Singapore's relationship with Malaysia is a unique one that dates back centuries, and which has brought mutual benefits and development to both countries, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

But it "has never been, and must never be, a purely transactional relationship," he stressed.

In an interview with Malaysian media outlet Bernama published on Jul. 12, President Tharman spoke about the bilateral ties between both countries, particularly against a backdrop of growing geopolitical uncertainty and conflict.

The president will be on a state visit to Malaysia from Jul. 12 to 15, 2026, on the invitation of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Agong (King) of Malaysia.

In 2024, he hosted the king for a state visit to Singapore.

Ties of history and pragmatism

The interview opened with questions about the future of Singapore-Malaysia relations, and the significance and symbolism of his visit.

The state visit is part of a "longstanding tradition", which demonstrates the importance both countries place on bilateral relations, President Tharman said.

Apart from shared culture and history, he pointed to both countries' highly integrated, mutually beneficial economies.

He cited the Johor-Singapore Causeway, the world's busiest land border crossing, as an example of this relationship.

And while Singapore and Malaysia may disagree occasionally — "as is natural between close neighbours" — both countries must nonetheless continue to work through their differences, he said.

"It is precisely that approach, of addressing differences squarely rather than ignoring them... that has built trust and goodwill over time."

Mutual respect

Over the past 60 years, both countries have built up a partnership through mutual respect and understanding of each other's interests.

This accumulated trust is particularly important in an increasingly troubled world, he said.

"It is no secret that Singapore and Malaysia have over the years had to sort out a number of sensitive and complex bilateral issues," he continued.

"Yet, successive governments on both sides have consistently chosen not to be bogged down by these issues.

Instead, we have sought to resolve them calmly, based on mutual respect and adherence to international law."

Singapore and Malaysia's example of diplomacy "reinforces the importance of dialogue, restraint, respect for sovereignty, and abiding by a rules-based order".

Such an approach is especially relevant amid growing global turbulence, the president noted.

Working together

Beyond agreements like Asean's Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), President Tharman said both countries are making joint investments for the future.

This includes the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and the RTS Link.

With a fractured global trade system, it is imperative that both countries deepen integration within the region, joining up their markets to increase their value proposition to the world.

While it may come naturally the earlier generations, regular engagement on both sides should now be "encouraged and facilitated pro-actively", he added.

This includes a greater take-up of bilateral exchange programmes, joint internships, youth leadership forums, and collaborative community projects.

Friendliness of Malaysians leaves the deepest impression

On a more personal note, Tharman was asked about his favourite Malaysian food and memorable experiences from his past trips to Malaysia.

Tharman replied: "Of course, Malaysian food has always been appealing, with different states having their own slant on dishes that are also favourites in Singapore, like laksa."

But he remarked that the natural warmth and friendliness of Malaysians had left the deepest impression on him.

"I will never forget the days I spent with villagers in Kedah’s rice-growing heartland, almost 50 years ago."

He said these interactions showed him "how generous and kind the human spirit could be".

He concluded the interview with the phrase "jiran sepakat membawa berkat" — Malay for "neighbours in agreement bring blessings" — calling it apt to his state visit.

"Malaysia and Singapore have found in each other a reliable friend and partner. Our cooperation over 60 years has brought mutual benefit and development to both our countries.

We should keep that basic belief in our minds: we are each better for working together, respecting, and having affection for each other.

Let our hearts shake hands."

Results coming in from the Jul. 11 Johor state election indicate that the Barisan Nasional coalition looks to have increased its state assembly supermajority, with only the Pakatan Harapan coalition of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim left in opposition with a diminished seat count.

Time to build

Polls closed at 6pm, and by 8:30pm, BN leaders had declared victory, claiming that according to unofficial counts, they had won 31 out of 56 seats, more than enough for a simple majority, as reported by the Malay Mail and New Straits Times.

Although official results will likely take a few days, unofficially, BN felt confident enough to not just claim overall victory, but a supermajority too.

At around 9pm, incumbent Menteri Besar (chief minister) Onn Hafiz Ghazi thanked voters for the result, and pledged to serve all Johoreans, saying “whether they supported us or not is unimportant," according to the Malay Mail.

“Now is the time to build the Johor we always dreamed of,” Onn Hafiz said, adding that his focus was now on continuing efforts to develop the state, as well as improving Johoreans' wellbeing.

Five seats lost, one seat gained?

By 9:45pm, PH election director Amirudin Shari said that PH had won eight seats, six coming from the Democratic Action Party, one from Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat, and one from Amanah, according to Free Malaysia Today.

It appears that PKR has won one seat from third party Muda, suggesting that it lost its incumbent seat.

In the outgoing state assembly, BN held a supermajority of 40 seats, with PH winning 12, Perikatan Nasional winning three, and Syed Saddiq’s MUDA winning one.

This means that the multi-racial DAP has lost four seats, suggesting a loss of faith not just amongst voters, but amongst the Chinese and Indian voters that form the core of its support.

Amirudin said that the coalition accepted the outcome, and would continue to serve the people, as quoted by the Malay Mail.

Voter rebound

Voter turnout appears to have recovered from the low of 55 per cent in 2022.

As of 5pm, voter turnout had reached nearly 67.5 per cent, with Free Malaysia Today reporting that nearly 1.8 million people had voted in the election, according to the Malaysian Election Commission.

Turnout is expected to reach at least 70 per cent, with the EC citing strong public interest during the campaign period.

Wipeout

In recent months, the PN coalition has fractured.

While leaders of Parti Islam se-Malaysia and Bersatu, the main two parties in the coalition, advocated for Malay unity at a national level, the schism between the two parties widened, leading to near total fracture.

Still coalition-mates for the Johor election, they were unable to field candidates for all seats, with PAS leader Abdul Hadi Awang instead urging voters to vote for BN where PN was not standing.

Free Malaysia Today reports that PAS leaders will not speak to press on Jul. 11, and would wait for official results before commenting.

It looks like voters may have listened, but not closely enough; by 10pm, it looked like PN would lose all three of its seats, including the Bukit Kepong seat held by Sahruddin Jamal, a former MB.

Other third parties, like former PH leader Rafizi Ramli’s Bersama lost deposits in at least three of 10 seats it was running in, and MUDA looks set to lose its one seat.

What’s next?

The Johor state election is the start of a mini-election season, with Negeri Sembilan holding its own state election on Aug. 1, and Melaka and Sarawak expected to hold elections by the end of the year.

Like Johor, BN and PH will square off again, after PH said it would contest all 36 seats in Negeri Sembilan.

There are suggestions that the state elections are all precursors to a general election.

The current unity government, consisting of PH, BN’s anchor party UMNO, and several East Malaysian parties, is required to hold new elections by February 2027, although fresh elections are expected sooner.

American fitness influencer Connor Murphy, who was found dead in Thailand, had allegedly started injecting gold into himself before his death.

The 32-year-old apparently drowned after jumping into a lake at a housing estate in Samut Prakan, Thailand, on the evening of Jul. 7, Bangkok Post and Khaosod reported.

He had acted erratically before the drowning, and the house he had rented had also been trashed.

Murphy was well known in the “looksmaxxing” community, made up of young males who would go to extreme lengths to enhance their physical appearance.

Injecting gold

Fellow “looksmaxxer” influencer, Androgenic, has since told news.com.au that Murphy had started injecting gold weeks before his death.

He claimed Murphy had "descended into complete madness" and developed "this fixation on gold", believing the metal gave him special powers.

Another friend and bodybuilder, Tony Huge, also told TMZ he had warned Murphy about the amount of gold he was injecting.

According to Huge, Murphy initially used gold to "enhance" his skin colour and give him "superhuman" abilities.

Murphy first experimented with medical-grade gold about a year ago before later switching to less costly gold purchased from jewellery shops in Thailand.

Huge said Murphy claimed each injection made him feel stronger and happier.

Over time, his dosages increased to the point where he wanted to inject as much gold as possible.

Huge added that although he initially noticed what appeared to be positive changes in Murphy, he only realised the extent of the harm the gold was causing shortly before Murphy's death.

A 40-year-old former Singapore Airlines (SIA) stewardess suddenly passed away on Jul. 9, 2026, about two weeks after she slipped and fractured her ankle.

Venecia Ng had undergone what was expected to be a straightforward ankle surgery, and appeared to be recovering well.

However, she collapsed in the hospital after complaining of breathlessness, and did not regain consciousness.

Her death certificate, seen by Mothership, states her cause of death as multi-organ failure following pulmonary thromboembolism, a condition where blood clots block the arteries in the lungs.

Slipped on wet tiles while crossing to work

Ng's close friend of 18 years, Magdalene Tay, 39, told Mothership that the pair had joined SIA around the same time in January 2008.

Ng served as a flight stewardess for about 10 years, before moving on to a role at Thomson Medical, where she was working at the time of her fall.

On Jun. 22, Ng was crossing from a shophouse office, where Thomson Medical houses some of its staff, to the hospital building when she slipped on yellow tactile paving tiles that had become slippery after rain, Tay said.

The fall left her with a fractured ankle, and she underwent surgery on Jun. 30.

Extended hospital stay

According to Tay, Ng was expected to be discharged the day after her operation on Jul. 1, but decided to extend her stay by one more day as she was experiencing pain in her leg.

Tay said she appeared well after the surgery — even joking about her injury in a social media post.

However, in the wee hours of Jul. 2, she complained of breathlessness and collapsed shortly afterwards.

Tay said they were informed that Ng's heart had stopped, and that the medical team performed manual resuscitation for about two hours before she was placed on an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine, a life-support machine that takes over the work of the heart and lungs.

Ng was then transferred to the intensive care unit at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital.

She never regained consciousness, and died on Jul. 9 at about 5:05pm.

Tay said:

"It is heartbreaking and shocking that what began as an ankle injury ended in such a tragic loss.”

"A ball of sunshine to many"

Tay described her friend as selfless, bubbly and cheerful. Ng was someone who always put others before herself and stood up for her friends and colleagues.

That selflessness showed even in Ng's hardest moments.

Seven years ago, Ng suffered a mid-term miscarriage, losing her baby Raelyn.

Tay recalled how Ng, even while grieving her pregnancy loss and struggling to conceive, never failed to check in regularly on Tay's sister, who had cancer at the time.

"That's how selfless she is. She is bubbly, she's cheerful and a ball of sunshine to many!"

In a heartfelt tribute posted on Instagram, Tay wrote that she had "lost a buddy but Raelyn gained her mummy".

Commenting on the attendance at Ng's wake, Tay said:

"Her wake is full tonight, so many people shared so many good things about her. A life well lived albeit too short. The hearts and lives she has touched with her sincerity and kindness brought so many people together tonight.

Venie, it's full house, bloody full house."

She told Mothership that the wake was filled with people from all walks of life — "a true reflection of the many lives she touched".

"In the midst of the grief, there was also warmth and joy in celebrating her life. It felt exactly the way she would have wanted it — bringing people together, just as she always did."

In her post, Tay shared photos of the pair from their flying days, adding that Ng was "gone too soon".

"I knew you were great but I didn't know you were THIS GREAT. I got so damn busy becos of you, you better meet me in my dreams soon! I love you"

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Anime shop Otaku House at Plaza Singapura will be closing in August after nearly two decades.

In an Instagram post on Jul. 9, the shop stated that after 17 years there, its last day of operations will be on Aug. 16.

To mark the end of its journey at the mall, Otaku House will be holding a sale with 40 per cent off its items, which include toys, collectables, plushies and other anime merchandise.

It currently has three other outlets at Jewel Changi Airport, PLQ Mall and Suntec City.

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A post shared by Mystery Market Singapore (@mysterymarketsg)

Plaza Singapura revamp

This comes soon after the news of Golden Village shutting its doors at Plaza Singapura.

The mall is embarking on a major S$160 million revamp, with works slated to start in phases from the third quarter of 2026.

This would include reconfiguration of retail and food and beverage (F&B) units, the linkway on level one, bridge works on level three, as well as reconfiguration works on level seven.

CapitaLand said in a circular that the mall would remain operational and open for business as usual.

"General access within Plaza Singapura and to your premises will be maintained and efforts will be put in to minimise disruptions to your business operations," said CapitaLand.

Speaking to CNA, CapitaLand said it had been engaging tenants progressively on the revamp since the start of 2026, informing them of the timeline and scope before works commence.

It has also been "working closely" with tenants on "suitable options tailored to their business needs", its spokesperson said.

A 62-year-old woman in Taiwan was driving to a temple when she crashed her car on Jul. 9.

According to CTS News, passers-by rushed to help and found that her daughter was sitting unresponsive in the passenger seat.

It was later discovered that the daughter had been dead even before the car accident.

The woman was believed to be taking her 37-year-old daughter to the temple to pray after refusing to believe she was dead, Sin Chew Daily reported.

Investigations found that the woman, surnamed Chen (transliteration), had been taking turns caring for her daughter, who suffers from a chronic illness, with her sister for over 30 years.

Accident

CCTV footage showed the car veering off course and crashing into a motorcycle and a temple flag on the side of the road.

According to witnesses, the woman had initially tried to flee but a group of people stopped her.

The authorities were called after witnesses found the unconscious daughter inside the car.

Police later confirmed the woman was dead, and estimated that she had died two to three days earlier, reported CTS News.

One witness described the dead body inside the car as "creepy", saying her face was swollen.

A forensic pathologist stated that the body presented signs of rigour mortis, which did not coincide with the time of the accident.

The police also found no external injuries on the deceased and Chen also tested negative for alcohol, Sin Chew reported.

A Malaysian paediatrician in Perth who is accused of sexually abusing children, including his own young patients, has been granted home detention bail, even as four fresh child sex charges were laid against him.

Chia Liang Saw, 41, now faces a total of 57 charges, up from the 53 he had been facing, after he appeared at Perth Magistrates Court on Friday (Jul. 10) via video link, Australian media reported.

From two charges to 57

Saw, a dual Malaysian-Australian citizen, was first arrested and charged in May with one count of persistent sexual conduct with a child, and one count of possessing child exploitation material, according to WAtoday.

His 57 charges now include multiple counts of producing child exploitation material, indecently dealing with and indecently recording children, one count of sexual penetration of a child over 13 and under 16, and 20 counts of using electronic communication to procure a child to engage in sexual activity, reported ABC News.

Allegedly filmed abuse on hidden cameras

It is alleged that Saw installed hidden cameras in his Nedlands and Midland consulting rooms, where he treated children with behavioural issues, and recorded himself abusing them, reported ABC News.

The alleged victims are mainly young female patients aged between 12 and 15, who had been receiving treatment for behavioural issues.

The others include a 10-year-old girl who police allege was abused in a home, and a child allegedly exploited online in 2022.

The court heard that Saw had allegedly stalked victims via social media, and had used the Sugar Daddy dating website.

Saw's lawyer Alex Smith said the clinic recordings were allegedly made to protect Saw against any accusations of "untoward behaviour".

The lawyer acknowledged that his client's name was now "mud", but noted that Saw had no criminal record.

Home detention

The magistrate granted Saw home detention bail after a report deemed his home address suitable, according to WAtoday, and imposed more than a dozen conditions.

Saw must remain at his home address, wear an electronic monitoring device, and will not be released from Hakea Prison until the monitoring is installed and approved at the property.

He is barred from coming within 50m of his alleged victims, from any unsupervised contact with children under 16 apart from his own, and must surrender any working with children card or authority.

He was also ordered to provide a AUD$500,000 (S$450,000) personal undertaking, along with a AUD$750,000 (S$675,000) surety.

The magistrate placed strict limits on Saw's access to communication devices as well, requiring that police be given the subscription number of any device within 48 hours, and barring social media apps from being installed.

Passport seized

Given his dual citizenship, Saw has had his passport seized, and has been ordered not to leave Western Australia or to come within 100m of the Malaysian consulate, reported WAtoday.

Smith said Saw's wife and children had voluntarily moved out of the family home, and that a "large suite of protections" had been put in place to guard against any re-offending.

Saw is listed in the Malaysian Medical Council's registered doctor database, with his graduating institution stated as the International Medical University in Kuala Lumpur, the South China Morning Post reported.

When asked, his lawyer declined to comment on his nationality.

Saw is next due to appear in court on Oct. 30 for a committal hearing.

Four people were taken to the hospital after they were stung by hornets near Redhill Market.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed with Mothership that they received a call for assistance along Redhill Lane at about 1:30pm on Jul. 10.

According to Shin Min Daily News, two men and two women were attacked by the hornets, which apparently came from a huge hive on a tree.

A woman in her 70s had her ears and hands stung.

Passerby stungs

A Shin Min reporter at the scene spoke to a man surnamed Chen (transliteration), vice-chairman of the market's merchants' association, who was helping direct pedestrians away from the hornet nest.

Chen said he was having coffee when he heard people shouting that there were hornets in a nearby tree.

He said an elderly man had been chased by the hornets, causing him to fall.

According to Chen, an elderly woman was the most seriously injured and ran into a nearby toilet to wash her hair.

A market stall owner, Mei Zhen (transliteration), told Shin Min that she found the woman frantically combing through her hair over a sink.

She claimed that there were over 10 hornets swarming around the woman, with some crawling out of her hair.

The woman then weakly asked her to call an ambulance.

Mei Zhen added that the woman's ears were red, swollen and bleeding, and that she had visible sting marks on her hands. The woman also complained of headaches and dizziness.

Another stallowner later brought over a chair with wheels, and with the help of several passers-by, wheeled the semi-conscious woman out of the toilet, Shin Min reported.

Hornet nest removed

Tanjong Pagar Town Council told Shin Min it received a report at about 1pm on Friday about a hornet nest in a tree along the pavement between 78 Redhill Lane and a nearby petrol station.

The affected area was immediately cordoned off, and a pest control contractor was deployed to remove the nest.

The nest has since been safely removed, and the area has been reopened to the public.

The town council advised residents who encounter a hornet nest or aggressive hornets to remain calm, move away immediately and seek shelter in a nearby building.

It also reminded the public not to disturb or attempt to remove hornet nests themselves.

Anyone who is stung should leave the area immediately, the town council said.

Those experiencing a severe allergic reaction or requiring emergency medical attention should call 995 for an ambulance.

According to the National Parks Board (NParks), members of the public who come across a bee or wasp hive are advised to keep their distance and avoid approaching, provoking or touching the hive.

They can call the NParks’ Helpline at 1800-471-7300.

Those who find themselves swarmed by bees or wasps should cover their head and run toward shelter, as this disorients the attacking insects.

Do not swat at the insects as this will cause them to become more aggressive, NParks said.

A video of an elderly person apparently relieving themselves at a community garden in Singapore has sparked debate online, with some criticising the act while others calling for more compassion towards the individual.

The nine-second clip was posted on Jul. 9 by Facebook user Tan Kai Chih Roger to the Facebook group Complaint Singapore.

In the video, an elderly person in a red top is seen crouching above a planter at the community garden, with their pants pulled down to their knees.

They then wipe themselves with tissue before discarding it on the ground.

In his post, Tan wrote: "Was so disgusted by what I saw this afternoon. What's the rush?! Coffeeshop toilet is just nearby."

He added in the comments section that he had reported the incident via the OneService app, and that the National Environment Agency (NEA) would be sending someone to "clean the area".

The post drew mixed reactions.

Some found humour in the situation, while others called for empathy, stating that the person might have incontinence issues

"Please have a little more compassion for the weak and vulnerable in our society and try to understand. One day we'll all grow old and may face incontinence," they said.

NEA responds

In response to Mothership's queries, NEA said urinating or defecating in public is an offence under the Environmental Public Health (Public Cleansing) Regulations, with offenders liable to a maximum fine of S$1,000 for a first conviction.

NEA said that it "will not hesitate to take action against any person found committing such unhygienic and socially irresponsible acts".

Members of the public who observe such acts may utilise NEA's online feedback form or myENV mobile application to report the details of the incident.

Messaging platform WhatsApp is planning to introduce usernames as part of a privacy feature for users to hide their phone numbers.

Before the new feature officially rolls out, the platform has already locked down high-profile usernames of politicians in Singapore, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

This includes usernames for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Various permutations of these politicians’ names have also been locked, such @lawrencewong, @LawrenceW0ng, @Lawrence_Wong, and @LawrenceWongg.

Checks by Mothership found that usernames for Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam were not available as well.

Some permutations of usernames for Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing were also unavailable.

Preventing imposters

The lockdown was implemented to protect against impersonation so that the usernames can be claimed by their legitimate owners, WhatsApp told ST.

This prevents impostors from claiming the names of these public figures, government entities or celebrities, they said.

Handles used by fraudsters can feature visually similar characters or subtle spelling differences with convincing profile pictures to look legitimate, said Santiago Pontiroli, threat intelligence research lead at cyber protection company Acronis’ Threat Research Unit.

As such, lookalike derivatives of known names are held as well.

New privacy feature

WhatsApp announced the new feature in a blog post on Jun. 29, letting users reserve a username on a first-come first-serve basis ahead of the official roll-out.

The change means that a user can now enable their account to be found only by their username and keep their phone number private.

The platform said they have a username generator for those who needs help choosing a username.

Meanwhile, creators, small businesses, and organisations who may want to maintain a consistent presence online can claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp.

Users can go to the latest version of WhatsApp, go to settings, then account, and enter a username.

Those who choose not to select a username can continue to use their mobile number.

Safeguards

Users can report impersonators through WhatsApp's website if there is a dispute over a username, after which the platform will review the case and take appropriate action, ST reported.

Additionally, users will be prevented from browsing a username directory — a sender will need to know the exact username before they can start a conversation with someone new.

Other than that, users can also opt to give the other party a four-digit code to initiate a new conversation.

WhatsApp will also block repeated attempts to guess usernames, detect and remove suspicious accounts, and limit the number of new contacts an account can message.