WP filed a motion in Parliament was in 2023.

The 2023 motion was tabled by party chief Pritam Singh and MP for Sengkang GRC Louis Chua over helping Singaporeans with the cost of living.

It was passed after a seven-hour debate with amendments from the PAP.

However, in 2023, the WP and PSP did not vote in favour of the amended motion.

Fika Swedish Cafe And Bistro in Arab Street will close on Aug. 14.

The restaurant announced its impending closure on social media on Aug. 4.

It is turning 17 this week, the post noted.

“If you’ve ever wanted one last plate of our Swedish meatballs or one last fika with us, we’d love to see you before we close,” the post added.

The Swedish term "Fika" means having a break or some time out, including having a coffee with colleagues, friends or family.

No reason was disclosed for the closure.

Fika, founded by Singaporean Tasneem Noor and her Swedish husband, Joakim Smidhagen, is known for its meatballs and lamb stew.

The eatery uses halal ingredients for its Swedish food.

Focus will be directed to bakery Konditori at Bussorah Street following Fika's closure.

Journal entries written by a 35-year-old mother appeared to reveal cries for help before she murdered her three young children.

The incident

On Jan. 24, 2023, Lindsay Clancy, a former labour and delivery nurse, fatally strangled her three children in the basement of their Massachusetts home, CNN reported.

She then attempted to take her own life by cutting her wrists and neck before jumping from a second-storey window into the backyard.

She survived, but was left partially paralysed from the attempt.

Her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, returned home that evening after picking up medicine for their oldest child and a takeout order for his then-wife, reported CNN.

He later found their three children lying motionless in the basement, each with an exercise resistance band around their necks.

Charged

Lindsay is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and could face lifetime imprisonment without parole if convicted, reported the BBC.

The former nurse pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of her three children aged five, three and eight months old.

However, she did not deny killing her children.

Lindsay’s defence argued instead that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis (PPP) and was not criminally responsible, CNN reported.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, PPP is a rare but severe mental health condition that can affect people after childbirth.

Those with the condition face a “much higher risk of harming themselves, dying by suicide or harming their children”, and it is therefore considered a mental health emergency.

Lindsay's journal entries were recently presented at trial, apparently in an attempt to support her case.

Journal entries

On Aug. 3, 2026, excerpts from Lindsay’s journal were presented at her murder trial, offering jurors a glimpse into her state of mind at the time, reported the New York Post.

Several journals were reportedly collected from her home by Massachusetts State Trooper Cory Melo.

On Nov. 18, 2022, around two months before the murders, Lindsay reportedly wrote in her diary:

"It’s like I’m so desperate to get a mental break from taking care of everyone that my mind is trying to make something physically wrong with me."

Lindsay also wrote about her “horrible insomnia and anxiety”, and how she was “completely overwhelmed trying to take care of the three kids every day”.

“I want help. I want to be well,” she wrote.

Ex-husband’s testimony

During the first week of the murder trial, Patrick took the stand and spoke about their three young children and his ex-wife, CNN reported.

Patrick also testified that his ex-wife was a “very dedicated” mother, citing the various things she did for their children.

He also said she struggled with mental health issues following the birth of their third child, which were exacerbated as she prepared to return to work after he was born in May 2022.

According to Patrick, she was prescribed several medications by different doctors between September 2022 and January 2023, CNN reported.

He testified that a "big spiral" began after Lindsay started taking a new antipsychotic medication in early December 2022.

Around the same time, Patrick said she told him she was experiencing intrusive thoughts about harming their children and that she was suicidal.

He added that her mental health appeared to deteriorate after the dosage of the antipsychotic medication was increased, leading her to seek treatment at two medical centres in the following weeks.

However, after spending several days in a locked ward at a psychiatric facility in early January 2023, she allegedly told Patrick that she was no longer suicidal.

"She seemed much better," Patrick testified.

Prosecution

The prosecution acknowledged Lindsay’s mental health struggles but argued that she had “deliberately and meticulously” killed her children, CNN reported.

A Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney told jurors during her opening statement: “This is a woman who acted intentionally, rationally, and swiftly to accomplish a very specific goal – to kill.”

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

National mindline.sg Hotline: 1771 (24 hours)

National mindline.sg WhatsApp: 66691771 (24 hours)

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Centre for Domestic Employees: 1800 225 5233 (24 hours)

Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training: 1800 339 4357 (24 hours)

HOME (migrant worker): +65 6341 5535  (WhatsApp / Viber / SMS) 

HOME (domestic worker): +65 9787 3122 (WhatsApp / SMS / Call)

SHECARES@SCWO: Call: 8001 01 4616 | WhatsApp: 8985 5528 (For targets of online harms)

National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH): 1800-777-0000