Employees of a licensed debt collection company breached the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) on four occasions while attempting to recover an alleged private debt, including by shouting insults and threats at a debtor’s home and visiting her husband’s workplace.

The debt collectors also returned to the husband’s office to hand staff notices about the debt, even though the alleged debt was unrelated to his job.

Contravened POHA on four occasions

In the grounds of decision released on Aug. 19, Protection from Harassment Court Judge Gregory Gan said debt collectors could legally pursue debts, but their licences did not give them "carte blanche" to break the law.

He also acknowledged that while it is not necessary nor possible to draw up a comprehensive list of prohibited debt collection conduct, certain boundaries are clear.

"As a general rule, turning up at the alleged debtor’s home and shouting insults or abuse is impermissible. So is visiting the alleged debtor’s workplace to collect a private debt that has nothing to do with his or her work," he said.

The woman was ultimately granted a protection order against the debt collection company after its employees repeatedly visited her home and her husband’s workplace in December 2024 and January 2025.

The identities of the debt collection company, its employees, and the alleged debtor were redacted in the judgment.

Shouted at couple's home

The dispute began after the woman and her husband engaged two renovation contractors on Dec. 5, 2023.

On Nov. 25, 2024, the contractors engaged the licensed debt collection company to recover an alleged debt of S$102,937 from the couple.

The company then sent the couple a letter of demand stating that its "debt enforcement team" would personally call on them and visit their home if they failed to make payment within seven days.

The couple responded in writing on Dec. 1, 2024, disputing their liability.

Two days later, on Dec. 3, 2024, two employees of the debt collection company turned up at their home.

They rang the doorbell and shouted the names of the woman and her husband.

The woman called the police and spoke to one of the employees through the intercom.

The employee demanded that she pay the contractors and repeatedly hit the railing outside the main gate while shouting.

The woman subsequently went outside to explain why she was not making payment, but the two employees repeatedly interrupted her and continued shouting.

At one point, the employee who had hit the railing threatened to go to the husband’s office.

He also shouted: "CEO also no money ah, ai yah CEO ah, talk cock CEO", referring to the woman’s husband, who was a chief executive officer.

The employees later pasted a "red notice" at the main gate stating the couple’s names, the amount allegedly owed, the woman’s address, and the creditor’s name.

Gan found three breaches of POHA arising from this visit.

He said video recordings showed that the neighbourhood was "quiet and relatively peaceful".

As such, the debt collector’s repeated hitting of the railing and loud demands for payment amounted to threatening behaviour.

The use of the phrase "talk cock CEO" also "plainly constituted abusive or insulting language", while the threat to visit the husband’s office was threatening behaviour, the judge found.

The company argued that its conduct was reasonable because the woman had refused to communicate with it, its employees were responding to her shouting, and they had to raise their voices as she was inside the house initially.

However, these arguments were rejected by Gan.

The woman had already responded to the company’s letter of demand in writing, he noted.

There was also no need for the employees to shout as the home’s intercom was working and they could have communicated through it.

The judge said the company’s response suggested that it was not prepared to accept written correspondence as a proper way of engaging with the couple.

One of its employees had told the woman that it was "not up to (her) to decide how to correspond".

Visited husband's office

Two days after the first home visit, employees went to the husband’s office on Dec. 5, 2024, and left another red notice with office staff.

Neither the husband nor the woman was at the office

Although the visit itself was peaceful, Gan found that it breached POHA as it amounted to an implied threat to embarrass the husband over a private debt.

"Considering this visit together with the first visit to the claimant’s home, I concluded that the office visit was deliberately designed to exert pressure on [the husband] by embarrassing him before his staff," he said.

Additionally, the debt concerned renovation works and had nothing to do with the husband’s job.

"Your children on top watching, not very nice leh."

The debt collectors returned to the couple’s home on Dec. 11, 2024.

One of them shouted for the couple to "come out and talk", accused the husband of cheating the contractors and said that, as a CEO, he earned money by "cheating a lot of customers".

Another told the couple: "Your children on top watching, not very nice leh."

The couple’s two young children were watching from the second storey.

The woman remained inside her home and called the police.

Gan found that the way one of them had gestured towards one of the children was threatening under the circumstances.

The employees also mocked the couple.

One was heard singing at the start of a video taken by the debt collectors, while another imitated a police call, saying: "Hello police ya, this is [redacted], renovate the house and don’t want to pay."

The judge said the employees’ words and actions were designed to "shame the claimant and (her husband) into paying the alleged debt".

On Dec. 19, 2024, the employees returned to the husband's office for a second time and again handed office staff a red notice.

Gan found that this second office visit was also an implied threat to embarrass and pressure the couple.

It was not reasonable because the alleged debt was a private matter unrelated to the husband’s work, he said.

"Red notices" not unlawful on their own

For the other visits to the couple’s home on Dec. 19 and 24, 2024, and Jan. 8, 2025, the judge did not find sufficient evidence of POHA breaches.

The couple were not at home during those visits, and there was no direct evidence from witnesses or video recordings showing what had happened.

Gan also said that merely putting up a red notice about an outstanding debt was not, by itself, unlawful.

However, further breaches were likely because the alleged debt remained outstanding and the debt collectors had repeatedly visited the couple’s home and the husband’s office, he said.

As such, he granted a protection order prohibiting the company and its representatives from using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to the woman or her family.

The order also specifically prohibits them from visiting the husband’s workplace to collect the alleged debt.

"Licensed debt collectors must take heed of the legal boundaries as set out in the POHA and other applicable laws," Gan said. "Those who fail to do so run the risk of having to defend against applications for protection orders and bearing the attendant costs of court proceedings."

A fake Mothership account is promoting watch discounts.

Here is the one that was going around last year.

Mothership was alerted by some readers to a new iteration of this, but it also involves watches at a heavily discounted rate.

We are not offering any discounts on watches.

This particular scam implies we have S$139 deals on Rolexes. We do not.

While the page appears to have been taken down, Mothership will continue to work with the relevant authorities to report and remove any other impersonation accounts.

Members of the public should verify the authenticity of pages and links claiming to be affiliated with us before making any purchases.

A 31-year-old Singaporean man who abused multiple primary school students under his care in 2023 has been handed nine years and 10 months' jail, with eight strokes of the cane.

The man, who was supposed to teach mathematics and English to the children under his aunt's private educational facility, punched and beat them with a clothes hanger.

He also starved them and forced one boy to drink his own urine.

The accused cannot be named due to a gag order protecting the identity of the victims, who were between six and 11 at the time.

Hired as teacher

According to court documents seen by Mothership, the man was hired by his aunt to work as a manager in 2016 despite not having any teaching or childcare qualifications.

The facility provided accommodation for students and workers, as well as management consultancy services for foreign students.

Aside from teaching the students and checking on their school homework, the man's responsibilities included taking care of students residing at a particular unit.

His three victims, boys from China aged six, 10 and 11, were hit by the man at one point and made to go up into a push-up position.

Prosecutors said he would punish the six-year-old frequently after the boy moved into the facility in January 2023.

The victim was forced to sleep in the toilet and only provided with bread and water instead of proper meals.

He was also hit with a hanger numerous times on the buttocks, with the man taking videos of the injuries.

18-hour abuse on 6-year-old boy

On Mar. 9, 2023, the man made the six-year-old boy hold a push-up position while studying English from 3:45pm to 5pm, when the boy cried out that he was hungry.

However, the man mocked the child and did not release him from the push-up position.

He also prevented the boy from eating as other students ate their dinner, instead forcing him to hold the push-up position until the next morning.

At about 1:15am on Mar. 10, 2023, the man punched the boy and stomped on him while he was in that position.

He also periodically hit him from 2am to 7:05am with a hanger.

At one point, he placed a chair on the boy and sat on it, forcing the boy to lower his body in the push-up position.

He also made the boy urinate in a basin instead of using the toilet, and drink his own urine when he was thirsty.

Called boy's father for permission to discipline child

Court documents indicate that the man called the boy's father at about 6am on Mar. 10, 2023 to seek permission to discipline his son.

The father allowed this, but was not made aware that the man would use physical punishment.

He was also not informed that that man had already inflicted abuse on the boy.

The abuse continued until that night, with the man hitting and stomping on the boy again at one point.

By 6:05pm, the victim was weak and unable to walk on his own.

The man then carried him to the toilet, sprayed him with water, and asked him to wake up.

When the man's aunt arrived at the unit at about 7:03pm and saw the state that the boy was in, she told him to stop physically punishing the boy, but he did not comply.

He only stopped after the woman carried the boy out of the toilet and away from him.

She had wanted to send the boy to the hospital immediately for medical attention, but the man dissuaded her as he was "very scared and worried" that he would be arrested by the police.

Prosecutors said that the physical abuse by the man lasted about 18 hours.

The man had hit the boy not less than 620 times on various parts of the body and stomped on him not less than 45 times on his back and buttocks.

Arrest

The man continued to attend to the other students under his care.

The boy's injuries eventually came to light on Mar. 14 when he was brought to the hospital by the man's aunt when he complained of breathing difficulties and was coughing badly.

The victim was transferred immediately to the Children’s Intensive Care Unit, where he remained until Mar. 28, 2023.

He was assessed to have lung injury caused by blunt force to his chest, which led to an abnormal buildup of fluids in his lungs.

He also had kidney failure caused by blunt force to his back, which required nine days of dialysis.

Other injuries included muscle injury involving muscle breakdown, severe hypertension caused by kidney failure, and multiple rib fractures.

The hospital reported the boy’s injuries to the police, and the man was arrested that same day.

The boy was eventually discharged more than a month later on Apr. 28, 2023.

Sentencing

The man pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse, one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt, and one count of providing false or misleading information to the Ministry of Manpower on Jul. 9, 2025.

During his sentencing on Aug. 21, 2026, he reportedly kept his head down and occasionally looked towards his family in the court, according to The Straits Times (ST).

The judge said the facts speak for themselves when it came to the brutality of the acts committed on the victims, especially on the six-year-old boy.

According to ST, while the defence raised that the man had an alcoholic father and a gangster older brother who physically abused him when he was young, the judge said it "does not excuse the behaviour and cruel acts that he committed".

"Being a young boy who had suffered at the hands of abusers, the offender should have been in a better position not to repeat such treatment to vulnerable victims who had trusted him to care for them and protect them," ST cited.

The deputy public prosecutors added that the man had abused the trust placed in him in caring for the victims by inflicting violence on them.

His request to have his sentenced deferred for a week to attend prayers was rejected.

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of 13-year-old Kayverlyn Tan Min Er.

She was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts in the vicinity of Westwood Avenue on Aug. 19 at about 10:40am.

Anyone with information is requested to call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.

All information will be kept strictly confidential.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is aware of the recent reports on Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream, and has worked with the three companies marketing it to suspend its sales, and to recall the product.

The product is suspected of containing a prohibited ingredient, Sudan Red.

It has been reported that Sudan Red, a type of dye, poses health risks due to its potential carcinogenicity and allergenic properties.

On Jul. 24, Hong Kong Customs warned members of the public about the Medicube cream, and appealed to sellers to remove it from their shelves, and for people to stop using the product.

Prohibited ingredient

Responding to Mothership's queries, HSA said it was aware of recent reports regarding the Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream.

The agency added that it has worked with three companies marketing the product to recall it and suspend sales.

It has also launched an investigation and will test the products, adding that it will take relevant regulatory actions should safety concerns be detected.

Meanwhile, HSA advised consumers who have purchased the product to stop using it as a precautionary measure.

The agency further stated that Sudan Red dyes are prohibited ingredients under the Health Products (Cosmetic Products – ASEAN Cosmetic Directive) Regulations 2007.

As such, they are not allowed in cosmetic products sold in Singapore.

Any person found to have supplied such products may face a fine of up to S$50,000 and/or a jail term of up to two years.

Online listings

Checks by Mothership on Aug. 20 showed that online listings of the product could be found on platforms such as iHerb, Shopee and Lazada.

The websites show that the product is still in stock and could be delivered by the end of August 2026.

Regulations

HSA added that cosmetic products are regulated under the Health Products (Cosmetic Products – ASEAN Cosmetic Directive) Regulations 2007.

Under the regulations, dealers must notify HSA before any cosmetic products can be placed on the market.

The notification facilitates regulatory follow-up by HSA if safety concerns arise.

HSA pointed out that product notification is not a form of premarket approval and should not be construed as product certification or registration by HSA.

Dealers of cosmetic products must ensure that their products comply with the regulatory requirements.

This includes the prohibition and restriction of the use of certain ingredients, the reporting of serious adverse effects to HSA and product labelling.

An elderly woman was injured and sent to the hospital after she fell on an escalator at a Yishun mall on Aug. 19.

The incident happened at around 4:45pm at Junction Nine, on the escalator leading up from the first floor to the second, Lianhe Zaobao reported.

What the video showed

A video circulating on Facebook showed the woman, in a red top, lying on her side on an escalator that had stopped operating.

First responders at the scene were seen checking her injuries and administering first aid.

She appeared to have had injured her head but remained conscious, and officers then helped her into a sitting position.

A shopping trolley was parked not far from the escalator.

It is believed that she had been pushing it up onto the escalator when she fell, according to Zaobao.

One taken to hospital

SCDF told Mothership it received a call for assistance at 18 Yishun Avenue 9 at around 4:45pm on Aug. 19, and took one person to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

On hot afternoons, especially after walking home or finishing a workout, I always find myself craving an ice-cold cup of Milo from a Milo van – the same one I’d look forward to after sweating it out during Sports Day at school.

So when I heard the Milo Van Sachets were back, my ears perked up immediately.

To make things even better, Milo is also rolling out a limited-time promotional pack that comes with an exclusive pair of free-sized Milo Sports Day Socks – the perfect throwback for anyone who still has a soft spot for those school-day memories.

Six collectible socks designs

The collection features six different sock designs, each inspired by a familiar part of the Milo van experience during Sports Day.

Whether you were the competitive athlete, or the friend who was only there for the free drink, there’s definitely a pair you’ll relate to.

Milo MVP

A classic design featuring the iconic Milo logo in its signature green, white, and brown colour palette, complete with the slogan "Run for Glory, Sprint for Milo".

Milo NAPFA Gold

No, we’re not settling for Silver or Bronze here.

Inspired by the five National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) stations, this particular design is all about gunning for Gold, and pays tribute to the five stations with an embroidered five-pointed star and the tagline "Going for GOLD".

Milo Cheerleader

This playful design splits a familiar chant across both socks.

One reads "I say MILO", while the other completes it with "You say VAN".

Milo Repeat queuers

I’m sure we all know someone who just has to join the Milo van queue more than once.

This design gives a nod to those determined enough to brave the long queue and go back for seconds, with one sock featuring a miniature embroidered Milo cup and the other sporting tally marks alongside the words "Round 2?".

Milo Fan

For those who were really just there for the Milo van, this pair is covered in adorable mini Milo vans and cups just for you.

Milo Hunters

The last design features map coordinates (which pinpoint the geographic location of Singapore) on one sock, and an embroidered Milo van on the other.

A grid-inspired pattern ties the design together, while the bottom of the socks read "Milo Hunters" and "Locked In".

How to prepare

As for the Milo Van Sachets themselves, they’re easy to prepare at home.

Simply empty a sachet into a cup, add enough cold water to cover the powder. Stir until dissolved, then top up with cold water to adjust to taste.

If you’re a person of precision, try this more detailed preparation instead. Pour the sachet into a shaker or bottle instead, dissolve it with a little cold water, add crushed ice, and shake it 76 times before straining into a cup.

Yes, you read that right. 76 times.

Curious, I actually tried the second method of preparation myself, and I can confirm that it tastes just like the Milo from the Milo van I know and love.

There’s just something so satisfying about sipping on an ice-cold cup of Milo after being out in the heat.

And to make things even better, for a limited time, every promotional pack comes with an exclusive pair of free-sized Milo Sports Day socks, featuring one of the six designs.

Each pack is priced at only S$8.95 and will be available progressively at all major supermarkets and e-retailers from Aug. 18.

As for me, I’m already planning on heading down to the nearest supermarket and collecting all six sock designs.

This branded article by Nestlé has this writer remembering how much she loves Milo.

The 46-year-old Singaporean man who fought with Malaysian police on the way to Woodlands Checkpoint was identified as the owner of a well-known chicken rice restaurant in Braddell Road.

Earlier reports mentioned that Gary Lim Kian Liang was charged with obstructing a police officer in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, as well as attacking a 30-year-old Malaysian woman.

Lim, who did not claim trial, faces three charges.

This includes the possession of a dangerous weapon, voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon, and obstructing a public servant, Malay Mail reported.

He did not indicate a plea.

Shop owner

During the bail application, Lim's lawyers reportedly said Lim was a restaurant owner in Singapore and suffered from mental health issues that required ongoing treatment.

Lim was apparently married and supported his elderly mother.

Shin Min Daily News reported that Lim previously operated the chicken rice store as well as a massage parlor and other establishments.

At one point, he reportedly held positions in eight companies at once.

Upon visiting the chicken rice store in Braddell Road on Aug. 20, Shin Min observed that there were no customers present.

Other shop owners nearby told Shin Min that the restaurant had been operating at that location for over 30 years, being passed down from mother to son.

The 65-year-old owner of a nearby tire shop said he seldom saw Lim at the restaurant and had not seen him for about half a year.

He added, however, that Lim's mother is said to be frequently at the store.

Road rage

On Aug. 15, Lim allegedly attacked a woman at about 11:58pm.

He apparently then got into a physical altercation with police officers shortly after on Aug. 16 at about 12:15am at Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, heading towards the Sultan Iskandar Building near the Causeway.

The altercation apparently stemmed from a road rage incident.

Local police arrested four men in that incident.

According to New Straits Times, preliminary investigations revealed that the incident purportedly stemmed from a dispute between three Malaysian men and a Singaporean man.

Lim allegedly possessed an 8.5cm knife without a valid permit, and the weapon was apparently used in the altercation.

Threw money at taxi driver

Prior to this, in 2017, Lim allegedly insulted a taxi driver while holding cash, blocking the vehicle door and said: "You can't do anything great, that's why you're a taxi driver."

Shin Min reported that Lim later explained that he had behaved inappropriately while drunk and apologised to the taxi driver.

He was also said to have prepared 200 packets of chicken rice for the taxi drivers.

In the following year, he reportedly said he had quit drinking.

Bail, case adjourned

Following his road rage incident, Lim was granted bail of RM20,000 (S$6,301).

His case was adjourned to Sep. 25.

A woman has reportedly drawn backlash after she apparently filmed herself picking up fruit by the road offered during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Singapore.

During the Hungry Ghost Festival, Taoists and Buddhists traditionally offer food and burn joss paper.

"Fruit is so expensive in Singapore"

According to Shin Min Daily News, a woman who claimed to be from Sichuan, China, and works as a bus driver in Singapore, attracted attention after allegedly filming herself picking up fruit that had been left as offerings by the roadside.

In the now-deleted video, the woman was seen squatting by the roadside and picking up apples and oranges.

She reportedly smiled at the camera and said: "It’s not easy to work abroad. We have to save every penny. Fruit is so expensive in Singapore!"

In another part of the video, she picked up an orange and said: "I picked up the fruit that I offered to the Bodhisattva today, so this doesn’t count as stealing. I also thanked the Bodhisattva."

The video was subsequently circulated online, sparking heated discussion among members of the public.

Some expressed concern that taking the offerings could offend entities during the Hungry Ghost Festival, while others raised concerns about the safety of consuming food that had been left outdoors.

Some also said that if the offerings had been abandoned, giving the food to people who needed it would be preferable to letting it go to waste.

The video did not show the woman eating the fruit at the end.

Offerings should not be disturbed or consumed

Speaking to Shin Min, a folklore expert said roadside offerings made during the Hungry Ghost Festival should not be disturbed or consumed, and that doing so is considered a major taboo.

Unlike offerings made to a specific deity or one’s ancestors, roadside offerings are traditionally believed to be meant for wandering spirits.

She also said it was inappropriate to deliberately challenge such customs to attract attention, adding that even non-believers should respect traditional practices.

To make amends, she suggested that the woman return to the original location, accompanied by someone familiar with the customs, and make additional offerings while sincerely apologising.

A Sri Lankan man on a transit flight from Singapore to Toronto, Canada, was caught using a fraudulent Canadian passport while transiting through Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport in mid-August 2026.

According to a press release by Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency, EVA Air ground staff noticed discrepancies in the man's passport and other points of suspicion.

The ground staff reported the man to immigration officers, who discovered that the man's passport was fake through professional document authentication and identity verification.

The man was eventually deported to Singapore in accordance with international practice, according to Taiwan's CNA.

In response to Mothership's queries, Singapore's Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) confirmed on Aug. 21 that a Sri Lankan national was deported from Taiwan to Singapore.

ICA added that the man presented his Sri Lankan passport when clearing Singapore immigration.

Questioned by Taiwanese authorities

Taiwanese authorities prevented the man from boarding the plane, but he allegedly feigned ignorance and questioned officers, saying: "Is there something wrong with my documents?"

When questioned, the man allegedly tried to conceal his use of a forged passport and denied that the documents were fake.

The immigration officer examined the passport's security features and compared them with the man's identification information.

Moreover, the man was reportedly unaware of Canada's capital, his own address, and was unable to sing the Canadian national anthem.

Confessed to being a Sri Lankan citizen

Eventually, the man broke down and confessed to being a Sri Lankan citizen.

He retrieved his Sri Lankan passport and admitted to paying US$10,000 (S$12,762) to a smuggling ring to purchase a forged Canadian passport.

According to the press release, the ring also arranged his travel itinerary and flight.

The ring arranged international transit so that he could conceal his true identity and enter Canada illegally for work.

Upon being exposed, the man pleaded with the immigration officer to allow him to board the plane.

He claimed that the funds for his passage to Canada were borrowed from relatives and friends.

He added that he urgently needed to find work to repay the loans.

However, the man was deported to his previous stop, Singapore, following international laws.

Man presented Sri Lankan passport in Singapore

ICA said the Sri Lankan national arrived in Singapore on Aug. 11, 2026 and departed on Aug. 13, 2026.

"On both occasions, he presented his Sri Lankan passport for immigration clearance. He did not present the forged Canadian passport for immigration clearance."

ICA added that following his deportation from Taiwan to Singapore on Aug. 14, "he was deported to Colombo, Sri Lanka on the same day and has been barred from re-entering Singapore".