A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to 25.5 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane for raping three underage girls after offering to pay them for sex.

He was sentenced on Jul. 27.

According to The Straits Times, Edmund Tan Shi Hui had met the three girls online.

He engaged in multiple penetrative sexual acts with them on eight separate occasions over more than a year, and offered them up to S$500 each time.

Tan faced a total of 16 charges, comprising statutory rape, sexual assault by penetration, and sexual penetration of a minor below the age of 16.

He pleaded guilty to six charges of statutory rape committed between March 2022 and July 2023, and the other 10 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Had sex at Kovan MRT station

Court documents seen by Mothership revealed that Tan was between the ages of 24 and 25 at the time of the offences.

All three victims were aged 13 then.

Sometime before Mar. 4, 2022, the first victim had posted an advertisement on a Telegram group chat stating that she was 16 to 18 years old, and was offering her services in exchange for S$200 to S$300.

Tan saw the advertisement and sent her a private message.

They agreed to meet on Mar. 4, 2022, and that Tan would pay the victim S$100.

That day, after the victim finished school, the two had sex at a handicap toilet in Kovan MRT station.

He later told her that he knew she was younger than her declared age and that he would not report her as he would get into worse trouble than she would.

After the incident, Tan texted her to say that he regretted giving her so much money and asked for a video call with her.

Initially, the first victim refused out of fear that the video would be leaked.

However, she subsequently agreed after Tan promised that he would not record the video and would pay her S$500.

She took the video call in her school's toilet, during which she performed sexual acts.

After the call, however, the first victim realised that Tan had blocked her.

She later chanced upon him on Omegle, an online video-conferencing platform, and met him again for paid sex on Dec. 26, 2022, and Apr. 18, 2023.

Met up with second victim at his house

Tan met the second victim via Omegle sometime before Sep. 8, 2022.

He asked her to meet up for sexual acts, and she agreed to do so for S$400.

On Sep. 8, 2022, the two met up at his flat.

He had booked a private-hire car for her journey from her house to his unit, and another for her return home.

He continued to text her and request for more sexual acts in exchange for cash after that incident.

Some 10 days later, on Sep. 18, 2022, Tan paid her S$500 after they had sex at a handicap toilet in Punggol.

After this incident, the second victim lied to him, saying she was 14 years old.

They met again at his flat on Dec. 15, 2022.

Had sex at staircase landing

Similarly, Tan and the third victim met on Omegle on Jul. 7, 2023.

They later moved their conversation to Telegram, and she agreed to have paid sex with him on the same day.

Later that day, Tan sent the third victim a photo of his private part and asked her to send nude pictures of herself.

She complied.

He subsequently asked her what she was busy with, to which she replied that she was 13 years old and still attending school.

That night, the two met at a bus stop near the third victim's house and engaged in sex acts at the staircase landing of a block of flats after Tan paid her S$500.

They were later interrupted by a passer-by, who asked what they were doing.

The two then moved to another staircase landing and continued.

The next day, he texted her to ask for sex again, but she said she was not free.

On Jul. 30, 2023, she texted him, stating that she had spoken to the police and told him to stop contacting her.

Tan was arrested on Aug. 4, 2023 for sexual offences committed against the third victim, and his mobile phone was seized.

Investigations later revealed that Tan had kept a detailed diary of his expenditures in relation to paid sexual acts committed with 17 girls, out of which the three victims were under 14.

Sentencing

The prosecution sought a jail term of 23.5 to 27.5 years, along with 24 strokes of the cane for Tan.

It described Tan as an "incorrigible sexual offender", noting that he had exploited the victims for "his own lustful desires" and that his offences also demonstrated predatory behaviour.

According to ST, the defence counsel called the length of the jail term "crushing", noting that Tan would be in prison for almost as long as he had been alive.

He argued that 14 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane were sufficient to deter Tan and others.

The lawyer also noted that the maximum jail term for commercial sex with a minor under 18 was seven years, as compared to up to 20 years for rape.

He argued that this showed that paying for sex was regarded as a less serious offence.

However, the judge rejected these arguments.

He said parliament had intended to protect minors by making paid sex with those under 18 an offence, even though non-commercial sex with those aged 16 to 18 is not otherwise an offence.

Ang Mo Kio Library’s last day of operations at 4300 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 will be on Jul. 31, 2026.

The new Ang Mo Kio Library will reopen at AMK Hub on Nov. 20.

The two-storey standalone building located at the fringe of the Ang Mo Kio town centre is more than 40 years old.

It was opened on Aug. 17, 1985 and known as Ang Mo Kio Branch Library.

It was renamed Ang Mo Kio Community Library in 1995.

In late 2002, the library was closed for a period of nine months for renovations that cost S$3.5 million.

Queenstown Library closing temporarily

Queenstown Library at 53 Margaret Drive will temporarily close after Aug. 30.

The library is slated to reopen in late 2028 after its revamp.

Queenstown Library first opened in 1970 and was gazetted for conservation in 2013, which requires its facade to be maintained.

A 70-year-old man who was found unresponsive in a MacPherson Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat was conveyed to the hospital after a fire broke out there on Jul. 28.

He subsequently passed away.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said via a Facebook post that it was alerted at about 2:05am on Jul. 28 to a fire at Block 39, Circuit Road.

The police told Mothership that they were alerted to the same fire at about 2am on Jul. 28.

Fire extinguished

When SCDF arrived, black smoke was emitting from the living room of a unit on the ninth floor.

Firefighters conducted forcible entry to gain access into the unit, the post stated.

The fire, which involved items in the living room, was swiftly extinguished.

Hospital, investigation

During the firefighting operation, firefighters found an unresponsive person in the living room.

Firefighters immediately carried the person out of the unit and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

The man was then conveyed unconscious to Changi General Hospital, where he subsequently passed away.

SCDF noted that together with the police, it evacuated about 80 residents from the affected block as a precaution.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and police investigations are ongoing.

People who sell their private homes to buy public flats will not need to wait 15 months to do so with immediate effect.

This was announced by National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat on Jul. 28.

In a joint statement by Ministry of National Development (MND) and Housing and Development Board (HDB) on the same day, it was announced that private residential property owners who purchase a non-subsidised HDB resale flat without an HDB housing loan will not be subjected to a 15-month wait-out period.

"This follows several quarters of price moderation in the HDB resale market, which is showing signs of stabilisation," the statement added.

The pandemic led to delays in new flats construction, causing an imbalance of supply and demand, which caused resale housing prices to rise, Chee said at the 11th Singapore Economic Review Conference, according to CNA.

With the government ramping up supply, prices have moderated significantly, he added.

Property cooling measures were introduced in September 2022.

The 15-month wait-out period was to moderate the demand for HDB resale flats at the time, the joint statement added.

Access to affordable public housing was prioritised for Singaporeans, such as first-time homebuyers, who may have more urgent housing needs.

Authorities said previously that the wait-out period was a temporary measure.

However, there were exemptions made for some segments of homeowners.

Singapore citizens aged 55 and above were exempted from the 15-month wait-out period if they moved from their private property to a four-room or smaller non-subsidised HDB resale flat.

This was to better support the retirement needs of seniors.

A 38-year-old man had just finished up a gym session when he was shot in Simpang Ampat, Penang in Malaysia.

According to New Straits Times, the shooting occurred at 10am on Jul. 27.

The man, who has a criminal record, had stopped to buy some eggs at a convenience store after his workout and was about to enter his car.

He was then approached by a masked man wearing a black jacket who fired several shots at him.

The victim then fled into a nearby eatery, with the gunman in pursuit.

Several more shots were fired, and the victim was hit in the hand before the assailant made off in a car.

Free Malaysia Today reported that the victim was taken to hospital and is in stable condition.

Police are investigating the shooting.

Marmite has apparently run out in Singapore.

A number of supermarkets that relied on Unilever Asia's supply may no longer stock Marmite, the dark, sticky, and savoury British food spread made from yeast extract.

When Mothership visited Cold Storage at Nex shopping mall on Jul. 23, the Marmite shelf was empty.

Vegemite, on the other hand, was fully stocked.

Searches on the websites of major local supermarkets also yielded no results.

In response to Mothership's queries, a Sheng Siong spokesperson said that both Marmite and Bovril are currently unavailable at their stores.

Meanwhile, Cold Storage said they are currently not carrying Marmite in their stores but working with suppliers to bring in alternative stocks.

Marmite has been available in Singapore since the British colonial era.

Customers disappointed

Following its disappearance from store shelves, some Marmite fans took to social media to express their disappointment.

An online user posted an email reply apparently from Unilever Singapore, which said it no longer carried the Marmite brand in Singapore.

The absence was attributed to insufficient consumer sales and limited retail distribution.

It added that “the competition to remain on limited supermarket shelf space becomes extreme” as a product’s sales decline.

However, Unilever Singapore said it might consider bringing it back in the future.

A screenshot of a notice shared on social media on Jul. 16 further revealed that Unilever Asia delisted the spread from its portfolio starting from Apr. 1.

Mothership has reached out to Unilever for comment.

About Marmite

First created by the Marmite Food Company in 1902, Marmite is produced from a by-product of beer brewing.

It is a vegan source of B vitamins and is traditionally spread thinly on buttered toast.

Marmite is now manufactured by the British company Unilever.

It was distributed to Singapore via Unilever Singapore.

Reuters reported that between late 2025 and early 2026, Unilever considered selling Marmite and Bovril, as well as other British brands to trim the portfolio of the company.

Bovril is a beef extract paste similar to Marmite.

A team of national servicemen (NSF) who are mascot performers for the 2026 National Day Parade (NDP) have been going viral on social media.

Videos of the mascots dancing garnered more than 20,000 likes in one TikTok post by user @bssrui.

NSFs as 13 mascots

There are 13 mascots performing on stage for the National Education show, representing local landmarks as well as iconic Singaporean symbols and campaigns from the past 60 years, according to Mindef's Pioneer magazine.

They will perform at the National Stadium with over 2,600 performers and 36 artistes, The Straits Times reported.

Among them is He Mingzhe, an NSF behind Brave, the mascot for Beyond the Label's mental health movement.

Brave has currently been dubbed the "blue ball" on social media.

The mascots have thus far gained support online for their antics and dance moves, with one post calling them the "best part" about NDP 2026.

"I didn't expect us to blow up on TikTok, but it's really heartening to hear that people are enjoying our performances. It motivates us to continue putting in the effort to bring forth a good show," Pioneer reported He as saying.

Put as much energy into performance

For Soh Jie Feng, the one behind NDP mascot August the merlion, being unrecognisable in front of the audience allowed him to give his best performance.

He told ST that as he is more reserved, this experience pushes his boundaries.

"Even though it might seem very small to put in my best effort for the small dance segment that we have, but I feel that it really contributes to the show," he said.

Javan Ng Jie Ren, 19, who is the performer behind the orange dragon playground, told ST that performers were encouraged to put as much energy as they could into the performance.

Since the theme for this year's NDP is "Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond!", that is the mindset the mascots wanted to bring to the parade this year, he added.

Safety

Although the costume is lightweight, it was initially difficult to walk quickly in it, He told ST.

The mascots also have to perform choreographed dance moves, and Ng added that he has to run across the stage at one point of the performance.

As such, 11 mascot guides will ensure the mascots' safety as they enter and exit the stage, Pioneer reported.

This includes keeping them a safe distance from the edge of the stage and away from show pyrotechnics and other onstage props.

The mascot overall-in-charge is 24-year-old Philip Tham, who is also a mascot guide.

"One of my biggest challenges is managing the energy levels of the mascots because they come onstage at different times – once at Chapter Two and again at Chapter Six. As there's quite a long wait in between, we need to make sure that their energy remains high throughout (the Show)," Pioneer reported Tham as saying.

The mascot guides also help the mascots get out of their costumes when they are not performing and carry spare batteries with them to prevent mascots from getting deflated.

NDP 2026

The 2026 NDP will be returning to the National Stadium for the first time in 10 years.

With a seating capacity of about 42,000 at the venue, the parade and ceremony segment will feature the largest civilian participation in over a decade.

The National Day celebrations this year will not feature Red Lions and mobile columns, including in the heartlands.

The NDP show will be organised into five chapters under the overall Parade theme, "Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond!"

It will integrate aerial elements, stage lifts, and multimedia displays, including NDP's first-ever indoor drone light show and largest indoor special effects presentation.

More information will be available online at www.ndp.gov.sg.

Convicted sex offender Amos Yee is set to plead guilty on Sep. 7 to NS enlistment offences, according to court records seen by Mothership.

According to CNA, Yee has had a guilty plea fixed before Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan after a pre-trial conference on Jul. 24.

Yee was previously charged in March with three offences related to his NS obligations.

The alleged offences occurred over two periods from Dec. 13, 2015 to Apr. 19, 2016, and from Dec. 15, 2016 to Mar. 19, 2026.

He is accused of failing to report for medical screening under the Enlistment Act from Apr. 26, 2016 to Mar. 19, 2026, a period of nine years.

He is also accused of leaving Singapore without valid exit permits.

CNA reported that Yee is still required to fulfil his NS obligations, but he will not be prosecuted in military court or sent to detention barracks for the same offences being dealt with in the criminal court.

Yee had previously fled to the U.S. in 2016, but was imprisoned from 2021 to 2025 for possessing child pornography and grooming a minor, and was deported to Singapore in March 2026.

Related articles

Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad has stepped forward to defend a woman who denied involvement with the former Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who resigned his position.

Earlier reports stated that allegations had surfaced claiming she was the woman behind his recent resignation.

Facebook post

In a Jul. 27 Facebook post, Zaqy said that though many are "still trying to come to terms with the hurt and disappointment of recent events", "we should not cause the same pain to others".

He said: "A woman who was wrongly identified in relation to Prof Faishal has had to publicly clarify that she was not involved."

Noting that her photographs and identity were circulated, exposing her to false accusations and abusive comments, Zaqy urged that "no innocent person, especially a woman, should have to endure such harassment because of unfounded speculation".

He said: "Prof Faishal has served our community with sincerity and dedication over many years. As he and his family go through this difficult period, I hope we will continue to accord them the privacy, compassion and respect they deserve."

"Our community has always valued adab (good manners, etiquette)," he added.

"It reminds us to be careful with our words and responsible with what we share. Before passing on a claim, let us pause, verify the facts and remember that a few clicks online can cause deep hurt to innocent people."

Willing to take legal action

Prior to this, in an Instagram post on Jul. 27, the woman, Rasidah Caudal, included a screenshot of what appeared to be a Telegram message claiming that she was "the one who caused MP Faishal to resign".

"I would like to take the occasion to categorically reject these accusations," she said.

Caudal superimposed the text, "untrue allegation", over this screenshot, and said in the caption that she has been "wrongfully accused as the woman in the Prof Faishal case".

Caudal is a certified senior piloxing and pilates trainer whose classes are held at various community centres, as listed on the onePA website.

She clarified in her post that her "only contact with" Faishal was during her two fitness events at Kampung Ubi Community Centre (CC), which were organised by the Kembangan CC Women’s Executive Committee (WEC).

These two events, she told Mothership, took place on Mar. 29 and Jul. 12.

She clarified that she has not had any "personal meeting[s]" with Faishal.

She also warned that she "will not hesitate to take legal action against anyone spreading these false rumours".

Apart from herself, Caudal also urged the public not to seek to cause damage to the actual woman involved.

Schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) will continue to step up efforts to stay vigilant and respond to the threat of youth self-radicalisation, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Jul. 27.

This comes after the Internal Security Department (ISD) announced that three self-radicalised Singaporean youths were issued Orders of Detention earlier this year.

The youths were aged 14, 15 and 19.

The 14-year-old was 12 when he was radicalised, making him the youngest person to be detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Two of the detained youths planned violent attacks against their schoolmates.

MOE said it takes a serious view of youth self-radicalisation and has put in place a range of preventive and educational measures in schools and IHLs.

Preventive and educational efforts

Measures have been put in place to tackle youth self-radicalisation in schools and institutions.

In Social Studies and Secondary History, as well as Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) lessons, students are taught about the dangers of extremist ideas, prejudice and stereotypes.

Through teacher-facilitated inquiry and discussions, students explore the roles that individuals and groups can play in strengthening understanding and interactions across racial and religious groups, as well as how they can contribute to promoting harmony.

Students are also taught to be safe, respectful and responsible users of cyberspace, and to be positive influences online through Cyber Wellness lessons in CCE.

Through these lessons, students learn to recognise online risks, identify negative influences and discern inappropriate websites and content.

They are also taught to look out for one another and are encouraged to seek help from trusted adults, such as parents, teachers and school counsellors.

Trained to identify those at risk of self-radicalisation

Separately, schools and teachers are trained to identify students who may be at risk of online self-radicalisation.

School counsellors work closely with teachers and other school personnel to identify students who may require support, allowing for timely intervention when concerns arise.

School leaders and teachers are also guided on how to handle such cases promptly, before they escalate to more serious levels.

MOE has also worked with ISD since 2007 to conduct counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation workshops and activities for student leaders, educators and other school staff across education institutes in Singapore.

These efforts help participants gain a better understanding of the threat of terrorism, recognise tell-tale signs of radicalisation, as well as understand the importance of early reporting.

Speaking to the media on Jul. 27, Education Minister Desmond Lee noted that one of the three cases was reported by someone in a school who had picked up signs of radicalisation and alerted the authorities.

"We are encouraged by this, as it shows that counter-radicalisation efforts are bearing fruit on the ground, and we will work with MHA to do more on this front," he said.

Restricting access on Personal Learning Devices

MOE has also installed a Device Management Application (DMA) on the Personal Learning Devices (PLDs) issued to secondary school students.

This application filters objectionable online material or content that may not be conducive to teaching and learning, including websites containing extremist content.

Schools also have website filtering systems to restrict access to inappropriate websites and content through school wireless networks.

MOE said these measures are continuously reviewed and updated to keep pace with the evolving online landscape.

Drills and exercises

MOE has also worked with schools and IHLs to conduct workshops, scenario-based discussions, drills and exercises on potential threats from within and outside educational institutions.

These sessions cover immediate response, recognising warning signs, incident reporting and escalation procedures, with the aim of strengthening emergency preparedness in schools.

The ministry said it will continue to enhance its emergency response to any new evolving threats.

It will also continue to work closely with ISD, community partners and parents to protect students and educational institutions from the threat of youth radicalisation.

Directions issued against online entities

Separately, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued Disabling Directions (DD) against one online service provider and two Access Blocking Directions (ABD) to Internet Service Providers over terrorism-related content accessible to people in Singapore.

The DD requires the relevant online service provider to take all reasonable steps to disable Singaporean users' access to the relevant online videos.

On the other hand, the ABD requires Internet Service Providers to block access by people in Singapore to the relevant offending websites.

The offending videos and websites contain terrorism-related content that honours and glorifies extremists, and calls on supporters to join their cause.

Following investigations, a direct nexus was found between the content and past self-radicalisation cases in Singapore, where youths became radicalised after consuming material on those sites or obtained information from them to plan attacks.

MHA said the government takes a serious view of such online content that incites violence or promotes terrorism.

It added that it is working with the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and MOE to safeguard Singaporeans, particularly children, from harmful online content.

MHA also stressed that tackling harmful online content requires a whole-of-society effort.

It urged members of the public, particularly parents and educators, to remain vigilant about youths' exposure to harmful content online, and to make a report should they encounter content that glorifies or incites violence.

It also encouraged open conversations with young people about the dangers of online radicalisation.