A new reading and community space is set to be developed in the north of Singapore.

Slated to take up parts of the sixth and seventh floors of Causeway Point, the 32,000 square feet public space — The HomePage @ Causeway Point — will offer visitors a chance to discover new books and connect with each other.

The space comes as part of a memorandum of understanding between Frasers Centerpoint Trust and the National Library & Archives Board (NLB), the organisations said in an Oct. 22 statement.

It will open in 2028.

How it works

The space will house one of Singapore’s largest publicly accessible collections of pre-loved books from NLB’s libraries in English and Mother Tongue languages.

It will also feature Sing Lit and local authors.

Unlike a library, visitors will be able to browse and take home the pre-loved books without borrowing them.

This allows them explore titles at their own pace. Patrons are also encouraged to share their books with others.

Community space

Visitors can also enjoy food and beverages in the space, which doubles as a social hub.

For families, there will be a children’s play zone to provide interactive experiences and family-friendly activities.

A purpose-built indoor theatre and screening space will serve as a space for films, author talks, storytelling sessions, and cultural programmes.

How it looks

The HomePage @ Causeway Point pays homage to Singapore's heritage, drawing inspiration from architectural and cultural references shared by Singaporeans.

Its design borrows from the iconic Teck Whye HDB blocks, the former National Library building at Stamford Road, and the bold geometric forms of Singapore’s 1970s Brutalist architecture.

One of the spaces, dubbed The Story Spine, is a book wall extending through multiple floors, reminiscent of the modular forms of HDB architecture:

At the heart of The HomePage @ Causeway Point lies The Drum, an open space that contains the book collections, reading zone, as well as a cafe:

The aforementioned Sing Lit collection, simply named "Sing Lit", is designed as a continuous curved bookshelf featuring displays showcasing Singaporean history and culture:

"Making reading more accessible"

Melissa Tam, the chief executive officer of NLB, said that they hope to make reading more accessible and provide more opportunities for readers to discover Sing Lit and local authors.

Consequently, she hopes not just for more Singaporeans to take on reading as a lifelong habit, but also to connect more deeply with our shared heritage and identity.

Calling it a "first-of-its-kind social and reading destination", Frasers chief executive officer Richard Ng stated that The HomePage @ Causeway Point "will be a place beyond home and work".

He emphasised that this development comes as part of an evolution of Causeway Point, in light of the significant long-term growth set to take place in the Northern region of Singapore.

A woman in Jiangsu, China, suffered five broken ribs and a crack in another rib after her husband hugged her.

According to Chinese media outlet Jingshi Live, the woman's husband, surnamed Wang, embraced her after she complained of feeling cold.

He then heard a cracking sound during the hug, and his wife immediately crouched down in pain, unable to get up.

Wang said he had used normal force and had not expected the embrace to cause such serious injuries.

Wife endured pain overnight before seeking medical attention

Speaking to Hubei Jingshi Live on Oct. 19, Wang said his wife endured the pain throughout the night before visiting a hospital the following morning.

A chest CT scan revealed that five of her ribs were fractured, while another had developed a hairline fracture.

Doctors determined that surgery was unnecessary and prescribed medication, medicated patches and rest.

The woman has since been discharged and is recovering at home. She is required to return to the hospital for follow-up examinations every five days.

Doctors reportedly diagnosed osteoporosis

Wang said doctors attributed his wife's injuries primarily to osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones and makes them more susceptible to fractures.

He revealed that his wife weighed between 45kg and 50kg and had a habit of dieting, including skipping dinner.

She also drank at least one cup of coffee daily.

According to Wang, his wife worked at the family's shop, which was just a two to three minutes' drive from their home.

She usually covered herself up when going outdoors and hardly ever spent time in the sun.

Sunlight is one of the key triggers for producing vitamin D, which in turn helps to absorb calcium and maintain bone density.

Following the incident, Wang said his wife was focusing on her recovery and had started making an effort to get more sunlight and increase her calcium intake.

Fractures from ordinary hugs are uncommon

Yan Yanxiang, an associate chief orthopaedic physician at Wuhan Asia Heart General Hospital, told Jingshi Live that it was uncommon for younger people to suffer rib fractures from the force of a hug.

Osteoporosis was likely a contributing factor in the woman's case, he added.

Yan explained that the condition is closely associated with lifestyle and dietary habits.

He noted that the woman rarely spent time in the sun and drank coffee daily, adding that caffeine could promote calcium loss.

He also said excessive consumption of strong tea (along other detrimental lifestyle habits) and the use of steroid medications could accelerate calcium loss from bones.

However, the report did not establish that the woman's daily coffee consumption directly caused her osteoporosis.

Yan added that rib fractures generally do not require surgery if there are no complications involving the lungs or pleura (membrane surrounding the lungs), such as breathing difficulties or a collapsed lung.

To maintain bone health, he recommended adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, appropriate sunlight exposure and resistance exercises.

Singapore’s state investors Temasek and GIC have denied allegations by former Indonesian trade minister Muhammad Lutfi that they helped instigate Indonesia’s recent stock market rout.

Lutfi had accused the two institutions of pressuring global index provider MSCI to threaten a downgrade of Indonesia’s market status, with the aim of driving share prices down so foreign investors could buy Indonesian assets cheaply.

Temasek calls allegations “patently untrue”

According to Bloomberg, Fock Wai Hoong, Temasek Global Investments’ head of Asia-Pacific excluding China and India, rejected the allegations at a technology industry briefing in Singapore on Oct. 21.

Lutfi’s accusations “have no basis and are patently untrue”, Fock said.

He added that neither Temasek nor its employees had approached MSCI or influenced its decisions.

A GIC spokesperson also rejected the claims, noting that the fund had invested in Indonesia for more than 30 years.

“The allegations about GIC and our staff are untrue,” the spokesperson said.

GIC added that it bases investment decisions on individual companies and assets, rather than index classifications or broad assessments of a market.

Why MSCI is considering a downgrade

In an Oct. 15 statement, MSCI proposed reclassifying Indonesia from an emerging market to a standalone market, citing opaque share ownership, suspected coordinated trading and a lack of meaningful enforcement despite announced reforms.

Standalone status would remove Indonesian stocks from MSCI’s broader emerging-market indexes, potentially forcing funds tracking those indexes to sell their holdings. The warning triggered a record two-day sell-off that wiped out about US$82 billion in market value, before stocks recovered some ground on Oct. 20, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

MSCI’s consultation closes on Apr. 30, 2027, with a final decision due by June 30. It expects to proceed unless there is clear evidence of meaningful improvements in market governance and functioning.

Lutfi's allegations of Singaporean interference

In Instagram post on Oct. 20, Lutfi alleged that Temasek and GIC were using their influence over MSCI to push for Indonesia’s reclassification from an emerging market to a standalone market.

He also claimed to have received insider information that a GIC employee had pressured MSCI to downgrade Indonesia.

Lutfi alleged that earlier foreign capital outflows had failed to push Indonesian share prices low enough for foreign investors to buy back assets at their desired prices.

“The goal was one: create market panic so that prices correct sharply, then scoop up our strategic assets at discounted prices,” he wrote.

However, Lutfi did not provide evidence to substantiate his allegations in his post.

CNN Indonesia also reported that there is no evidence in MSCI's announcement to confirm Lutfi's allegations concerning Singapore's involvement.

Lutfi also linked the stock market turmoil to the ongoing dispute over transboundary haze, claiming both concerned control over Indonesia’s wealth.

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A post shared by Muhammad Lutfi (@m.lutfi)

IDX chief defends MSCI’s independence

Responding to the allegations on Oct. 20, Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) president director Jeffrey Hendrik defended the independence of global index providers.

“We have always believed, and continue to believe, that global index providers are independent,” he told reporters at the IDX building in Jakarta, according ST.

Jeffrey said IDX would focus on improving Indonesia’s stock market.

Mohammad Lutfi's terms as trade minister

Lutfi served as trade minister under then-president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo from December 2020 to June 2022. He left the post when Jokowi appointed Zulkifli Hasan as his replacement in a cabinet reshuffle on June 15, 2022.

He had previously held the same portfolio from February to October 2014 under then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

In August 2023, Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office questioned Lutfi as a witness in a corruption investigation involving export approvals for crude palm oil and related products, including cooking oil, Antara reported.

The case concerned export approvals issued during a domestic cooking oil shortage in 2022. According to Reuters, prosecutors alleged that permits had been issued to companies that had not fulfilled domestic supply requirements.

Antara reported in August 2023 that five people, including the Trade Ministry’s former director-general of foreign trade, had received prison sentences in the case.

Round-trip direct flight tickets between Singapore and Ipoh, Malaysia, have soared to a new high during the 2027 Chinese New Year period.

According to checks on Scoot's booking page on Oct. 21, a round trip from Feb. 5, 2027, to Feb. 8, 2027, starts from S$1,421, while one-way tickets from Singapore to Ipoh start from S$734.

Prices within two weeks of this period remain roughly in the same range.

While flight prices have traditionally hiked during this season, the highest a round-trip ticket had reached previously was S$1,100, according to Shin Min Daily News.

Reasons for hike

The media outlet reported that experts attributed the hike to reasons like a lack of travel options.

One travel consultant posited that hiking oil prices due to the Middle East crisis have led to higher airport taxes and airfare.

Scoot is the only airline flying direct between Singapore and Ipoh, after AirAsia suspended the route in April 2025 and Batik Air, which replaced it, ended its service in May 2026 after about five months. The consultant said limited choice could push up fares.

The limited travel options may have driven up ticket prices.

Travellers exploring other options

An Ipoh native residing in Singapore told Shin Min that in light of the pricey tickets, she may consider taking a bus or train home instead.

Another Ipoh resident cited the hefty prices and a lack of confirmation on whether she would be able to apply for leave in Singapore to return home.

With the uncertainties, she may reschedule her trip altogether, she said.

The family of Neo Jia Ming, who was jailed on Oct. 21 with his wife for the fatal abuse of their eight-month-old son, expressed shock and disbelief over the details heard in court.

For almost the entirety of baby Trevor's life, his parents frequently smothered and shook him to stop him from crying.

On Sep. 2, 2024, Trevor's mother Chloe Gan suffocated him using her hands and flipped him in his cot, resulting in his death. Neo, who witnessed this, did not do anything to stop it.

After both pleaded guilty, Gan, 23, was sentenced to 15 years and 3 months in jail, while Neo, 27, was sentenced to 16 years in jail.

At the end of the hearing, their lawyers requested that both their parents be allowed to speak to them, and the judge granted this.

Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court afterwards, Neo's mother and elder sister said they remember Trevor as a very good boy.

"He always wanted hugs, and we have never heard him cry."

Convicted

Neo's family described Neo as a timid person who dearly loved his wife, Shin Min Daily News reported.

"I think of him as a timid person, so when I learnt what happened, I completely could not believe he did this," his sister said in Mandarin. "We all felt very shocked."

Neo was also convicted for domestic abuse against Gan, including punching her more than 10 times in the head after an argument.

However, his sister said she had never noticed any signs of violence or trouble in the couple's relationship, nor any marks on Gan, according to CNA.

Instead, Neo appeared devoted to his wife, she observed.

He used to work as a pet groomer and food delivery rider, the family shared.

His sister added that he would sometimes ask her for help, and she would give him money.

Conversation

When Neo and Gan visited Neo's mother with the baby, they appeared happy, the mother said.

Although she saw nothing worrying about their behaviour, they would tell her they were exhausted, CNA reported.

They did not visit her at her place with Trevor often because their schedules often did not align, she said.

During the sentencing, the judge noted that the couple was not left on their own to take care of Trevor as they seemed well supported by family members.

Neo's mother added that the last time she saw Trevor was in the final weeks of his life. She did not see any signs of abuse then.

Neo's family also shared with reporters about the conversation they had with Neo after the hearing.

He told them he hoped to continue studying while in prison, and his mother encouraged him to work hard.

As for Gan's parents, they appeared to console their daughter as they talked to her, often reaching through a partition to touch her gently. She was seen crying when the judge read out the sentences.

A Malaysian Member of Parliament (MP) has suggested that the country consider shutting down pig farms nationwide and importing pork instead, citing Singapore as an example.

However, another Malaysian MP pointed out one rather important detail: Singapore itself imports live pigs from Malaysia.

The exchange took place in Malaysia's Dewan Rakyat, following a proposal by Tasek Gelugor (Penang) MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan on Oct. 19.

Suggested Malaysia follow Singapore's example

According to Malay Mail, Wan Saiful urged the Malaysian government to consider closing pig farms nationwide and importing pork to meet domestic demand.

He argued that the proposal should be considered from the perspective of environmental pollution, public welfare and sustainability, rather than race or religion.

He said:

"Personally, I feel it would not be excessive for me to propose that the federal government consider whether it is appropriate for Malaysia to continue having large pig farms when pork supplies can be obtained through imports, as done in Singapore."

"In fact, imported pork may be cheaper than that farmed in Malaysia," he added.

Wan Saiful also suggested that relying on imports could be a safer approach, as pig farms were likely to face opposition from nearby residents regardless of their location.

The proposal was not the first of its kind.

According to Focus Malaysia, Sabak Bernam (Selangor) MP Kalam Salan had made a similar suggestion in January 2026.

But Singapore imports pigs from Sarawak

Responding to Wan Saiful's proposal, Raub (Pahang) MP Chow Yu Hui questioned the logic of closing pig farms in Malaysia when Singapore imports live pigs from Sarawak.

According to Malaysiakini, Chow cited figures from the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department showing that the state exported 120,000 live pigs to Singapore in 2024.

The exports generated RM197.6 million (approximately S$61.96 million) in revenue.

He added that Sarawak exported around 2,500 live pigs to Singapore every week in 2025.

According to Chow, exports of live pigs from Sarawak to Singapore have generated RM742.5 million (approximately S$232.83 million) since 2000.

Chow questioned what would happen to Singapore's supply if Malaysian pig farms were shut down.

"If we were to close down all pig farms in Malaysia, including those in Sarawak, from where else would Singapore be able to import live pigs?" he asked.

Concerns over reliance on imported pork

The proposal also drew criticism from Bekok (Johor) assemblyperson Tan Chong, who warned that shutting down pig farms could increase Malaysia's reliance on imported pork.

According to Malaysiakini, Tan said Malaysia's pork self-sufficiency rate was approximately 67.8 per cent, with domestic production reaching 115,284 tonnes in 2025.

He argued that reducing local production could leave Malaysia more vulnerable to overseas supply disruptions, animal disease outbreaks and export restrictions.

Tan also maintained that pollution concerns should be addressed through enforcement against individual farms rather than shutting down the entire industry.

Just two years ago, London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) described Indonesia as “a compelling global investment proposition”.

Now, global index provider MSCI is proposing to remove the country’s stock market from its emerging-market classification over concerns about transparency and trading practices.

The warning triggered an 11.57 per cent plunge in the Jakarta Composite Index on Oct. 16, its biggest one-day decline since January 1998.

Asia's stock market darling

Indonesia’s appeal to international investors stretches back well over a decade.

In December 2010, Reuters reported: “Indonesia has been a darling of emerging market investors this year.”

At the time, its stock market had risen about 40 per cent that year, driven by strong domestic consumption.

Its fortunes subsequently fluctuated. By 2013, Indonesia had been grouped among the “Fragile Five” economies vulnerable to capital outflows and currency depreciation when global interest rates rose.

But in 2022, Reuters reported that its economy and capital markets were showing resilience during another round of global monetary tightening, helped by booming commodity exports.

Indonesia’s benchmark was then approaching a record high as many markets elsewhere struggled with rising U.S. interest rates.

It finished 2022 up 4.09 per cent, with foreign investors buying a net 60.6 trillion rupiah (S$4.3 billion) of shares, according to Indonesian financial authorities.

The positive assessments continued as recently as 2024.

In an analysis published on Apr. 30, 2024, titled “Indonesia: A Hidden Gem?”, LSEG highlighted the country’s abundant natural resources, growing role in the electric vehicle supply chain, and strong trade and investment flows.

The report noted that the market capitalisation of its FTSE Indonesia Total Cap Index had grown 19.6 per cent in 2023 to US$452 billion (S$577.73 billion).

These factors supported its assessment that Indonesia remained an attractive destination for global investment.

MSCI proposes standalone-market status

In an Oct. 15 statement, MSCI announced a consultation on a proposal to reclassify the MSCI Indonesia Indexes from emerging-market to standalone-market status.

The global index provider said investors remained concerned about opaque shareholding structures, suspected coordinated trading and a lack of meaningful enforcement.

“Accordingly, MSCI considers Indonesia’s continued classification as an Emerging Market no longer appropriate,” it said.

MSCI acknowledged reforms announced by Indonesian authorities, including greater shareholder disclosure.

However, investors wanted evidence that the measures were being consistently implemented and would be producing lasting improvements.

It added that feedback suggested even a downgrade to frontier-market status would inadequately reflect the depth of the problems.

Broader policy concerns have also weighed on sentiment.

In February 2026, Reuters reported that investors were worried about government spending, fiscal discipline and central-bank credibility under President Prabowo Subianto.

A frontier market is a market status indicating that a country’s stock market is generally smaller, less actively traded and less accessible to international investors than an emerging market.

A standalone market, as proposed by MSCI for Indonesia, is a classification that would place its stocks outside both MSCI’s emerging-market and frontier-market indexes, potentially triggering substantial investment outflows.

Billions of dollars could leave Indonesian stocks

MSCI’s indexes are used by investment funds worldwide to construct portfolios and measure performance.

Standalone markets sit outside its emerging-market and frontier-market index products.

Removal would require funds replicating the affected indexes to sell Indonesian holdings, while active fund managers could also reduce their exposure.

UBS estimated about US$4 billion in passive outflows, with potentially another US$15 billion (S$19.17 billion) from active investors, according to Reuters.

Indonesia moves to respond

After meeting MSCI on Oct. 19, the Indonesia Stock Exchange said it would exclude stocks with highly concentrated ownership from its benchmark index.

The financial regulator also pledged to continue reforms addressing transparency, liquidity and enforcement against trading violations, Reuters reported.

MSCI’s consultation ends on Apr. 30, 2027, with a final decision due by Jun. 30, 2027.

It expects to proceed with the reclassification unless there is clear evidence of meaningful improvements.

The Certificate of Entitlement (COE) Category A premium for smaller cars rose S$2,003 to S$132,004 in the bidding exercise that closed on Oct. 21, 2026.

This puts Cat A premiums above Cat B premiums, which is for larger cars.

Cat B, for bigger and more powerful cars, rose S$1,801 to S$131,901.

This is S$103 below Cat A.

"We note that there is an upcoming car exhibition which may lead to elevated demand and COE prices during this period," the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement.

"We urge car buyers and dealers to be prudent in bidding for COEs," the authority said.

The Cat A premium is now S$1,005 below the record S$133,009 set on Sep. 9.

Cat A premiums previously closed above Cat B once in February, in April and in June.

Other categories

Only the motorcycle and Open category premiums fell.

Cat C, for goods vehicles and buses, rose S$311 to S$92,200.

Cat D, for motorcycles, fell S$234 to S$10,778.

The Open category, which can be used for any vehicle except a motorcycle, fell S$1,210 to S$135,790.

When a mother in Singapore passed away, her will bequeathed her estate to two sons and two granddaughters, leaving two of her other sons out of her inheritance.

After the brothers' relations grew strained due to their exclusion from the inheritance, their uncle proposed that the sons included in the will use the proceeds of a property sale left by their mother to give S$300,000 to each of the brothers.

Though they signed a handwritten agreement, and sold the property — a semi-detached house at Eng Kong Road — for S$5 million, one of the sons included in the will refused to allow the sum of S$600,000 to be withdrawn and distributed to his other two brothers.

This prompted the other son to take him to court and compel him to pay his brothers.

On Oct. 19, the judge found that the handwritten agreement was legally binding, and ordered the man to honour his payments.

The two brothers had several other financial and legal disputes which were also addressed in court.

Backstory

The mother, according to an Oct. 19 judgement, died in December 2012 and left behind several properties and monies.

Her four surviving sons were the claimant — David Chan Yip Tong, the defendant, Franklin Chan Yip Tong, and their two other brothers, Jack Chan Yip Tong and George Chan Yip Tong. 

One son, Oliver Peter Yip Tong had died before her.

David and Franklin were named as the executors of her estate, which was to be bequeathed to David, Franklin, Oliver's daughter, and George's daughter.

Three properties were to be inherited:

• The Eng Kong Road house, to be divided equally,
• A retail property at Far East Shopping Centre to be divided by the two sons and Peter's daughter, and
• A condominium unit at Hindhede Walk to be shared by the two granddaughters.

Relations between the brothers soon became strained, especially because Jack and George were left with nothing.

Their uncle, Tam Sook, then flew from Mauritius to Singapore in June 2018 to help mediate.

After he proposed that David and Franklin should use the proceeds from the Eng Kong Road property sale to give S$300,000 each to their brothers, the two agreed orally.

However, the sum was never transferred.

Franklin claimed that in their oral agreement, one of the conditions agreed upon was that the house would have to be sold by Sept. 30 2018, and since the house was not sold by then, the agreement was superseded.

David, on the other hand, disagreed that it was a condition, arguing that it was a target date by which they would attempt to pay George and Jack.

Sold

In September 2021, Franklin told David that there was a offer to buy the house for S$5 million. As David was a co-owner of the property, his signature was needed in order to facilitate the sale.

When Franklin met David to procure his signature, David told him that he would not authorise the Option to Purchase (OTP) unless Franklin agreed to sign an agreement to give the S$600,000 sum to their other two brothers.

This agitated Franklin, and the two began to quarrel. However, Franklin later relented, and both brothers signed the agreement.

However, the next day, Franklin sent David a text message:

"This is my stance and I declare this note was not created by me, I reject and disagree totally with this note. I was signed under duress with your unknow (sic) hidden ulterior motive. Sorry"

David retorted that he would then consider the OTP to be invalid.

Nevertheless, the property was ultimately sold in April 2022, with the proceeds split between David and Franklin.

Yet the S$600,000 was still not distributed to their brothers.

The two had placed the sum in a joint account that needed authorisation from both parties to make any withdrawals.

David refused to let Franklin withdraw any amount, stating that the money was payable to their brothers.

On the other hand, Franklin claimed that the handwritten agreement was invalid due to lack of consideration and economic duress and/or unconscionability.

Judge weighs in

The judge found that the agreement was valid and that Franklin was obliged to honour it.

Franklin first argued that David had stipulated a set of stringent concessions from the buyer, and since Franklin was the property agent facilitating the sale, the two brothers agreed that David would sign the OTP in exchange for Franklin getting the buyer to agree to his onerous demands.

This meant that David would have committed himself to signing the OTP.

However, text messages revealed that he was non-committal to the sale, telling Franklin, "We shall see the market then."

Furthermore, Franklin claimed that he bought a HDB flat around that time, and since private property owners were not allowed to concurrently own a HDB flat, he needed to divest himself of the Eng Kong Road house, and that David knowingly used this to mount pressure on him.

But more text messages revealed that he told David he was actively considering buying another condominium at the time.

The judge thus struck down Franklin's arguments that he signed the handwritten agreement and made the sale under duress.

His opinion was that it was "obvious" that Franklin was "bent on making a killing from the sale".

Namely, the buyer had offered a price of S$5 million, more than 10 per cent above the bank's valuation of S$4.5 million.

Text messages revealed that when Franklin told David that they found a "windfall offer", the latter replied that he first wanted the payments to their two brothers to be addressed.

Exasperated, Franklin complained that he finally found a "sucker" willing to pay S$5 million, and questioned why David was so reticent.

As such, the judge rejected Franklin's arguments and ordered him to pay the full S$600,000 to George and Jack.

"The defendant should not be allowed to now raise the doctrine of economic duress to wriggle out of keeping to his word," the judge said.

Other issues

Aside from the sum to be paid to their brothers, the judge also settled several issues between David and Franklin arising from the inheritance.

David successfully claimed S$39,300 in unpaid rent and rental proceeds from Franklin for the Eng Kong House road.

Franklin had previously stayed at the property in exchange for rent, followed by another tenant that Franklin found.

The judge also dismissed several claims by Franklin regarding "excess rent" and property tax.

He also ordered that David furnish an account of a blue attaché case containing valuables belonging to their mother.

A rubbish truck caught fire at the junction of Bedok Reservoir Road and Bedok Reservoir View on Oct. 20.

Photos and a video shared on social media showed a pile of rubbish on the road, with firefighters spraying water on it.

Rubbish on the road

According to a Facebook post by SG Road Vigilante (SGRV), cardboard inside the rubbish truck had caught fire, prompting its contents to be unloaded onto the road.

A photo shared by SG Road Vigilante (SGRV) showed a pile of rubbish on the road, with an SCDF vehicle at the scene and a jet of water directed at the rubbish.

A video shared by Singapore Incidents also showed firefighters spraying water on the pile of rubbish on the road.

No injuries reported

In response to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at about 12:40pm on Oct. 20.

"The fire involved the contents of a rubbish truck," SCDF said. "SCDF extinguished the fire using two water jets."

There were no reported injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Netizens react

The incident also drew some humourous comments online.

"Like after eat mala, then suddenly laosai (diarrhea) on the road," one Facebook user commented.

Another joked: "Truck bit into a Mala powerbank."