The last time my Papa saw me, I was playing "monkey bars" on the train.

Five-year-old me did not know that I wouldn't see him again for close to 20 years.

While I was happily giggling as my three-year-old sister tried to copy me, Papa was watching us from the platform, burning the scene to memory.

Meanwhile, my Mama was crying as she sat on the train seat, looking out at Papa.

Now 26, I don't recall this happening. What I do remember from growing up was that Papa was away working overseas, while Mama brought my sister and me to Singapore for school.

Phone calls and parcels full of love

I remember Papa would call every day, even though he was far away.

We would have expensive international phone calls that got cheaper with Skype, and then Facebook Messenger and now Telegram calls.

I remember text messages in broken English, questions about lunch and dinner and how our days were.

He usually ate 7/11 bento boxes he found on sale, while we secretly complained about eating Mama's chicken stew for both lunch and dinner.

I remember thinking of Papa as the "good cop" because he didn't nag at us to do our homework or scold us when we did poorly in our tests.

Mama, on the other hand, who often took the broom out for non-cleaning purposes, was the "bad cop".

While our relationship with Mama is still great, it was just that she was the strict tiger mum and Papa was the fun dad.

I remember getting parcels full of snacks and pretty colourful clothes, full of love from Papa.

I remember the silly voices he made while he teased us and the silly faces he pulled.

Most memories I have of Papa from when I was young were full of laughter (sometimes interrupted by the static of the connection cutting off).

Sadness and questions

But it wasn't all happy memories.

I remember feeling Papa's absence whenever my friends had their dads pick them up from school or posted a family picture together.

I remember wondering why it had to be that way, why he couldn't stay here in Singapore with us.

I would learn as I grew.

Finances, passports, visas, education. Things that culminated in our situation.

Recently, I chanced upon a poem I wrote when I was younger that showed this awareness I had as a kid.

Meeting again

It goes without saying that we couldn't afford flight tickets to visit each other when we were younger.

So when I graduated from university and got my first (and so far only) big girl job, I decided to fly out to Japan, where he is currently living.

The thought of meeting him evoked slightly mixed feelings for me.

Of course, I was excited to finally see my one and only father in the flesh after almost 20 years.

But I was afraid that the online relationship we had built wouldn't translate well in real life.

Essentially, I was scared it would be awkward.

Do I run and hug him? Do I give him a peck on the cheek (like I do with my mother)? Do I just smile and wave?

None of these came naturally to me.

It was all good. Until it wasn't.

The big day came, and all my worries vanished when I saw him waiting for me at the arrivals hall.

He was just my dear old funny Papa, grinning from ear to ear as he waved me over.

I might have seen his eyes water with tears as we went in for a hug, but I didn't look too closely as I was too busy wiping my own eyes.

He insisted on pushing my luggage and fussed over getting our Suica (transportation) cards.

The first meal we ate was at a Japanese tendon place.

There, I found out for the first time how embarrassing dads can be when he told the server that I was his daughter, visiting for the first time in 20 years.

Japanese friendliness and smiles ensued, and astonishingly delicious bowls of tendons quickly helped mitigate the embarrassment.

The rest of the trip went just as well: visiting famous Japanese landmarks, stuffing our mouths with sushi, experiencing an earthquake at Tokyo Tower, and getting overstimulated by Donki's theme song.

But one night towards the end of the trip, I found myself arguing with Papa over something I no longer recall.

For this article, I asked my dad if he remembered why and told me what it was about. It's a bit embarrassing, so I'm not going to put it in anyway.

The thing that stayed with me, though, was realising that he was someone who felt things enough to get mad.

I mentioned earlier how I saw my mother as the stricter parent. Over time, these caricatures give way to a more coherent individual.

Mama, now that I'm older, talks to me more about her worries, her wants, and her needs, not just about my studies and what I can and cannot do.

When you stop having to deal with two troublemaking young girls (for the most part), and can talk to fellow adults (for the most part), maybe you start to feel like you can show a bit more of who you are, instead of who you feel you need to be.

Perhaps that's the one thing, even with the daily calls, that I missed out with my father. The chance for him to be himself around me.

Things I didn't know

There was more that I learned about him from that trip. More than I couldn't have known from years of phone calls.

Papa is courteous and considerate; he is conscious of his surroundings and tries never to impose.

He will quickly eat his meals and rush us out of the restaurant when he sees a queue forming, even though I wanted to sit and rest longer.

Papa is a rule-abider; he would never let us cross the road before the pedestrian light turned green.

Papa is fun-loving and full of life, but like many in their fifties, has his own set of health issues.

He has to take his high blood pressure medicine three times a day, before breakfast, lunch and dinner.

His back is not in the best condition from hours of standing at work, but he will carry a backpack full of snacks, water, tissues and the like for us.

Most of all, I learned that Papa sacrificed a lot for us. I mean, this goes without saying, but the trip was a rediscovery of the sacrifices he made.

I let myself forget how hard he has to work to put us through school in Singapore (which was not exactly cheap for us).

And how lonely he might have been, without his family by his side.

I didn't really think about how much pressure he was going through alone overseas, partly because it wasn't explicitly verbalised to me.

Largely though, I admit it was probably because I was too caught up with my own life (and the rat race that is Singapore).

Now that I am able to afford my own travels, I have made it a point to visit him at least once or twice a year.

A few friends have made remarks about the number of times I have gone to Japan in the past three years, but they wouldn't understand, and I don't really care anyway. I'm making up for lost time.

And every time I fly back to Singapore, Papa would send us off to the airport, where he would camp at the observation deck to see our plane flying off.

If I'm lucky enough, I will catch a glimpse of my father standing on the deck.

I'm not too enamoured with monkey bars now, so my hands are free to quickly dab away the tears as I wave him a goodbye that he probably doesn't see.

A man purchased a single scoop of "premium coconut ice cream" from a pop-up at FairPrice Clarke Quay, but was taken aback at the smaller-than-expected portion served.

The man, who gave his name as Dan, said he'd bought the ice-cream for a promotional price of S$2.90 on Jun. 19.

But he was given a cup that appeared only half-full.

In contrast, photos of the promotional poster shared with Mothership showed a comparatively more generous scoop of ice cream.

A disclaimer was printed in smaller text: "Plating shown is for illustration purposes only."

Too far off

Dan said he understands that the menu photos are shown for illustration only.

"But cannot be that far off lah," he told Mothership.

He added that he informed the store manager, who took a photo and said they would inform the food stall operator.

He subsequently followed up by submitting a customer complaint to FairPrice.

Mothership understands that the promotion was run by an external vendor, and that FairPrice has since reached out to offer Dan a full refund.

The promotion has also been stopped since the incident.

It is understood that FairPrice will work closely with the vendor to review serving sizes and promotional materials to ensure they accurately reflect what is served.

The Malaysian woman who posted a since-deleted TikTok video of her and other tourists mocking locals in China for their alleged body odour has apologised.

In a Jun. 20 statement on TikTok, Nur Asyiqin binti Mohd Dalil, known by her username @ekyn.wong, said: "I understand and take full responsibility for my actions, which have caused discomfort to various parties."

"I, Nur Asyiqin binti Mohd Dalil, humbly and sincerely wish to apologise for the issue that has gone viral, namely my lapse in judgment — a spontaneous reaction on my part — while on holiday in China on Jun. 15, 2026."

The apology comes days after Asyiqin posted a statement from her lawyers on her TikTok account, which said she had taken legal action against those who made defamatory statements.

"Merely a spontaneous reaction"

In her apology, Asyiqin said: "I respect the views, criticisms, and feelings of all parties, and never intended to offend, embarrass, or cause any conflict, as it was merely a spontaneous reaction that was not premeditated."

"I accept and acknowledge every piece of feedback given with an open heart."

She added: "I truly regret my actions, and I am remorseful over my conduct, which went too far."

Asyiqin said that, going forward, she would be more careful and more attuned to public sensitivities.

Asyiqin said she hoped the matter could be solved amicably and promised to "take this experience as a lesson to become a more mature and responsible individual in the future".

The videos

In the now-deleted TikTok videos that were reposted onto Threads, Asyiqin was queuing with other tourists to board a bus in China.

A woman was seen covering her nose, and another tourist could be heard saying in Malay, "It smells so bad! Did none of you shower?"

The tourists also made comments about an e-hailing driver in a separate video, alleging that he had not showered.

"I think he really smells bad. We already showered, you know. Chinese people smell bad. Lazy to shower."

A 3.3-magnitude earthquake was recorded in the waters off Batu Pahat, Johor, in the early hours of Jun.21, the Malaysian Meteorological Department reported.

The earthquake occurred at 1:17 am, about 20km southwest of Batu Pahat.

It was centred at coordinates 1.7°N and 102.7°E, at a depth of 10km.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department said tremors may be felt in parts of Batu Pahat and that it is continuing to monitor the situation.

The department also encouraged residents who felt the tremors to submit their observations here.

No reports of injuries or damage have been announced.

This is the fifth earthquake recorded in the Batu Pahat district.

The previous quake occurred on Mar. 14 in the waters off Batu Pahat and measured 3.2 magnitude, New Straits Times reported.

Three specialist doctors have failed in their High Court challenge against a ruling by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), regarding how they paid themselves very low salaries in order to avoid income tax.

All three doctors — Adrian Tan, Caroline Khi, and Jocelyn Wong — were colleagues at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, as obstetricians and gynaecologists, before they entered private practice.

Low monthly salaries

According to The Straits Times, the three doctors entered private practice in 2004, setting up a clinic called ACJ Women's Clinic (ACJW).

Each of them held a third of the company's shares and the position of director. They also signed off on an employment contract which paid them a monthly salary of S$5,000, excluding annual bonuses.

Prior to entering private practice, Tan, the most senior of the three doctors, had drawn a monthly salary of S$45,600 — over nine times the amount.

Set up their own companies

As the business grew, the three of them set up their own medical companies.

In April 2005, Tan and his wife set up AT OG Services as co-directors and equal shareholders.

Then in May 2007, Khi set up CKYM Holdings as its sole director and shareholder, while Wong established JW Medical Holdings, also as its sole director and shareholder.

In May 2014, they reorganised their practice and set up separate surgical companies where each of them was the sole director and shareholder.

Tan set up ACJ Tan Surgery, Khi set up CKHI Surgery, and Wong established Joy Wong Surgery.

All three companies would send invoices to patients and receive fees for inpatient services while their initial company, ACJW, would invoice patients and receive fees for outpatient services.

Each doctor also signed a contract for a monthly salary of S$6,000 for their own surgical companies, excluding annual bonuses.

Tax rebates, dividends

In establishing their own companies, they were allowed to obtain tax rebates under the Start-Up Exemption and Partial Tax Exemption schemes.

Furthermore, despite their comparatively modest monthly salaries, they paid themselves very high dividends, which are exempted from tax, and gave themselves interest-free loans.

For the years of assessment from 2013 to 2018, Tan was found to have been paid dividends of S$5.14 million from one firm, and S$2.35 million from another.

He was also found to have obtained S$830,000 in loans from one firm, and up to S$2.1 million from another.

In 2016, the three doctors struck off the three firms they had established in 2005 and May 2007.

However, IRAS objected to one of the firms being struck off and started tax audits soon afterwards.

It concluded that the tax advantages could have been one of the reasons for establishing the medical and surgical companies.

What did IRAS do?

Following the audit, IRAS decided to revise the assessment for the years of assessment from 2013 to 2018.

In October 2019, the agency issued additional and amended income tax assessments, in which the income from the doctors' businesses was taxed under their individual names instead.

Then in December 2019, IRAS raised additional assessments for year of assessment 2015, to claw back the tax benefits that had been gained from breaking up the business into multiple companies.

The doctors first sought a review of IRAS' decision by the Income Tax Board of Review. They turned to the High Court after they were unsuccessful.

But on Jun. 18, their bid was dismissed by the High Court.

Doctors 'running afoul' of tax authorities: Judge

Tan was the only one of the three doctors to give evidence before the court.

In his written judgement, Justice Alex Wong noted that their challenge was “the latest of several cases where medical professionals have run afoul of the tax authorities in how they have conducted the business of their medical practices”.

The judge noted that while Tan's evidence of being new to private practice "partially" explained his modest salary, it did not explain why his salary stayed at that level as the practice grew in profits, or why the profits were extracted as dividends and loans.

He added:

"In the absence of a reasonable explanation from Dr Tan, the payment of substantial tax-exempt dividends and shareholder loans points to the avoidance or reduction of tax as one of the main purposes for the arrangement."

A Singaporean woman suspected that her part-time cleaner, whom she hired from home cleaning service Helpling, was stealing her money.

To catch her in the act, the woman set up a trap involving a CCTV and marked S$50 notes.

She eventually caught the cleaner red-handed.

The accused pleaded guilty to one count of theft on Jun. 15 and was sentenced to two weeks in jail.

Incident

30-year-old Nant Aye Thandar Soe, a Myanmar national, had been working part-time at the woman's house at Bedok South Avenue 3 since September 2025, according to Shin Min Daily News.

She was contracted under Helpling, a service which assigns part-time cleaners to customers' homes.

Nant Aye Thandar Soe reportedly cleaned the home every Thursday and was allowed to enter every room in the house.

Trap

On May 27, the woman discovered that some cash was missing from her bag and suspected that Nant Aye Thandar Soe had taken it. 

The next day, on May 28, she installed a CCTV camera in her home and copied down the serial numbers of 20 S$50 bills.

She then placed the cash into her wallet in her bag, and left the bag in the corner of a room.

Theft

When Nant Aye Thandar Soe arrived at the house at about 6:30pm for her shift, she noticed the bag was open and took the wallet from it.

She then pocketed three of the S$50 bills before continuing with her tasks.

At about 8pm, the woman checked her bag and noticed the missing bills.

She questioned Nant Aye Thandar Soe, who admitted to her actions by revealing four S$50 bills from her pocket.

Three were stolen from the woman, while the fourth belonged to her.

The woman then called the police.

Sentencing

In court, Nant Aye Thandar Soe pleaded guilty to her crimes via video link, but asked for a lighter sentence so as to return home sooner.

On account of her clean prior criminal record, she was handed two weeks in jail.

However, she was terminated and permanently banned from Helpling, a spokesperson at the platform said.

According to Shin Min, the spokesperson added that all service providers undergo rigorous background checks and pre-job training before being allowed to join the platform.

Helpling places great importance on user safety and privacy and is currently looking to strengthen review measures, the company said.

The woman told Shin Min that she was disappointed by Helpling's handling of the situation and would no longer use its services.

At 70, Poon Sum Hay is one of the last traditional sachima makers in Singapore.

He makes the snack by hand each day despite being born without fingers on his left hand, enduring an eight-hour process that begins at about 6am.

Sachima is an old-school snack made of strands of fried batter bound together with sugar syrup.

In 2024, Poon, the second-generation owner of Chinatown Complex's Pan Ji Cooked Food, discovered he had colon cancer.

He was forced to shut his stall to undergo treatment.

Labour of love

But after a six-month-long recovery, he returned to the stall in August 2025 to resume his craft.

This year marks over 50 years of running the stall, according to Shin Min Daily News.

After first learning to make sachima at the age of 12, Poon inherited the stall from his father.

Despite a birth defect that left him without fingers on his left hand, he continued making fresh sachima the traditional way.

Making sachima is a laborious process that involves kneading and flattening dough before deep-frying it.

"You can't take any shortcuts, otherwise the result will be completely different," he told Shin Min.

Cancer diagnosis

In December 2024, Poon was diagnosed with colon cancer during a hospital check-up for abnormal bowel movements.

He underwent surgery to remove a portion of his large intestine and was hospitalised for eight days.

Upon recovery, he commenced 16 rounds of chemotherapy.

The physical and mental exhaustion Poon faced during this period forced him to stop working to recuperate.

He soon grew bored and missed his craft, however, and returned to serving his regular customers just six months later in August 2025.

Disappearing craft

Despite his earlier illness, Poon starts work from as early as 6am.

There is no real skill in making the snack, he told Shin Min.

"It's all about how much effort the person puts in. If the learner lacks passion and sincerity, the result won't taste good."

Poon has his fair share of regular customers who have continued supporting him despite an increase in the prices of his snacks.

He is also unconcerned about the lack of a successor, the childless man told Shin Min.

"If there is a successor, there is. If there isn't, there isn't."

Poon is currently supported by his girlfriend of 10 years, who helps out at the stall on a regular basis.

"We're getting older, we help each other out; it's also a way to keep each other company," she said.

She also spoke proudly of her partner's achievements, saying that some customers fly in from Ipoh and Hong Kong to buy his sachima.

"He is a very down-to-earth person," she added.

A video posted by a Malaysian traffic policeman has gone viral after he showed an elderly man pushing his motorbike along the road in the scorching heat.

The policeman, who goes by the handle of @chefheroadnan, said that although many cars and motorcycles passed by, no one had stopped to help the old man.

The scene moved him to the point of tears, he said.

Malaysian media Sinchew Daily reported that the incident took place in Kota Bahru.

Elderly man reminded him of his father

In his caption for the video, he wrote:

"When you see your father struggling to push his broken-down motorcycle on the road with so many vehicles passing by, but no one is willing to pay attention or lend a hand, how would you feel as a child?"

In the reel, Adnan and his colleagues were seen pulling up behind the old man, who was pushing his motorbike along the road shoulder.

He said he then went up to the old man to ask what had happened, but the man could not see or hear very well.

Subsequently, Adnan checked the motorcycle's oil level, and tried helping the man to restart his motorcycle.

He was eventually successful.

Adnan then ended the reel with a call to viewers to do good.

"As traffic police officers on the front lines, we will do our best to provide the best assistance to road users regardless of the problems or difficulties they face on the road."

@chefheroadnan Bayangkan yg tolak motor ini ayah kita,apa perasaan kita sebagai seorang anak bila melihat ayah sedang menolak motor tnpa ada siapa pun yg peduli walaupun bnyk jer moto kete lalu🥹💔Kami sebagai barisan hadapan Trafik apapun masalah pengguna-pengguna jalan raya insyallah pasti akan kami bantu sebaik mungkin🥹🤲🏻 #BersamaJsptKotaBharu #polisdanmasyarakatberpisahtiada ♬ AYAH AKU RINDU - Tri Suaka

National shuttler Yeo Jia Min, 27, has married her longtime boyfriend, former national swimmer Pang Sheng Jun, 33.

According to Yeo's and Pang's social media, the couple held a church ceremony at Living Hope Methodist Church in Tampines on Jun. 20.

Local celebrities and athletes were seen in attendance, including singer-songwriter Benjamin Kheng and national swimmer Quah Zheng Wen, both who appeared to serve as Pang's groomsmen.

Yes 933 DJ Hazelle Teo, who was recently married to local musician James Wong, also attended the wedding.

Couple of nearly six years

Pang and Yeo got engaged in late 2025.

In an Instagram post on Dec. 30, Yeo shared photos of her engagement ring.

"Yes to you. Yes to forever," she wrote.

The pair would have been a couple for six years in September, according to Pang's anniversary post on Instagram on Sep. 5, 2025.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pang Sheng Jun 冯盛均 (@pangshengjun)

A 12-year-old boy from Guangxi, China, claimed he was an adult who suffered from dwarfism after he was caught stealing his neighbour's car and driving it along a highway for more than six hours.

According to mainland Chinese media, the incident happened at Gaotian toll station, along China's G65 Baotou-Maoming Expressway, on Jun. 15.

The boy, surnamed Luo, was caught at a toll station when he did not have enough money to pay the toll.

This aroused the suspicion of the tollbooth collector, who noticed his youthful appearance and called the police.

Investigation eventually confirmed that he was a minor who had been driving without a licence.

Continued lying when questioned by the police

While being questioned by the police, the boy claimed he was 22 years old but suffered from dwarfism.

He also lied that the car belonged to his aunt, and that he had only intended to drive to his grandmother's place.

However, upon contacting the boy's father and the vehicle's owner, they learnt that the car belonged to the boy's neighbour.

The owner had only realised that his car had been stolen upon being contacted by the police.

Learnt to drive with friends

The boy's father said he did not know that his son could drive, given that the family did not have a car.

When questioned further by the police, Luo eventually admitted that he had learnt how to drive secretly with some friends.

Early that morning, he stole his neighbour's car keys and drove off, eventually entering the expressway at about 4:45am.

As he is a minor under the age of 14, he was given a stern warning by the police and his parents were ordered to discipline him.