A closed door session regarding the proposed residential development at Sunset Way was held at Bukit Timah Community Club on Jul. 17.

It was attended by at least 100 residents, along with Members of Parliament for Bukit Timah GRC Christopher De Souza and Sim Ann, and representatives from the Housing & Development Board (HDB).

Concerns raised at the session included deforestation, traffic congestion and overdevelopment, CNA reported.

Some residents were also quoted as saying, following the session, that they remained unsettled by the development plans and hoped that HDB would take their feedback into consideration.

HDB had announced earlier on Jul. 10 that Sunset Way, together with Gillman Barracks, would be developed for housing.

After an environment impact assessment was conducted and engaging nature groups, HDB has proposed retaining about eight hectares of the 23-hectare site within Maju Forest at Sunset Way to provide refuge for wildlife and facilitate fauna movement.

Why not brownfield sites?

Ahead of the closed door session, HDB's chief town planner Chong Fook Long told CNA that the housing plan for Sunset Way at the moment is "not final" and that HDB hopes to work further with residents and stakeholders.

Explaining the current decision, Chong shared that the recent Clementi Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise was more than four times oversubscribed indicates a "great need" for more housing supply in that area.

Chong said that their priority is to target brownfield sites.

However, within Clementi and the region, there are very few of such sites. This led to them looking at developing the site within Maju Forest, which has been largely zoned for residential use since 1980, to increase housing supply.

Brownfield sites refer to land that has been previously developed while greenfield sites refer to land that has been mostly untouched.

Chong said, "We have to make trade-offs. We have to understand how to balance housing and nature to bring about the best plan, as we always do wherever we go."

Members of the public can submit feedback on the plans until Aug. 6, 2026.

Related

From Aug. 3, approved cat fosterers will be allowed to license and keep up to six cats in three-room or larger Housing & Development Board (HDB) flats under a new two-year pilot scheme.

Under the same pilot scheme, approved fosterers are allowed to keep up to 10 cats in private premises.

The limits in both cases include all pet and foster cats in each household, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) said in a Jul. 18 press release.

AVS shared that the scope of the pilot was developed gathering responses via extensive public engagements since 2023. Responses from fosterers, residents, cat owners, non-cat owners were gathered to ensure diverse perspectives were considered and discussions were held with animal welfare groups.

Licensing fees waived for approved cat fosterers during pilot period

The pilot scheme came after consultation with various stakeholders and with inputs from HDB for cat owning households in public housing, said AVS.

"AVS recognises that fosterers play an important role in cat management, by providing safe homes for cats in need, including those that are sick, injured, require palliative care, or pending adoption."

Fosterers also help reduce the number of free-roaming cats in the community and the potential disamenities they can cause, it added.

To support the efforts of cat fosterers, AVS will waive licensing fees for approved cat fosterers during the pilot period.

All cats in household must be sterilised

All cats in the household must also be sterilised to prevent unintended breeding.

Those who require assistance with microchipping and sterilising community cats can seek support through the Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage (TNRM) programme.

How to apply for recognition as a responsible cat fosterer

Individuals can apply to be a recognised responsible cat fosterer from Aug. 3 via an online form.

Pre-requisites to be approved include:

Following the two-year period, AVS will assess whether it meets the needs of fosterers and gather feedback on the longer-term approach for fosterer recognition.

Non-licensing of pet cats to be an offence from Sep. 1

From Sep. 1, it will become an offence if a pet cat is not licensed.

Licensed pet cat owners will also need to ensure their cats are kept in a safe environment and take reasonable steps to protect them from hazards, such as installing mesh or grilles to prevent the cats from roaming freely or falling from height.

In public, cat owners will need to ensure that their cats are kept under physical control such as by placing their cat in a carrier or using a harness.

Those caught by AVS with unlicensed cats or for non-compliance to cat-keeping rules can face a fine of up to S$5,000.

The law will come into effect after the expiry of the ongoing two-year transition period that allowed cat owners to ease into meeting AVS' licensing requirements of pet cats.

Since Sep. 1, 2024, microchipping and licensing of pet cats has been made free at over 120 drives and sessions across the island, AVS updated on Jul. 18.

About 11,500 pet cats have been microchipped thus far, according to AVS.

Cat-keeping limits for licensed cats

Existing cat owners who have owned their cats before Sep. 1, 2024, and whose cats are licensed during the transition period, can continue to keep all their cats even if they exceed the limits permitted for HDB flats or private premises from Sep. 1, 2026.

A man in Singapore found two large dents on the bonnet of his new Toyota car one morning.

The damage was allegedly caused by cans of food thrown from a block of flats at night.

The retiree, Tang, 69, told Shin Min Daily News that he had purchased a new Toyota Corolla earlier this year, and it was damaged in less than seven months.

What happened

The incident occurred overnight at around 1:20am on Jul. 15 at the open-air car park in front of Block 127 Bedok North Street 2.

Tang only discovered the damage when he went to his car at around 7am that morning.

He told Shin Min: "At first I couldn't believe it. I had to look at the licence plate to confirm it was my car."

Having installed a dashcam, he reviewed the footage and found that two cans of food had fallen from above and struck the bonnet.

He found the cans on the ground nearby: One contained mushrooms and the other contained baked beans.

He said: "These two cans are unopened and not expired. I have no idea who did this."

Police report filed

Tang put the cans in a plastic bag and brought them to the police station to file a report.

He told Shin Min he believed officers had also gone down to the car park to investigate.

Repair costs

Tang said he had initially wanted to pay for the repairs himself, but eventually claimed the S$3,000 repair cost via his car insurance.

However, he still had to pay a S$600 assessment fee out of pocket, with his car spending three days at the workshop.

Since the incident, Tang told Shin Min he no longer parks in the open-air car park, opting for the multi-storey car park instead, even though it means a 10-minute walk home.

At the scene

When Shin Min visited the area on Jul. 16, another can of mushrooms was found on a patch of grass.

The can was visibly damaged, with mushrooms and liquid spilling out.

Several residents said they were unaware of any high-rise littering in the area.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that a report had been lodged and that investigations are ongoing.

A 64-year-old Singaporean woman was fined S$3,000 after verbally harassing a 25-year-old police officer.

Yip Mee Lan pleaded guilty to one charge under the Protection from Harassment Act on Jul. 15, 8world reported.

Call

On Apr. 10, Yip called the police several times for assistance at a coffee shop in Chinatown.

When officers arrived, she alleged that a 54-year-old Malaysian woman had assaulted her.

However, the woman involved had left the scene.

The responding officer advised Yip to contact the police again if she saw the woman who allegedly assaulted her.

Harassment

At about 9:30pm on the same day, she spotted the woman and proceeded to contact the police.

At about 9:45pm, the police arrived at the scene and questioned Yip.

However, she repeatedly interrupted him.

Yip also reeked of alcohol, and the officer warned her on several occasions to lower her voice.

However, Yip failed to comply with his instructions and she was subsequently arrested.

As she was escorted to the police vehicle, Yip proceeded to curse at him.

"I curse your 18 generations, I curse you to have no sons, no one to see you to your grave," she said.

The officer’s body-worn camera recorded the entire ordeal.

Yip was charged with the offence on Jun. 24.

After sentencing, the judge allowed her to pay S$2,000 of the fine first and settle the remaining S$1,000 at a later date.

A former Certis Cisco auxiliary police officer was jailed after he tipped his former colleague off about a Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) investigation into the handling of e-vaporisers and contraband cigarettes.

He had advised his former colleague to throw away his e-vaporisers, prompting the latter to dispose of at least one e-vaporiser and three packs of e-vaporiser pods.

According to a Jul. 17 CNA report, 38-year-old Tan Wee Keong was sentenced to a week's jail after pleading guilty to one count of obstructing justice by disclosing information about a CPIB investigation and advising his former colleague to throw away the implicated items.

His former colleague, 33-year-old Reggie Choo Beng Kwang, was also sentenced to one week's jail after pleading guilty to a similar charge.

A second charge of obstructing the course of justice by deleting a WhatsApp conversation with Tan was taken into consideration during Choo's sentencing.

The pair were among 13 former Certis enforcement officers charged in January 2026 over offences including the possession of e-vaporisers and contraband cigarettes, and the misappropriation of items entrusted to them.

They were the last of the group to be sentenced, after the remaining officers received jail terms ranging from 10 days to two years on Jul. 10.

The case

Court documents seen by Mothership stated that at the time of the offences, Tan was an assistant enforcement supervisor with the Certis Cisco Auxiliary Police Force deployed to the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) Tobacco Regulation Branch (TRB).

Choo was also an officer with TRB before resigning prior to May 2022.

The two became friends in 2018.

Around May 2022, Tan learnt that Choo used e-vaporisers and e-vaporiser pods.

On Jul. 26, 2022, Tan was interviewed by CPIB as part of investigations into Certis officers attached to HSA's TRB and their handling of e-vaporisers and contraband cigarettes.

Investigators had instructed Tan not to discuss the investigation with anyone.

Despite this, Tan called Choo a few days later and told him that he had been interviewed by CPIB.

He said that several people had been caught for possessing e-vaporisers and that Choo's name had surfaced during the interview.

Tan advised Choo to stop vaping, saying it was bad for his health, and that it was best that Choo threw his "vape" away.

After realising he could be under investigation, Choo disposed of at least one e-vaporiser and three packs of e-vaporiser pods between July and August 2022, fearing they might be discovered.

Sentencing

The prosecution sought jail terms of two to four weeks for both men, court documents stated.

It argued that although the offence was of low severity, a custodial sentence was warranted as Tan, a law enforcement officer, had deliberately disclosed confidential information to help cover up an offence by another law enforcement officer.

The prosecution said Tan knew he was prohibited from discussing the investigation, having been expressly instructed by CPIB not to do so, but nevertheless chose to reveal the information.

"This cannot be spontaneous and evinces a degree of premeditation," it said.

For Choo, the prosecution argued that he knowingly disposed of potential evidence after learning he was under investigation, similarly showing a degree of premeditation.

According to CNA, Tan's lawyer sought a fine of between S$5,000 and S$7,000, or alternatively, a jail term of no more than one week.

The defence submitted that Tan had not abused his position as a Certis Cisco officer to commit the offence and that his status as a law enforcement officer at the time of the offence should not automatically warrant a custodial sentence.

Representing himself, Choo told the court that he had switched from cigarettes to e-vaporisers in an effort to quit smoking for the sake of his children's health.

He asked the court to impose a fine instead of a jail term.

A person convicted of intentionally obstructing the course of justice can be sentenced to up to seven years' imprisonment, fined, or both.

A total of 100 suspected drug offenders were arrested in an island-wide anti-drug operation.

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) conducted the operation from Jul. 12 to 17 and covered areas, including Boon Lay, Ghim Moh, Jurong, Kallang, Tampines, Tengah, Toa Payoh and Woodlands.

A total of about 859g of cannabis, 120g of heroin, 85g of "Ice", 3g of "Ecstasy’ tablets, two Erimin-5 tablets and cash amounting to S$252.75 were seized.

The drugs are estimated to be worth more than S$34,000.

The heroin, cannabis and "Ice" seized could potentially feed the addiction of 228 abusers for about a week.

Trafficking

On Jul. 14, a 28-year-old Singaporean man was arrested for suspected drug trafficking offences.

His motorcycle, parked in the vicinity of Woodlands Street 13, and his residential unit, located in the vicinity of Segar Road, were searched.

About 689g of cannabis, 9g of "Ice" and drug paraphernalia were seized at his residential unit.

Dormitory

On Jul. 16, during a CNB-led joint enforcement operation against drug trafficking and drug abuse at a foreign worker dormitory located in the vicinity of Jurong, nine Bangladeshi men, aged between 22 and 40, were arrested for alleged drug-related offences.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1612"] Photo from Central Narcotics Bureau[/caption]

Among the accused, three were arrested for suspected drug trafficking and drug consumption offences.

A total of about 15g of cannabis was seized during the operation.

The operation involved officers from the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore Customs and Health Sciences Authority as part of efforts to clamp down on illegal activities.

Law

CNB reminded members of the public that it is an offence for a person, on his or her own behalf, or on behalf of any other person, whether or not that other person is in Singapore, to traffic in a controlled drug, offer to traffic in a controlled drug; or to do or offer to do any act preparatory to or for trafficking in a controlled drug.

If convicted of trafficking more than 500g of cannabis, offenders can face the death penalty.

Investigations are ongoing.

A man was sentenced to 12 years and 11 months in prison for sexually assaulting a teen on at least 10 occasions between 2020 and 2023.

Each time, he would give the teen cash and/or cigarettes in return for the sexual acts.

When the assaults began in 2020, the man was about 60 years old, while the victim was 12.

Now 66, Abdul Rahim Sa’ad pleaded guilty on Jul. 17 to two charges of sexual assault by penetration, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

He also faced 14 other charges for similar offences against the same victim, and for taking explicit photos of the victim, that were taken into consideration for sentencing.

His prison sentence includes four months’ jail in lieu of caning, as being above 50 years old, he cannot be caned.

According to ST, Rahim uses a wheelchair as both his legs had been amputated below the knee.

The assaults

Rahim and the victim became acquainted sometime in April 2020, according to court documents seen by Mothership.

Rahim struck up a conversation with the victim as he was passing by on his way to visit a friend who stayed on the same floor as Rahim.

Rahim and the victim would also smoke cigarettes on occasion.

On Apr. 29, 2020, the victim visited Rahim and asked him for a cigarette. When Rahim asked the victim to show him his underwear and genitals, and to let Rahim take photos, the victim agreed.

Rahim gave him cash and a cigarette after taking the photos.

After that, the victim started occasionally requesting for cigarettes and cash from Rahim, who would provide them in exchange for sexual activities.

On at least two other occasions in 2020, the victim suggested going to a handicap toilet at a community centre, where Rahim would then perform sex acts on the victim.

Rahim bought a pack of cigarettes for the victim afterwards, and also gave him some cash after one of these instances.

The amount of cash provided was not stated in court documents except for one occasion in 2023, when Rahim gave S$50 to the victim.

Arrest

Rahim was arrested on Jan. 4, 2024, after the victim's niece lodged a police report, saying that she suspected Rahim of procuring sexual services from young boys in exchange for cigarettes.

He has been in remand since his arrest.

Sentencing

The prosecutors sought a sentence of 14 to 17 years in prison, and an additional five to six months in lieu of caning.

They described Rahim's offences as "abhorrent and repeated" over a prolonged period of close to three years.

In court, Rahim's lawyer asked for a jail term of not more than 11 years, ST reported.

He highlighted a list of medical conditions Rahim suffered, including heart failure, diabetes, and peripheral arterial disease — the last of which had cost him both legs.

A 22-year-old British man was convicted of assaulting a 66-year-old private-hire vehicle driver in Singapore.

The driver sustained fractures to his skull and died about a year after the incident on Jun. 14, 2025.

Oruche Morgan Fidelis pleaded guilty to an amended charge of using criminal force after pleading not guilty to the original charge of voluntarily causing grievous hurt on Jul. 15, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Beer

On Jun. 12, 2024, at about 5pm, Fidelis accompanied his boss and two clients to a bar.

He consumed three pints of beer.

Fidelis later met his girlfriend and other friends and had two pints of beer.

At about 10:30pm, he booked a private-hire vehicle at Asia Square to return home and boarded the vehicle.

When the vehicle arrived at Fidelis’ residence located at Sunset Way at about 10:58pm, the driver found him asleep in the backseat.

He then attempted to wake Fidelis up.

However, Fidelis was reportedly unhappy at being awakened and proceeded to shove the driver, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground, resulting in a skull fracture.

The driver was conveyed to National University Hospital for emergency treatment.

Evidence

As the driver had passed away, the judge reportedly said the only objective evidence in this case was surveillance footage from a private residence across Fidelis’ place.

The footage revealed that after Fidelis woke up, he appeared to calmly remove his headphones before rushing towards the driver.

The judge noted that medical evidence confirmed the driver sustained a skull fracture, but could not ascertain if the fracture was caused by the fall from being pushed, punched or him tripping.

As the circumstances surrounding the injury were highly speculative, the prosecution could not "exclude all reasonable doubt" to prove Fidelis’ intent to cause serious bodily harm.

As such, Fidelis could not be convicted of voluntarily causing grievous hurt.

This resulted in the amendment of the original charge that Fidelis rushed and pushed the driver, causing him to sustain a skull fracture, to the amended charge of using criminal force, where Fidelis committed an aggressive act by raising his left hand at the driver.

Fidelis pleaded guilty to the amended charge.

The case was adjourned to Aug. 4 for sentencing.

A 61-year-old man in Thailand discovered the body of an unidentified woman in the back seat of his car on the morning of Jul. 16, after driving to work without realising she was there, The Thaiger reported.

The driver, identified only as Chanasin, runs a butcher's stall at Samrong Market in Samut Prakan.

He told police he had parked his black Nissan sedan outside his condominium in Soi Wat Dan the evening before, after closing up his stall for the day.

The car's locking mechanism was broken, he said, and had been unable to lock since.

He felt something touch his back

Chanasin said he noticed nothing out of the ordinary on the drive to the market the following morning.

It was only as he reached for a bag on the front passenger seat, shortly before arriving at his destination, that he felt something brush against his back.

Turning around, he saw what looked like a human foot.

Switching on the car's interior light confirmed it: a woman's body was in the back seat.

Chanasin immediately got out of the vehicle and alerted police, according to The Thaiger.

Body found near shrine entrance

Officers from Samrong Tai Police Station, along with forensic officers and rescuers from the Por Teck Tung Foundation, responded to the scene at the entrance of Chao Pho Thap Samrong Shrine, where Chanasin had parked.

They found the woman, believed to be aged between 60 and 70, seated in the back seat and leaning against it.

She was not carrying any identification documents, and an initial examination found no visible injuries or signs of assault.

Investigators believe she had been dead for several hours by the time she was found.

Driver denies any involvement

Chanasin, who police said appeared shocked while giving his statement, told investigators he had never met the woman and denied any involvement in her death.

He speculated that she may have climbed into his unlocked car while it was parked, possibly to shelter from the rain or to rest, and suggested she could have died from an underlying medical condition.

Police have sent the body to the Central Institute of Forensic Science for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. They have also collected evidence, including fingerprints, in an effort to identify the woman and establish the circumstances surrounding her death.

The 25-year-old Singaporean man arrested for allegedly strangling his girlfriend to death in Bali has been identified, and will be charged with murder, according to 8world.

Bali Provincial Police public relations chief Senior Commissioner Ariasandy confirmed with 8world that the suspect is Muhammad Zulhelmi, a Singaporean Malay man.

It was previously reported that he was 26 years old.

As previously reported, he was arrested on the night of Jul. 15 after the body of his girlfriend was discovered at a rental house in South Denpasar.

Victim identified

The victim has been identified as Angelica Suherman, 26, according to 8world.

A forensic examination confirmed she died from asphyxiation caused by blunt external force to the neck, with injuries consistent with strangulation.

The forensic report also found bruising on her face, bleeding in the neck tissue and a fractured hyoid bone, all consistent with violent neck trauma.

The estimated duration she was dead was three to five days before the body was discovered.

What happened

According to 8world, police investigations revealed that the suspect and victim had argued after he proposed ending their relationship.

He allegedly used both hands to strangle her for around 10 to 15 minutes until she lost consciousness and died.

After the killing, he moved her body to another room and covered it with a carpet and stuffed toys before leaving the scene for a few days.

Charges

Zulhelmi faces two charges: Causing grievous bodily harm resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years; and/or murder which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years.

Ariasandy told 8world that police have completed witness statements and forensic investigations, and submitted the case notification to the Denpasar prosecutor's office on Jul. 17, formally initiating the judicial process.

Overstayed visa

According to Indonesian immigration records cited by 8world, Zulhelmi last entered Indonesia on Oct. 23, 2024, under a visa-free entry arrangement.

He has been overstaying.

Denpasar police have coordinated with Indonesian immigration authorities and the Singapore embassy in Indonesia on the case, given that it involves a foreign national.