The ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition has launched its manifesto for the Jul. 11 Johor state election, centred on transforming the southern state into the "Shenzhen of Southeast Asia."

The reference draws on Shenzhen's transformation from a small city into one of China's largest technology and manufacturing hubs, according to Free Malaysia Today.

PH is fielding 56 candidates for all 56 seats in the state election, which comes after some notable defections from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government.

The election could be taken as an upcoming gauge of support for PH, some years after Anwar took power following the general election in 2022.

Bringing Johoreans back from Singapore

PH is targeting 20,000 professionals based in Singapore to return to Johor by 2031, with job opportunities and entrepreneurship incentives as the draw.

PH also plans to link up Johor's transport network with the JB-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link and ETS, while rolling out a network of RTS feeder buses across Skudai, Kulai, Kempas and Pasir Gudang.

The goal is to cut border crossing wait times by half.

The initiatives are targeted at benefitting more than 300,000 Johoreans who work in Singapore and endure long commutes.

Housing, healthcare & families

Young families would receive RM8,000 (S$2,536) to help with their first home downpayment, with 50,000 households set to benefit. PH also plans to build 80,000 affordable homes over five years, backed by easier financing and rent-to-own options.

On healthcare, the coalition plans to provide 500,000 Johoreans, particularly those in the B40 and M40 income groups as well as the disabled, with up to RM100,000 (S$31,699) in public health insurance coverage.

For families, PH plans to offer a RM1,000 (S$316.94) birth bonus for each child born in Johor.

The coalition also plans to open 250 Madani childcare centres to help women return to the workforce, and roll out a RM50 monthly public transport pass covering students, senior citizens and the disabled.

Youth, SMEs & jobs

Under a proposed RM500 million (approximately S$158 million) youth package, PH plans to fund technical and vocational education, AI training, entrepreneurship programmes and free tuition for B40 students.

Around 200,000 young Johoreans are expected to benefit, with English proficiency and digital skills among the areas targeted.

A separate RM1 billion (approximately S$317 million) fund is earmarked for small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs, covering new ventures, business digitalisation and boosting Johor's exports to the Asean market.

The coalition is targeting 250,000 new high-paying jobs and a roughly 30 per cent rise in Johor's median income over the next five years. This is set to be achieved by AI-based upskilling, automation and smart logistics.

"Johor for all"

PH's Puteri Wangsa candidate Maszlee Malik said at the launch that the manifesto was a realistic and achievable plan for all Johoreans, from those in Felda settlements to daily commuters crossing into Singapore.

He said: "The manifesto's theme is Johor for all. Because Johor is not for cronies alone. This manifesto is about shared prosperity and safeguarding Johor's future."

A fine jewellery store that has been operating in Singapore since 1999 will be closing its doors at the Raffles Hotel Arcade at the end of July.

Elliott & Carmen is a Singapore brand that specialises in diamonds and rare gems.

The store has been located at the Raffles Hotel Arcade for around 27 years, including a two-year stint at Raffles City while the hotel underwent restoration works.

In a TikTok post, Elliott Chu, son of the firm's founder, Leon Chu, said his father "built the business from the ground up and had the privilege to serve generations of customers".

In response to queries from Mothership, Leon said: "It has been the honour of our lifetime to be part of our clients' most precious moments, their engagements, their weddings, their heirlooms."

"We leave with nothing but gratitude."

'Time to move from Raffles Hotel'

Leon told Mothership that the decision to close their store at the Raffles Hotel did not come lightly.

"After 27 wonderful years, we have decided it’s time to move from Raffles Hotel."

Leon noted that "independent jewellers today face real pressures" such as rising retail rents and operating costs in prime locations, intense competition from large international houses and online retailers, and volatile gold and gemstone prices.

When asked about the brand's future, Leon said: "We are exploring the next chapter and will share more in due course".

50 per cent off sale

According to Leon, the store's final day of trading is Jul. 25, 2026.

In the video, Elliott announced that the store would be having a 50 per cent-off storewide sale in its final few weeks, while stocks last.

"This is a rare opportunity to own exceptional jewellery at incredible savings before we close," he said.

Elliot showcased different gemstones including blue sapphires, rubies, and emeralds.

"Many of these are one-of-a-kind pieces that won't be replaced once they're sold."

Thus far, the response to the sale has been "overwhelming", Elliott said.

According to its website, the store will also be conducting private viewings at its Raffles Hotel Arcade boutique from now to Jul. 25.

Clients who require after-sales service, repairs or warranty support can contact Elliott & Carmen via WhatsApp at 91371278 or Instagram.

@elliottncarmenjewelleryAfter 27 years, we're saying goodbye. 🤍 Elliott & Carmen is closing its doors at Raffles Hotel Arcade, and our entire collection of natural diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, jade and rare South-Sea pearls is now 50% off. The sale ends July 2026. Come find the piece that was always meant to be yours. ✨ 📍 Raffles Hotel Arcade · Fine jeweller since 1999 📩 DM us to book a private appointment♬ original sound - elliottncarmenjewellery

A 23-year-old man was sentenced to 23 months’ jail and a S$2,000 fine for requesting nude photos and videos from two underage girls, and having sexual intercourse with one of them whom he had met online.

The man faced a total of 18 charges, including sexual assault and offences under the Children and Young Persons Act.

He pleaded guilty to five of the charges on Jul. 3, Shin Min Daily News reported.

The accused cannot be named as he committed the offences when he was under 18.

A gag order was imposed under the Children and Young Persons Act.

15-year-old

In 2021, the youth met the girl, who was 15 at the time of the offence, via social media.

The pair communicated on Telegram.

He then started to ask the girl to have sexual relations with him.

She initially refused his requests, but he persisted.

At that time, the girl was also looking for someone to confide in due to her parents’ divorce.

She eventually agreed to his demands.

Between August and December 2021, both of them met up on five occasions to engage in sexual activities.

Although the girl reportedly said she wanted to save her virginity for someone "special", she eventually gave in to the accused's requests and had sexual intercourse with him.

The accused also requested her to send him nude photos and videos of herself.

The girl reportedly sent him 13 nude photos and four videos.

Secondary one student

In 2020, the man met another girl, who was a secondary one student aged between 12 and 13, through social media.

He later requested her to send him nude photos and videos of herself.

Unable to withstand his repeated demands, the girl sent him the photos and videos via Instagram Stories, which disappear after 24 hours.

However, the accused reportedly saved three videos and nine nude photos through screenshots or screen recordings without her knowledge.

A football player has reportedly died after a lightning strike during a friendly match in Melaka, Malaysia on Jul. 5.

A referee was also injured in the same incident, according to Malay Mail.

The victim, R Thanesh, 28, was taken unconscious to Alor Gajah Hospital in a private vehicle following the incident at the Lendu Rakan Muda Complex football field at around 5:40pm. He was later pronounced dead.

What happened

According to Malay Mail, the friendly match between Rembau Indian Veteran FC and Tanjung Minyak FC had been under way for about 10 minutes when a light rain began falling, followed by a loud clap of thunder.

Alor Gajah district police chief Superintendent Ahmad Abu Bakar told Malay Mail:

"About 10 minutes after kick-off, light rain began before a loud clap of thunder was heard. The victim's teammates then saw him and two other individuals collapse on the field immediately after the incident."

The match referee was transported by ambulance to hospital for treatment, while another person affected in the incident was reported to be in good condition and did not require hospitalisation.

Extent of injuries

Ahmad told Malay Mail that an initial examination of Thanesh's body found no signs of foul play.

He added that however, the victim suffered burn marks over his body.

Melaka Hospital is conducting a post-mortem to establish the exact cause of death, and police have classified the case as a sudden death.

FAM responds

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said it would obtain a full report from the Melaka Football Association (MFA) and the match organiser, according to The Sun Malaysia.

FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman said in a statement:

"FAM takes a serious view of this heartbreaking incident and hopes all parties will give authorities the space to conduct investigations to determine the actual cause of the incident."

Noor Azman added that choosing to stop or delay a match due to safety concerns is not a sign of poor management, but the right thing to do.

Noor Azman also urged state football associations, clubs, academies and match organisers to closely monitor weather conditions before, during and after games, and encouraged organisers to consider using a lightning detection system at competition venues.

He said:

"This system can detect lightning activity in real time and issue early warnings to match officials, enabling them to make timely decisions on safety.

The lightning detection system is used in many competitions, including professional leagues, as part of their risk management procedures."

A 46-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly stabbing another woman at a public housing block in Bukit Merah on Jul. 4.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said they received several calls for assistance at around 7:40pm at 7 Kim Tian Place that day.

Upon the police's arrival, officers established that the 46-year-old woman had injured a 43-year-old woman with a knife.

Both parties are known to each other, police said.

The 46-year-old woman was arrested for voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons, and a knife was seized as a case exhibit.

The victim was conveyed conscious to the hospital.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Recently broken up

According to Shin Min Daily News, the two women had a tumultuous relationship and recently broke up.

Reporters who visited the scene observed bloodstains at the void deck of the block and a woman nearby talking on the phone.

The woman, who was identified as the domestic helper of the arrested woman, revealed that her employer had been in a relationship with her partner for about five years.

The partner had reportedly blocked her number and taken their two-year-old child to her father's house.

“My employer wanted to see the child, so we came here together to talk to her in person,” she said.

She explained that she stood by waiting for her employer to finish, but the conversation became heated and matters eventually escalated.

KPA Engineering, the Singapore air-conditioning contractor accused of not paying their migrant workers, reportedly had a "history" of failing to pay its workers properly.

Nonprofit organisation Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) said in a Jun. 25 Facebook post that it had first raised the alarm last year.

"Across 2025 and 2026, TWC2 helped six workers with salary issues from this company," the organisation said.

It also questioned "why things were allowed to reach this point".

Since March 2025

On Jun. 22, over 100 migrant workers approached the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Services Centre in Bendemeer.

They were seeking help regarding their outstanding salary payments and housing arrangements.

It was later reported that over 400 migrant workers in total had filed claims over unpaid wages.

One of the firms implicated in the episode was KPA Engineering.

Bad history

While it was only in June that the matter was publicly reported, TWC2 told Mothership that the company appeared to be facing "cashflow problems and difficulty paying salary" as early as March 2025.

In that first case, the worker told TWC2 that he was owed a month's salary.

Then in May 2025, another worker, who was employed as an assistant supervisor, approached TWC2.

He claimed that he had not been paid properly since January 2025, and was owed around S$3,000.

Yet another case emerged in June 2025 — this time with a construction worker, who complained that he was owed S$4,500.

In October 2025 and June 2026, three more workers approached TWC2. Two of them were owed three months of unpaid salary.

A week after the last complaint, news of the workers approaching the MOM Services Centre en masse broke.

Issues claiming

TWC2 said that they helped the affected workers with salary claims and food assistance, to varying results.

For the case in May 2025, the nonprofit helped the worker lodge a claim with TADM.  The employer settled the matter with the worker, and allegedly even promised him a raise to not pursue the matter further.

But in April 2026, he came back to TADM, saying that he was once again facing payment issues.

Screenshots of the submissions, viewed by Mothership, showed two separate claims for S$2,945.95 and S$2,437.76 respectively.

In the June 2025 case, TWC2 similarly helped lodge a report, for S$4,458.28 in unpaid salary.

But the employer initially refused to settle.

"The employer subsequently paid up, but not the full amount he was owed," the spokesperson said.

TWC2 said that this is common in migrant worker disputes. Affected workers, who are "desperate and under pressure", may end up "settling for far less" as they believe some income is better than none.

"But it is not fair to the workers, because the employers are effectively benefitting from a 'discount' when they are the ones who have defaulted in their payment in the first place," TWC2 said.

Such partial settlements are also not differentiated from full settlements in TADM's statistics, the nonprofit said.

Culture of fear

In its Facebook post, TWC2 called for a "centralised wage protection scheme" that allows the authorities to automatically detect when employers fail to pay their workers on time.

This is because many workers are reluctant to lodge salary claims, for fear of losing their jobs, or facing retaliation from employers.

Even when they do raise a claim, there is "no guarantee they will receive their owed salary in the end", particularly if mediation fails and they have to go to court.

"The burden of wage theft should not fall on workers who have to struggle to prove their claims – often while navigating debt, family obligations, and a foreign environment," said TWC2.

The Straits Times previously reported that KPA Engineering had faced signs of financial woes as early as 2023 and 2024, when HSBC and DBS both filed charges against the firm.

HSBC had alleged unpaid debts, while DBS had filed two charges with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) against the firm, to secure all moneys.

The firm apparently still has not paid DBS.

Director's passport impounded

Following the episode, MOM said it has been providing the workers with the necessary assistance, together with TADM.

The ministry is investigating the companies for breaches of employment laws, and has begun placing the affected workers in new jobs.

In the meantime, the director of the firm — a Singapore permanent resident and Indian national who was believed to have fled the country — is back in Singapore and has had his passport impounded.

Ramu Palani Velu, who is the director of the three Singapore companies accused of migrant worker abandonment and four others besides, is assisting with investigations, according to Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash.

A 55-year-old man was tasered and arrested by the police after he was seen allegedly wielding a saw in Bedok.

The alleged incident occurred on the afternoon of Jul. 5 at Block 539 Bedok North Street 3.

In a TikTok video, the man was seen holding what appeared to be a water bottle in his right hand and a saw in the other.

Police officers were seen responding to the incident.

@chen.zhi.wei.1595 Jul 26 - Man holding saw challenge policemen at Bedok♬ original sound - Chen Zhi Wei

In another video circulating online, the man was seen being subdued by police officers.

Officers equipped with firearms and bulletproof vests were also present at the scene.

Another officer was seen holding a saw, presumably taken from the man.

After the man was subdued, he was secured to a stretcher.

In response to queries from Mothership, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it received a call for assistance at about 3:25pm on Jul. 5 at Block 539 Bedok North Street 3.

Upon arrival, officers found a male subject holding a saw and swinging it around.

Despite repeated warnings from officers to drop the weapon, the man refused to comply and kept shouting incoherently.

In order to de-escalate and contain the situation, the officers deployed a taser to stop the man, who was then placed under arrest.

The 55-year-old man was arrested for public nuisance, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, and the suspected consumption of a controlled drug.

He was conveyed conscious to the hospital. No other injuries were reported.

The suspected drug-related offence has been referred to Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), and investigations are ongoing.

SBS Transit bid farewell to Tampines on Jul. 5, handing over bus services in the area to another bus operator, Go-Ahead Singapore (GAS).

The transition marks the end of an era, concluding over 40 years of service for SBS transit in the town.

Exchange of hands

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Sep. 19, 2025 that GAS was awarded the contract for the Tampines bus package.

The Tampines bus package, which consists of 27 routes, was previously operated by SBS Transit from Bedok North Bus Depot.

The contract, worth S$646 million, will span five years, starting on Jul. 5, 2026.

LTA stated that GAS secured the contract after achieving the highest score during the tender process, offering cost savings and a strong framework for large-scale electric bus deployment.

Under the new contract, GAS will begin operations at East Coast Integrated Depot and take over Tampines Bus Interchange, Tampines Concourse Bus Interchange, and Tampines North Bus Interchange on Jul. 5.

It is scheduled to take over Changi Business Park Bus Terminal on Jul. 19.

40 years of service

In a Facebook post on Jul. 4, SBS Transit recounted its long journey serving the town

"It is with heavy hearts, but minds full of cherished memories."

The operator began its service in the area in 1983 under its former name, Singapore Bus Services Limited.

At the time, it operated out of the old Tampines Bus Terminal with just two services.

Over the next four decades, the operator expanded alongside the town's growth, building three bus interchanges to meet demand.

They noted that some of its long-serving bus captains have even watched commuters grow up, graduate, and start their own families.

The company expressed its gratitude to the residents of Tampines for their love and support, and also thanked its bus captains, interchange, and depot staff for their service to the company, whether they are remaining in the company or embarking on a new chapter.

Quoting the Disney movie "Lilo & Stitch", the operator added, "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."

SBS Transit concluded by wishing GAS the best as the operator takes over the routes.

A 24-year-old man has died after he was struck by lightning while stand-up paddleboarding in the waters off Pasir Ris Beach on Jul. 5.

In response to Mothership's queries, police confirmed they were alerted to the incident at 131 Pasir Ris Road at about 4:50pm on Jul. 5.

The man was taken unconscious to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Six others, aged between 13 and 54, were taken conscious to the hospital.

Preliminary investigations found no evidence of foul play, and police investigations are ongoing.

Separately, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said five people, including one who was unconscious, were taken to Sengkang General Hospital.

Two others were conveyed conscious to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Witness accounts

According to Lianhe Zaobao, the group of eight, comprising five males and three females, had been kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding when the incident occurred.

A lightning strike had suddenly hit the 24-year-old man while he was paddleboarding, causing him to lose consciousness.

Noticing what had happened, people on the shore went to help and brought the group safely back to land.

They also called for emergency assistance and administered first aid, but the man remained unconscious.

A witness who took part in the rescue, 40-year-old Muhammad Fairuz, told Zaobao that he had been fishing at the beach when the incident happened.

He said five members of the group suddenly paddled back to shore, with one of them shouting that his brother had been struck by lightning and asking someone to call for an ambulance.

"There were still three people at sea, so another person and I got into two kayaks and paddled out to bring them back," he said.

Fairuz added that five members of the public took turns performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the unconscious man until SCDF officers arrived.

He said the man appeared to be foaming at the mouth and unresponsive, adding that his clothes appeared to have been burnt and torn following the lightning strike.

Another witness, who was having a barbecue nearby, said she saw the man lying unconscious on the ground.

"His hands and feet looked purple and bruised," she said. "There were two women beside him, whom I believe were his family members, and they were crying."

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will visit Jakarta, Indonesia, for the annual Singapore-Indonesia Leaders' Retreat on Jul. 6, 2026.

According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), it will be hosted by Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto in what will be their second leaders' retreat.

Strengthen collaboration

The retreat reaffirms the deep and enduring bilateral ties between both countries, as well as the commitment by both governments to deepening bilateral cooperation, PMO added.

It will see the leaders exploring pathways to strengthen collaboration in areas of mutual interest and benefit for Singapore and Indonesia, and receiving updates on bilateral projects undertaken since the last leaders' retreat in June 2025 in Singapore.

They will also exchange perspectives on regional and global developments.

PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli, as well as Minister for Manpower and Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology Tan See Leng.

Coordinating Minister for National Security and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam will be Acting Prime Minister in PM Wong's absence.