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.

Radicalisation among youths under 21 years of age remains a pressing concern towards Singapore’s security, according to the Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2026 by the Internal Security Department (ISD) published on Sep. 10.

The number of youth Internal Security Act (ISA) cases has almost quadrupled in the past five years.

There were four such cases involving youths between 2017 and 2021, and 15 since 2022.

Six of the eight Singaporeans detained or issued restriction orders under the ISA since July 2025 were youths under 21.

High terrorism threat

The report attributed ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iran War, to having heightened the threat of attacks beyond the conflict zones and serving as triggers for radicalisation.

Terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), continue to recruit supporters online and inspire attacks worldwide.

The potential return of foreign terrorist fighters to Southeast Asia also heightens the terrorism threat to the region.

Islamist extremism persists in Southeast Asia, while far-right and nihilistic violent extremist narratives are also gaining traction and have featured in several recent attacks, the report stated.

The terrorism threat to Singapore remains high, with ongoing conflicts in the Middle East elevating the terrorism threat worldwide and contributing to a volatile global security environment.

Even though there is no specific intelligence of an imminent terrorist attack against Singapore, the country and its interests remain an attractive target for terrorist elements, ISD said.

This is due to Singapore's perceived friendly ties with Western nations, including the United States and Israel, as well as the presence of iconic landmarks in the country, plus its status as a secular and multicultural society, ISD added.

Youth threat

Three youths aged between 14 and 19 planned to conduct local attacks and were close to executing them.

They had identified available weapons for their intended attacks.

A 14-year-old was only a few weeks away from carrying out a planned attack in school, while another youth had attempted to conduct cyberattacks.

Online platforms, including social media and games, were attributed to accelerating radicalisation, especially among youths, through exposure to violent extremist content.

Online games may also allow for simulation of terrorist attacks and mass shootings.

Repeated exposure can normalise attitudes towards violence, and violent fantasies may develop into a desire to enact real-world violence over time.

ISA cases since July 2025

Among the eight Singaporean ISA cases, one was politically motivated, involving taking up arms for Turkiye against Greece.

Seven of them were self-radicalised by a diverse range of extremist influences.

Five were ISIS supporters.

Three of their radicalisation were triggered or accelerated by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

CoVE

Singapore also saw its first three cases of Composite Violent Extremism (CoVE), which were all youths under 21.

CoVE refers to a form of violent extremism where individuals subscribe to multiple, and sometimes conflicting, extremist ideologies, rather than adhering to a single, coherent or unified worldview.

This results in a personalised composite belief system, which the individual uses to justify violence.

The youths involved in the CoVE cases subscribed to multiple extremist ideologies, including far-right extremism, far-left extremism, anti-Semitism, incel ideologies, accelerationism and racial supremacy.

Individuals radicalised by CoVE may have a shallow understanding of the ideologies they adopt, and their beliefs can shift over time.

In some cases, their attraction to certain extremist beliefs or movements may also stem from a desire to appear “edgy” or “cool”, or from an attraction to the niche aesthetics of such movements, rather than a deep commitment to their underlying ideology or cause.

What can be done?

ISD said family members, friends and the community are key in reporting early signs of radicalisation.

They advised members of the public to be aware of common signs of radicalisation and stay vigilant, including among people close to them.

The public can report any suspicious terrorist activities or signs of radicalisation early to ISD at 1800-2626-473.

The identity of informants will be kept confidential.

No action will be taken if the person reported is not found to be radicalised or to pose a security threat.

If the person is in the early stage of radicalisation, they may be referred for counselling or other interventions, without the need to be dealt with under the ISA.

“Had money been my primary consideration, I would have never entered politics,” said Minister of Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng.

He was speaking at the parliamentary debate on the ministerial salary review, titled “2026 Review of Salaries for Political Appointment Holders and Members of Parliament” on Sep. 10.

Tan joined politics in 2020, after over three decades in the private sector, where he was first a doctor and later an entrepreneur in the healthcare sector.

In his speech supporting the salary review, Tan sets out how he “stepped forward” to serve, despite a fulfilling career that would have earned him more than a ministerial salary.

Tan said though, that money was not the primary consideration; he felt he had to “give back to the country and people who had given [him] so much”.

He acknowledged that not everyone may feel the same way when faced with the dilemma of either continuing to pursue their own careers or stepping into the uncertainties of public office.

Career in private sector

Tan first spoke about his experience in the private sector.

He practised first as a doctor before becoming involved in the business of healthcare — as an entrepreneur, founder of a healthcare enterprise, and subsequently as the head of a global private healthcare conglomerate.

Calling his work “deeply meaningful and fulfilling”, he said it challenged him intellectually, stretched him as a leader and "also rewarded [him] handsomely".

On why he left this all behind, Tan shared that there wasn’t a “single defining moment” but a “gradual but growing inner realisation” that his experience could be put to use in a different way to give back to his country and his people.

“So when the opportunity came to serve, I stepped forward,” he said.

Stepping forward

Tan went on to paint what it was like to first step into politics.

Calling public service a “special, but tough calling”, he said the learning curve was not just steep, but "humbling".

"Even after decades of experience in leadership, I find myself having to learn something new every single day."

He also admitted:

"In fact, I still ask myself sometimes: Did I make the right choice coming into politics; have I given up too much; am I really doing good to justify my choice of public service?"

The reality of the political office

“The reality is that political office demands significantly more from those who choose to serve,” he said.

He explained that the role demands longer hours and greater responsibilities, with every decision subject to scrutiny and little separation between public duty and private life.

“Running a ministry is not a matter of chance or rolling the dice — tikam-tikam; you can’t make spur-of-the-moment decisions — anyhow also can,” he said.

Tan shared that sometimes he wished he could have been better equipped for public office, with a longer runway that would have allowed him to eventually contribute more and be more useful.

However, he acknowledged that for young professional executives, it is not easy to step away from careers they have spent years building, Tan said.

They would have to give it all up and “make a hard pivot into full-time public service” before they reach their peak in the private sector, he added.

Opportunity costs of answering the call

"Speaking only for myself, no realistic level of ministerial salary could have matched what I was earning before I joined government," Tan said, adding that he could have continued to earn more if he stayed in the private sector.

He acknowledged that with the career he had built, he had the “financial security and independence to make a decision based entirely on [his] political convictions", with less regard for his personal financial consequences.

"I recognise that this is a privilege that most Singaporeans will not have."

Tan cited Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan and former Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen, who had left their careers as surgeons to join politics.

“These are exactly the kinds of people whose experiences Singapore might benefit from, if they chose public service. People who come into politics in their prime, have enough runway to learn the ropes from their seniors, and then make lasting contributions to Singapore,” he said.

Tan emphasised that asking such talents to enter public service is also asking them to make “considerable changes” to their lives and that of their family.

These opportunity costs include time, future opportunities, personal goals, privacy and financial remuneration, he said, adding that some will conclude the “sum total is too high”.

“If that happens too often, Singapore loses—not because they lack the heart to serve, but because the personal price becomes too great,” he said.

Public service a high calling with deliberate choices

Tan noted that the debate today is not about whether public service should be motivated by money.

“There is no question: It must never be motivated by financial profit,” he said.

It is also not about ensuring that ministers can earn what they would have earned in the private sector, he said.

Instead, the question is more fundamental, he shared:

“Can Singapore continue to have people of ability, integrity and experience from every walk of life in political service—not only those who have already made their fortune, but also those in the prime of their working lives, when they are freshest and perhaps more valuable over the long run?”

He stressed that if entering public service comes at too high a personal cost for too many capable Singaporeans, the government risks narrowing the pool from which the country can draw its future leaders.

“That would be a far greater cost than any salary we debate in this House,” he said.

“Ultimately, public service is a high calling. But even callings require deliberate choices.

Our responsibility is to ensure that when good Singaporeans are given the privilege to serve, their answers will depend on their willingness and ability — and less on whether their families and loved ones also have to share steep financial costs.”

WP chief Pritam Singh said the Workers' Party supports the increase in salaries to Members of Parliament (MPs) in view of inflation, and also agrees with the decision of the Prime Minister not to increase the salaries of ministers beyond up to 9 per cent.

He was speaking at the parliamentary debate on the ministerial salary review.

However, Singh said that WP takes the view that a multiple of an MP's salary pegged at that of a senior public servant, combined with a more modest variable component, would be a better approach.

This differs from the committee's recommendation to continue pegging ministerial salaries to the median salary of the top 1,000 earners in Singapore with a discount.

Differing position on how figures are derived

Singh said that WP favours the formula they laid out previously in 2012 to derive political salaries.

In their view, it went further to address the "overly emotive elements" surrounding discussions on political salaries, by pegging it to a "more accessible reference point" for the public.

This involves pegging ministerial salaries to a multiple of an MP's salary, which is in turn derived from a public sector appointee's salary.

This formula is preferred to one that bases ministerial salaries from a discount to the median salary of the top 1,000 earners in Singapore, he said.

"Under our 2012 proposal, and with the passage of time, the increases to a minister's total salary would be more modest," he said.

However, in the case of ministers, a "more calibrated and measured" approach has been taken by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in response to the committee's recommendations, he said.

The committee has referenced its recommendations to wage increases for Singaporeans at the 50th and 20th percentiles of incomes since 2012, he noted.

While this may be a "plausible and useful comparison" to consider, employing the same reasoning to adjust the MR4 minister total annual salary norm produces a "much more significant absolute quantum of increase".

"This increase has not gone unnoticed by members of the public, and it is an increase which the committee itself considers significant," he said.

He further pointed out that under the committee's proposed structure, the annual MP allowance package will increase from S$192,500 to S$259,000, an increase explained largely by inflation.

Meanwhile, an entry-level minister's annual reference salary will increase from S$1.1 million to S$1.8 million.

Singh noted that a minister also earns an MP's allowance.

He further noted that the percentage increase for an MR4 minister is roughly 1.8 times that of an MP.

This could explain why PM Wong has proposed a first step increase of up to 9 per cent and has committed that paying a minister 1.8 million dollars, as laid out in the committee's report, is not a target, he said.

WP agrees with his "more sober approach" to raising ministerial salaries compared to the committee's recommendation, Singh said.

However, Singh raised a clarification, asking the PM if this meant that there will be no further across-the-board adjustments, with any subsequent increases based solely on individual performance and responsiblities.

Gap between norm annual salary for ministers

Next, Singh addressed the public confusion about the variable component of the MR4 minister's total salary norm, as expressed in the committee's report.

At S$1.1 million today, the MR4 reference annual salary assumes 13 months of fixed pay and seven months of variable pay.

The variable components comprise the annual variable component, performance bonus, and national bonus.

The government has clarified that the S$1.1 million is an all-in reference figure comprising fixed and variable components.

He noted that the government disclosed that from 2013 to 2017, actual variable payments or the bonus to cabinet ministers averaged 9.7 months a year, not seven months as assumed by the annual salary norm in the committee's report.

He then sets out the case that it would be more transparent to disclose how actual total remuneration received by MR4 ministers has compared with the annual salary norm since the new formula was introduced in 2012.

"This would provide a more accurate picture of what ministers have actually received in practice, as distinct from the annual total salary norm used by the committee as a key point of reference," he said.

Singh further noted that the committee's proposal calls for a wider range of salaries at each ministerial grade to accommodate a greater diversity of talent, while "potentially giving the PAP more flexibility in recruiting political candidates from the private sector", as alluded to by the PM.

He cautioned that this increased flexibility will also contribute to a "concomitant increase in public scrutiny" about the total annual salaries of individual ministers, in the interests of transparency.

Reality of WP candidate

Touching on PM Wong's observation in his ministerial speech on Sep. 8 that a proper MP allowance would enable both the PAP and the Workers' Party to recruit and field strong candidates.

Singh stated that while remuneration is not unimportant, remuneration is not what drives an "individual to become a Workers’ Party candidate".

"The Workers' Party fields candidates who not only believe in a more democratic and balanced political system, but they are prepared to stand behind their convictions against significant odds while working for Singaporeans on the ground," he said.

He explained that the "reality" is that winning an election for the opposition represents a "gargantuan challenge" both personally and professionally.

"For a Workers' Party candidate, there can be no assumption of electoral success, particularly given the structural advantages enjoyed by the incumbent governing party," he said.

Job scope of mayors

Singh also questioned the job of mayors in his response.

He noted that the 2026 Review Committee has now recognised that the considerations for community-related roles such as MPs and mayors may differ from those for full-time political appointment holders.

The Committee has recommended that the Government study establishing a basis for sizing the payments for these roles that is delinked from the MR4 benchmark, while remaining adequate for these roles to be carried out faithfully and effectively.

He noted that the Government has accepted this recommendation and will undertake such a study.

He questioned when the study is likely to be completed and also asked the government to include in its study whether it intends to keep the Office of the Mayor and to explain its scope, role and function.

Noting that three out of five mayors are also political office holders, Singh said the treatment of such mayors amplifies the public interest in the real job scope of mayors.

Review of legislative assistants and secretarial assistants' salary

On his last point, Singh called for a review of the allowance provided to legislative assistants and secretarial assistants to MP.

He noted that the remuneration and manpower support for these groups have not been reviewed as part of the recent exercise.

Noting that the allowances were last updated in 2007, he questioned why this was so.

"Their allowances should also increase to accommodate the inflation over close to two decades," Singh said, adding that legislative assistants and secretarial assistants are "unseen contributors" behind the scenes that help MPs discharge their responsibilities to their constituents or to this House.

Malaysian politician Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman has invited Singapore's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung to his upcoming wedding in October 2026, joking that the invitation marked an "upgrade" in bilateral ties between the two countries.

'Upgraded bilateral relations to wedding-invitation status'

In an Instagram post on Sep. 9, Syed Saddiq shared a photo of himself with Ong, who was holding a wedding invitation.

"Great catching up with Minister @ongyekung," he wrote in the caption.

"Malaysia and Singapore are inseparable like family.

So, in the spirit of family-building, I officially upgraded bilateral relations to wedding-invitation status🤣.

See you next month, sir! 🇲🇾🤝🇸🇬💍"

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Syed Saddiq (@syedsaddiq)

Acquitted of corruption charges

The 33-year-old politician was acquitted of corruption charges after Malaysia's Federal Court upheld the Court of Appeal's decision earlier on Jul. 13.

The former youth and sports minister was initially charged in 2021 with abetting a criminal breach of trust involving RM1 million (S$317,600) of funds from his former party Bersatu's youth wing.

He was also charged with dishonestly misappropriating RM120,000 (S$38,112) allegedly belonging to the youth wing's company, and money laundering.

Syed Saddiq was convicted at the end of 2023 and sentenced to seven years' jail, two strokes of the cane, and a RM10 million (S$3.17 million) fine.

However, by 2025, Malaysia's Court of Appeal unanimously voted to acquit him, prompting the prosecution to appeal the acquittal.

The Federal Court ultimately agreed with the Court of Appeal that the prosecution had failed to prove the essential elements of the offences.

After the trial concluded, Syed Saddiq thanked his fiancée, Bella Astillah, and hinted that they would soon get married.

The couple got engaged in March 2026.

On Aug. 18, he announced that he and Bella would tie the knot on Oct. 10.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Syed Saddiq (@syedsaddiq)

DBS has been sued for an estimated S$1.298 billion in damages supposedly related to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, Reuters reported on Sep. 9.

The claimants include the liquidators of four companies: BlackRock Commodities (Global), Platinum Global Luxury Services, Affinity Equity International Partners ​and TKIL Global Investments.

The liquidators confirmed to Reuters that they have served the damages claim.

DBS has put out an online statement, saying that they "categorically [reject] and will vigorously resist the Claim."

They further added that despite the fact that global recovery efforts related to the 1MDB case have been ongoing since 2018, there has been no claim against DBS the entire time.

Background

1MDB was a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund established by former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak.

It became the subject of a massive scandal in 2015 after it transpired that the fund was being embezzled by Najib and other perpetrators.

Najib channelled over RM2.67 billion (S$829 million) into his personal bank accounts.

The purported mastermind of the embezzlement, Malaysian businessman Jho Low, spent the funds on luxury condominiums, superyachts, and other lavish indulgences.

In total, investigations estimate that about US$4.5 billion (S$5.68 billion) was stolen from 1MDB.

Najib has been under arrest since 2018 and was found guilty of all charges in 2025.

Low is still at large and most recently asked U.S President Donald Trump for a pardon.

https://mothership.sg/2025/12/najib-jail-1mdb-charges

https://mothership.sg/2026/05/jho-low-trump-pardon

The lawsuit

Some of the companies filing the suit against DBS may not be what they seem.

While they may bear names resembling some of the largest players in global finance, they might be shell companies implicated in the 1MDB scandal, according to reports.

According to The Edge, these companies were set up by Low for money laundering purposes, hoping that legitimate-sounding names would facilitate international bank transfers.

For instance, the named "BlackRock Commodities (Global)" is unrelated to BlackRock, Inc., the largest investment fund in the world. The Edge reported that the beneficial owner of BlackRock Commodities (Global)'s bank account was listed as one Eric Tan Kim Loong, a "trusted associate" of Low's.

"Affinity Equity International Partners" seems to be named after Affinity Equity Partners, one of the largest private equity firms in Asia.

In a report by the New Straits Times, an analyst from the Central Bank of Malaysia detailed how funds from 1MDB were moved into these shell companies, controlled by Low's close associate Tan.

These shell companies then transferred the money into Najib's bank account.

It is not known what allegations these companies are suing DBS for.

DBS is not the first bank in Singapore to be implicated in legal action pertaining to the 1MDB scandal.

In July 2025, Reuters reported that claimants filed a S$3.5 billion lawsuit against Standard Chartered Bank, alleging that they had facilitated and permitted intra-bank transfers that obfuscated the flow of stolen 1MDB funds.

While in the shower at her community care apartment, 85-year-old Soh Hock Lye fell down and injured her hip.

But when she pressed the emergency call button, no help came.

Soh apparently had to drag herself to the main door, where she called for help and was eventually overheard by a neighbour.

It was over two hours after her fall when an ambulance was finally called, her daughter, Mary Aw, told Mothership.

Fall in toilet

Aw said that her elderly mother has lived at the community care apartment, Harmony Village @ Bukit Batok, for about two years.

The incident happened at around 12pm on Sep. 2.

After her shower, Soh fell and injured her hip.

Unable to stand, she pressed the emergency call button, which is one of the features of the apartment.

She heard a voice, believed it was a response, and waited to help to come.

But no-one came to her aid.

"She thought she [was] going to die that day," Aw told Mothership.

"She prayed, [and] she [told] herself to survive, she needs to help herself."

Dragged herself to door

Over the next two hours, Soh dragged her body to the flat's main door.

She could not get up or even crawl, and was undressed, wet, and cold, her daughter said.

With all her strength, she managed to use her walking stick to open the main door and call for help.

After that, a neighbour and other passers-by came to her aid and an ambulance was called.

Responding to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that on Sep. 2 at about 3pm, it received a call for assistance at Block 469A Bukit Batok West Avenue 9.

SCDF conveyed one person to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

Operation, investigation

Soh underwent a hip fracture operation the same day, and is now recovering in the hospital.

While she is now safe, Aw says that what happened is "unacceptable".

"What would've happened if she fell and died, because no help came faster? [Or] if she had a stroke? ...She's already 85 years old," she said.

She added that later, they learnt that the "voice" Soh had heard after pressing the call bell was actually an automated response.

But she does not understand why nobody went to check on her mother.

"If somebody [calls and says] hello, hello, but you cannot hear properly, [you should] still go to the unit and check. You cannot just leave it at that."

Reviewing circumstances

Responding to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson from Vanguard Healthcare, which operates the facility, said that they are aware of the incident.

They explained that it appears to be an "isolated incident", and that they are reviewing the circumstances to put in place further preventive measures.

"We have been in contact with the resident and her family to provide the necessary support and keep them updated on our ongoing investigation," the spokesperson added.

Harmony Village is Singapore's first community care apartment.

Community care apartments are part of an assisted-living public housing concept that integrates senior-friendly amenities and services.

As part of the assisted living concept, all residents are required to subscribe to a basic service package, which includes features such as a 24-hour emergency response.

They can then choose to add on additional care services, such as housekeeping, day care, and meal service.

In August, The Straits Times reported that prices of the basic service packages had increased significantly ever since the project's launch in 2021.

The prices were subsequently cut after feedback from seniors, and the service offerings streamlined.

A man allegedly locked himself at home for close to an entire day after arguing with his wife, who later called the police.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the incident happened on the fourth floor of Block 224 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 on Sep. 8.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance on a report of a missing 32-year-old man at about 8:40am that day.

Preliminary investigations revealed that he could be in a residential unit at the Ang Mo Kio block, prompting police officers to enter the unit.

After they found him there, he was assessed to potentially pose a danger to himself.

A neighbour told Shin Min she apparently heard the man tell the police he wanted to cut his thigh, that he was not getting along with his wife and she wanted to leave him.

The man was apprehended under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act, which allows police to apprehend people they believe may pose a danger to themselves or others due to mental health conditions, and take them for medical treatment.

No injuries were reported.

How police entered unit

According to the neighbour, who lives on the same floor, the police knocked on her door in the morning asking if the man residing in a nearby unit was home.

She told them she was not sure.

As there was no response at the man's unit, the police allegedly returned to her door about every two hours to ask her further about whether she had seen the man.

A large group of police officers arrived at the unit at around 7pm, requesting that the man open the door, but he did not budge, the neighbour said.

She claimed that the police subsequently found someone to forcefully open the front door, which was difficult because it apparently had five or six locks.

The police decided to enter the unit at 9pm, and the man finally opened the door for them.

Marital problems

According to Shin Min, it is believed that the man locked himself at home after an argument with his wife, and she called the police for assistance.

A resident living on the third floor said the man and his wife have been talking about getting a divorce.

The wife and their four children had allegedly moved downstairs to the third floor.

Alleged drug abuse

Other residents also told Shin Min that the man apparently went to jail three times for drug abuse.

"He often does not sleep at night, and would pace the area under the block in the early morning," a neighbour said. "But [on the day of the incident], the police arrived before he had gone out."

The neighbour added that after the man returned home from jail the year before, he quickly grew very skinny, leading the residents to wonder if he might be using drugs again.

After rapper Sheikh Haikel announced his stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis, Singapore media personalities Suhaimi Yusof, Gurmit Singh and Bernard Lim were among those who visited him.

In an Instagram post on Sep. 8, Suhaimi shared photos from their meetup at chicken rice restaurant Hai Ge Ji, which Sheikh owns.

Sheikh's wife Anna Belle Francis, Singaporean singers Mahani Mohd and Kamaliah Latiff were also present at the meetup.

In his caption, Suhaimi said, "When me and Gurmit first heard about Sheikh Haikel's condition, we were devastated."

"Today, Sep. 8, we met, we hugged, we joked, we laughed, we shed tears, and we realised how much we really appreciate each other & prayed for one another."

'Unique high-spirited dude'

Suhaimi shared: "Sheikh Haikel is a unique, high-spirited dude who not only entertains others but, even while down with this challenge, he still managed to self-entertain himself".

Suhaimi also shared an update on Sheikh's condition, which he described as "miracle news", saying that Sheikh's colon was now "clear of cancer".

However, Suhaimi noted that Sheikh now "needs to battle the ones that affect his liver".

One of the photos posted showed Gurmit and Suhaimi embracing.

'To my brother, Sheikh Haikel': Aaron Aziz

Actor Aaron Aziz and his wife Diyana Halik have also shown their support.

The couple shared a video on Sep. 6, 2026, showing a phone call between Aaron and Sheikh, along with clips from their trip to perform umrah in September 2025.

Umrah is a voluntary Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Aaron said Sheikh expressed a desire to perform umrah after disclosing his cancer diagnosis privately on Jul. 27, 2025.

In the video, Aaron said, "To my brother, Sheikh Haikel, when you told me you had cancer, you said you had one wish, which was to go on umrah".

"All you wanted was for you and Anna Belle to make dua in front of the Kaaba, and alhamdulillah, we managed to do so. It was my most unforgettable trip with you, and it is something that I will always treasure."

To make dua is to pray in front of the Kaaba, a stone building at the centre of Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Islam's holiest site.

Halimah Yacob visits reopened restaurant

Former Singapore president Halimah Yacob also visited Hai Ge Ji after the restaurant’s reopening.

In a Facebook post on Sep. 9, Halimah said Sheikh was there to greet his customers despite his illness.

She said: “It was a poignant moment but also a great testament to the resilience, grit and perseverance of the couple battling together to fight Haikel’s illness, and to keep their business thriving in the highly competitive F&B sector.”

A 30-year-old woman was charged after she allegedly broke into her ex-boyfriend's house twice by climbing into the unit, and tried to grab an officer's gun when police arrived to mediate.

Shin Min Daily News reported that Yu Meng, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty on Sep. 9 to using violence to obstruct a public servant from performing his duties.

A separate charge of violating the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act will be taken into consideration during sentencing.

Broke into house

Charge sheets seen by Mothership stated that the incident occurred on Oct. 13, 2024, in a house at Swettenham Road in the Tanglin area.

At the time, Yu and her ex-boyfriend had already broken up after dating from September 2023 to April 2024, Shin Min reported.

After she allegedly broke in, her ex-boyfriend called the police to report the matter, noting that the doors and windows of his house were unlocked.

The police, who arrived soon after, spoke with him inside the house to understand what had happened, before taking Yu outside.

Tried to grab gun

As they brought her out, she apparently tried to grab an officer's gun, Shin Min reported.

Charge sheets stated that she intentionally used her hands to touch the vicinity of an officer's pistol and holster.

The officer then pushed her hands away, and she was arrested on the spot.

Sentencing

Following this, the prosecution called for a sentence of four to five weeks' jail.

Noting that Yu had previously been in poor mental health and was undergoing treatment at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Shin Min reported that her lawyer asked the judge to consider a mandatory treatment order (MTO).

Her case was adjourned to Sep. 15 for sentencing.