The issue of energy resilience for Asean is not new, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, but the war in the Middle East has elevated its sense of urgency and importance.

While "no one is seriously arguing against it" at this stage, the current challenge is one of execution.

Potential energy capacity

Vivian was in Manila, the Philippines, from Jul. 20 to Jul. 24 to attend the 59th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and other related meetings.

Addressing the media in a wrap-up interview on Jul. 23, he responded to a question from Mothership about the importance of renewable energy in Asean, given the flare-up of the conflict in the Middle East.

Vivian pointed out that Asean does not have a say in the resolution of the conflict in the Middle East. "We really cannot even say when and how a resolution will come about," he said,

He added: "But the larger point is this: if you actually do a catalogue of Asean's potential energy capacity, not just in fossil fuels, oil and gas, which Asean does have," it has great potential in renewable energy.

While Asean does have access to geothermal, solar and wind as sources of energy, they require investment as well as capital and technology in order to bring it to fruition.

Vivian pointed out that achieving this will create a situation where Asean is not only more energy resilient, but also more dependent on renewable energy, and "therefore also doing our part for a lower carbon future".

Challenge is execution

Noting that "the opportunity, the need for it has always been there", he said "what recent events have done is to raise the sense of urgency, and we are trying to do that".

He added that projects like the Asean power grid goes beyond just the laying of cables.

It goes beyond the arguments about fees, technical aspects of the equipment needed, "to actually create a sense that look, we are all better off if we can engage in collective investments, in raising our capacity, it makes us more resilient".

Pointing out that "the challenge is execution", Vivian said "it makes us more competitive, and it better prepares us for the future".

Preserving Asean's neutrality and centrality

Vivian also spoke about preserving Asean's neutrality and centrality as Singapore navigates relationships with countries such as the U.S. and China.

Addressing the issue of "the U.S. and China contestation", Vivian said, "To their credit, both of them are trying to approach this in a careful, deliberate, and constructive way."

He added: "In particular, I would say I'm glad that at least at this point in time, neither of them are forcing us to choose sides, they know Asean's priorities, which is still to develop our economies, to integrate and gain access to the latest technologies, and that we are still interested in free trade, in giving more opportunities to our people."

Vivian said this is a time to work together, and for the middle powers and Asean to affirm international law, cooperation and not to resort to "unilateral or coercive measures."

Robust, candid discussions

Vivian shared that he had "good robust, candid discussions" in his meetings, and "both dealing with immediate problems and looking forward to the future".

He said issues discussed included the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as the recent escalation, including acts on Saudi tankers in the Red Sea that highlight the fragility of global supply chains.

This has impact on Asean in terms of energy, fertiliser, and food.

To that, he highlighted the impact on international law, "in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the right transit passage through straits used for international navigation".

He said: "I'm glad to report that amongst all the speeches made by a very wide range of foreign ministers, everyone doubled down on the need to comply with international law to maintain the primacy of armed cloths and freedom of navigation and overflight."

Vivian also said the issues discussed touched on whether countries other than the superpowers could get access to technologies of the future.

59th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting

According to a Jul. 20 press statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the AMM was to reaffirm the Ministers' commitment to Asean unity and Centrality, as well as discuss ways to advance Asean integration and community-building initiatives under the Philippines' Chairmanship theme of "Navigating Our Future, Together".

A Jul. 21 MFA press statement noted that Vivian had a wide-ranging discussion with his Asean counterparts on deepening regional integration, strengthening Asean's capacity to respond to developments in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and supply chain resilience, as well as harnessing the potential of the digital and green economies.

A 37-year-old Malaysian man was sentenced to 11-and-a-half years’ jail and nine strokes of the cane for raping a 39-year-old Singaporean woman after they got drunk at a company dinner.

Beh Kien Tai pleaded guilty to one charge of rape and another charge of molestation on Jul. 23, CNA reported.

Two other charges were taken into consideration.

The victim’s identity, locations and the names of various parties involved, including the company, were not disclosed.

Company

In court documents seen by Mothership, Beh was an air-conditioning contractor at the time of the offence.

The victim was a project manager who knew Beh and an individual identified as “C1” in court documents.

C1 is the owner of an interior design company.

Beh was the interior design company’s subcontractor for air conditioners from around 2021, while the victim previously worked as a freelance sales associate for the company sometime around 2014 for about a year.

After the victim left the company, she continued to keep in contact with C1 as they were friends.

Dinner

On Jan. 13, 2023, C1 hosted a company dinner at the company’s office.

C1 invited the victim, some of her family members, and the company’s staff, subcontractors, and suppliers, including Beh, to the dinner.

The dinner commenced at about 7:15pm.

Guests consumed food, drinks and alcohol.

At about 8:41pm, the victim arrived at the company’s office and consumed a substantial amount of beer and wine.

As a result, she became intoxicated.

Beh also became intoxicated after consuming at least one glass of beer and four glasses of wine.

Intoxicated

On Jan. 14, 2023, at about 12:30am, C1 noticed that the victim was intoxicated and attended to her along with other female guests.

As she was unable to walk by herself, they helped the victim to the washroom and let her rest on a blanket and pillow located on the first storey of the office space.

At about 1:30am, the company dinner concluded, and guests made arrangements to leave.

Beh rejected a guest who offered to send him home and said he would rest for a while before driving home.

He then walked up to the loft located on the second storey of the office and rested on a bed.

At about 2am, C1, one of her staff members, the victim and Beh were the remaining people left at the office.

Before leaving the office, C1 switched on the air conditioner in the loft and closed the door between the loft and the company’s office space, where the victim slept.

She also messaged both Beh and the victim to inform each of them where their mobile phones were.

C1 and her staff member then left the office.

Rape

At about 3am, Beh walked down to the office space where the victim was sleeping on the floor.

He was aware that she was intoxicated.

Beh then stepped over her to access a washroom adjacent to the office space.

After using the washroom, Beh approached the victim and lay down with her on the floor.

At about 3:03am, he removed the victim's clothing, and he removed his own clothes.

Beh proceeded to rape and molest the victim.

Between 3:21am to 3:22am, Beh placed the victim’s pants back on.

At about 3:30am, Beh re-entered the office space, retrieved his pants and put it on before leaving the room.

He left the office at about 3:38am.

Text

At about 3:48am, 3:50am and 3:54am, the victim woke up and made multiple attempts to call from the office landline.

At about 5am, she sent a text to C1 saying that someone had “f*cked” her.

The victim left the office at about 6:08am.

At about 7am, C1 read the text message and retrieved surveillance footage from the office space.

After seeing what had taken place, she sent the victim screenshots of the footage.

The victim proceeded to lodge a police report.

On Jan. 15 at about 2:45am, Beh was subsequently arrested and remanded.

Vulnerable

The prosecution sought a sentence of 11 years and three months’ jail to 11 years and nine months’ jail, and nine strokes of the cane for Beh.

They argued that the victim was vulnerable and Beh exposed her to the risk of pregnancy and contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

The prosecution cited that the incident affected the victim emotionally and "practically”.

“In addition to feeling lost, confused and fearful after the event, the victim’s work (involving travel) was also impacted,” the prosecution said.

For committing rape, Beh could be jailed up to 20 years and fined or caned.

For molestation, he could be jailed up to three years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these punishments.

A neighbour of the man, who died in Lengkok Bahru following an alleged fatal dispute with a fellow resident, said she is willing to "adopt" the deceased's 20-year-old son, who has special needs.

The woman told Shin Min Daily News that the father and son visited her home almost daily, and that the deceased often helped her with household chores in exchange for money to buy food.

She reportedly choked up and said she treated his son as her own and that she would be willing to "adopt" him.

Alleged murder

The 59-year-old man died after he was allegedly stabbed by his 59-year-old neighbour at Block 55 Lengkok Bahru on Jul. 20.

The pair were apparently involved in a long-standing feud.

The victim's son is believed to have witnessed the incident and has been left emotionally traumatised.

Speaking to Mothership at a remembrance gathering for the deceased on Jul. 22, Queenstown SMC Member of Parliament Eric Chua said he had spoken to the victim's son.

"He's obviously quite emotionally distraught," Chua said, adding that arrangements had been made to support him both financially and emotionally, including connecting him with counsellors.

"I think he can't bear to come back, so we have to make sure he's got some temporary arrangement with somebody whom his father knew," Chua added.

Neighbour willing to care for son

The neighbour, identified by Shin Min as Maria (transliteration), said the father and son were frequent visitors to her home.

As she has difficulty getting around and uses a wheelchair, the victim would often help her with simple chores in exchange for money.

Maria described the man as someone who frequently greeted and chatted with neighbours, saying many residents were deeply saddened by his death.

She said: "When I heard he had passed away, I was shocked. He was such a good person. Why did he suddenly leave us?"

When speaking about the victim's son, Maria became emotional, saying that the 20-year-old is believed to have mild autism.

He occasionally takes on odd jobs, and was usually inseparable from his father, she added.

She described him as a quiet and well-behaved young man.

Victim remembered as friendly man

Maria also said the victim was friendly and had spoken to her about disputes with neighbours before his death.

She described him as talkative and said that although he often drank alcohol, he rarely caused trouble.

He would rest alone downstairs even when he was drunk, she said.

Another neighbour, who had known the victim for more than two years, also told Shin Min that the victim had previously confided in her about frequent disputes with his neighbours.

"I even advised him to avoid the other party and stay out of trouble, but I never expected this would happen so soon after," she said.

A 20-year-old bridesmaid from central China suffered a spinal fracture after a wedding hazing, or hun nao in Chinese, went wrong.

According to the South China Morning Post, wedding rituals are still common in various parts of China.

It has reportedly been part of traditional Chinese wedding customs for thousands of years, having originally been intended to create a festive atmosphere and drive away evil spirits.

However, the rituals have come under criticism after some escalated into acts of violence and humiliation.

During the wedding hazing, one of the groomsmen pushed the bridesmaid, surnamed Zhang, onto a bed.

Several men then tossed Zhang into the air by holding the corners of the bedsheet.

She eventually fell to the floor after the men failed to catch her.

She was then hospitalised for 18 days.

About a year later, around August 2024, Zhang was assessed by a forensic judicial institution to have a serious level-nine disability.

The incident

On Oct. 4, 2023, Zhang was invited to be a bridesmaid at a wedding in Ruyang, Henan Province, reported Hong Kong-based news outlet HK01.

The wedding party occurred in the bridal chamber.

At the time, Zhang was hiding inside a closet for reasons that were not explained.

After the bride and groom left, one of the groomsmen apparently dragged her out of the closet and onto the bed.

According to Chinese media outlet gmw.cn, a group of people stuffed Zhang under the bed covers, grabbed the corners of the bedsheet, and began tossing her into the air.

After the second toss, they failed to catch Zhang, causing her to fall to the floor.

SCMP reported that there were about 10 people involved, all of whom were men, most of them groomsmen.

Zhang was hospitalised for 18 days after being diagnosed with a lumbar vertebral fracture.

About a year later, around August 2024, Zhang was assessed by a forensic judicial institution to have a serious level-nine disability.

It corresponds to a 20 per cent disability rate, a system of injury assessment used in China.

Court's decision

Zhang later sued the married couple and those involved in the prank.

She sought 270,000 yuan (S$51,506) in compensation from the parties involved.

The court later ruled that the married couple were responsible for Zhang's injuries, as they knew about the wedding hazing but did not stop it in time.

Wang Moubing, the groomsman who pulled Zhang out of the closet, was also found to be at fault.

The others involved could not prove that they had not taken part in the hazing and were apparently held jointly liable.

The court ordered the parties involved to pay Zhang a total of 230,000 yuan (S$43,872) in compensation.

The court ordered the married couple to bear around 40 per cent of the compensation, while Wang was ordered to bear around 22 per cent, according to SCMP.

The remaining liability was borne jointly by the others involved.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s cabinet saw its second reshuffle since the 2025 General Election, with a pack of younger ministers moving up through the ranks and significant changes to the makeup of the (former) Ministry of Trade and Industry.

K Shanmugam was made senior minister, Jeffrey Siow and David Neo were promoted to full ministers, Jasmin Lau became acting minister, Sim Ann was made 2nd Minister for Home and Foreign Affairs - to name just the most prominent of the promotions.

It also sees the return of Ng Chee Meng, who had requested not to be included in the government last year to take care of Jalan Kayu.

This all happened against the backdrop of the resignation of Faishal Ibrahim just days earlier, which saw Zaqy Mohammad appointed acting minister for Muslim Affairs in his stead, and further back, the decision of Koh Poh Koon to step back from government.

The return of symbiosis

In the cold light of day, the logic of Ng Chee Meng’s return to cabinet is not surprising.

When he requested not to be included in PM Wong’s first post-GE cabinet, PM Wong was clear he expected a secretary-general of NTUC to be part of his cabinet.

For reference, the cabinet had been without an NTUC Sec-Gen for an unprecedented six years, with a labour chief being part of the cabinet's makeup since Lim Chee Onn in the 1980s.

Ng’s time away from the cabinet was as a result of a shock loss in Sengkang to the WP’s GRC team.

Ng returns to cabinet at a time of economic disquiet, if not outright difficulty.

The spectre of jobless economic growth hangs over the economy and especially the government, with Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong warning of the prospect of economic growth without corresponding growth in jobs during the Economic Strategy Review earlier this year.

As professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University puts it:

“All eyes will now be on how the NTUC promotes and protects workers' interests at a time of technological upheaval and changing demographics. With Ng’s return to Cabinet, the symbiotic relationship between the PAP and NTUC is reaffirmed.”

If Ng needs opportunities to show the public the lessons he has learnt in “the wilderness”, and how he will apply them to protect Singaporean workers’ jobs, he will not be short of them in the upcoming years.

Standard bearer

The cabinet reshuffle highlights two aspects of Senior Minister K Shanmugam’s tenure in politics.

As someone who has been in cabinet longer than most of our readers have been alive, his wealth of experience continues to be an asset for Wong, as it was for Lee Hsien Loong before him.

But it was something that was taking place on the sidelines of the cabinet reshuffle that also caught the attention of Singaporeans.

Just before the news of the reshuffle broke, Shanmugam posted a lengthy and detailed post about Faishal Ibrahim and the incident that had resulted in his resignation as a minister and an MP.

The post was simultaneously warm, humane, but firm, and clear.

With one hand, it pushed back against the tide of negative speculation about the former minister, and with the other, stated clearly what the PAP’s standards were.

This sets out to do two things at once: protect a “humble and hardworking man”, while also remind people what the PAP’s standards are and was unequivocal about the party’s determination to stick to them.

It is this ability to handle many problems with the same motion, and his instinct to both protect, reassure, and maintain standards, and his position as metaphorical bearer of standards that will be relied upon by a cabinet that will grow younger as it regenerates under PM Wong.

Tan See Leng evolves again

Tan See Leng’s evolution was something that I noticed at last year’s budget and again at this year’s.

I was referring to something that he had said about nuclear energy, and kept looking under the MOM section of speeches, trying to figure out 1) why MOM was entangled with nuclear power and 2) why I couldn’t find anything.

Of course, MOM had nothing to do with nuclear energy generation; these were speeches given as Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology, part of MTI, leading one to wonder if there was a bit of feature creep going on in his portfolio.

With MTI now the Ministry of Energy, Trade, and Industry, and Tan becoming the Minister for Energy and Industry, with Gan handling the Trade portion, the circle of his portfolio has been squared.

It reflects the government moving quickly to recognise the looming energy crisis: not caused by the war in Iran, but by the tremendous hunger for electrical energy an AI-enabled future demands, explaining why the government’s focus on nuclear power far predates February 2026.

The Iran War, foreshadowed by the initial attacks in 2025, added an even more dangerous and immediate dimension to the crisis, but by no means initiated it.

This also has the benefit of allowing Gan to focus more narrowly on an increasingly complicated trade environment, with the tariff policy of United States President Donald Trump signalling the start of a period of disruption and reorganisation, both amongst the great and middle powers.

No easy days

This move then opens the door for what many consider the surprise, or highlight, of the reshuffle, promoting Jasmin Lau to Acting Minister for Manpower.

And make no mistake, there is rarely an “easy” time to take over a ministry, but this is a particularly difficult time, for largely the same reasons as were outlined above for NTUC and Ng Chee Meng.

Lau acknowledged as much in her appointment, listing the various difficulties that workers in Singapore are, and will have.

Lau’s promotion and Ng’s return are linked in that way: AI fuelled disruptions and challenging employment environments.

And while they probably didn’t intentionally get a seasoned labour hand to come in to supplement a fresh manpower minister, they have it.

Several of the experts that Mothership spoke to highlighted Lau’s promotion as a recognition of the abilities she had shown so far, with the Institute of Policy Studies’ Teo Kay Key noting that her promotion was a recognition of Lau’s abilities.

Evolution, not revolution

The reshuffle, as are most reshuffles, is an indication of evolution, not revolution.

Most of the changes can be said to have been telegraphed early; surprise is not really a virtue of governance, but not so much so that everything was predictable.

Eugene Tan noted that the pace of getting new generations of leaders was traditionally a long process, spanning “10 to 15 years”.

While that is true, it does feel that the pace, almost imperceptibly, picked up on Wednesday.

A 31-year-old woman was sentenced to six weeks’ jail after forwarding Community Development Council (CDC) voucher redemption links from two women’s mobile phones to her own and spending them, CNA reported.

She reportedly spent S$1,167 worth of CDC vouchers that belonged to the women.

Phang Koh Xing pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal breach of trust and another charge under the Computer Misuse Act for causing a computer to perform a function with the intent to commit theft on Jul. 22.

Two other similar charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Employee

In court documents seen by Mothership, Phang reportedly worked as a customer service consultant at Yun Nam Hair Care's outlet at Ang Mo Kio Hub at the time of the offences.

Her role was to assist customers in setting up payment methods on their mobile phones.

On Aug. 1, 2025, a 60-year-old woman visited the salon for a hair treatment.

She then passed her phone to Phang so that she could help her set up Shopee instalment payment while she decided on a treatment plan.

As she helped her set up the payment method, Phang accessed the woman’s text messages and found her CDC voucher redemption link.

She proceeded to forward the link to her own mobile phone.

Between Aug. 1 and 3, 2025, Phang accessed the redemption link and utilised the vouchers on nine occasions at supermarkets, a department store, a video game store, an optical shop and at food outlets.

Phang spent a total of S$575.

The woman subsequently discovered unauthorised usage of her CDC vouchers and lodged a police report on Aug. 4, 2025.

Phang has not made restitution to her.

Another victim

On Aug. 9, 2025, a 31-year-old woman visited the salon and handed her phone to Phang to help her set up payment via Atome.

Similarly, Phang accessed the woman’s text messages and forwarded the CDC voucher redemption link to her own mobile phone.

Between Aug. 9 and 11, 2025, Phang accessed the redemption link and utilised the vouchers on seven occasions at supermarkets, a department store, a salon and at Venus Beauty.

Phang spent a total of S$592.

The woman subsequently discovered unauthorised usage of her vouchers and lodged a police report on Sep. 2, 2025.

Phang was subsequently arrested on Dec. 15, 2025 and was released on police bail on the same day.

She reportedly made a voluntary restitution of S$200 to the victim.

Entrusted

The prosecution sought between six and eight weeks’ jail for Phang, and for full restitution, equivalent to the outstanding amounts after the voluntary restitution, to be made to the victims.

"The accused was specifically entrusted with customers’ phones to help them set up payment methods on their respective phones," the prosecution said, according to CNA.

They argued that Phang exploited the victims’ trust and “misused it for wrongful access to the victims’ CDC vouchers”.

For the charge under the Computer Misuse Act, Phang could have faced a jail term up to 10 years, a fine up to S$50,000, or both.

For criminal breach of trust, she could have faced a jail term up to seven years, a fine, or both.

Balestier Point is an antiquated, mixed-use development in Singapore, with tenants that do not quite fit together.

A fitness gym filled with exercise-goers on the ground floor holds the most signs of life. Posters advertise children's TCM massages, car rentals, Martell.

At an unassuming corner sits the Quan Zhen Cultural Society, a Taoist practice community.

The Society was where I would meet Sann Carrière, 42, on a Sunday morning in July.

Carrière is Dutch, and also a Taoist priest in Singapore.

How did this curious situation come to be?

A Dutch woman in a Taoist class

According to the 2025 General Household Survey, 7.3 per cent of Singapore residents aged 15 and over are Taoists.

That morning, a handful of that small faction gathered at Quan Zhen for their weekly class.

Including Carrière, who did a fair job blending in with her blue priest's robes.

When we first arrived, Carrière greeted us. She had an air of calm around her as she walked us through the day's plan.

She had done most of the organising, liaising with the cultural society and various stakeholders to make our interview possible.

There had been a death in the community, and the group was practising the recitations for funeral rites. I was told this was a particularly difficult one.

Led by a Taoist master, the group began their harmonic chant in Cantonese.

Occasionally, they would pause, and the master would explain its meaning in Mandarin.

Even as a born-and-bred Singaporean Chinese, I could barely keep up with it all. I wondered how Carrière, a non-native Mandarin speaker, managed to do so.

I resolved to ask her at our sit-down together after class, at a temple along Beach Road.

Journey

The temple, Kheng Chiu Tin Hou Kong, is located in Kheng Chiu Building and houses the Hainan clan association.

Built by Hainanese migrants in Singapore, the temple dates back to 1857.

At the temple's centre is the main altar, where the idol for the Chinese seafaring goddess, Mazu, sits.

Here, Carrière and a few of her fellow practitioners demonstrated a quick ritual. Her red-and-black priest's robes, she later explained, are reserved for for officiants or ordained practitioners.

Whereas the ones donned by her fellow priest, which bore a more elaborate design, are reserved for the ritual master and cantor.

After the ritual, we sat down for a chat.

I got to the point. "How?" I asked.

In English, but with a faint European accent, Carrière explained that her journey into Taoism began on a beach in a Dutch town. This was in 2012.

She had felt a"deep desire to integrate [her] spiritual path with [her] worldly path", and was looking for structure.

She clarified that she had always been "spiritual" before she found Taoism, but was not religious.

"I asked in an open prayer, 'Please, show me. Show me the way.'"

As with most things divine, what happened next seemed almost inexplicable.

At three different places in town, Carrière found flyers that referred to the practice of nei dan.

Nei dan refers to "inner alchemy" and here's how Wikipedia explains it:

"In nei dan practice, Taoists claim the human body becomes a cauldron in which the Three Treasures of Jing 'Essence', 'Breath' and 'Spirit' are 'cultivated' for the purpose of improving physical, emotional and mental health, and ultimately returning to the primordial unity of the Tao."

"Different flyers, but same location. So I knew I had to go there," she told me.

After the first class, Carrière said she instinctively knew that this was the philosophical system she was looking for.

Over the next six years, Carrière continued learning about nei dan under a mentor in the Netherlands.

Then, in December 2017, she moved halfway across the world and arrived on the shores of Singapore, on an exchange programme in sustainability between the Singaporean and Dutch governments.

Difficulties

In Singapore, she began "knocking on temple doors" in hopes of finding more nei dan practitioners, Carrière recalled.

But finding a spiritual home in Singapore was not easy. It took her five years before she found Quan Zhen.

As she tells it, it was another divine stroke of luck. Carrière came across Quan Zhen and was intrigued by their logo.

"Luckily, my shi fu (master) is very open to foreign practitioners and to sharing the knowledge and the wisdom. So they took me in," she said.

"That's the start of the journey in Singapore."

Another difficulty she faced was language.

The chanting is in Cantonese, while members converse in a mix of Mandarin, Singlish, and English.

"So, at some points, I am lost. So, I need someone to literally point on the paper where we are, and then I can get back to the rhythm," she shared.

Although her progress may be hampered by this barrier, Carrière said she has come to terms with it.

"During the chanting and the scriptures, I learnt through mimicking. I learnt through listening and through phonetic repetition and memory of the scripture," Carrière explained.

Earlier at the Society, I saw how Carrière did her best to keep up, and how her peers helped her find her footing in the pages.

Appropriation and authenticity?

"And then, unfortunately, there is also some widespread 'unbelief' that a foreigner would understand [the practice of Taoism]," she continued.

She was referring to accusations of "cultural appropriation".

Carrière shared that, up until now, she had been apprehensive about being spotlighted, concerned about coming across as insincere.

However, it was recently the 10th anniversary of Quan Zhen, and they had asked if she would be open to being featured.

"I realised, maybe it's time. It's time to be more open," she said.

Carrière added that her friends and family generally take a positive view of her chosen path in life.

"They were very supportive, amazed. Maybe not always understanding, maybe a bit puzzled, but very supportive."

No big deal

Before we sat down for our chat, I overheard Carrière chatting with a fellow priest and member of Quan Zhen.

They were talking about how Carrière had shared about her Taoist journey with local media, but some online comments were less than encouraging.

While some may react with derision, another priest told me that Carrière's presence, rather than the extent of her assimilation or sincerity, is most important.

"Her dedication is there, and that's what's important," he added.

When I asked the other students of the Society about their reactions to having someone like Carrière in their midst, they gave replies that were akin to a shrug of the shoulders.

As the priest had told me: "I won't say it's a new thing to see a Westerner in an Eastern religion." No big deal.

Aspiration

Carrière has been with Quan Zhen for three years. In 2023, she was ordained as a Taoist priest.

That means she gets to delve into the more spiritual aspects of the religion, and is permitted to learn its rituals.

Outside of the temple, she is the founder of a sustainability start-up, Orobo.

She told me that there is much synergy between her worldly and spiritual pursuits.

Her aspiration is to one day travel to the Wudang Mountains in Hubei, China, to further her Taoist practice.

The Wudang Mountains is one of Taoism's holy sites.

"All this is preparation, so it doesn't matter much if it takes another 20 years of learning... I want to be able to present myself as such, in the hope of being accepted and to learn deeper and more," she said.

A pursuit for the self

Throughout most of our chat, Carrière was composed to the point of reticence.

But she became most impassioned when we spoke on certain topics, namely the difficulties and doubts she faces as a priest and her aspirations.

In a world that prefers when things fit in neatly with expectations, Carrière sticks out like a sore thumb.

The world, myself included, wants to know why. But the why is a deeply personal answer, part of a spiritual pursuit which only the pursuer truly understands.

As I was readying to leave, a group of elderly clan members got up onto a small stage.

They launched into a verse of an old Chinese pop song. Apparently, they were rehearsing for an event; the air of reverence was replaced by revelry, in the deities' full view.

It felt apt, to me: From the initial messiness of Balestier Point, to Carriére's fish-out-of-water pursuit, and now back to the randomness of a Mandopop song in a historic temple.

Like contrast and balance, yin and yang. Harmony between contrasting concepts — the story of Carriére's life.

Some concerns were raised by commenters online after social media videos showing groups of people foraging in intertidal areas off Singapore's coast were shared in a Facebook group.

The concerns were about the quantity of wildlife gathered.

Pails to plate

In the Facebook group Complaint Singapore, one user shared on Jul. 13 screenshots and a video of a group of individuals gathering and foraging in an intertidal area with pails in hand.

The gathered wildlife was later laid out on a table in a restaurant kitchen.

They include a number of molluscs, including what looks to be fan clams and crabs.

Plates of cooked food were later seen on a dining table.

The video was originally posted on the Chinese social media platform, Douyin.

The Facebook user who shared the post noted that they were not against coastal foraging.

"However, what is concerning is the frequency of their visits and the volume of marine wildlife they harvest during each trip."

The user also highlighted how the group appeared to be foraging "with little consideration for the sustainability of our coastal ecosystem".

"There is a saying: 'Take only what you need'. But this group appears to be bagging almost every form of marine wildlife they come across."

Intertidal foraging

Checks on Douyin showed that the foraging trips appeared to be organised by the user who shared the video.

On his account, the user references the term "gan hai", which is the Mandarin slang referring to the trend of intertidal foraging.

The trend has grown popular due to social media, and has drawn large crowds to places such as Sembawang jetty, Lianhe Zaobao reported.

Replying to comments on his page, the Douyin user shared that the location they visited was in Changi.

In some posts, the user invites others to join the community.

Removal of wildlife from habitats disrupts ecosystem: NParks

Responding to Mothership's queries, Karenne Tun, Group Director at the National Parks Board's (NParks) National Biodiversity Centre, said it is aware of a social media post on intertidal foraging and "seeks the understanding of the public to protect our intertidal biodiversity".

Noting that intertidal habitats are "fragile and critical to the health of the ecosystem", Tun urged visitors to protect them by practising responsible etiquette when visiting such habitats.

This includes refraining from touching, collecting, or trampling on any wildlife.

Tun also said, "The removal of wildlife from their habitats, including intertidal zones, harms our biodiversity and disrupts our ecosystems. Each species plays a unique role in its ecosystem, and their removal can have far-reaching consequences on ecosystem services such as pollination, seed dispersal and nutrient cycling."

"This in turn affects the ecological resilience of our natural habitats. Removing wildlife from their habitats also endangers their population, especially for species which are already threatened," she continued.

The public who are unfamiliar with the marine wildlife species may also endanger their own safety as they may not recognise poisonous, stinging or venomous marine wildlife, Tun cautioned.

According to Tun, NParks restricts the collection of animals from intertidal zones under its jurisdiction.

These zones include Sisters' Islands Marine Park, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Labrador Nature Reserve's rocky shore and Chek Jawa Wetlands.

For intertidal areas outside its jurisdiction, Tun says it focuses on public education on best practices and how visitors can interact responsibly with marine wildlife.

"NParks is committed to encouraging community stewardship of our natural habitats and biodiversity in our City in Nature. The public can also play their part in safeguarding Singapore’s marine environment by participating in our Intertidal Watch citizen science programme," Tun said.

NParks has more information on intertidal etiquette on its website.

Related stories

A 76-year-old man was found dead at the second floor landing of Jalan Kukoh Food Centre at Block 1 Jalan Kukoh on the morning of Jul. 23.

In photos circulating online, a police blue tent was seen erected on the second floor landing.

Police officers were present at the scene.

In response to queries from Mothership, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it received a call for assistance at the location at about 10:40am.

A man was found lying motionless at the foot of the block and was pronounced dead at the scene by a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedic.

Preliminary investigations by the police do not suspect foul play.

Police investigations are ongoing.

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
• Centre for Domestic Employees: 1800 225 5233 (24 hours)
• Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training: 1800 339 4357 (24 hours)
• HOME (migrant worker): +65 6341 5535 (WhatsApp/ Viber/ SMS)

A remembrance gathering was held on Jul. 22 evening for the 59-year-old man who died after he was allegedly stabbed on Jul. 20 by his neighbour, also aged 59, at Block 55 Lengkok Bahru.

The victim was a single father.

He is survived by his 20-year-old son.

Victim's son was at the scene

Shin Min Daily News reported that residents said the victim was a single father.

According to the Chinese-language paper, one neighbour shared that he heard the victim and his neighbour, Ng Swee Seng, having a heated argument.

The eyewitness later saw Ng allegedly entering his home to retrieve a knife.

The eyewitness quickly alerted the police.

As he was too far away, he could only shout in an attempt to intervene.

"The victim's son was at the scene. He was probably terrified," the eyewitness said, according to Shin Min.

The eyewitness shared that Ng threw the bloodied knife down from the 16th floor.

The victim was later found lying motionless at the 16th-floor lift lobby.

He died after he was taken to the hospital.

Police later arrested Ng, and he has been charged with murder.

Son "can't bear to come back"

Speaking to Mothership, Queenstown SMC Member of Parliament Eric Chua shared that he has spoken to the victim's 20-year-old son.

"He's obviously quite emotionally distraught," Chua said as he shared about his meeting with the son.

Shin Min reported that the son is a person with special needs.

Chua also said arrangements have been made to support the son financially and emotionally, such as connecting him with counsellors.

"I think he can't bear to come back, so we have to make sure he's got some temporary arrangement with somebody whom his father knew," Chua shared.

Recognising that "grief will take a long time", Chua said they are working to provide "mid to longer term" support for the son, such as ensuring that there are "befrienders", grassroots leaders and professionals at the ready.

"I think what is most important is at this point in time, as much as possible, to try to give him that emotional and psychological closure as much as we can," he said.

Victim and son moved in two to three years ago

The victim and his son had moved to Block 55 Lengkok Bahru about two to three years ago, Shin Min reported.

One neighbour residing on the same floor as Ng and the victim, surnamed Zhang (transliteration), shared that he had noticed that the victim would avoid Ng by taking the stairs down one storey to use the lifts there.

It was previously reported that Ng and the victim had allegedly been in a long-standing dispute.

The victim reportedly often drank alone at the coffee shop on the ground floor of the block.

One neighbour said he would sometimes urinate along the corridors, causing a stench, Shin Min wrote.

Accused lived at Lengkok Bahru for 20 years

A 15th-floor resident shared that he would often see Ng getting breakfast at the coffee shop or occasionally exercising nearby.

"He would sometimes ask me if I could help him with job recommendations, but I did not agree to it," the resident said.

Zhang said Ng would usually make casual conversation with neighbours.

Ng has resided at Lengkok Bahru for over 20 years, one 12th-floor neighbour shared, according to Shin Min.

He has lived alone ever since his mother passed away.

Neighbours also shared that Ng did not like it when others passed in front of his home, and neighbours would often avoid doing so by taking alternative routes to the lift lobby.

In court, Ng said, "If I hear sounds, I will scold people... I reacted because I heard [a] voice."

Ng's case has been adjourned to Aug. 12.

He faces the death penalty if convicted of murder.

Remembrance gathering for victim

When Mothership visited the gathering on Jul. 22, a number of residents and members of the public were seen gathered at the event.

Chairs had been set up at the multi-purpose hall of Block 55A Lengkok Bahru.

A notebook for members of public to pen their thoughts were also placed on a table, alongside white flowers.

At the front of the hall was a stage and backdrop, with the words, "One Lengkok Bahru, One Queenstown".

Chua was also present.

Religious leaders from various faiths led the crowd in a prayer.

They also visited and prayed outside the victim's unit.