• Senior Minister, Chairman of the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam,
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, and;
• Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu;

met with senior leaders of the 10 Singapore-based companies served legal notices over the transboundary haze on Oct. 28.

During the meeting, SM Shanmugam outlined what the government expects of the companies and how they will be assessed under the notices.

"I have asked to meet you personally because the haze situation is serious. We want to be clear about the government's position. And what we expect from each of you."

He also revealed that the government also intends to table amendments to the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) in Parliament in November.

The 10 firms involved are:

• ⁠Asia Pulp & Paper Company Limited
• Asia Pulp & Paper Company (China) Limited
• Bumitama Agri Ltd
• Golden Agri International Pte Ltd
• ⁠First Resources Ltd
• Indofood Agri Resources Ltd
• Kencana Agri Ltd
• TSH Global Plantation Pte Ltd
• TSH Oversea Pte Ltd
• Wilmar International Ltd

All were represented at the meeting, with eight representatives present, as Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and TSH Global Plantation and TSH Overseas each shared representatives across their entities.

"Not routine requests for information"

SM Shanmugam said all companies have a corporate presence and stake in Singapore, as well as a responsibility to ensure that their operations and supply chains do not contribute to the haze.

The government takes this seriously and is determined to act, he stressed.

"We will pursue all available legal and regulatory avenues. We will use all the powers we have to establish responsibility, where there is responsibility.

And we will hold those responsible to account.

And if the facts show that there is no wrongdoing – we will proceed on that basis as well."

On Oct. 23, it was announced that the National Environment Agency (NEA) served legal notices under the THPA to the 10 firms.

Through the notices, it is seeking details on the companies' links to associated firms, their land concessions, fire prevention measures, and firefighting efforts by the firms or their associated companies on the ground.

"These are formal statutory notices," SM Shanmugam said. "They are not routine requests for information."

Representatives of firms that do not comply with the notices face a fine of up to S$5,000, up to one month's jail, or both.

"We expect your companies to respond fully, accurately, and promptly.

We expect substantive cooperation and transparency, not merely technical compliance, or lawyered responses which don’t deal with the substance.

Your companies must make every effort to provide the information needed to establish the facts."

Assessments

SM Shanmugam also outlined the assessment process during the meeting.

Each company is expected to engage a team of assessors from a Specialist Panel of law, audit and investigative firms with expertise in cross-border inquiries that the government will set up.

Each team comprises an investigations firm and a law firm that advises the investigations firm, not the company.

The teams will be assigned by NEA, which will set their terms of reference, areas, issues, and questions they would like the assessors to look at, and the companies will pay them.

Companies are expected to give assessors full access to information, documents, premises and people on their operations, corporate relationships and supply chains.

Assessors may engage third parties, such as remote sensing and geospatial analysts who analyse satellite hotspot data.

Assessors will then submit a report to NEA through law firm Davinder Singh Chambers (DSC LLC), the government's appointed adviser, which coordinates the panel's work.

This report will be considered by NEA when assessing further steps.

SM Shanmugam said the assessment should help clear companies that are not involved in the fires and have clean supply chains.

Any lapses will have to be dealt with, and the level of cooperation will be taken into account.

Amendments to the THPA

The amendments to the THPA will give legal force to this framework, SM Shanmugam said.

Under them, NEA will be able to direct any entity suspected of contributing or being connected to the fires to appoint assessors, and failure to comply will be an offence.

Assessors will also have full access to documents, information and sites, and can look into an entity's operations, corporate relationships and supply chains.

Failure to cooperate fully will also be an offence.

SM Shanmugam urged companies to agree to the process immediately and engage assessors soon, without waiting for a formal notice.

He added that they will be naming the CEOs and companies that voluntarily commit, and will update members of the public on it.

It will not be a one-off process, he added, as the government intends for there to be regular evaluations and certifications by assessors.

Government is "determined"

"The haze has caused real harm to Singapore and Singaporeans," SM Shanmugam said. "We cannot treat this as an unavoidable fact of life or business. The health and well-being of Singaporeans must come first."

He said the government will also pursue the facts for as long as it takes and strengthen laws as needed.

"It cannot be business as usual, even after the haze is over."

He added that they also expect full cooperation and compliance from the companies involved.

"The intention of this exercise is not to find scapegoats. Nor is it to fix blame for public or political reasons.

You know the Singapore government. We will do what is right.

From our perspective, we need to deal with issues that affect Singapore. And we need to be sure that companies which are here conduct their operations in a manner that doesn’t affect Singapore or the region."

Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan will meet Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on the afternoon of Oct. 28 during his visit to Jakarta.

This was confirmed by Indonesia's Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya in a statement, Antara reported.

Vivian arrived in Jakarta on Oct. 27, and met his Indonesian counterpart, Arrmanatha Nasir, for high-level bilateral talks that afternoon.

During talks between Vivian and Nasir, they agreed that Singapore and Indonesia would form a joint task force to tackle the forest fires behind the recent transboundary haze.

Its work includes holding companies accountable for the forest fires and facilitating information sharing, financial intelligence, and cross-border evidence gathering.

A 24-year-old Malaysian man was arrested for attempting to smuggle more than 2kg of drugs into Singapore on a motorcycle at Tuas Checkpoint on Oct. 21, 2026.

Checks conducted on motorcycle

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers referred the Malaysia-registered motorcycle for enhanced checks and uncovered five bundles suspected to contain controlled drugs.

The items were in a tote bag hidden beneath a raincoat in the motorcycle's top box, the ICA news release said.

Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers were immediately alerted to the detection and conducted further checks on the man and the motorcycle.

A total of about 1,924g of heroin and 164g of "Ice" were seized.

The drugs have an estimated worth of more than S$222,000 and could potentially feed the addiction of about 1,010 abusers for a week.

Investigations are ongoing.

Those who import into or export from Singapore more than 15g of diamorphine or “pure heroin” may face the death penalty.

Dominic Neo, 52, founder of char kway teow stall Liang Ji Legendary Char Kway Teow, has appealed to reconnect with his two estranged children, saying he hopes they will one day visit his stall so he can cook for them.

Speaking to Mothership, Neo said recent health concerns had left him worried that he might not get another chance to see them.

The last time he interacted with his children was when his son, now 30, was seven years old and his daughter, now 25, was still a baby.

As of his response to Mothership, neither had responded to his latest appeal.

Neo's "last wish"

In his Facebook appeal, Neo shared an old photograph of his two children and said he misses them and wants their forgiveness.

He told Mothership the photograph is the only one he has of his children and he keeps it in his wallet.

"If one day I pass away, [this] photo will burn together with me," he said.

Neo's appeal was prompted by his deteriorating health.

His lung issues recently worsened while worries about his business and other matters have affected his mental well-being.

Seeing his children again, he said, is his “last wish”. He hopes that, through his appeal, his children might come to understand and forgive him.

Family holidays are particularly painful for Neo

Neo divorced his wife in 2003. At that time, his son was seven and his daughter was just a baby.

He acknowledged that he was an absent father. “I had never been there for them,” he said.

After he came out from prison, he did not seek out his children because he did not want to disrupt their lives or studies.

Neo told Mothership that he understands the pain of growing up in such circumstances because he himself was a child of divorced parents and was raised by his mother.

Seeing other people spend time with their children, particularly during Chinese New Year and other festivals, has been painful for him too over the years.

Despite all this, Neo is willing to take responsibility for his part in what had happened and hopes that his children can forgive him.

"I had never been there for them, [from] their small to big. Hope they will forgive me. But my love to them had never been forgotten."

Credits change to his mother who passed when he was in jail

Neo also spoke about losing his mother while he was in jail, describing the pain of being unable to bid her a final farewell.

“The [saddest] part is [that I] didn’t send her on her last journey.”

Adding to that pain, he said, was his children’s absence from their grandmother’s wake.

It was for his mother's sake that Neo had promised to change himself.

Hopes to cook for his children at his stall

When asked what reconnecting would mean to him, Neo said he hoped his children would one day turn up at his stall.

“I could fry my dishes for them,” he said.

Neo described himself as having been a “mummy's boy” when he was younger. He said he had not cooked then and had regarded cooking as a woman’s job.

His outlook has since changed and he has been working hard to build the Liang Ji name. He hopes his children will have a chance to taste their father’s cooking one day:

“To [both my] kids, [you] may hate me but remember no matter what daddy really misses and [loves you] both.”

Neo does not know when a reunion might happen but he hopes to see his son and daughter before he dies. Even so, he does not wish to force them into doing something they don't want to do.

"Should you both still can't forgive me till I die, you both also can choose not to turn up," he said.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) will pilot a full-day model at two MOE kindergartens in 2027, before progressively rolling it out to all its kindergartens from 2028 to 2030.

The pilot will take place at MK@Rivervale and MK@West View, MOE said in an Oct. 28 press release.

Speaking to the media at West View Primary School on Oct. 28, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Syed Harun said the model would help educators better understand children’s needs and provide targeted support.

The move is part of the government's broader efforts to help families access quality and affordable preschools, as announced at the National Day Rally 2026.

Learning, play and care in one programme

MOE currently operates 56 kindergartens, which offer a four-hour Kindergarten 1 (K1) and Kindergarten 2 (K2) programme for children aged five to six.

Parents who need full-day services can opt for Kindergarten Care (KCare), which is provided by external operators appointed by MOE.

Under the new model, learning, play and care will be integrated into a single full-day programme operated by MOE.

The ministry said this would better support children's holistic development and meet families' evolving needs for a more seamless full-day learning experience.

Children will have greater continuity in learning and more sustained interactions with kindergarten staff, allowing them to build stronger relationships.

There will also be more opportunities to enrich their learning experiences, while children from disadvantaged backgrounds will benefit from a more seamless and supportive learning environment, MOE said.

The pilot's findings will guide the wider rollout from 2028 to 2030.

At the start of each year's MOE Kindergarten Registration Exercise in March, MOE will announce which kindergartens will implement the model the following year.

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Full-day services from 7am to 7pm

Kindergartens under the full-day model will operate from 7am to 7pm on weekdays during school terms and school holidays.

They will close on gazetted public holidays, MOE's designated school holidays and centre closure days.

The programme will be run by MOE Kindergarten educators, supported by MOE-hired programme officers who will help deliver activities and assist with children's care and supervision.

Children will have a wider range of learning and play experiences, including child-directed play in their Mother Tongue Language and open-ended outdoor play.

School holiday activities will include hands-on experiences incorporating STEM, drama and visual arts.

Parents who do not need full-day services can continue to choose a half-day programme, which will run from 7am to 12:30pm.

Full-day fees from S$3 after subsidies for eligible Singapore citizens

For the two kindergartens in the 2027 pilot, parents will pay a single fee instead of separate kindergarten and KCare fees.

The amount payable will depend on each family's eligibility for the Basic Subsidy, Additional Subsidy and MOE top-up subsidy.

Families enrolled in the pilot will receive preschool subsidies under the Early Childhood Development Agency's Infant and Childcare Subsidy Scheme.

This will replace the Kindergarten Fee Assistance Scheme and MOE's existing KCare subsidies for these families.

MOE will also provide additional top-up subsidies to keep out-of-pocket fees comparable to current levels.

The ministry said fees after subsidies would be comparable to the current combined kindergarten and KCare fees, as well as fees at ECDA Anchor Operator full-day childcare centres.

Parents may have to pay additional fees for learning journeys and external vendor-led programmes during the school holidays. Subsidies will be available to families who meet the relevant income criteria.

Fees for the subsequent rollout from 2028 to 2030 will be announced when available.

Educators expected to keep current working hours

On manpower, Syed Harun said the shift to a full-day model would involve changes in staffing arrangements.

However, educators are currently expected to continue working the same number of hours.

“At this point of time, we anticipate that our MK educators will be still working at the same number of hours that they do today.”

The programme will be run by MOE Kindergarten educators, supported by MOE-hired programme officers who will help deliver activities and assist with children’s care and supervision.

Syed Harun said the pilot would help MOE assess manpower needs and refine its plans ahead of the wider rollout.

Addressing educators, he said:

“My assurance to the MK educators is that we are studying how best we can support their workload as they educate our young ones at the same time.”

He added that MOE also hoped to strengthen educators’ professional development.

A 40-year-old Singaporean woman who visited dental clinics in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, apparently suffered complications after getting dental fillings at two clinics in September 2026.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the woman, Li (transliterated), said the first incident took place on Sep. 4 at a clinic in Johor.

1st incident

She previously had her teeth cleaned at a different clinic from the same dental group, but could not get an appointment.

"I only wanted to get my teeth cleaned and polished, since there was nothing wrong with them, but the dentist recommended that I get fillings," she told Shin Min.

While she thought the process would be just filling material, she alleged that the dentist drilled her tooth with no warning.

It was an extremely painful process, Li said, adding that she ended up with a large hole in her tooth.

She spent about RM383 (about S$120) in total.

Li told Shin Min that the filled tooth became inflamed.

Li then had swelling on the side of her face and had to take painkillers.

"This is the first time in my life I have experienced such pain," she said.

"I sent the photos to customer service, and they pointed out that my dental nerve was exposed and arranged for me to see a senior dentist."

2nd incident

Shin Min reported that Li then visited another branch in Johor's Mount Austin about two weeks later and had her tooth refilled.

She said: "They suddenly removed all the fillings and refilled my teeth, but it still didn't turn out well.

"I still experience sensitivity and stinging when I rinse my mouth with water, and I also bite my gums when I close my teeth."

Despite contacting customer service multiple times, Li claimed their response was "very slow".

"I also want to tell everyone that it may not be worth it to go all the way to Johor Bahru for dental treatment just to save money," she said, adding that she regretted getting her teeth filled.

Root canal treatment

Li said that since her dental nerve had been exposed, the clinic recommended root canal treatment and supposedly agreed to pay for subsequent costs.

She was unwilling to immediately get root canal treatment on her second consult and wanted to get dental fillings first.

Since the results were not ideal, she decided to arrange for root canal treatment.

However, Li alleged that the clinic said it would not be responsible for the treatment cost since they claimed there had been no issues.

She claimed that the clinic was inconsistent in what it said and has reportedly not proposed any efficient solutions.

Investigation to be launched: Clinic

The dental group said that they always value patient feedback, and is commited to upholding a high standard of professional care, Shin Min reported.

Following Li's complaint, the clinic said it would investigate the incident.

It noted that it could not comment on specific treatment details due to patient privacy, but would continue to maintain a responsible and professional attitude in handling patients' complaints and concerns properly.

Indonesia has urged its Umrah pilgrims to avoid transiting through Singapore and Malaysia when travelling to Saudi Arabia, encouraging them to take direct flights on Indonesian airlines instead.

The recommendation is aimed at supporting Indonesia's aviation industry and boosting its domestic economy, according to Indonesia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

Indonesia's Deputy Hajj and Umrah Minister Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak estimated that around 70,000 Indonesian Umrah pilgrims transit through Singapore and Malaysia.

He encouraged pilgrims to take direct flights and urged greater use of Indonesian airlines, including Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air.

Encouraging use of Indonesian airlines

The Umrah is a voluntary pilgrimage for Muslims to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time of the year, different from the Hajj, which is the mandatory pilgrimage that must be undertaken on specific dates.

According to Indonesia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Dahnil said the ministry had met with associations representing Umrah travel operators to encourage them to consider safety and economic factors when choosing flight routes.

“We have asked the associations to refrain from choosing transit flights through countries such as Malaysia and Singapore for now,” he said.

“If we can get the 70,000 people transiting via Malaysia and Singapore to use Indonesian airlines, that would help our national economy,” Dahnil added.

However, Dahnil acknowledged that Indonesian airlines would need to improve their services and offer competitive fares to attract more passengers.

“Garuda and Lion must improve their services. They should strengthen their position in the domestic market and remain competitive internationally,” he said.

Direct flights also considered safer

Apart from economic considerations, Dahnil claimed that direct flights to Saudi Arabia would also be safer for pilgrims, although he did not specify why.

"We advise pilgrims to choose direct flights rather than transit flights. It is safer to fly directly to Jeddah or Madinah. That is our recommendation," Dahnil said, according to Indonesia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

Dahnil said Umrah activities in Saudi Arabia were continuing as usual despite tensions in the Middle East.

The ministry is also coordinating with Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to monitor developments.

Separately, officials met with executives from Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and airport operator Angkasa Pura to discuss improving Umrah flight services, including facilities at Hajj and Umrah terminals.

Dahnil said the government's approach was aligned with President Prabowo Subianto's emphasis on economic sovereignty.

“President Prabowo wants economic sovereignty, and the same should apply to Umrah and Hajj. Direct flights are safer and help strengthen economic sovereignty,” Dahnil said.

Around 2 million Indonesians perform Umrah annually

According to Jakarta Globe, around two million Indonesians perform the Umrah annually.

The country also sends up to 221,000 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Hajj each year.

Singapore advises pilgrims to consider postponing Umrah

Meanwhile, Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has advised Singaporeans planning to perform Umrah to consider postponing their trips to Saudi Arabia while security risks remain heightened.

As previously reported by Mothership, MUIS issued the advisory on Oct. 14, following the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' recommendation for Singaporeans to defer all travel to Saudi Arabia.

The advisory came amid increased missile and drone attacks targeting civilian aviation and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

The trial for a man accused of being involved in the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in a female toilet at Admiralty Park with two friends continued on Oct. 27.

Raden Zulhusni Zulkifri, now 28, faces two charges, including sexual assault by penetration and criminal trespass.

The other two men in the case, Muhammad Isnalli David, 24, and Muhammad Al’Amin bin Selamat, 25, both pleaded guilty to one charge of rape on Apr. 7, 2025.

Isnalli was sentenced to 12 years and six months' imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane, while Al'Amin was sentenced to 10 years and six months' jail and 12 strokes of the cane.

Al'Amin took the stand on Oct. 27 to testify at Raden's trial.

Although he was called to support the prosecution's case against Raden, Al'Amin surprised the court by initially claiming that Raden was not involved in the alleged offences.

However, during cross-examination by the prosecution, Al'Amin eventually broke down and admitted that Raden had indeed participated in the acts.

'Helped' to female toilet

At the time of the incident in March 2022, the victim was 16 years old; the now 21-year-old cannot be named to protect her identity.

Court documents stated that Mar. 27, 2022 was the victim's first time meeting Raden and Al'Amin; they had met up at the park to drink alcohol Isnalli had purchased.

Intoxicated, the victim felt the urge to vomit, and Isnalli helped her to a female toilet at the park.

Once in the toilet, at around 9:43pm, Isnalli dragged the victim into a cubicle, locked the door, partially undressed the victim and raped her.

Around 10 minutes later, Raden and Al'Amin entered the cubicle and saw Isnalli rape the victim for the second time; according to court documents, a 52-second video of the act was filmed.

A prosecutor said CCTV footage showed Raden entering and leaving the female toilet multiple times.

According to court documents, Raden then allegedly conducted sexual penetrative acts against the victim.

After Raden and Al'Amin left, Isnalli raped the victim again. Isnalli and the victim left the toilet at 10:17pm.

During the alleged sexual assault by Raden and Al'Amin, the victim muttered "don't" and "no" in Malay multiple times.

Al'Amin takes stand

Raden's trial first opened on Aug. 20, 2026, with the victim as the first of the prosecution's 28 witnesses, with the deputy public prosecutors choosing to have her testimony heard privately, reported CNA.

The trial continued on Oct. 27, 2026, with Al'Amin, dressed in a purple prison jumpsuit, taking the witness stand.

Raden, who is out on bail, was also present in court along with his family.

At the start of the hearing, which lasted around five hours, Al'Amin was presented with his conditioned statement, from which a paragraph was deleted.

A conditioned statement is a written statement of evidence, rather than an oral testimony.

The deleted paragraph stated that Raden penetrated the girl with his finger while Al'Amin penetrated her mouth.

The prosecutor asked what Al'Amin's position was in relation to the paragraph and, through a Malay interpreter, Al'Amin asserted that "Raden did not do it".

This was despite a similar line describing what Raden did after entering the cubicle in the agreed statement of facts (SOF) read to Al'Amin during his own hearing, where he had pleaded guilty to raping the victim.

Al'Amin proceeded to contradict the agreed SOF and statements he had given to police during investigations for the first two hours of trial.

Claims

The prosecution's case centred around whether Raden entered the cubicle where the offences took place or stood within the premises of the female toilet outside the cubicle.

Another main point of contention was the order in which Al'Amin, his then-girlfriend and Raden entered the female toilet, as it was crucial to the flow of events.

Al'Amin originally maintained that only three people were in the cubicle: the victim, Isnalli and himself.

When pressed by the prosecution and Justice Hoo Sheau Peng on whether Raden entered the cubicle that night, Al'Amin said "no".

Al'Amin claimed that he and Raden had gone into the female toilet to help the victim but that Raden did not go inside the cubicle because he did not want to join the sexual intercourse.

The prosecutor said: "You just told us that you and Raden were going inside to help the victim. How did going in to help the victim become an invitation for Raden to join the sexual intercourse?"

Al'Amin claimed that the prosecution induced him to plead guilty

The prosecution continued to grill Al'Amin, who maintained that he did not remember whether Raden had entered the cubicle or sexually assaulted the victim.

Justice Hoo noted that these were statements accepted in the SOF, to which Al'Amin tried to defend himself by saying, "Your Honour, this one I was induced" through his interpreter.

The prosecution asked him to explain how he was induced, and Al'Amin said: "When I was out on bail, I did not have enough money to feed my family, so I just pleaded guilty to get it over with as soon as possible."

The prosecutor asked, "Sorry, who induced you to accept this fact?" and Al'Amin said the "DPP (Deputy Public Prosecutor)".

Al'Amin added: "He induced me to accept all of the SOF if I wanted to plead guilty, all of it. They suggested it to me, and I accepted it."

The prosecutor asked if Al'Amin was represented by counsel when he accepted those facts when he pleaded guilty, and Al'Amin said yes.

Prosecution questions why Al'Amin was not accepting SOF

Justice Hoo asked Al'Amin why he was rejecting the SOF, and Al'Amin said through an interpreter, "because I had wanted to settle all of this".

When asked to elaborate, Al'Amin said he meant the case: "My mum was struggling outside also, so I wanted to just settle it and get it over and done with".

As Al'Amin had "turned hostile" to the prosecution's case, they applied to cross-examine him after a break.

In the cross-examination, Al'Amin contradicted himself on multiple occasions.

The prosecution prepared a table showing five material inconsistencies between what Al'Amin had said on the morning of Oct. 27 and two Video Recording of Interviews (VRIs) consisting of statements he had given to the police on Mar. 29 and Apr. 4, 2022.

The prosecution explained the differences and asked Al'Amin if he agreed that his evidence had changed from the VRIs to what he had given today.

Al'Amin agreed.

Admits that Raden was involved

As the prosecution continued cross-examining the evidence, Al'Amin looked visibly overwhelmed and kept looking at Raden from the witness stand.

The prosecutor noted his behaviour and said: "Any explanation for this? You don't have to keep looking at the accused. This is your evidence."

Al'Amin mumbled: "I have nothing to say."

The prosecutor's tone shifted: "Which version is correct? You affirmed you would tell the truth in court today. Do it now."

'Your honour this is all a lie actually'

Eventually, Al'Amin spoke directly into the microphone in English, saying, "Your honour, this is all a lie, actually."

He paused, looked at Raden, and admitted, "Raden also got do".

The prosecutor asked, "What's a lie?"

Al'Amin replied, "All of my statements".

When pressed further, he replied: "He was involved."

The prosecutor proceeded to ask what Raden did, to which Al'Amin stated: "He got (do) finger penetration."

When asked if he "maintains paragraph seven now", Al'Amin replied "yes" in English.

At this point, Justice Hoo cut in to note that Al'Amin "got emotional" and answered in English, and requested the Malay interpreter to continue interpreting for him.

Following this, Al'Amin pointed out the various positions Raden occupied within the cubicle and the sexual offences they committed.

Prosecution's position

The prosecutor put forth his positions and asked Al'Amin if, before he and Raden filed their police reports, they had agreed on what story to tell the police.

According to the prosecution, Raden and Al'Amin spoke over the phone on Mar. 28, 2022, a day after the incident, and both men filed police reports.

The prosecutor continued: "That you would both tell the police that you went to save the unknown girl from Isnalli, is that correct?"

"You and Raden did this to deny any sexual involvement with the complainant to the police?

And in doing so, Isnalli will take the responsibility for both of you; do you agree?"

Through the interpreter, Al'Amin agreed to all the questions above.

Court was adjourned to Oct. 30.

Raden, who had been largely expressionless throughout the hearing, shook his head as he walked out of the courtroom. 

Penalties

For sexual assault involving penetration, an offender may face up to 20 years' jail, a fine, and or caning.

For criminal trespass, an offender could be handed up to three months' jail, a fine of up to S$1,500, or both.

A man was passing through Malaysian customs at Johor Bahru when he was stopped by law enforcement officers.

He was then allegedly made to pay a tax on a speaker that he had bought two years ago.

Sharing his experience on TikTok, user @qmaojunyong addressed his followers, saying that he "really couldn't understand" the incident.

Stopped at JB checkpoint over a speaker

The user, whose real name is Norvin Ong, 36, told Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min) that he was headed to Johor Bahru for supper.

He found a portable Martin Roland speaker at his company premises, and after testing it for a while, decided to bring it home and placed it in the boot of his car.

However, when driving through Malaysian customs, he was allegedly stopped by customs officers.

According to his TikTok video, Ong was asked if he had the receipt for the speaker, to which he replied that he most likely did not, as it was purchased in 2024.

The officers began to search the price of the speaker online.

Ong then searched around in the plastic bag containing the speaker and managed to find the receipt.

It stated that the speaker was worth S$185 (RM590).

After converting the amount to Malaysian ringgit, the officers purportedly told Ong that he had to pay a 10 per cent duty on the speaker, amounting to RM59 (S$18.40).

“I heard of similar situations before, but this was the first time I had encountered it, and I didn’t question it at the time,” he told Shin Min. 

Waited till midnight to pay tax

He agreed to pay the tax.

The officers then asked him if he wanted to pay "by cash or by Visa".

He replied that he did not have cash as he typically paid for things in Malaysia with the Touch 'n Go contactless system, and opted to pay by Visa.

Ong told Shin Min that the officers then checked his wallet to ensure that he was telling the truth.

Afterwards, they told him that he could not pay immediately and had to wait until 12am for the credit card system to "restart".

As it was only 10 minutes to midnight, he agreed to wait.

He claimed in the TikTok video that one officer attempted to tell him that the receipt was not an "official receipt", though he could not satisfactorily explain why.

Ong then paid the RM59 (S$18.40) tax and left.

At the end of his video, Ong asked, "That Visa, really have to wait until 12am [to use]?"

Reactions

Many netizens reacted with confusion, with some wondering how a 2-year-old item could be taxable.

One suggested that the item may have been dutiable as it was sealed, though Ong denied it was.

Ong also confirmed in a TikTok comment that he was issued a receipt after he paid.

According to the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, all travellers entering or leaving Malaysia must declare all taxable items, prohibited items, cash, and negotiable monetary instruments (NMI) that they are carrying or placing in their luggage or vehicles.

Malaysia exempts goods worth up to RM500 (S$156.39) for travellers entering by land.

A man running for mayor in Taiwan's New Taipei City has sparked controversy for his proposal that the city legalise polygamy to bring up Taiwan's low fertility rate.

Su Hui Huang, 49, is an independent candidate contesting in the city's mayoral election that will take place on Nov. 28, 2026.

He had previously shared his idea of encouraging two wives per husband, or two husbands per wife for unmarried people as one of the policy changes he advocates for during this election campaign.

As it had caught much attention then, he was asked by local media to clarify and elaborate more on this idea after drawing his ballot number on Oct. 27.

Very low fertility rate

Su acknowledged that his proposal was a "rather open-minded" approach, and explained that it is aimed at addressing the increasingly low fertility rate in Taiwan.

The total fertility rate — which estimates the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years — dropped significantly from 0.885 in 2024 to 0.695 in 2025, Taipei Times reported.

The number of births in Taiwan in 2025 fell for the 10th straight year to a record low of 107,812.

Due to the falling birthrate, Taiwan's National Development Council projected that Taiwan's population could nearly halve by 2075, according to Focus Taiwan.

"If [the fertility rate] continues like this, it will be terrible for us," Su said.

He thus proposed that the men be allowed to have two wives, and for gender equality, that the women also be allowed two husbands.

Second spouse must be unmarried

Su emphasised that he is not advocating for a person to have many spouses, but that it should be limited to two each.

He also clarified that the second husband or wife should be an unmarried person, not someone who was already married.

"They cannot be already married," he said. "Otherwise it would cause a lot of problems in society, and will definitely not be good for the next generation."

He noted that he could only propose such a policy idea in New Taipei City where he was running, and said he would leave it to the other cities and counties of Taiwan to decide if they wanted to adopt it as well.

Criticism

Many Taiwanese people online have criticised and mocked his proposal for not addressing the root of the birthrate problem.

"He doesn't understand that it's an issue of money?" one said.

"This has nothing to do with how many husbands or wives people have. The issue is simply that we cannot afford to have children," another wrote.

In New Taipei City, Su is running for mayor against the ruling Democratic Progressive Party candidate Su Chiao-hui, and the Kuomintang candidate Lee Shu-chuan.