A 34-year-old man was taken to the hospital after he allegedly stabbed himself in Clementi on the afternoon of Aug. 10.

According to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, the man reportedly ran into a durian stall, grabbed a durian knife from the vendor, and began stabbing himself repeatedly.

The incident attracted the public's attention and a 56-year-old male passer-by intervened by restraining the man from behind, disarming him, and preventing him from causing further harm to himself.

The passer-by was later identified as Osman Sidin in an Instagram post by Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC MP David Hoe.

Man who intervened was an ex-inmate

According to Hoe, Osman said he stepped in because he was concerned not only for the man, but also for members of the public near by, particularly young children.

"At about 10pm tonight, after my events for the day, I visited Mr Osman to check on him. Thankfully, he is well," Hoe wrote. "But it was what he shared with me that stayed with me."

Hoe revealed that Osman is a former inmate and a member of the Yellow Ribbon Singapore community.

Yellow Ribbon Singapore is a statutory board under the Ministry of Home Affairs that supports inmates and ex-offenders in rebuilding their lives, securing employment, and reintegrating into society.

He said Osman told him he had turned over a new leaf and now simply wanted to live a life centred on doing good.

"There is something powerful in that," Hoe wrote.

He added:

"Second chances matter. Because people can change for the better, and when given that chance, they can go on to care for and make a difference in the lives of others.

That is the Singapore I hope we continue to build: one where we look out for one another, and where everyone has the opportunity to contribute."

Although there was no official award, Hoe said his team presented Osman with a small yellow star plush toy.

"A star because today, he is a shining star to us. And yellow, because it reminds us that second chances can become new beginnings," he wrote.

"People can change for the better. Mr Osman Sidin reminded me of that today."

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by David Hoe 许德财 (@davidhoesg)

Details of the incident

The incident first came to light after photos shared on Xiaohongshu showed police cordoning off the area, with bloodstains visible on the ground.

An officer could be seen speaking to several people at the scene.

Additional photos posted on the "SG News Warehouse Sale & Events" Facebook page appeared to show workers cleaning the area after the incident.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at Block 441B Clementi Avenue 3 at around 12:20pm on Aug. 10.

When the police arrived, officers found a 34-year-old man lying conscious with injuries believed to have been self-inflicted.

Separately, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said the man was subsequently conveyed to the hospital and is currently undergoing treatment.

While Osman did not suffer any injuries, he was also conveyed to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

Police investigations are ongoing.

A woman in Shanghai bought a limited edition designer bag on a second-hand platform, only to discover it was the same bag that had gone missing from her own home the year before.

According to HK01, the woman, surnamed Li, walked into Hongmei police station in Shanghai's Xuhui district in early April holding the bag she had just received.

She told officers: "This bag I bought online is actually the one that was stolen from me earlier!"

The bag that vanished

In early 2025, Li spent 40,000 Yuan (S$7,588) on a designer bag she had wanted for a long time. She carried it once, then left it in the entryway by her front door.

More than six months later, it struck her that she had not seen the bag in a long time. She searched everywhere at home and could not find it.

Many people had been in and out of her home, including a home organiser and a cleaner. Still, Li never suspected that the bag might have been stolen.

She would occasionally grumble about it to friends, saying the bag had vanished into thin air.

The offhand complaint that cracked the case

One of her friends got curious and searched for the same model online, and a listing came up.

Everything about it matched: the style, the condition and how it looked. It even included a note saying it had been bought in Japan.

Li told HK01: "I did have my suspicions at the time. But I really liked this bag, so buying it back made me feel better."

In late March, she paid just over 20,000 Yuan (S$3,794) for the listing.

When the bag arrived, she became even more convinced it was hers. However, she had no way of proving it as she couldn't find the original receipt.

Some time later, her sister came across a small card. It was the original receipt, with the bag's unique serial number printed on it, and the numbers were an exact match.

Resold five times

The police traced the transaction history on the platform and found the bag had been resold five times, travelling from Shanghai to Guangzhou before ending up back in Shanghai.

Eventually, a familiar name surfaced. It was Zheng, one of Li's close friends.

Four months as housemates

In February 2025, Li was struggling after a breakup. Zheng had just arrived in Shanghai with nowhere to stay, so Li invited Zheng to move in.

Zheng helped her through it, and with Li's support, Zheng found her footing.

Zheng stayed for four months, moving out in June 2025.

Two days later, the bag appeared online.

According to HK01, Zheng had allegedly breached a work contract and was facing more than 100,000 Yuan (S$18,972) in compensation.

Unable to come up with the money, Zheng took the bag on the day he left and sold it for 10,000 Yuan (S$1,897).

"Have a good look around the house"

When Li first realised the bag was missing, Zheng had been among those reassuring her.

Zheng told her: "You're always misplacing things anyway. Have a good look around the house, you'll find it."

Zheng is now facing criminal proceedings brought by Xuhui police on suspicion of theft.

From Aug. 31, 2026, all National University of Singapore (NUS) students, faculty and staff members will have access to ChatGPT Edu by OpenAI.

In a press release on Aug. 11, NUS announced that the move further strengthens its growing portfolio of AI (artificial intelligence) platforms and services.

Unlike free ChatGPT, ChatGPT Edu provides NUS with broader access to core capabilities within a secure, university-managed environment with stronger privacy, security and administrative controls.

Conversations and data within the NUS workspace are not used to train OpenAI’s models.

Compulsory course for freshmen

To ensure all incoming NUS students achieve AI literacy before they start their courses, foundational AI competencies are built through the Transition to Higher Education (T.H.E.) Programme.

Starting from academic year 2026/27, "THE1008 Applied Generative AI: From Prompting to Evaluation" will be a compulsory module for all first-year undergraduates.

This ensures every student gains practical skills in effectively interacting with large language models (LLMs) and multimodal AI before they begin their coursework, NUS said.

NUS also said it will ensure all students achieve AI fluency when they graduate through the deliberate integration of AI competencies at every stage of their studies in their common curriculum and major.

This enables students to be confident in deploying AI tools strategically, critically interpret AI-generated results and apply AI thoughtfully within their disciplines.

This approach equips all NUS graduates with the latest AI expertise and its application across interdisciplinary subject domains while amplifying human-centred skills, such as critical thinking, judgement and sense-making.

Students will also be ready to use AI for analysis, problem-solving and creative work.

Expansion

During its initial phase, ChatGPT Edu will be strategically piloted in some selected courses.

These resources are designed to empower students, faculty and staff, fostering innovation, accelerating research and addressing complex challenges with greater depth and efficiency.

These advanced tools will then be progressively made available for undergraduate courses.

This expansion builds on the earlier collaboration with NUS School of Computing, which began in March 2026, providing computing students access to OpenAI’s software development tools.

The collaboration now enters its next phase, scaling access and enablement across the university.

Students will also have opportunities to participate in hackathons and build days focused on AI-enabled solutions.

These activities will give students across disciplines opportunities to develop ideas, work on real-world problems and connect with OpenAI’s global networks and communities.

“This collaboration with OpenAI provides NUS staff and students the access to advanced AI capabilities in a governed and responsible manner. Complementing NUS' in-house built AI-Know platform, OpenAI's tools will strengthen our operational capabilities, drive smarter digital services and more efficient administration that benefit our entire community,” said Tan Shui-Min, NUS chief information technology officer and vice president.

A 63-year-old retired Malaysian teacher was ordered to pay RM88,069 (S$27,574) for slapping a then-14-year-old student during a lesson seven years ago in Kelantan, Malaysia.

Isamuddin Ismail, who was then the school’s senior assistant for administration, was named as the first defendant after the student, Mohamad Adam Maidin, who is now 21, filed a civil suit in March 2021 through his 47-year-old mother, The Vibes and Harian Metro reported.

Three other defendants — the school principal, the director-general of Education, and the Malaysian government — were named.

Slapped

On Jan. 28, 2019, at about 10:30am, Adam was sitting at his desk with his classmates when Ismail approached him from behind and slapped him four times.

Adam reportedly sustained dizziness, reduced hearing, ringing in his ears, as well as facial and ear pain.

His mother noticed that something was wrong with Adam when she picked him up from school on the day of the incident.

She claimed that Adam appeared pale and distressed.

His face was also red, and he complained about having headaches.

A classmate of his informed his mother of the incident and urged her to seek medical treatment.

The mother took her son to a local clinic before he was referred to a local hospital for treatment.

Traumatised

According to a medical report issued in June 2019, Adam sustained hearing problems in his right ear, including mild to moderate mixed hearing loss.

It was diagnosed as trauma-related injuries believed to have resulted from the slapping.

The incident also reportedly traumatised Adam, and he was afraid to return to school.

He was transferred to another school about a month later.

His mother claimed that Adam took about two to three years to recover from the incident.

The incident also left her worried about the safety of other children.

“If children tell you that something has happened at school, parents should investigate. As for teachers, do not use violence or hit areas such as the eyes or ears because the effects can be long-lasting and there is no compensation for that,” she reportedly said.

Ruling

In the judge’s ruling, Ismail was found to have slapped Adam’s face and cheeks with his right and left hands from behind.

“The court also found that as an educator, the teacher had a duty of care towards his students,” the judge reportedly said.

The court also allowed the claim against all four defendants after finding negligence and a duty of responsibility in relation to the incident.

The RM88,069 (S$27,574) award comprised RM45,000 (S$14,089) in general damages, RM569 (S$178) in special damages, RM11,250 (S$3,522) in exemplary damages and RM11,250 (S$3,522) in aggravated damages, and RM20,000 (S$6,261) in interest and costs.

Despite the stream of visitors travelling from Singapore to Johor Bahru (JB) over the three-day National Day weekend, several JB businesses reported underwhelming sales.

There were long queues and congested traffic at the Singapore-Johor Causeway from Aug. 7 to 8, resulting in heavy traffic on the roads of JB as well, Shin Min Daily News reported.

However, this surge in visitors did not translate to a significant increase in revenue for some stalls.

Less lively business

At a convenience store along the historic Jalan Tan Hiok Nee street, customer traffic only went up by about 10 per cent compared to the week before.

While there were regular streams of customers at the store, there were no long queues or crowds.

A similar situation was experienced even at Hiap Joo Bakery, a Singapore tourist-favourite stop famous for its banana cakes.

An employee at the bakery told Sinchew that during long weekends in the past, the store would be crowded with tourists, with long queues at the counter.

But this National Day weekend was less lively than anticipated, and the number of customers was similar to a normal weekend, which surprised the employee.

Some business owners told Sinchew they believe tourists in JB now have more options for shopping and dining during the long weekend.

They might visit various shopping malls across the city, travel out of central JB to popular towns such as Skudai, or even further to other cities and states.

More heritage and temple visitors

Outside of retail, some heritage sites in JB saw a greater increase in visitors over the holiday weekend.

An employee at the Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum said they saw a good number of visitors on Aug. 7 and 8, most of them individual tourists.

They anticipated it to grow over the weekend to at least 20 per cent more visitors than the week before.

The various Buddhist and Taoist temples in Batu Pahat also drew more tourists than usual, many of them arriving from Singapore.

A staff member at one of the temples told China Press that most of the visitors came in groups to offer incense and prayers.

The mother of the 14-year-old behind the deadly mass school shooting in Thailand has apologised.

"I apologise to all the victims, I apologise to society," she told Reuters in a video.

"We are truly devastated, because no one thought this would happen, no one knew at all."

The shooting on Aug. 7 left nine dead, including the shooter and his grandparents, whom he had shot at home before going to school.

The mother said her son was a "bright, cheerful person" who "behaved normally", and that there were "no signs" at all.

She had always told him to speak to her if he had any issues, but he always said there was "nothing wrong", she said.

He was "well-spoken and sweet", but had an "introverted side" too, she added.

Had interest in guns

Investigations into the motive behind the attack are ongoing.

The teenager had taught himself how to use a gun via social media, local police told the media, according to BBC.

Authorities said his consumption of violent social media content, anxiety over his studies and family issues, and conflict with friends might have contributed to his actions.

The boy's teacher had previously confiscated a BB gun that he had ordered online and brought to school, BBC reported, citing senior police official Atthapol Anusit.

The boy had reportedly been taken care of by his grandparents since he was young.

If you are a youth in Singapore who is anxious yet hopeful about what the future holds, here's the good news.

There is a new five-year roadmap known as the "SG Youth Plan" and it is specifically developed for youths, with youths, and supported by the whole of Singapore, to help every youth become the best version of themselves.

This is according to the National Youth Council (NYC), the national coordinating agency for youth development and engagement.

The plan was put together after a year of engagements during SG60 in 2025, involving more than 60,000 youths.

Over 415,000 responses were collected in total.

The result? The collective commitment has yielded over 20 initiatives that will be launched over the next half a decade addressing topics, such as careers, mentoring, mental well-being, social connections, and active citizenry.

So far, over 200 partners across the public, people and private sectors have all pledged their support to these initiatives.

The goal? Shape young Singaporeans who are confident about their future, connected to communities and contributing citizens to help build Singapore’s future.

Not convinced?

You do not have to take it from anyone because here are five questions, including difficult ones, crowdsourced from youths in Singapore, and sent to NYC to be addressed.

NYC responds to questions from youths

1. Why is a youth plan being introduced?

The world has changed quite fundamentally - whether it's about technology disrupting jobs, economic uncertainty, social fragmentation, an increasingly digital world, the list goes on.

The landscape that youths are facing has changed quite significantly compared to generations before.

The challenges and concerns of Singapore’s young adults are legitimate and while we cannot change the environment, we can respond to it with a positive agenda.

The needs, hopes and dreams of our youths are therefore the starting point and driving force for the SG Youth Plan.

2. What are youths most anxious about?

The concerns of Singapore’s youths can be broadly grouped into three areas.

They are optimistic about Singapore’s future and believe they have the potential to make the country a better place.

However, they do not have the same level of confidence in their ability to navigate the future, and achieve their aspirations in career and life.

Youths also desire for deeper connections with their family and friends, and wish for a Singapore where people from different backgrounds can befriend each other.

They are also keen on contributing and taking action in a variety of ways, to shape Singapore into a more equitable, cohesive and compassionate society.

As such, they hope to be equipped with the necessary resources, skills and knowledge to be able to make meaningful contributions.

3. I am a youth. What’s in it for me?

There's actually a lot in store!

The SG Youth Plan aims to uplift and support all youths to thrive.

Across three key areas, the plan has more than 20 initiatives shaped by feedback from our youths, so there's something for everyone.

Explore your path and navigate transitions confidently

Not sure what you want to do yet?

There's support to help you find and pursue what you're good at, whatever that looks like for you.

Heard of job tasters? These are bite-sized career exploration programmes that help youths experience different roles to understand what a job involves, so that you can make clearer choices on which pathway to pursue.

Many youths have shared that with the rapid pace of change in the job market, they would like more support to explore different job roles.

You can also visit the “Discover” website to take a quiz to find out their archetypes and receive personalised recommendations of job roles based on their strengths.

Having a trusted guide can also help you discover your strengths and interests, and encourage you to go beyond your limits.

This is why the SG Youth Plan is scaling up mentoring opportunities to help you navigate uncertainty, whether it’s choosing a career path or starting out in a first job.

Job exposure and mentorship is now available to everyone, not just those with the right connections!

The SG Youth Plan will also include initiatives to help you harness AI to future-proof their careers.

There will be programmes and workshops in areas such as vibe coding, which will help democratise AI opportunities for youths to help boost their employability.

There will also be more short-term overseas exposure opportunities and overseas internships. These chances for meaningful exposure to the region will broaden horizons, and enable young adults to build networks and gain real-world experience beyond Singapore.

New mental wellness programmes and adulting content are also being rolled out to help you navigate the big life transitions — because adulting is hard, and you don't have to do it alone.

The Somerset Belt is being transformed into a vibrant youth precinct by 2028, and at least 12 third spaces will be set up across Singapore to hang out, pursue your interests, and build your crew.

These are designed to be low-key hangout spots where you can pursue your interests, meet like-minded people, and ease into building a community naturally.

There'll also be over 20,000 interest-based opportunities every year by 2030, and “curiosity credits” for youths to engage in hobbies and learn a skill in an area that piques their interest.

Private operators will also offer affordable, flexible accommodation units across selected properties for youths, and there will be youth-centric programmes to equip up to 50,000 youths with skills to navigate family relationships annually by 2030.

This one's big — over the next five years, S$20 million will be committed to support youths turn their plans into action, up to 3,000 youth-led projects.

This will be anchored by a new micro-grant supporting small ground-up projects and a new Youth Action Marketplace: an anchor event that brings together challenge statements, sponsoring agencies, mentors, networks, and funders to help youths take their first steps towards being changemakers.

There's also no pressure to jump into the deep end straight away! There are plenty of ways to get involved at your own pace.

Through the Youth Corps Singapore, there'll be 16,000 volunteering opportunities and 2,000 youth leadership development opportunities annually by 2030, so you can find something that genuinely clicks for you.

A new SG Youth Policy Network will also bring together youth civic groups to equip them to contribute to policy discussions, and the next run of Youth Panels will take place in the second half of 2026 to bring youths together to shape policies and plans on issues they care about.

The Somerset Belt Youth Co-Lab will also empower young adults with real ownership over the programming and activities in the precinct.

If you have ideas about how Singapore could be better, these are platforms where your voice genuinely matters, however you choose to use it.

4. I want to contribute, but there are many other factors – such as time, knowledge and skills – that prevents me from being able to take action. What can I do?

The good news is that the SG Youth Plan was built with exactly this in mind.

Contributing doesn't have to mean making a huge commitment or having all the answers from the get-go.

If time is a constraint, the Youth Corps’ expanded volunteering opportunities mean there's plenty of flexibility to find something that fits around your schedule — whether that's a one-off activity or something more regular when you're ready.

And if you have ideas but aren't sure how to turn them into action, the new all-year round micro-grant and support ecosystem consisting of capability building workshops, learning journeys and mentors, are there to back you.

The key thing is — start where you are, with what you have.

There's a place for you in this.

5. Will the SG Youth Plan be just another government initiative?

The SG Youth Plan isn't just a government initiative — it's a whole-of-society commitment, co-created with youths and backed by private and public sector partners who all have a stake in seeing Singapore's youths thrive.

The plan was shaped by youth voices and perspectives, which is why it reflects what actually matters to young people — from mental wellbeing and finding your path, to having spaces to belong and opportunities to lead.

The SG Youth Plan is just a start. The spirit of co-creation with youths and stakeholders across society continues even beyond the plan's launch.

The plan is only as good as our success in reaching out to different segments of youths, and we can only achieve this if we work through partners to reach out to their networks of youths, be it through the education institutions, workplaces, and in the community.

You can start exploring opportunities via the newly launched Discover platform, designed as a one-stop digital platform to journey with you through life's transitions.

It seeks to be a trusted companion for every young Singaporean, offering tailored recommendations on relevant programmes and activities relevant, and connecting them to real-world relationships and communities.

Find out more about how you can chart your future with the SG Youth Plan here.

This branded content was brought to you by the National Youth Council.

The kidnappers of a 72-year-old Singaporean man in Malaysia allegedly demanded a ransom of S$1 million from his family.

Lianhe Zaobao reported that a Criminal Investigation Department Director said during an Aug. 10 press conference in Malaysia that the man apparently met a woman online.

She was said to have invited him to Penang, Malaysia, with a high-paying consulting job.

Ransom demand

According to an earlier report, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed via an Aug. 10 news release that the man had travelled on his own to Malaysia on Jul. 26, 2026.

His family subsequently alerted the SPF after getting worried about his safety.

He had reportedly disappeared after arriving at an airport in Penang on Jul. 26.

On Aug. 4, his family was said to have received audio and video messages showing him blindfolded, handcuffed, and repeatedly beaten, Zaobao reported.

After negotiations following the ransom demand, the family transferred about S$15,000 to the kidnappers' account in three installments,

The money was immediately withdrawn.

Operation

The release noted that the SPF had sought the assistance of the Malaysian police and shared relevant information with them.

Subsequently, at about 8:40pm on Aug. 7, Malaysian police raided a residence in Kedah, Malaysia, Zaobao reported.

Officers faced gunfire from the suspects when they entered.

They were then forced to return fire and killed two suspects.

The man and a 33-year-old female Chinese national who were later rescued from different rooms within the house were found to be blindfolded and handcuffed with injuries.

Both were taken to the hospital for treatment and discharged the same day.

Zaobao reported that the operation also saw two handguns, ammunition, and a machete being recovered at the scene.

Suspects allegedly involved in other cases

Police then arrested six suspects at another residence nearby.

The suspects included one Malaysian man, as well as five Chinese national men and women.

Zaobao reported that group had allegedly been involved in at least two other kidnapping cases.

This involved kidnapping two female Chinese nationals in Kuala Lumpur, where one of them escaped and reported the kidnapping to the police.

The other had been rescued by the police.

Based on preliminary investigations by the Malaysia police, the suspects allegedly used social media and online platforms, including Telegram, WeChat and Badoo to establish acquaintances with potential victims.

They would then invite the victims to meet in person under various pretexts, including going on holiday, employment opportunities or socialising.

The SPF advised members of the public to exercise caution when interacting with persons they have met online, particularly where they do not know the person well and are invited to meet in person or travel overseas.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed that a 72-year-old Singaporean man got kidnapped in Malaysia and has been rescued.

His rescue was the result of SPF and Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) working together, SPF said in a Aug. 10 news release.

What happened

The man had travelled on his own to Malaysia on Jul. 26, 2026.

His family subsequently alerted the SPF after being concerned for his safety.

They had received information on Aug. 4 indicating that he may have been kidnapped in Malaysia and that a ransom had been demanded for his release.

The SPF immediately sought the assistance of the Malaysian police and shared relevant information with them.

The Malaysian police subsequently mounted operations that led to the rescue of the man.

The SPF supported the investigative effort from Singapore and worked closely with the man’s next-of-kin, providing them with support and assistance.

The man was successfully rescued by the Malaysian police on Aug. 7, 2026, in Kedah, Malaysia.

"He is safe and has received the necessary medical attention," the police added.

Potential victims invited to go overseas

Based on preliminary investigations by the Malaysia police, the suspects allegedly used social media and online platforms, including Telegram, WeChat and Badoo to establish acquaintances with potential victims.

They would then invite the victims to meet in person under various pretexts, including going on holiday, employment opportunities or socialising.

The SPF advised members of the public to exercise caution when interacting with persons they have met online, particularly where they do not know the person well and are invited to meet in person or travel overseas.

A 32-year-old accountant from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, reportedly took his own life and died on the spot after he fell from his apartment on the 24th floor to the ninth-floor platform.

China Press reported that the incident occurred on the evening of Aug. 7.

The man, Lin Zucheng (transliterated), reportedly took a half-day off on Aug. 7 to return to the apartment where he lived with his girlfriend.

Prior to this, he was suspected of falling for an online scam, and allegedly owed loan sharks over RM200,000 (about S$62,700).

Alleged online gambling

Lin was allegedly addicted to different online trading platforms, China Press reported.

He was said to have downloaded and used over 30 different trading platform applications on his mobile phone.

China Press understands that many of the applications on his phone were supposedly related to online gambling and financial transactions.

It added that he could have fallen into an online fraud trap and had been forced to borrow money from loan sharks to repay his debts.

His girlfriend, Liang, pointed out that she had been dating Lin for 11 years, adding that he worked at an accounting firm and did part-time IT services.

She admitted that he had borrowed money from her over the past few years, amounting to RM40,000 (S$12,551), and had also borrowed RM10,000 (about S$3,137) from her mother.

He previously claimed to have needed cash flow as he was doing online sales.

Recognised boyfriend's clothes

Liang said she saw her boyfriend's car parked at the apartment when she returned home on the evening of Aug. 7.

She was surprised as he usually returned home late, China Press reported.

Liang thought he had been at work, but said he would not answer personal or work calls.

At the time, news suddenly spread in a residents' group that a fatal fall had occurred in the apartment.

She rushed downstairs after recognising her boyfriend's clothes and notified his family of the news.

Harassed family, police report

China Press reported that his body was sent to the morgue at Kuala Lumpur General Hospital.

Later at the hospital, Liang reportedly received a call from a loan shark demanding a RM30,000 (S$9,413) debt that Lin owed.

He allegedly demanded that she pay RM10,000 (S$ 3,137) of the debt that day, and another of the same amount the next day, until the debt was fully repaid with interest.

She then continued getting debt collection messages from loan sharks over the next few days, after which she decided to file a police report on Aug. 10.

The officer taking her statement told her to contact the loan sharks immediately.

"The other party knew I had called the police, and spoke very politely, saying that they just wanted to get the money back," she said.

China Press reported Liang also sought help from the assistant of a Malaysian Member of Parliament and head of a complaints bureau in the hopes that loan sharks would stop harassing her.

The deceased's mother, Cai Lirong (transliterated), said that she could not repay her son's debts and begged the loan sharks to stop harassing her family.

Lin's funeral procession will take place on Sunday morning (Aug. 16) for cremation.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

National mindline.sg Hotline: 1771 (24 hours)

National mindline.sg WhatsApp: 66691771 (24 hours)

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019