Singapore's Primary One Registration Framework will be refined to improve the access and inclusivity of children from all backgrounds, particularly children without prior connections to a school.

From the 2027 P1 registration exercise, two new changes will be introduced by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Education Minister Desmond Lee announced on Sep. 10.

More reserved spots at Phase 2C

There will be an increase in the number of places reserved at the 2C phase, which is opened to all children regardless of prior connections to the school.

This number will be increased from 40 to 60 in all schools, except for those with smaller intakes of less than 180 Primary One students.

The latter will continue to retain 40 reserved places at this phase.

Students in this phase are given fourth priority, after those in Phases 1, 2A and 2B.

Phase 1 applies to children with siblings studying in the school.

The 20 more slots allocated to Phase 2C will be taken from earlier registration phases, Phases 2A and 2B.

Phase 2A is for children whose parents or siblings are former students, staff members, on the school advisory or management committee boards, or if the child was enrolled in an MOE kindergarten at the school.

Meanwhile, Phase 2B is for children whose parents are eligible parent volunteers, church or clan members connected with the school or active grassroots leaders.

Both phases may see a reduction in places available.

The move is intended to enhance access in all schools for those without prior connections to the school, said MOE.

At the same time, it seeks to continue recognising the contributions of alumni members and others who have supported the school and community.

Introduction of two-track scheme in Phase 2C

MOE will also be introducing a two-track scheme in Phase 2C for schools located in neighbourhoods where the proportion of public housing is significantly lower than the national average.

The current home-school distance priority may not substantially broaden access for children from different socio-economic backgrounds in such schools, said MOE.

From 2027, places at Phase 2C will be equally distributed across two tracks:

1. For applicants who live within two kilometres of the school
2. For applicants who live beyond two kilometres of the school

There will be no home-school distance priority within each track.

If the number of applicants exceed the number of places in a track, balloting will be conducted.

Any remaining places in one track will flow to the applicants in the other track.

Like to the current system, Singaporean citizens will have priority over Permanent Residents.

12 schools to start two-track scheme

In 2027, the two-track scheme will be implemented in 12 schools where public housing accounts for less than 40 per cent of dwelling units within two kilometres from the school.

The schools are:

• Anglo-Chinese School (Junior)
• Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)
• CHIJ (Katong) Primary
• Methodist Girls' School (Primary)
• Nanyang Primary School
• Ngee Ann Primary School
• Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School
• Raffles Girls’ Primary SChool
• Singapore Chinese Girls' Primary School
• St. Margaret’s School (Primary)
• Tanjong Katong Primary School
• Tao Nan School

Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) will be excluded from the two-track scheme after moving to Tengah in 2030 as it will no longer fit the criteria, said MOE.

The list of schools will be reviewed by MOE periodically taking into account changes in residential profiles surrounding the school, though frequent changes are not expected.

Part of ongoing changes

The upcoming changes are part of an ongoing review of the P1 Registration Framework.

They also come after feedback from parents, school leaders and alumni associations, who broadly agreed that primary schools should remain open and accessible to families from different backgrounds, Lee explained during a doorstop interview.

"There are different considerations to balance with every change that we make," he said.

"For example," said Lee, "we know that parents value a school near home, particularly for their young children, and it is more convenient for siblings to attend the same school together."

"Ultimately, we want our schools to remain open and inclusive, where our children learn and form friendships beyond their immediate social circles.

They will encounter different perspectives. They will learn to bridge differences, and they will build mutual understanding.

And this is good for the development, especially if you start from a young age, we are going to make sure we continue planning for sufficient places across neighbourhoods, so that families have access to good quality schools that are close to home."

A Singaporean actress and influencer were allegedly spotted at a networking session in Alexandra organised by individuals purportedly involved in a suspected pyramid scheme.

The scheme

On Sep. 4, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) revealed that 52 Singaporeans had been arrested and detained in Guangxi, China.

This came on the back of a law enforcement operation against suspected pyramid scheme activities and related offences.

Several Singaporeans, who had been invited to Nanning (the capital of Guangxi) for the alleged scheme, told local media that they were introduced to it as a business opportunity linked to the development of the city.

They later suspected that the programme was a pyramid scheme, although some had already invested thousands of dollars by then.

They also claimed that they had seen fellow Singaporeans conducting meetings and presentations about the programme and its purported investment opportunities.

These included former celebrities.

Networking sessions in Singapore

A Mothership reader, Alex (not his real name), said he attended two networking sessions in Singapore that he believes were connected to the alleged scheme.

Alex said a friend who had been involved in the scheme for about a year had approached him about joining.

Met a Singaporean actress, influencer

In March 2026, Alex said he attended a networking session at a bar along Alexandra Road.

According to him, about 60 to 80 people attended the session.

Alex described the gathering as "purely a dinner session and chat", saying there was no specific agenda.

However, he claimed that much of the conversation centered on the purported investment opportunities in China, which participants were told offered strong potential.

He said the organisers did not ask attendees to make any commitment during the session.

Alex alleged that he met the Singaporean actress, who was "quite high-ranking in the scheme", at this event, and even chatted with her.

He also allegedly saw other personalities there, including a Singapore car influencer.

The presence of these individuals made him feel like there were "a lot of highly credible people" in the scheme, he added.

Encouraged to buy a flight ticket to Nanning

Alex later attended another closed-door networking session in Singapore in June 2026, which he said was held at the office of one of the individuals described to him as a "director".

Alex said about 20 people attended this particular session and that participants were not allowed to take photographs.

He claimed that the individual referred to as a "director" was presented as someone with a high level of credibility.

Towards the end of the session, Alex said, organisers repeatedly encouraged him to purchase a flight ticket to Nanning.

He said he became suspicious when he was told that details about the programme could not be fully disclosed until he visited Nanning in person.

Alex said he had initially planned to travel to Nanning in October 2026, but decided against it after seeing MFA’s announcement about the arrests and detentions.

Mothership has reached out to the actress and the "director" for comment.

Raising ministerial salaries is fundamentally about ensuring current and future governments can sustain the quality of Singapore's political leadership, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said during the debate on the government's position to raise ministerial salaries by up to 9 per cent from Oct. 15, 2026.

This adjustment was based off the recommendations of an independent review committee and is the first time ministerial salaries were adjusted since 2011.

PM Wong also addressed several questions raised about the ministerial salary increments, such as the effectiveness of money as an incentive.

He also responded to several points raised by Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh, such as whether adjustments beyond the one-off up to 9 per cent figure will be across-the-board.

On the benchmark used to derive salary figure

Speaking during the debate, PM Wong said he was glad that there was "considerable common ground across the house", with "essentially the same principles" affirmed by PAP MPs, Singh, and Nominated Members of Parliament.

PM Wong then addressed two issues that he observed — the structure of political salaries, and how the government has chosen to implement the committee's recommendations.

On the structure for political salaries, PM Wong noted that some members asked if the benchmark should continue to refer to the top 1,000 Singaporean earners, and whether the resulting reference salary is "too high".

"The review committee did not simply take the existing formula as given. It examined the framework afresh," PM Wong said.

He also clarified that the benchmark used did not mean that the government intends to recruit political leaders only from the 1,000 individuals.

"The benchmark is a reference point. It seeks to capture, in a broad and objective way, the opportunity cost faced by the sort of people we hope will step forward," PM Wong explained.

PM Wong also explained the jump from S$1.1 million to S$1.8 million benchmark for MR4 ministers, which he described as a "substantial increase" if seen on its own.

"But we should also understand why the gap has opened up, because the benchmark has effectively remained unchanged for 15 years, while salaries everywhere else in the economy have continued to move," PM Wong explained.

On whether civil servants enjoy a pay increase by joining politics, PM Wong said he wanted to "dispel that myth".

According to PM Wong, the income that civil servants can potentially earn if they stayed on in their careers could be more than joining politics, if they do well in these careers.

He also cautioned against international comparisons of political salaries.

"In many countries, the overall remuneration of office holders extend beyond the official salary. There may be pensions, allowances, housing, or other benefits, as well as arrangements that provide support after political office, these do not appear in the headline salary," PM Wong said.

"In Singapore, we expect our ministers to be effective politicians, effective executives, and effective leaders. That's how we have operated our system, and that's how we have achieved exceptional results," PM Wong pointed out.

In turn, he said the relevant question is not about whether a different model adopted by another country can work for Singapore, but what arrangements will enable Singapore to sustain "high-quality political leadership over the long-term".

On timing

PM Wong acknowledged that there is never going to be a "politically convenient time" to adjust political salaries.

The conflict in the Middle East has not ended and may not end any time soon, but Singapore's domestic economic situation has stabilised, he said.

"We could always hope that next year will bring a better moment, but the world may just as easily become more difficult next year. And if every difficult circumstance becomes a reason not to act, then we will keep putting the issue off, and there will come a point where restraint ceases to be prudence and becomes neglect," PM Wong explained.

Another motivating factor was the "pressing" need for leadership renewal.

Three possible options in response to recommendations

PM Wong also laid out several other options the government could have adopted in response to the committee's recommendations.

First is to defer the increase, but he said that this will only cause the gap between the benchmark and actual salaries, thereby making it harder to correct later on.

The second option was to move all office holders to the new benchmarks immediately, which PM Wong noted that no members of the House suggested.

On this, PM Wong said he did not think this would be right.

He explained that there would be no need to automatically and immediately move everyone to the new benchmark just because the framework has been updated.

"But neither it is reasonable to leave their salaries unchanged indefinitely," he also said.

The third possibility, PM Wong said, was to ignore the formula and choose a lower benchmark, just because "S$1.8 million appears too high".

"If we appoint an independent committee to determine the appropriate benchmark, we should not then arbitrarily change its conclusion because the number is politically awkward," he remarked.

"Instead, we have dealt with the concern through implementation. We are accepting the framework, but moving towards it gradually," he continued.

He further explained that if ministerial salaries were adjusted for inflation, as MP allowances were, then the MR4 reference salary would be S$1.5 million alone.

"So, we are not giving ministers a larger immediate adjustment than MPs. In fact, we are taking longer to catch up," PM Wong said.

Considering these three other options, PM Wong described the government's response to the committee's recommendation as a "measured one".

"We keep the framework relevant for the future, without overcorrecting for the present," he remarked.

The one-off up to 9 per cent adjustment addresses a gap that has been built up over the years, but does so progressively and with restraint, said PM Wong.

PM Wong also responded to Singh's question on whether across the board adjustments will be made following the up to 9 per cent shift, saying that the adjustments are tied to individual performance and will not be general or across the board.

On how a minister's performance is evaluated

PM Wong continued to shed light on how he evaluates a minister's performance.

While some aspects of a minister's work is visible and he receives direct feedback from MPs and members of the public, other aspects are not visible "from the outside".

"So when I assess ministers, I do not do so based on one speech, one controversy, or one set of headlines. I look at their overall performance over time, and I discuss the assessments with my senior colleagues — DPM, the two senior ministers, and the coordinating ministers."

On this, PM Wong said his own experience has led him to recognise that leadership takes time to develop and people can become more effective with experience.

Hence, his approach has been to give new officeholders "time and support to grow" and develop their strengths.

"But if there is unsustained underperformance, then at some point I will have to make a change," he said.

PM Wong also said that the total bill for political officeholder salaries currently stands at S$55 million.

As a share of GDP, this is lower today than it was 10 years ago, according to PM Wong.

He also said he intends to keep it broadly at this level going forward.

PM Wong also shared considering the "greater interest", he will consider whether more information on the distribution of salaries and performance bonuses can be disclosed.

On mayors

PM Wong also addressed the functions of the mayor, which the WP has proposed to abolish as an office.

"Look at the value that the CDCs and mayors have brought to our communities and to Singapore, mobilising a wider network of volunteers, responding to local needs, and contributing to initiatives like the CDC vouchers and the Jobs Nearby scheme," PM Wong listed.

"I would not want to give up any of these contributions. I am proud of all our mayors and what they do for Singapore. I want our mayors to keep strengthening our communities and build a more cohesive and caring Singapore," PM Wong declared.

His comment on mayors invited audible applause from members of the House.

Salary framework not to entice people to join politics

PM Wong also addressed the critique on whether salaries need to be adjusted if the adjusted salary is still insufficient to motivate people to join politics.

"These arguments start from the same mistaken premise, the mistaken premise that the purpose of the salary framework is to entice people into politics with money. That is not the case," PM Wong explained.

He responded to Singh's speech, where the latter said that the MP allowance is not key to recruiting WP candidates.

"That is not unique to the WP. No one has a monopoly on virtue. All PAP candidates, too, step forward because they want to serve Singapore and their fellow Singaporeans," PM Wong said.

He emphasised that all PAP candidates join politics due to their desire to serve, and that that is he "key prerequisite" when fielding candidates in a election.

"No one should enter politics for the money. Competitive salaries do not create the motivation to serve. But they can make it possible for someone who already has that motivation in the first place to step forward."

PM Wong's own experience

PM Wong also relayed his own experience when making the switch from a civil service career to public office in 2011.

Back then, where he might contest electorally was not clear, much less the remuneration he would receive, PM Wong shared.

"Only when I resigned did I fully appreciate one consequence. I was just short of 15 years in civil service. You need 15 years to keep your pension. I was just short. I lost my pension," he quipped.

Despite the trade-offs, PM Wong said he did not regret his decision.

Sharing another anecdote, PM Wong revealed prospective candidates are asked to write something about themselves when they attend tea sessions with PAP leaders.

"I wrote that having worked as a civil servant, I knew that for Singapore to succeed, every generation must throw up its own leaders, people prepared to take ownership of our country and to serve their fellow citizens," PM Wong recalled about what he wrote in 2011.

"And I wrote that I would like to be part of that team to make a difference where it counted, and to contribute to Singapore's development. That's how I felt then. It is still how I feel today," he added.

Continuing, he said, "And I know there will be fellow Singaporeans who feel the same way, people who see a need for our country, who are prepared to answer the call to serve, and who will take responsibility for Singapore."

The government's task is to find such people and persuade them to step forward, he said.

Government will continue to support Singaporeans

Concluding his response, PM Wong said that he deliberated "long and hard" over the ministerial salary decision.

He acknowledged that the cost of living has risen and that many are worried about jobs and livelihoods.

"These concerns are real, and the government will continue to do all we can to support Singaporeans, especially those who need more help," PM Wong said.

Noting that members of Parliament broadly agree with the implementation approach, PM Wong emphasised that the issue is ensuring that a framework is put in place to enable future generations to sustain the quality of Singapore's political leadership.

The next ministerial salary review will take place five years from now, during which the suggestions raised by members during the debate will be studied carefully, PM Wong said during his remarks.

Singapore is open to chemical castration of sex offenders, if the evidence shows it works, Senior Minister and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Sep. 8.

However, the evidence is inconclusive at the moment.

So, what is chemical castration?

Lowers sex drive

Chemical castration lowers sex drive.

The process uses drugs to reduce sex hormones, such as androgens like testosterone from being produced in the testicles.

This also reduces the effects of sex hormones.

Its effects are short-term.

How is it applied?

Anti-androgen medications are injected at the abdomen or buttocks, or released continuously via implants under the skin, such as on the arm.

The process is repeated as long as hormone production needs to be suppressed.

Pills can also be ingested to block the body’s ability to absorb male hormones.

Which countries have adopted chemical castration?

South Korea became the first country in Asia to use chemical castration on convicted paedophiles in 2011.

Indonesia followed suit in 2020.

Poland and Russia also made chemical castration mandatory.

In Thailand, offenders can volunteer for chemical castration after psychiatric evaluation.

Voluntary chemical castration is also available in Britain, Denmark, and Germany.

How effective is chemical castration?

Offenders in South Korea who undergo chemical castration showed an overall reduction of sex offence recidivism by 92 per cent.

But it costs S$4,700 a year to implement chemical castration measures on a single offender.

What are the side effects?

There are side effects.

Offenders who stop treatment reported experiencing intense sexual urges and fantasies in the first two months after they are no longer treated.

There are also health concerns that the drugs lead to depression, heart disease, weakened bones, and reduced muscle mass.

Ethical concerns

Moreover, critics said sexual offending might not necessarily be driven by sexual urges, and reducing it might not solve the problem of sex crimes.

There is also the ethical issue of how long should offenders be chemically castrated.

Offenders in prison are already serving time for their crimes.

Implementing chemical castration during the prison sentence does not serve the purpose of preventing sex crimes in society, given that the offender is already in prison.

And once they are released, they should be considered to have done their time and punished.

Implementing chemical castration after the prison sentence could be seen as imposing an unusual punishment that could be an overreach of retributive justice.

The Hong Kong secondary school principal who was fired after swearing at security guards in Singapore has filed a lawsuit against the school for wrongful dismissal.

According to the suit, Lee Cheuk Hing believes he was unjustly dismissed by San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School after the incident, Hong Kong's The Witness reported.

He also alleged that the school terminated his contract without providing sufficient notice or payment in lieu of notice.

During a school trip in Singapore in May 2026, Lee was filmed scolding and swearing at two security guards at SAFRA Jurong.

Following backlash over the incident, the school suspended him because his conduct "fell short of public expectations".

Lee later apologised tearfully for his actions and tendered his resignation, but his school rejected it and decided to fire him immediately.

He previously said that he was "very surprised and full of regret" at their decision, but added that he respects it.

Damages

Before Lee was fired, he reportedly earned HK$137,085 (S$22,100) a month as the school principal.

Initially in his lawsuit, he sought over HK$960,000 (S$154,000) in damages which included a severance pay, payment in lieu of notice, compensation for dismissal during paid sick leave, sickness allowance, and difference in retirement fund contributions.

However, during the first court hearing for the case on Sep. 8, he said he would no longer pursue the last two claims as the school had settled those privately.

The final amount of his claims is about HK$902,867 (S$145,600).

Whether immediate dismissal was warranted

The judge presiding over the case said that the main argument was whether Lee's behaviour was serious enough to warrant immediate dismissal by the school.

A representative of San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School told the court that on May 22, the school had asked Lee to explain what had happened.

Lee admitted to the incident and claimed that he was trying to protect the students.

As the tour bus was parking on a roadside with double yellow lines, the bus was violating traffic laws, but Lee still shouted at the security guards.

Based on such behaviour, the school found it difficult to continue to have him represent them.

According to HK01, the school clarified that they first suspended Lee on May 26, then terminated his contract on Jun. 2.

They had also apparently notified Lee of the decision to dismiss him via both mail and email before he had applied for sick leave.

The school thus indicated that it was not willing to settle, and the judge scheduled the case to proceed to trial on Dec. 1.

A 43-year-old man claimed that he was pushed off his bicycle and punched multiple times along a bicycle path at Block 123 Bedok North Street 2 on Sep. 8.

Speaking with Mothership, the man, Kay, said the incident left him with an injured left elbow and a cut on his right knee.

He claimed that the other man later tried to take his phone as he was recording the incident.

Alleged altercation

Kay claimed that he was cycling along the bicycle path at around 8:50pm.

He was approaching a man and a woman walking along the path and came to an almost complete stop to avoid hitting them.

However, he claimed the other man then became aggressive and pushed him while he was stationary on his bicycle, causing him to fall to the ground.

In one clip seen by Mothership, the alleged assailant appeared to pick up and put on a slipper, and could be be heard saying, "You want to bang my girlfriend, ch** by*.

Kay said he sustained abrasions and pain in his left elbow from the fall.

When he tried to get up, the other man allegedly punched him on his left cheek before pushing him again, causing him to fall onto his left elbow.

Kay added that he began recording the man after the second push to preserve evidence of the incident.

He claimed the man then approached him and punched him on the right side of his lower chin, causing him to lose his balance and fall.

The man allegedly then moved towards Kay and tried to take his phone.

Kay said he held on to his phone, preventing the man from taking it.

He also alleged that the man threatened to hit him again after he got back up.

Kay said he then walked towards a more crowded area and called the police.

He said there were several people at a nearby coffee shop, but no one came forward to help.

He also claimed that the man's female companion remained beside the man throughout the incident.

He added that the altercation left him with a cut on his right knee.

He was also taken to Changi General Hospital for an X-ray.

Video clips

Kay provided Mothership with several video clips of the incident.

A separate clip appeared to show the man moving towards Kay and reaching for his phone while he was recording.

Another clip showed the man and his female companion walking away.

The exact sequence of events shown in the clips was unclear.

Under investigation

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that they received a call for assistance at about 9.05pm on Sep. 8 for an assault at Block 123 Bedok North Street 2.

The 43-year-old man was conveyed conscious to the hospital, while a 27-year-old man is assisting with investigations.

Police investigations are ongoing.

There's a perception that when civil servants join politics, they get a pay increase, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong noted.

"I want to dispel that myth"

He said in Parliament on Sep. 10's ministerial salaries debate.

PM Wong said that in fact, sometimes, there's a pay cut when capable civil servants join politics.

"When you look at the earnings over subsequent years for civil servants, if they had stayed on and done well, they would very likely have earned more in the civil service," PM Wong added.

PM Wong also shared an anecdote of him resigning from civil service to enter politics in 2011, not knowing what to expect.

"At that point, I did not know where I would contest, whether I would be elected, what responsibilities I might be asked to take on, or what I would be paid, no one told me if you win, this is the position you will get. This is the remuneration package. No one. It was a complete leap of faith," he said.

PM Wong said that when he resigned, he realised he would be just short of the 15 years in the civil service to qualify for government pension.

Headline salaries can be misleading

PM Wong also acknowledged that it is "fair" to question the increase in political salaries.

However, he added that one should not just look at headline salaries but should look at each system in its entirety. In many countries, the overall remuneration of office holders go beyond official salary.

There may be pensions, allowances, housing and other benefits, which do not appear in the headlines.

Therefore, comparisons based on published headline salaries can be "misleading", PM Wong said.

Expectations

In some countries, responsibilities are distributed across national, regional and local governments.

However, Singapore is a city-state with a single national government.

Singapore also expects its political office holders "to govern, to master their briefs, lead their ministries, and do so with a longer-term perspective".

"They cannot just preside over the ministry as a non-executive chairman. They have to set the tone and direction, make big decisions," PM Wong said.

Political office holders should be able to front and lead major reforms. This means to develop the case for change, bring the public along, work through the implementation, and see the reforms through, PM Wong added.

"So in Singapore, we expect our ministers to be effective politicians, effective executives, and effective leaders," PM Wong concluded.

Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak's application for clemency will be on the agenda when the country's Federal Territories Pardons Board meets on Friday, Sep. 11, according to local reports.

The 74-year-old has been in prison serving his sentence since Aug. 23, 2022 for his role in the 1MDB scandal.

Citing "sources familiar with the matter", Free Malaysia Today reported that it was unclear whether the meeting will result in a decision or whether the matter will merely be discussed.

One potential outcome could be that Najib will be allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.

According to Bloomberg, the pardon board is headed by Malaysia's king and also includes cabinet minister Hannah Yeoh.

Rising tension between UMNO and Pakatan Harapan

Any intervention from the pardons board threatens to widen the division between UMNO — the party Najib once led — and prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan, reports Bloomberg

Both are currently in an uneasy alliance as part of Anwar's government.

In a statement on Sep. 8, Pakatan Harapan, without naming Najib, insisted that those convicted in high-profile corruption or abuse of power cases should serve their full sentences.

Sentences previously reduced

Najib's initial 12-year prison sentence and RM210 million (S$65.2 million) fine were reduced in early 2024 to six years and RM50 million (S$15.5 million).

He was also allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, though this was rejected by a court in December 2025.

The former prime minister will serve a further 15 years in prison after his current sentence for abuse of power and money laundering in relation to 1MDB.

The court also imposed an RM11.4 billion (S$3.54 billion) fine on him.

If pardoned and allowed out of jail, Najib has indicated that he may return to politics, reported Bloomberg.

A father claimed that his three-and-a-half-year-old son nearly drowned when he was left unsupervised during a swimming lesson, and he had to jump into the pool himself to save the boy.

The incident occurred on Sep. 6 at around 3:20pm. at Little Splashes Aquatics' SingPost Centre outlet.

The school has suspended the swimming teacher from immediate effect as a precautionary measure.

"I had to run from the viewing corridor"

The father, who asked to be identified as Wang, told Mothership his son had been in the pool with two other children and one instructor, with no other supervisory staff present.

It was the boy's fourth lesson.

The school describes the class as a Children Independent Class, where children take part in the lesson without a parent or guardian in the pool.

Wang claimed that parents are not allowed at the poolside during these classes, but had to wait in a viewing area away from the pool.

He told Mothership that his son and another toddler were left unattended with no flotation devices while the teacher attended to another child.

"They were instructed to stand on a small, submerged platform that was completely out of the instructor's direct line of sight," said Wang.

"Suddenly, my son slipped off the platform into deep water and began drowning. Because the instructor was guiding another child, she did not notice him drowning."

Wang said that he had to run from the viewing area into the swim school office and then tap a button to open the pool access door, run up a flight of stairs, reach the pool and jump in to save his child.

He does not know how long his son was underwater.

"Sorry, I didn't see"

Wang said the instructor only noticed when he entered the pool.

She allegedly responded, "Sorry I didn't see," then continued teaching the rest of the class without checking on his son or alerting other staff.

The CCTV

While Wang calmed his son down, his wife went to the reception area and asked to view the CCTV footage.

According to Wang, the outlet manager “was reluctant” and only showed her the footage on his mobile phone after she said she would make a police report. She was not allowed to record the footage.

Wang said the manager acknowledged that the incident was “unacceptable”, but then questioned whether their son had been briefed by the coach on his first lesson not to step off the submerged water platform, and why he had stepped off it.

"We were shocked. Firstly, we were not aware of any briefing, and secondly, how do you expect a toddler to understand a safety briefing?"

Wang said the family was not given a copy of the footage.

"Why didn't the teacher save me?"

Wang said his son has been having nightmares.

"He repeatedly asked us, ‘Why didn't the teacher save me? I will die’.”

He said he and his wife have also been suffering from shock and insomnia.

The family has lodged a police report as well as reports to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Sport Singapore.

What the school said

In response to Mothership's queries, Little Splashes Aquatics said it takes any incident involving the safety and well-being of a child extremely seriously, and is conducting a full internal review including of the CCTV footage, the lesson arrangements and the actions taken by the teacher.

It said the lesson was a Children Independent Class, conducted at a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:3, and that the pool is approximately 1m deep.

Students waiting their turn are positioned on a submerged platform approximately 0.5m in height.

Its preliminary review found that the child was waiting on the platform while the teacher was conducting an activity with another student, and that during this period he stepped off the platform's edge into the water.

The school said the police attended, reviewed the matter including the CCTV footage, and have since concluded their review with no further action being taken.

It said:

"Notwithstanding this, Little Splashes Aquatics considers the safety and well-being of our students to be our highest responsibility, regardless of whether further police action is taken."

Teacher suspended

The school said the teacher has been suspended from teaching duties from the date of the incident and will remain so until further notice:

"Where the review identifies any breach of our procedures or other concerns relating to the teacher's conduct, appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary action will be taken, which may include termination of employment and/or action relating to her teaching licence."

The review is specifically examining the teacher's positioning and line of sight, her supervision of students waiting their turn, her awareness of all students throughout the activity, her response when the child entered the water, and the actions taken immediately afterwards.

The school said it did not wish to prejudge her conduct before the review is complete.

It added that it has reached out to the child's parents directly and remains in communication with them

It would also assess whether further safeguards, staff training, supervision measures or operational procedures should be introduced across its programmes.

It said it would prefer not to speculate further while the review is ongoing.

A man was granted a personal protection order (PPO) against his wife, who sent him fake images of him engaging in sexual activities with his sister.

A family court found that the wife's actions amounted to family violence, according to court documents released on Sep. 9.

The husband alleged that the wife had inflicted emotional or psychological abuse on him by accusing him of having an affair with his sister.

The man presented 90 pages' worth of screenshots which contained not only the messages his wife had sent to him but also explicit images and videos of the husband and sister engaging in sexual acts, generated by AI.

Entire saga resulted from husband sending sister S$65,000

Court documents stated that the wife had an acrimonious relationship with her sister-in-law.

According to the husband, the saga began when he agreed to contribute S$100,000 towards his father's medical bills.

He informed his wife that he had transferred S$65,000 to his sister.

This angered his wife and led to the turn of events.

Magistrate Soh Kian Peng said the wife proceeded to send her husband "hideously offensive and vile messages".

The messages

Court documents included a small excerpt of the text messages which the husband had received from the wife over a period of around four months.

"She got good breast n beautiful f*cking c*** b** for u to insert ur rotten c*ck

I die you happy. Happily can f*ck ur beloved until die

We will go separate.

I HEARD SHE BUY MEDICINE FOR U TO F*CK HER"

The woman also described her sister-in-law using other sexual terms.

The husband was "evidently tormented and distressed" by what the wife had sent to him, according to the magistrate.

"The husband also recounted the physical toll he had suffered: his weight had dropped precipitously."

According to court documents, the wife did not dispute sending these messages and said she used a free application to produce the obscene messages of her husband and his sister.

Wife only stopped sending messages after PPO application

Soh considered that the wife had a high risk of continuing to inflict family violence on her husband.

The magistrate noted that the wife only stopped sending the husband such messages at the end of April 2026.

This coincided with the husband's PPO application at the start of May 2026 and his obtaining an expedited PPO against his wife.

The couple's conflict involving the husband's sister remains unresolved, Soh said.

He said that it was "hardly possible, nor could there be any such expectation that the husband cut off any and all contact with his sister so as to avoid conflict with the wife".

PPO allowed; husband and wife ordered to attend counselling

The magistrate said that the man had proven both requirements for a protective order in the familial context, which were to establish that his wife committed family violence on him and that an order was needed for his protection or personal safety.

The PPO application was allowed, and the couple were ordered to attend marriage counselling.

Soh said that while the wife "had her own grievances and frustration" with her husband, she had an unhealthy way of expressing such negative emotions.

The magistrate also noted that the wife had to be admitted to the Institute of Mental Health twice, and he called for a preliminary assessment report.

This was with the intention of issuing the wife a mandatory treatment order for a possible psychiatric condition.