Friedrich Merz, the Chancellor of Germany (head of government and equivalent to our prime minister), will be visiting Singapore for a two-day visit from Oct. 27 to 28, at the invitation of Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

While in Singapore, he will meet with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, as well as PM Wong, and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Merz will be hosted to lunch by SM Lee, and PM Wong will host an official dinner for him.

His visit, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release, "affirms the warm, longstanding, and multifaceted partnership between Singapore and Germany."

First visit

This is Merz's first visit to Singapore as Chancellor, and continues a sequence of every German chancellor visiting Singapore since Helmut Schmidt in 1978.

Merz and PM Wong met previously on the sidelines of 2025’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, when PM Wong spoke about 2025 being the 60th year of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In 2024, PM Wong and then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz, issued a Joint Declaration to elevate Singapore-Germany relations to Strategic Partnership, which was said to chart “an ambitious and comprehensive agenda for the future.”

While in Singapore, Merz will also deliver the 49th Singapore Lecture, organised by the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, entitled “Germany and the Indo-Pacific: Partnership, Competitiveness, and Resilience in a Changing World " at a session chaired by Minister for Digital Development and Information, Josephine Teo.

Strong ties

Singapore and Germany share strong ties, especially in economic relations, where Germany is Singapore’s largest European Union trading partner in goods, and third largest EU trading partner in services.

Bilateral trade in goods has grown nearly 10 per cent to S$23.4 billion between 2019 and 2025 since the EU-Singapore FTA took effect in 2019; while more than 2,900 German companies operate in Singapore, a 40 per cent increase in five years.

The two countries also enjoy strong and substantive defence ties, cooperating and interacting frequently through high-level visits and dialogues, military-to-military exchanges, and defence technology collaboration.

Germany supports the Singapore Armed Forces' armour training and submarine crew training, and in 2022, then-PM Lee officiated the launch ceremony of two Singaporean submarines built in Germany.

A 24-year-old man used a knife to injure two men at Prinsep Street and fled the scene on Oct. 25.

The police were alerted to the incident at about 7:50am that day, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a press release on Oct. 26.

They arrived to find a 36-year-old male victim with gashes across the back of his head, left forearm, and the side of the left wrist.

He was conveyed conscious to the hospital.

A 25-year-old male victim sustained a gash on his left forearm.

Through extensive ground enquiries and with the aid of CCTV cameras, officers were able to identify the man and arrest him on the same day, SPF said.

The man is to be charged in court on Oct. 27 with the offence of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon.

If convicted, he could be jailed for up to seven years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these.

The police would like to remind the public that they do not tolerate such brazen acts of violence or blatant disregard of the law.

Malaysian MP Syed Saddiq and singer-actress Bella Astillah held their third wedding celebration on Oct. 25, welcoming the public to a reception at Yong Sheng Banquet Hall in Muar, Johor.

And while the occasion drew crowds of well-wishers, some of the celebrations were overshadowed by online backlash over guests’ behaviour, with netizens criticising attendees for crowding the couple and failing to respect their personal space.

According to Utusan Melayu Plus, crowds filled both the inside and outside of the venue, making it difficult for the newlyweds to enter as people tried to see them and take photographs.

Criticism over personal space

The scenes sparked discussion online about wedding etiquette, with some social media users saying guests should have shown more consideration for the newlyweds.

Threads user @rienaazizz expressed sympathy for the couple, writing in Malay:

“I really feel sorry for the newlyweds. It’s their happy day, but their space wasn’t respected.”

The user contrasted the behaviour of ordinary attendees with that of celebrity guests, saying the former appeared to have forgotten how to show consideration for the occasion and the couple.

View on Threads

 

Another Threads user, @abubakr_zulkifli, criticised people for swarming the reception, describing their behaviour as lacking manners.

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Woman seemingly pulled Bella towards her for a kiss

A separate video shared by @silxntrosx_ showed a woman pulling on Bella's neck to give the bride what appeared to be a kiss on the cheek.

The commented on the force of the gesture, writing in Malay: “Aunty, that was too much, yanking Bella’s neck like that.”

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Others replying to the post also expressed concern for Bella. One said it was fine to admire someone, but cautioned against becoming overly obsessed.

Another commenter urged people to forgive the woman, suggesting she might have become carried away with excitement.

Couple praised for remaining friendly

Alongside the criticism, the couple received praise for how they handled the crowds.

The ceremony started at 2pm, with attendees sharing that the venue was still crowded at nearly 6pm.

However, videos posted on various social media pages showed the newlyweds continuing to smile and greet guests warmly despite being hemmed in.

Users online also gave credit to the couple’s team and bodyguards for looking after them.

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Medic reports nine medical incidents

Mothership reporters on the ground reported that some attendees fainted amid the crowds at the reception.

This account was backed up by a member of the wedding’s medical team, posting on Threads as @amntjl, who said seven people suffered heatstroke and two experienced hypertensive urgency during the event.

In the same post, he added that all the affected individuals had been stabilised and resuscitated.

Writing after the reception, he added that receiving appreciation from Syed Saddiq and Bella had helped ease his fatigue.

View on Threads

 

Who are Syed Saddiq and Bella Astillah?

Syed Saddiq is the MP for Muar and a former Malaysian youth and sports minister. Bella Astillah is a Malaysian singer and actress from Sabah.

The two tied the knot at Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 10.

They subsequently held a reception at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 18, attended by around 3,000 guests.

The Muar reception was the first of two public wedding feasts organised for the newlyweds to celebrate with the community. Another is scheduled for Oct. 31 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah—Bella’s home state.

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The woman who was knocked down by an e-scooter in Pasir Ris in 2016, leaving her with various impairments, passed away on Oct. 14, her family told the media.

Ang Liu Kiow died at the age of 64 due to coronary artery disease, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

In 2016, a 17-year-old was riding at about 14 to 15km/h on his e-scooter near a bus-stop when he collided into Ang.

She fell and hit her head, and slipped into a month-long coma following the incident.

As a result of the incident, she had severe brain injuries, and was unable to speak, read, and write. She required assistance with daily living activities, including eating.

In 2018, the e-scooter rider was given a short detention order of 14 days and 100 hours of community service. This means he would have no criminal record after he was released from jail.

The incident brought greater attention to the dangers of personal mobility devices (PMDs), prompting several Members of Parliament (MPs) to raise questions on the errant use of PMDs in Parliament a month after.

It was also brought up during the 2017 Parliament discussion of the Active Mobility Bill, which was subsequently passed to introduce regulations on the use of PMDs such as setting speed limits.

Caregiving

Following the incident, Ang's husband Leong Loon Wah took up the responsibility of caring for her. A helper would take over when he went to work in the day, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Every day over the past 10 years, he would check in on her condition before going to work, where he would long to rush back home to her.

As Leong's own health declined in the past two years, the family decided to hire another helper to take care of Ang.

He teared up as he said, "I tried my best. My biggest priority was to take care of her better."

In the four days before her passing, she had a persistent fever and was sleeping most of the time.

That fateful day, when Leong checked in on her as usual, he noticed that she was foaming at the mouth and had difficulty breathing, and he quickly called for an ambulance.

Resilient

Ang changed drastically after the incident as she began struggling to live independently.

Her mood soured, which broke Leong's heart to see, he told Shin Min.

But she got better gradually with treatment.

"At one time, she could support herself to go to the toilet," Leong recalled. "But these past three years, her condition declined significantly and she would often fall. Still, she was determined to walk on her own."

"My mother was very resilient and tried not to let anything get her down," her son said, as quoted by ST.

During the first two years after the incident, Ang was practising talking and singing with her husband's help.

She even managed to call his name several times, which gave him a lot of hope to believe that she could keep getting better.

"Unfortunately, she never called my name again after that," he said. "I want so much to hear her call my name one more time."

No apology

Although the court had ordered the e-scooter rider to pay Ang S$445,000 in 2020, he did not make any compensation after saying he did not have the money.

To date, he has not offered an apology nor visited Ang, according to Leong.

"I've been reprimanded for not letting the boy off the hook, but it's not personal," Leong said. "He hasn't even said a word of apology. How can I forgive him?"

The family has received support from the public, including a mother and daughter pair who raised about S$164,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to help alleviate the family's financial burden.

Leong expressed thanks to the people who have helped them. To give back, the family decided to donate items such as Ang's wheelchair to others in need.

Indonesia has responded to Singapore's concerns about its gas export cuts, claiming that their actions are permissible under existing agreements.

According to The Straits Times, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia stated at a press conference on Oct. 26 that Indonesia cut its gas exports by about 8 per cent, which is within contractual limits. 

This amounts to a reduction of 31 million standard cubic feet per day, from the previous total of 409.55 million standard cubic feet per day.

“Do not lecture Indonesia about its commitment to honouring and respecting contracts,” he said.

When asked if the export reductions would be permanent, he replied, “I think the situation remains fluid."

He maintained that the reduction was due to maintenance-related shutdowns and domestic demand pressures.

Force majeure

Bahlil later suggested the possibility of invoking force majeure.

Force majeure is a contractual provision that allows a party to leave their obligations unfulfilled under extraordinary circumstances.

“We respect contracts. But force majeure circumstances can arise, can’t they? Well, we’ll see,” he said, reported The Straits Times.

He also denied that any "conflict" was taking place.

“There is no problem at all. There is no conflict. Do you think there is a conflict? Is there one? No, there isn’t.”

PM Wong: S'pore expects all parties to "honour their commitments"

His comments were made following Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's remarks that Singapore expected all parties to "honour their commitments", after Indonesia started reducing gas exports to Singapore on Oct. 24. 

PM Wong added that Singapore’s gas importer will take necessary action to "protect its rights and interests under these contracts".

Bahlil had previously suggested that would "not hesitate to consider stopping exports to countries that do not respect Indonesia" on Oct. 22, saying that he would review Indonesia's existing contractual agreements with other countries.

So far, Singapore is the only country affected by the reduction.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) clarified on Oct. 24 that Indonesia's cuts amount to less than two per cent of daily demand, and that Singapore's gas importer was prepared to look for alternative sources.

Singapore's power generation companies also have ample reserves, it added.

Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry), Tan See Leng also suggested on Oct. 25 that the gas export cut would have little effect on electricity prices in the short term. 

He also affirmed on Oct. 26 that Singapore was looking to diversify its energy portfolio, and find alternative sources of energy.

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The Workers’ Party (WP) said it regrets Indonesia’s decision to cut gas exports to Singapore “due to recent unconnected events”.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Oct. 25, the WP referred to comments by Indonesian officials and noted that these comments had been conflated with untrue conspiracy allegations about Singapore’s sovereign wealth funds influencing Indonesia’s standing in financial markets.

The party added that it has tracked the issue of gas supplies to Singapore from Indonesia through its work in parliament, citing questions asked since 2022.

Questions raised in parliament

The WP listed its various attempts to probe for answers regarding Singapore's Piped Natural Gas (PNG) supplies from Indonesia.

In 2022, MP for Aljunied GRC Gerald Giam raised a parliamentary question on "unplanned curtailments and steps taken to improve the reliability of Singapore’s gas supplies from Indonesia".

"The then Minister for Trade and Industry (MTI) confirmed that the contracted volumes for Piped Natural Gas (PNG) are revised annually and because of depleting volumes from source gas fields in Indonesia, the quantum was gradually reducing."

Later in 2022, MP for Sengkang GRC Louis Chua asked about the specifics of the gas supply contracts with Indonesia and their expiry dates.

To which the MTI minister at the time replied that the "information could not be divulged owing to commercial sensitivities".

The then-minister also noted that in order to safeguard Singapore’s energy security, Singapore's supply of natural gas was diversified, "including by supplementing PNG supply with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which allows for the import of gas from other source countries".

"Parliament was specifically informed in 2023 that PNG supplies from Indonesia would decline from 2023, but that this would not affect consumers’ electricity supply in Singapore."

Sanctity of commercial contracts issue of national importance

The WP agreed that “the sanctity of international commercial contracts, particularly those that cover our key utilities, is an issue of national importance”.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had earlier said that the government expects "all parties to honour their commitments" with regard to gas supplies covered by commercial contracts.

"Singapore’s gas importer will take the necessary steps to protect its rights and interests under these contracts," PM Wong said.

Singapore's Energy Market Authority also noted that the cuts represented less than 2 per cent of Singapore's daily demand, and it has sufficient energy supplies.

Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry Tan See Leng said that in the short term, electricity prices as a result of the cuts will not be affected that much.

While the WP noted that the current reduction “would appear tolerable”, it serves as a reminder of the “importance of diversifying energy supply chains”.

“The WP will continue to speak up in Parliament to strengthen our national energy and economic policies, for the benefit of Singapore and all Singaporeans.”

Rainfall was finally recorded in parts of Kalimantan on Oct. 25 after an extended dry season that intensified the haze.

Of the many videos posted online about the rain, one video of a group of Indonesian firemen in particular went viral, with many calling it a touching moment.

Shared by Instagram user @informasi_lima_banua_2 on the same day, it shows a group of firemen celebrating as rain poured down in them. 

According to the caption, the firemen were volunteers from Banjar Regency, one of the worst-hit areas in the haze crisis.

They were still clothed in their protective gear, with one of them carrying a water hose.

Some of them were seen laying on the road and basking in the rain.

Afterwards, the group stood up to perform sujud syukur—an act of worship in Islam to give thanks—prostrating on the ground in gratitude.

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Rejoicing with caution

The video was later reposted on Threads, with many users similarly giving thanks and rejoicing.

Some cautioned, however, that the deforestation in the area might conversely result in floods if the heavy rain continues.

Users from Malaysia and Brunei also sent their well-wishes, though some remained critical of the Indonesian government's response to the haze crisis.

According to Indonesian news agency Antara, the Indonesian authorities are prepared for El Niño to continue until early 2027, which could delay the rainy season's proper arrival until November or December 2026.

A 44-year-old taxi driver in Japan was arrested by police in Tokyo after he was suspected of sexually assaulting his female passenger, who is in her 20s.

Japan Today reported that the incident, which occurred at about 12:30am on Oct. 7, reportedly took place in the woman's apartment.

Entered woman's house

The taxi driver was identified as Tomo Masatoshi, asahi.co reported, adding that he picked her up as a passenger and entered her apartment after driving there.

She was apparently heavily intoxicated at the time.

Tomo then allegedly stayed in her apartment for about 20 minutes and sexually assaulted her, Japan Today reported.

Phone number, emergency contraceptive pill

According to asahi.co, the incident subsequently came to light when emergency contraceptives and a note were discovered in the woman's mailbox.

"If you want to see me again, call this number," the note read, after which the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department traced the number back to Tomo.

The woman also told police she had fallen asleep in the taxi and could not recall the incident.

According to asahi.co, police said Tomo denied the sexual assault allegations during questioning.

"I didn't force her to do anything. It was consensual," he claimed.

Workers' Party (WP) Member of Parliament Jamus Lim replied to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's comments that the WP's policy position "shifts with the political winds", in an Instagram post on Oct. 25.

PM Wong made the remarks earlier that day at the People's Action Party (PAP) Awards and Conference, in his opening address as Secretary-General of the PAP. 

In his speech, he took aim at what he termed "populism", claiming that opposition parties did not have to take into account trade-offs and deal with the consequences when making policy proposals.

In response, Lim said that PM Wong is entitled to his views but called his claims "an incredible double standard", and proceeded to explain the WP's position and suggest that political parties should be open to changing their stances "when justified".

In turn, PAP's party publication Petir published a Facebook post criticising Lim for missing the "nuance" of PM Wong's speech.

PAP's "U-turns"

In his post, Lim claimed that the PAP was similarly guilty of its own reversals in policy, with "some barely lasting one season".

" ...a few to jog the memory: stop at two, redundancy insurance, minimum wages for locals, and 377A.

I’m sure you can even think of cases even within this term of Parliament where there have been notable reversals by the PAP, even after they shot down alternatives till the last second (such as smaller class sizes or COE categorization by engine size)."

Lack of nuance in PM Wong's points: Jamus Lim

PM Wong's speech also singled out the WP's position on HDB flat construction and foreign worker policies, claiming that they were inclined to tighten or loosen said quotas depending on which was more politically favourable.

But Lim said that this "betray[ed] a lack of nuance".

Regarding HDB supply, he explained, the WP's position was formed in the context of lease decay, "a looming policy problem that will unfold over the next two decades—not the short-term construction blips due to the pandemic."

As for foreign worker quotas, the WP's proposals have been about "moderating the speed of inflows" and managing the stress that it places on our infrastructure.

The WP's stance is ultimately "that the presence of a foreign workforce is not a fundamental issue, for a nation of immigrants," he clarified.

This is how democracy is supposed to work: Lim

He went further to suggest that political parties should be open to, or even "welcome" shifts in policy positions "when justified".

"Having gone down an erroneous road, adjusting one’s position is a mark of wisdom and maturity, not opportunism.

"This is precisely how democracy, at its best, is supposed to work: to be open to feedback, so that collective knowledge is harnessed."

In fact, the back-and-forth debate this generates helps to refine policy, he suggested.

Noting that PM Wong was speaking in a partisan setting in his capacity as Secretary-General of the PAP, Lim remarked that it was "par for the course" for him to make attacks at the opposition.

This was nevertheless "disappointing", he said, claiming that it failed to understand how Singaporeans "would like to see their political leaders tackle constructive challenges to the policy choices of the ruling party."

"Changing policies is not the issue"

Petir replied a few hours later.

It suggested that the PAP was in agreement that parties should change their positions when circumstances change.

This was something that PM Wong explicitly said in his speech, it said.

However, the issue is whether or not a party's positions "add up to a coherent approach", and if the party is "prepared to confront the trade-offs and consequences."

Returning to the example of HDB supply, Petir noted that the WP wants to lower the BTO eligibility age for singles from 35 to 28, but is simultaneously opposed to the proposed housing developments at Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks. 

This would increase the demand for housing and decrease its supply respectively, Petir suggested.

"How does the WP propose to reconcile these objectives? Where should the additional homes be built? What compromises would it accept?

"It is easy to champion popular causes. Governing means making tough choices and taking responsibility for the consequences."

Similarly, it claimed that the WP would have tightened foreign worker inflows to the point of zero growth in the foreign workforce in 2013, and then allow many more foreign workers a few years after.

Petir questioned if this was a "carefully considered approach to managing our foreign workforce".

"To be clear, changes in policy can reflect new evidence, changing circumstances or lessons learnt. But such changes must be grounded in a clear rationale, with the trade-offs and wider consequences properly considered and explained. That is what responsible policymaking requires.

That was PM Wong’s central point.

Judging from Mr Lim’s reply, it seems the WP has yet to fully appreciate this distinction."

Editor's note: The article has been updated for accuracy.

A woman, who watched as four-year-old Megan Khung was fatally abused by her mother and her mother's boyfriend, has admitted to helping dispose of the child's body.

Nouvelle Chua Roushi, 35, appeared in court on Oct. 26 to plead guilty to three charges, including for conspiracy to commit child abuse of Megan, disposing of her body, and taking drugs.

Megan's mother, Foo Li Ping, 29, and Wong Shi Xiang, 38, the boyfriend of the girl's mother, were previously sentenced to 19 years' and 30 years' jail, respectively, on Apr. 3, 2025.

The couple had subjected young Megan to severe physical and psychological abuse over a period of 13 months.

Chua, who interacted with the couple frequently, did not do anything to stop the abuse, and at times even recorded it on her mobile phone.

The couple would cane and hit the child repeatedly, starve her, and humiliate her by shaving her head and drawing on her face.

Videos of the abuse were shown in court on Oct. 26. Chua was stoic and did not react as the graphic videos played.

Abuse of Megan Khung

The offences were committed from February 2019 onwards in a unit at the Suites@ Guillemard condominium in Paya Lebar rented by the couple.

Chua, who was friends with the couple and regularly visited them, would notice bruises on Megan since November 2019.

The court heard that Chua would stay in the unit on some weekends with her daughter.

She was also entrusted with the care of Megan, whom she brought out with her own daughter.

On some occasions, Chua noticed Megan was bleeding from the caning.

On one occasion, she also covered Megan in a long-sleeve t-shirt to hide the bruises so Foo and Wong’s abuse would not be exposed, prosecutors said in court.

Recorded videos

Chua would sometimes record videos of the abuse.

These videos were played in court on Oct. 26.

In one video, Foo was seen forcing Megan to eat her own mucus. Chua did not stop the acts and instead video-recorded it.

Megan's head was shaved, and she also had drawings on her eyebrows.

Chua could be heard saying in Mandarin as Foo demanded Megan to eat her mucus: "Let her eat; she says she’s hungry, right?"

In another video recorded by Chua, Megan can be seen unclothed as she asked for a shirt to wear.

At this point, Megan had many bruises on her body, with her ribcage visible.

Another child, who was not identified in court, was also seen in the video standing beside Megan and was seen touching and playing with Megan at some point.

The child appeared to be about the same age as Megan and was neatly dressed in contrast.

The couple also forced Megan to sleep in a planter box exposed to the afternoon sun until the child got heatstroke.

In another video filmed by Chua, Megan was seen crying inside the planter box.

The same child from the earlier video could be seen asking Megan to lie down before going over to kick her.

She could be heard saying, "I kick Megan," as Chua laughed in the background.

Fatal punch that led to Megan's death

On Feb. 21, 2020, the day prior to her death, Megan was not given any meals for the entire day.

That night, Wong wanted to discipline Megan so he made her stand against the wall in their bedroom.

After scolding Megan, Wong punched her in her stomach.

The impact caused Megan’s back to hit the wall 10cm away with a loud thud.

Foo was scared that Megan would faint, so she told Wong in Mandarin that the girl looked like she “cannot make it". Wong stopped.

After midnight, Chua arrived at the unit to see Megan lying on the bedroom floor, clutching her stomach and saying she was in pain.

When Chua told Foo and Wong about this, the couple dismissed it, saying the child was just trying to get attention.

The three then gathered in the living room to take drugs together.

Hours later, Chua saw Megan in the same position and alerted Foo, who found some vomit with "clear membrane and black contents" beside Megan.

The three tried to wake Megan, but she was unresponsive.

They then tried performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Megan.

Wong took a 30-cm tube and the three took turns to blow air into Megan's mouth.

Foo did not call for an ambulance, afraid the abuse and drugs would be discovered.

Instead, Wong and Chua left to get a defibrillator.

Wong found one but did not take it as he was afraid an alarm would be triggered.

Foo, who was still performing CPR on Megan in the unit, realised she had passed away and told the other two over WhatsApp, “Megan is gone”.

Undeterred, Wong improvised a defibrillator using two wires with metal chopsticks taped to them.

He inserted it into a socket and tried to resuscitate the girl, but failed.

Wong also instructed Foo and Chua to smoke drugs and blow the smoke through a tube into Megan's mouth, but this had no effect.

A forensic pathologist with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) found in an October 2021 report that Megan had likely died from a serious blood infection due to factors such as ruptured internal organs or abdominal haemorrhaging.

Helped dispose Megan's body

Chua also later helped to dispose of Megan's body after the couple ordered a custom-made barrel to burn Megan's body.

To prevent Megan's corpse from being discovered, Wong wrapped the corpse using a blanket, then layers of cling wrap, and brown tape, before putting it in a Toyogo storage box.

He also kept the unit's air-conditioning switched on to slow the decomposition of Megan’s corpse.

Chua knew these plans and had driven Wong to the residence.

Some time between April and May 2020, Wong asked a signboard manufacturer to construct an “incense burning container”, discussing its design with him.

Foo accompanied Wong to the workshop, where an oil drum barrel had been modified in line with Wong's specifications.

After testing it, Wong asked for further modifications, such as adding openings for ventilation, so oxygen could enter to raise the temperature.

On May 8, 2020, the three collected the barrel and two boxes of charcoal that were procured by Wong's instructions.

At 5:25am that day, they returned to the unit to collect the box containing Megan's corpse.

Wong then drove to his godfather's workshop in Ubi.

At 6:10am, he set up the metal barrel at an open area nearby and burnt Megan's corpse in it.

Foo and Chua brought incense paper over and they also burned that in the barrel for several hours.

After the fire had stopped, Wong swept the ashes inside the metal barrel into a trash bag and put it in his car.

He then drove to East Coast Park alone and scattered Megan's ashes into the sea.

Foo and Wong also made arrangements for the metal barrel to be disposed in Tampines.

Drug charges

The court heard that Chua consumed ICE two days before her arrest.

She had started consuming ICE in January 2020.

After her arrest, Chua admitted to all her offences, the prosecution said.

Sentencing arguments

The prosecution sought 13.5 years' jail for Chua while the defence sought six years and four months' jail.

The prosecutor said during the hearing that the trio robbed Megan of "basic dignity" and noted the prolonged nature of the abuse.

He noted the "absolute depravity" of the case, where a four-year-old was abused to the point of being “a mere shadow” of herself, as said by the judge presiding over the previous hearing of Foo and Wong.

He also noted Chua's lack of remorse, as displayed by the two-month period during which she destroyed evidence following Megan's death.

The prosecutor also noted that Chua joined in on the abuse on one occasion, telling Foo to let Megan eat mucus since she was hungry.

On another occasion, when Megan used Foo's make-up without permission, Wong drew all over her face and paraded her in public until she cried.

The taunting came from Chua, who said, “Let’s go gai gai (shopping)," the prosecutor noted.

There was some kind of “sadistic amusement” in partaking in such abuse, they added, saying recording such acts exacerbates the victim’s humiliation and is another way to prolong the harm done to her.

"There is minimal difference in the abuse done by the abusers and the one who records it, especially when the recording is repeatedly done," the prosecution said.

The prosecutor also noted that Chua had aligned herself with the exact same kind of callousness as Foo and Wong when she involved herself by recording the videos.

She also knew that Wong had hit Megan "very badly" on the day of her death and saw Megan holding her stomach in pain.

While Megan’s suffering must have been obvious to Chua at the time, the prosecution noted that she made the "conscious and deliberate decision" to ignore Megan.

The prosecution also noted that while Chua did not orchestrate the plan to dispose of Megan's body, she did participate in "achieving the final objective".

She had purchased vinegar, incense and various other items that were eventually used to destroy evidence, such as cleaning the flat.

Chua also went with Wong to collect the custom-made barrel, which was eventually used to burn Megan's body.

Defence's arguments

Chua was represented by lawyers from Trident Law.

The court hearing became tensed at one point as the defence lawyer claimed the prosecution was trying to ask the court to treat Chua the same way as Foo and Wong, who were already sentenced.

A back-and-forth between the prosecution and defence ensued.

At one point, the defence lawyer said the prosecution was treating them like they were "stupid".

The judge also interjected at one point, pointing out that there were other charges to be taken into consideration that the defence had not accounted for in their submissions.

This included the mucus incident.

The defence was allowed to continue and tried to draw the distinction between Wong, Foo, and Chua to say Chua's culpability is much less than the other two.

In regard to Megan being forced to sleep in a planter box, Chua apparently told Foo it was "too scary" to lock Megan in.

The lawyer noted that Chua only visited the flat on the weekend and let Megan out of the box on occasion.

They also noted that Chua saw Megan complaining of pain on the day she died, and she told this to Wong and Foo twice, but was dismissed.

Chua participated in the disposal of her corpse only on the instructions of Wong and Foo, the defence added.

The defence was asked to file further submissions on the issue of the charges taken into consideration and the impact on their final sentences sought by Nov. 2.

The judge reserved judgment to Nov. 13, 10am.

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