A tense exchange occurred between Senior Minister K Shanmugam and Workers' Party's Member of Parliament Fadli Fawzi in parliament on Nov. 4, over a recent meeting between the Singapore government and Israeli officials.

Fadli, in a personal explanation time in parliament, addressed written questions he previously submitted asking SM Shanmugam about the meeting, as well as the senior minister's subsequent replies.

Background

On Oct. 7, Fadli asked whether, during a recent meeting with Israeli officials, Singapore addressed illegal settlements and settler violence in the West Bank.

The meeting was reported by Israeli media outlet Haaretz, which also alleged that a delegation from Israel had discussed the death penalty with Singaporean officials.

In his questions, Fadli asked whether Singapore had requested that the meeting be kept secret, or why a correction direction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) was not issued against Haaretz, if this reporting was not factual.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has since refuted Haaretz's claims.

In his written to response to Fadli's questions, SM Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said that there were no public interest grounds to issue a correction direction against the media outlet at the time.

He added that Singapore regularly holds discussions with international counterparts on security and law enforcement matters, and that that particular meeting focused on operational and security-related issues.

Broader foreign policy matters were not discussed, he asserted, adding that such matters are addressed through appropriate foreign policy channels like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

Questions for Fadli

SM Shanmugam then addressed Fadli:

"If the Member believes that MHA should use such engagements to raise broader concerns about the policies or conduct of the country concerned, then he should say so clearly."

He further asked Fadli whether the same approach should apply consistently to all countries with which MHA engages.

He asked: "For example, when MHA holds operational discussions with other Middle Eastern or Asian countries, should we also raise the concerns Singapore may have with their conduct or policies?"

"If that is the Member's position, the government would be interested to understand how he proposes that such an approach would serve Singapore's overall interests."

Fadli's responses

Fadli responded to these questions on Nov. 4.

Whether policy concerns should be raised in engagements

On whether he believes that formal engagements should be used to raise broader concerns about a country's policies or conduct, he said his view "is simple":

"Settler activity and illegal territorial expansion in the West Bank, and especially settler violence, are grave violations of international law."

The Singapore government previously called the Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and called on Israel to stop its expansion plans there.

Fadli posited that MHA should raise concerns about such policies and conduct as and when relevant when engaging with countries involved.

Singapore's cooperation with other countries in law enforcement and security matters must also be conducted in context of the nation's overall national interests and fundamental principles, including Singapore's commitments to the international law, he said.

Further, Fadli added that two officials in the Israeli delegation named by Haaretz have been linked to a settler movement conducting illegal activities in the West Bank.

"Given this context, I believe that it would have been relevant to clearly reiterate at this meeting Singapore's principled position that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, and our deep concerns about settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank," he said.

This approach should be applied consistently to all countries and not just Israel, said Fadli, addressing SM Shanmugam's second question in his written response.

How this serves Singapore's interests

On SM Shanmugam's third question on how such a practice would serve Singapore's overall interests, Fadli emphasised the nation's need to uphold its principles against external influence.

He quoted SM Shanmugam's own words from 2023:

"As a small country, we have to be clear on what are our principles. We must always put Singapore's interests first, and never be afraid to act in our own interests.

Uphold our principles and positions consistently, impartially, objectively, and not let other countries, big or small, no matter how friendly, dictate to us what we do."

He added that it would be in Singapore's overall interest to consistently and impartially uphold its position against a violation of international law, including during the MHA's bilateral engagements.

When engaging with foreign counterparts, the nation should also maintain a whole-of government approach in upholding this commitment, he said.

Shanmugam's response

SM Shanmugam stood to respond to Fadli's comments, first asking for a clarification on whether a "whole-of-government" approach applies to all bilateral issues.

Fadli answered by reiterating his earlier stated points, but SM Shanmugam said they did not answer his question.

He called Fadli's suggestion of each ministry raising issues of international law and "all possible bilateral issues" with any country they meet a "novel" idea.

MFA and the Cabinet are responsible for deciding on the government's overall stance with regards to any country, including whether meetings take place at all, he said

SM Shanmugam raised the example of Singapore's Ambassador for International Law, Rena Lee, who made history on Nov. 3 by becoming the first Singaporean to be elected as an International Court of Justice (ICJ) judge.

She secured an "absolute majority" in votes, ahead of the United Kingdom, France and every other country, a "testament to our skill in diplomacy, in the way we conduct ourselves", said SM Shanmugam.

"Imagine you start a meeting with UK, France, U.S., and your objective is to ask for their vote in support, and you start out by saying– referring to the wars in the Middle East: Syria and Yemen together, millions displaced, hundreds of thousands of children and women killed."

Many of these countries supplied weapons for these wars, where breaches of international law have taken place, he added.

He went on: "So you start out by listing this category of international law issues, and then you say, by the way, can you please support us?

"I think members and Singaporeans can see how absurd and novel such a position is, but I take it that that is the member's position and his party's position on how we conduct international relations."

SM Shanmugam called out Fadli for "[walking] in further and [doubling] down" on what he called an "absurd" position.

He asserted that the importance of international law is irrelevant to the question of whether every ministry should be raising it with counterparts.

Haaretz not taken seriously

"I don't know them," he said of the two Israeli officials named in the Haaretz article, adding that he does not take the media outlet very seriously "because they also published falsehoods about Singapore and what we were supposed to have said — completely untrue".

SM Shanmugam then urged Fadli to submit questions on this matter if he was concerned.

He also accused Fadli of "sending two messages to two different audiences: one to the general public to present that we are focused on national interests", and a second one "to the Malay-Muslim community to jump on this Haaretz article".

The second, he said, is to "make absurd suggestions on how we conduct and how we should engage" with the belief that people "won't understand how interministerial conversations really take place".

It also tries to present the image that "the government is unprincipled and soft on Israel", he posited.

"That's what this question and this subsequent explanation is all about: getting people to view our international relationships through the prism of race and religion. That is just wrong."

Fadli refutes SM Shanmugam

Fadli stood again to address SM Shanmugam's points, categorically rejecting his characterisation that the issue is motivated by race and religion.

"This is primarily an issue about how Singapore can uphold its commitments to international law consistently, impartially, and objectively."

He also denied suggesting that Singapore should raise bilateral and foreign policy issues at every meeting, but rather that they should only be raised where relevant, such as in the case of the Israeli meeting.

Instead, he redirected his original question of whether Singapore had tried to keep the meeting a secret back at the senior minister.

Role of Minister and MP is to safeguard Singaporean interests: Shanmugam

In response, SM Shanmugam said that he did not see why the issue of settler violence was relevant to what MHA discussed with their Israeli counterparts.

"How is it more relevant than, say, discussing sale of weapons, which may lead to thousands of people being killed with possible breaches of international law?"

He also reiterated that the role of an MP and a minister is to safeguard Singaporeans' interests primarily, not just the principles of international law.

On the issue of the meeting's confidentiality, SM Shanmugam said meetings between Ministry of Home Affairs and counterparts are "almost always kept confidential", except when parties request for them to be made public.

"And I have given that answer that one party required requested it to be made public, and that meeting was made public," he said.

A 22-year-old Indonesian man has been accused of murdering his 20-month-old stepdaughter by drowning her in a bucket inside a public toilet across from Kebayoran Station in South Jakarta on Oct. 31, 2026.

According to local outlet Kompas, the suspect and the child's 19-year-old biological mother carried out the crime because they could no longer afford to care for the toddler.

The stepfather is unemployed while the biological mother is a busker, Kompas reported.

The couple later wrapped the victim's body in plastic and buried her in a vacant lot in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta.

Both have been arrested.

Witnesses heard screams

Kebayoran Lama Police Chief Commissioner Seala Syah Alam told reporters on Nov. 2 that the attendant at the public toilet grew suspicious after noticing the parents' suspicious behaviour and hearing the victim scream, Kompas reported.

The stepfather allegedly took the girl into the restroom twice, at around 7pm and again around 11pm, during which witnesses reported hearing her cries.

The attendant called the police to report a suspected case of sodomy. However, investigations revealed that it was, in fact, a murder.

According to Seala, the man held the child by her legs and repeatedly forced her head into the bucket.

Once the toddler was dead, he told his wife what had happened.

To cover up the crime, the couple wrapped her body in plastic and buried it roughly 50cm deep in an empty lot in Bendungan Hilir.

Signs of malnutrition and abuse

Police reportedly disclosed that the victim had a three-year-old brother, who has since been placed in the care of social services.

In a CNN Indonesia report, Seala said that the suspect committed the crime because the family couldn't make ends meet. The couple allegedly chose to kill the younger child.

An autopsy conducted at a police hospital revealed that the victim was severely malnourished at the time of her death.

Forensic pathologists also found extensive evidence of prior physical trauma, including bone fractures and injuries to her internal organs, according to Kompas.

Brought back to crime scene

The couple remains in custody.

The stepfather faces charges of premeditated murder and child abuse, while the mother is accused of concealing a corpse to hide a homicide.

Investigators recently brought the man back to the crime scene, where he reenacted how he killed the child and buried her body.

]]> 1183011 https://mothership.sg/2026/11/rummage-rubbish-advisories/ 2026-11-04T16:14:37 https://mothership.sg/2026/11/rummage-rubbish-advisories/

The authorities in Singapore may provide "an advisory" to those found rummaging through public rubbish bins even without leaving litter on the ground, Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment said in a written parliamentary reply on Nov. 2.

She was responding to Punggol Member of Parliament (MP) Yeo Wan Ling, who had asked in parliament how will the ministry conduct enforcement against those found removing containers without causing disamenities.

Fu said in the reply: "Where individuals are found rummaging through public refuse bins without leaving litter on the ground, our officers may provide an advisory."

Rummaging through bins occurred before BCRS implemented

She clarified that the National Environment Agency (NEA) occasionally receives public feedback on individuals rummaging through refuse bins even before the Return Right Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) was introduced in April 2026.

It became fully operational on Oct. 1 after a six-month transition period.

She said: "NEA focuses first on public education to promote good hygiene practices. When such incidents occur, NEA takes a calibrated approach in determining whether enforcement actions will be taken."

"We discourage members of the public from rummaging. Apart from the potential disamenities to the wider community, there are also hygiene and safety concerns for the individuals doing so," Fu added.

Root causes of such behaviour

Yeo had also asked if the government will study and address the potential root causes of such behaviour, including financial need, where relevant.

In response, Fu said individuals will be referred to social agencies for further support.

"The Ministry of Social and Family Development works with community partners under the Vulnerable-in-Community Network to engage vulnerable individuals to understand their circumstances, and provide them with the necessary support," Fu added.

Over 48 million beverage containers have been collected as of Sep. 27.

The average number of containers per transaction has increased from 2.8 in April to 8.2 in September.

About 45 per cent of materials collected are metal and 55 per cent are plastics, NEA said on Oct. 1.

In an effort to strengthen haze deterrence measures, the government is proposing to expand the tools to hold companies accountable, including giving the power to designate errant entities and impose orders restricting business dealings.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, Grace Fu, announced the Transboundary Haze Pollution (Amendment) Bill in parliament on Nov. 4.

She noted that these proposed restrictions may include the supply or purchase of goods and services or the provision of loans and other support.

Entities or individuals that do business with designated entities will face a maximum fine of S$1 million for each contravention, and an additional fine of up to S$100,000 each day the contravention continues in the proposed amendment, said Fu.

This comes after over 30 Members of Parliament (MPs) and Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) asked for oral answers to their questions posed on Singapore's legal, regulatory and economic responses to the haze.

Designation as deterrence measure

Fu said the proposed restrictions will not solely be administered by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) if the restrictions concern services provided by financial institutions, with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) determining and administering relevant orders.

She noted that the power to designate and impose restrictions is meant to impose economic consequences on those responsible or those with established links to irresponsible burning.

"At the same time, the prohibitions ensure that others do not deal with such designated entities, including through complex business arrangements or corporate structures."

Notices

Fu added that designation may not be sufficient and submitted that the government will also introduce "a power to put certain entities on notice not to deal with entities that cause or contribute to fires posing a risk of haze pollution in Singapore".

As it may not be practical for the government to identify every entity involved in burning or supply chains.

This prevents entities with relevant connections to burning activities, like large corporations in forestry and agriculture, from dealing with those who cause or contribute to the haze.

Entities put on notice will be required to ensure that supply chains and business arrangements do not involve designated entities, with failure to comply without a reasonable excuse being an offence.

Fu noted that the obligations are "intended to strengthen due diligence and responsible business conduct across the supply chain".

"The objective is not to impose an impossible guarantee that no risk will ever arise, but to ensure that companies do not turn a blind eye to irresponsible forestry and agricultural practices."

NEA will also be given the power to publicise lists of entities that have not complied with notices or directions issued under the Act, or who have been given a direction to appoint an assessor, among others, in the proposed amendment.

Other penalties

The maximum fine for entities found guilty of causing or contributing to the haze will increase tenfold to S$1 million per day in the proposed Transboundary Haze Pollution (Amendment) Bill, with an aggregate cap of S$20 million for the main offence.

Prior to the amendment, entities found guilty under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) 2014 faced a maximum fine of S$100,000 for every day of haze pollution in Singapore, with a cap of S$2 million.

Desmond Goh still remembers the day his daughter found out about his sex toy business.

She had just returned from a trip to Amsterdam. Goh, his ex-wife (with whom he is on amicable terms), and his daughter were at a mee pok store in Bedok.

“Then the mum told her, you know, your dad is selling sex toys,” he quips.

The year was 2013. Goh, then 48, had suffered a stroke two years earlier.

Despite months of rehabilitation, he was left physically weakened and unable to return to his previous work selling curtains.

But he still had a family to provide for. The solution he eventually arrived at: selling sex toys online.

Started with S$300

Speaking to me at his physical store in Yishun, the now-61-year-old recalls the anxiety he felt at the time.

“After my stroke, I can’t go out, I can’t move on my own… I was worried about what would happen to me, what my income would be. Because I don’t want to be a burden to my family, who are not well-to-do people,” he says.

He had received an insurance payout from his stroke. But after months of being bedridden and unable to work, he had just S$300 left.

Online sales, he decided, was the answer. In 2013, e-commerce was the latest big thing. Qoo10 and Carousell and blogshops.

“I was very naive,” he admits.

“I thought you just list up everything, then people buy from you. It’s free money, easy money.”

Sex sells

Goh began to conduct research. He looked at clothing, baby supplies, and footwear.

But competition was fierce everywhere he looked.

Finally, he chanced upon adult toys. He had no experience in the market, had never even been to a sex shop.

But the margins were reasonable, there was demand, and — most importantly — no one else wanted to do it.

“So with my insurance payout, I bought an initial batch of probably 10 products in my bedroom, and started selling on Qoo10.”

He used magazine paper to wrap the products. His mum helped.

His first order — he still remembers it — was a S$5 vibrator. "I was so excited," he says. He took the bus all the way to Holland Village to deliver personally, and was rewarded with a good review.

Eventually, he built his own website: Frisky Business. When his inventory outgrew his bedroom, he moved into a rented storage space in Woodlands. Then, a whole unit at Midview City in 2017.

In 2020, he opened his current showroom in Yishun. “We didn’t really think of [physical] retailing, but it seems like there are people who prefer to come and see them,” he explains.

A toll on his life

Over 10 years on, his revenue numbers are healthy, although recently dampened by growing online competition.

He earns enough to provide for his ageing mother and spoil his one-year-old granddaughter, whom he clearly adores. “She is my only motivation [in life] now,” he tells me.

But his work has also taken a toll on his personal life.

After the initial shock, his family — including his two daughters — accepted Goh’s new business venture. “They are so supportive,” he effuses.

In dating, however, it has proved more of a hindrance.

Goh tells me that after his divorce, he tried to find a new partner. “There would be some very nice dates, we’d go for dinner and drinks,” he recalls.

“[But] when I tell them I am selling adult toys… you can sense the sudden change in mood.”

After he turned 50, he decided to make peace with his singlehood. It isn’t all bad, he no longer has to think about dyeing his hair and looking fit.

But singlehood has also left him more reclusive. His daughters are his “only inner circle”; he seldom leaves the house except to work.

“My friends… I shut myself away, I cocooned myself away from them. Maybe I feel embarrassed to see them. I am not sure. I do not know why. "

Finding meaning

While there is some residual shame, Goh makes it clear: he loves his work. Loves the strategy, the drive, the financial security.

When he first started the business, he had a “very old-fashioned mindset” and didn’t know how to use the computer.

But he has since learnt graphic design, product design, and SEO. He’s even using Claude to pull data analytics from his website.

And then there are the customers.

He tells me about how an older woman once came in with her adult son, enquiring about a sex doll. He had autism, and she wanted him to have a companion.

Then there was another man. His mother suffered from severe dementia and had always longed for him to get married.

So he brought home a doll and told her that it was her daughter-in-law.

“There was no intimacy between him and the doll,” Goh explains. He just wanted to make his ageing mother happy.

It is this day-to-day that keeps him going. “I just love the job so much, I don’t know how to quit,” he tells me.

The prospect of retirement

Goh says he hopes to make “redemption”. He entered the business for his family, to provide for them even when his body failed him.

Now, family is the only thing that can tempt him to leave for good. He tells me about his recent family trip to Osaka, how happy he was spending time with everyone.

“[My granddaughter] calls me ‘gong gong’. It melts my heart,” he tells me.

“Constantly seeing my granddaughter… that could be something that might push me to retire.”

As I wrap up the interview and walk around the store to take photos, I notice Goh on a video call at his desk.

It is a strange portrait, the old man video-calling his granddaughter from a sex shop. Oblivious, or at least dispassionate, to the rows and rows of sex toys behind him.

“Come home later and see you OK?” he promises.

Abdul El-Sayed is the new senator of Michigan.

The 42-year-old Democratic candidate beat his Republican counterpart Mike Rogers by a margin of almost 6%, according to the Associated Press.

He is not only one of the youngest members in the U.S. Senate, but also the first Muslim senator in the country's history.

Born to Egyptian immigrant parents, he was a trained medical doctor, held a PhD in public health from Oxford, and served as health director for the city of Detroit.

In his victory speech, he said:

"Up until about now, you might have noticed that we say 'inshallah', or God willing, whenever the outcome of this race was mentioned. But today, tonight, we can turn that 'inshallah' into an 'alhamdulillah' (praise be to God)."

EL-SAYED: Michigan, we did it. And I am so proud and honored to stand here as your senator-elect from the great state of Michigan. https://t.co/wNEX6UqdCa

— Acyn (@Acyn) November 4, 2026

All eyes on Michigan

The battle between El-Sayed and Rogers was one of the most talked-about races in the 2026 midterm elections for various reasons.

For one, the state of Michigan itself is a highly contested swing state, meaning that neither party has a strong grip on the populace.

In the past few presidential elections, the state voted for Donald Trump in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and went back to Trump in 2024.

This makes Michigan an important battleground in American politics, as compared to some other states which may be Democratic or Republican strongholds.

Personal attacks

However, El-Sayed's name soon spread far beyond the borders of Michigan as attacks began to mount on his race and religion.

Trump himself insulted El-Sayed on several occasions, misnaming him as 'Mohamed' in one instance.

In response to El-Sayed winning the Democratic primary over candidate Haley Stevens, Trump called El-Sayed a "communist loser who hates Jews and Israel", reported The Guardian.

El-Sayed has also faced numerous accusations of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic fundamentalist organisation.

He has denied those claims, emphasising that he was not running to be “a Muslim senator; I am running for Senate and happen to be Muslim.”

He instead focused his campaign on the cost-of-living-crisis, adopting the slogan "Money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all", calling for universal healthcare in the U.S.

Democrat positions

El-Sayed has even attracted criticism from within his own party.

Haley Stevens, the Democratic senatorial candidate who El-Sayed defeated in the primary, initially endorsed him.

However, she later got into a dispute with him over allegations of antisemitism, reported The New York Times (NYT).

She later released a video on X announcing that she was endorsing and would vote for Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate.

The fallout attracted significant media attention, and Stevens was soon swiftly denounced by the Democratic establishment, who expelled her from the party, according to the NYT.

As a progressive Democrat, El-Sayed is critical of U.S. support of Israel, saying that he would support any plan that "a free Palestinian people and a free Jewish Israeli people decide is the right outcome."

His policy positions are also defined by his critique of corporatism, and has called for a greater wealth tax.

During his campaign, he received endorsements from not only left-leaning Democrats such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but also established figures including former U.S. president Barack Obama.

Companies that cause or contribute to overseas land or forest fires posing a risk of haze pollution in Singapore could face fines of up to S$20 million, ten times the current maximum of S$2 million, under proposed amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA).

The maximum daily fine for the main offence will increase tenfold, from S$100,000 to S$1 million, and this is capped at S$20 million.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu outlined the proposed changes to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act in Parliament on Nov. 4.

The amendments follow Singapore's most severe haze episode since 2015, with investigations into the September to October 2026 episode still ongoing.

They seek to address enforcement challenges and enable authorities to intervene earlier.

Fu said the authorities needed better ways to obtain and verify information, trace complex corporate relationships and impose meaningful consequences on errant entities, even where criminal prosecution proved difficult.

"We also need to be able to intervene earlier before haze pollution reaches Singapore," she added.

Higher fines and new civil penalties

Beyond raising the maximum fines for the main offence, the amendments will allow courts to impose additional penalties on convicted entities based on profits gained or losses avoided from committing an offence.

Other penalties under the Act will also increase proportionately.

"This increase was calibrated with reference to existing legislation and the financial scale of the companies involved," Fu said.

A new civil penalty framework will also be introduced, allowing the National Environment Agency (NEA), with the Public Prosecutor's consent, to seek penalties of up to S$10 million through civil court proceedings.

The framework provides an alternative to criminal prosecution, although entities cannot face both civil and criminal penalties for the same case.

"This will give NEA more flexibility in deciding how to deal with contraventions and to deal with those who seek to hide from our criminal jurisdiction," Fu said.

Under the amendments, the Director-General of Environmental Protection will be empowered to require entities with suspected links to haze pollution in Singapore to appoint independent assessors at their own expense.

Earlier intervention and stronger enforcement powers

The amendments will also expand the Act to cover conduct that causes or contributes to overseas land or forest fires posing a risk of haze pollution in Singapore, even if the haze has not reached the country.

This will allow authorities to take preventive action before haze reaches Singapore, with NEA assessing risks based on factors including the distance of fires from Singapore, the duration and extent of burning, and prevailing wind and weather conditions.

The woman behind a fundraiser for the six-year-old son of a couple killed in a Tampines accident has addressed questions over whether the drive is legitimate.

She said every donation was logged "to ensure complete transparency" and that the money would go only towards the boy’s education, medical costs, and other needs.

The accident

The fatal accident took place at Tampines Avenue 12 on Oct. 29.

The child's parents, both 24, died after a car crashed into their motorcycle and another car.

The woman was reportedly one month pregnant.

A 30-year-old man has been handed nine charges, including one for dangerous driving causing death.

Doubts raised about fundraiser

The boy’s aunt first posted a PayNow QR code on her Instagram story for those wishing to help.

However, over the weekend, a Facebook user urged people to stop sharing it, saying: "Stop sharing the donation and do not scan the PayNow. We don’t know this person."

The boy's aunt then launched a fundraiser on Give.Asia and responded to the concerns in a series of stories on Instagram.

According to her, she first put up the PayNow code as relatives, friends, and followers wanted to know how they could donate.

She later shifted to Give.Asia after interest in the case grew.

Contributions made through PayNow were recorded properly, and the QR code has expired, she said.

She added that she had cleared up any misunderstandings with the concerned individuals, and noted that setting up a fundraiser in Singapore requires documentation and verification.

Updates on the fundraiser

As of 11am on Nov. 4, the fundraiser on Give.Asia has raised over S$470,000.

On the page, the organiser said she began the drive as the boy’s aunt, and that it is "deeply personal" to her because the late father was her cousin, whom she saw as a younger brother.

"The male victim was my cousin, but I have always regarded him as my little brother. I watched him grow up right before my eyes, and he has been part of our family for as long as I can remember."

In an update on the fundraising page on Nov. 3, she thanked donors, describing the response as "truly overwhelming, far beyond what we ever expected".

"We are deeply touched by every single donation, regardless of the amount, as well as every beautiful message, prayer and word of encouragement shared. Knowing that so many people care about his well-being and future means more to us than words can express."

She also announced that the campaign would be closed on Nov. 12, which would have been the late father's 25th birthday.

She stressed that all donations are meant only for the child’s welfare and future.

The boy's aunt added that the family plans to consult a lawyer about setting up a suitable trust or fund.

It is also working with both sides of the family and the relevant authorities on arrangements for the boy's care and legal guardianship, she said.

"We are doing our best to ensure that the appropriate decisions are made in his best interests."

Indonesian media outlet The Jakarta Post published a commentary piece on Nov. 3 urging Indonesia to not turn "shared problems into nationalist confrontations".

The article title read: "Indonesia returns to old habit of blaming and bullying Singapore".

The commentary comes after recent tensions between Singapore and Indonesia over cross-border haze and natural gas exports.

The Jakarta Post's piece, written by Abdul Khalik of Omong-Omong Media, called for the country to demonstrate that it can "govern itself effectively, protect its citizens and capture a fair share of the value its economy creates".

The returning haze

Jakarta Post noted that Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto has treated complaints about the haze as "insults to Indonesia".

"But what exactly should Indonesia be proud of when its forests continue to burn, its people breathe polluted air and neighboring countries suffer the consequences?"

The outlet also highlighted that behind the fires are "powerful commercial interests that profit while ordinary people pay the price".

The transboundary haze has also affected Singapore, which has since enacted its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to hold companies accountable.

However, this has been portrayed as "an affront to Indonesian sovereignty", Jakarta Post noted.

"Yet Singapore has a legitimate responsibility to protect its citizens from pollution crossing its borders," it stated.

Cutting natural gas exports

It was previously announced that Indonesia will begin cutting natural gas exports to Singapore by 31 billion British thermal units per day (BBTUD) from Oct. 24.

Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia also stated on Nov. 3 that the country could continue exporting electricity to Singapore, provided the transaction price is advantageous for Indonesia.

Jakarta Post acknowledged in its article that the Indonesian government has a legitimate obligation to secure energy for domestic supply.

However, it noted that the reduction came amid "increasingly confrontational rhetoric about countries that supposedly fail to respect Indonesia".

While the gas decision was not explicitly linked to the haze dispute, the timing raises questions about whether "economic interdependence is becoming another instrument of political signaling," it said.

"A confident government explains its constraints, establishes transparent rules and negotiates adjustments. It does not turn every disagreement into a test of national respect."

Just days earlier on Oct. 28, Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan met Prabowo during his visit to Jakarta, where they committed to working together to tackle issues such as the haze.

Asean cooperation

Jakarta Post called for cooperation among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, saying it cannot afford to have its members turn shared problems into nationalist confrontations.

It urged Prabowo to demonstrate at the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Manila that Indonesia can defend its interests without using regional diplomacy to "distract from failures at home".

While the outlet acknowledged that Indonesia should scrutinise Singapore's commercial and strategic interests when necessary, it also suggested that the country should emulate Singapore’s institutional strengths.

"Indonesia’s challenge is not to prove that it is bigger than Singapore.

It is to demonstrate that a country with extraordinary resources can govern itself effectively, protect its citizens and capture a fair share of the value its economy creates.

Singapore is not the cause of Indonesia’s domestic dysfunction. It is a convenient target for leaders unwilling to confront it."

The government will not mandate personal guarantees for corporate residential tenancies, as "a blanket mandatory rule" would take away flexibility, restrict genuine arrangements and "impose unnecessary burdens on legitimate transactions", said Senior Minister of State for Law and Transport, Murali Pillai, on Nov. 4.

"At the same time, imposing such a requirement might not stop someone determined to cheat, who could appoint a director with no assets to give the guarantee", said Murali.

"All commercial transactions involve some level of risk, so we encourage landlords to conduct due diligence before entering into a tenancy, and there are resources to help them."

Murali was fielding questions in parliament posed by Members of Parliament (MPs) from both sides of the House on safeguards and protections for landlords against tenants, citing the Kembangan rental dispute.

Murali concluded: "While the plight of the elderly landlords in this case deserve our sympathy", the government "must be responsible and strike a coherent balance in the law".

Questions posed

Before the parliamentary questions were asked, Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng said he wanted to highlight that the questions are related to the case of Noranth Ventures Pte. Ltd. versus Loo Kin Ben & Anor that may be pending in court, advising members to exercise caution.

People's Action Party (PAP) MP for Yio Chu Kang, Yip Hon Weng, asked whether the government will consider legislative measures to hold directors personally liable or mandate personal guarantees for corporate residential tenancies and what legal safeguards will prevent exploitation of corporate structures to delay eviction and property recovery.

Workers' Party (WP) MP for Aljunied, Fadli Fawzi, also questioned whether the government will consider introducing legislative measures to afford greater protection to landlords against tenants who enter into tenancy agreements with no intention of paying rent.

Law does not allow companies to be used as cover for fraud

In response, Murali explained how companies lease residential properties for legitimate reasons and noted that when a company signs a lease, it is liable for the rent and not its directors or shareholders.

He called it a "fundamental principle of company law, and it facilitates the conduct of business."

"However, the law does not allow companies to be used as a cover for fraud, or allow the individuals who set up the companies to evade responsibilities."

Besides possible criminal penalties, those involved can be made personally responsible for the company's debts, Murali added.

Murali noted that where the court finds fraudulent or wrongful trading, "the court can disregard the corporate form where it is abused for an improper purpose."

Hence, Murali said the law already provides safeguards and that "landlords are already free to require personal guarantees from directors or other individuals before leasing their properties to companies".

He added that landlords can decide whether to do so based on their assessment of risks of each tenancy.

The ongoing Kembangan case in question

Murali began by highlighting, "As the court proceedings are ongoing, I will confine my comments on the case to what is in the judgement, and then set out what the authorities are doing."

In the Kembangan case, a company leased a house from an elderly couple for S$7,500 a month, paying rent for only one month and half the deposit before stopping payments.

He said that one of the company's directors continued living in the home with his family, and when the family tried to take back their home, his company applied to the court to stop them.

The district court later dismissed the company's application as a plain abuse of process and found that the man had allegedly devised a deliberate scheme to rent the house with no intention of paying rent, following a similar pattern in other tenancies.

"The official receiver is also investigating possible fraudulent trading and wrongful trading offences, and the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) is also looking into potential breaches of the Companies Act by the relevant entities and individuals."

The official receiver is a public officer appointed by the High Court, whose role includes investigating wrongful trading offences, acting as liquidator in compulsory winding-up cases, and overseeing private liquidators.

Those found guilty may face a sentence of 10 years' jail, a fine, or caning or both.

“As investigations are ongoing. I will not say more. Nothing I have said should be taken as a view on whether an offence has been committed,” Murali said.

According to the Judiciary's website, the next case conference for the case is on Nov. 11, 2026.

Resources for landlords

Murali pointed to resources for landlords, including a checklist published by the Council for Estate Agencies on residential rental transactions.

The checklist for renting to a corporate tenant also includes verifying the company's registration details with ACRA.

Murali also highlighted the Distress Act where landlords can go to court without notice to claim for errors in rent for subsisting tenancies for expedited proceedings for recovery of arrears in rent.

"The burden on us on this side of the house in government is to go beyond expressing sympathies to these two groups of people... and see whatever policies we implement in favour of one would not unduly burden the other."

Murali concluded, saying the government will continue regularly reviewing the law and make adjustments where needed.