A woman was trying to redeem her June 2026 Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers online when she realised they had already been claimed — allegedly by the previous homeowner of her house.

Feeling shocked, she went to her nearby community centre to get clarification, and the staff said the vouchers were claimed by someone with the same name as the previous homeowner, she told Zaobao.

This was the first time it happened, as she had been able to redeem her CDC vouchers in the past few years.

She submitted a complaint to the community centre and made a police report.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that investigations are ongoing.

Debt collection letters

The woman, a 54-year-old accountant surnamed Huang (transliteration), shared with Zaobao that she had bought her current four-room flat in Punggol in 2021.

It was a man who signed the resale contract, and his wife and daughter were living in the house at the time.

Before she moved in, Huang had renovation works done in the house.

When she visited the unit before the works began, she saw that there was an additional lock on the front door, and felt that something was not right.

She later noticed there was a debt collection notice pasted on the wall outside her unit, with her new address written on it.

She said she reported it to the police immediately, then put a note on her front door to say she was the new homeowner, requesting debt collectors not to come to the house again.

This did not work, as she continued to receive letters of demand from licensed moneylending companies, Huang claimed.

Did he update his address?

To better understand the situation, she opened and read the letters, and discovered that the previous male homeowner had borrowed money.

"Many of the loans were even made after the unit was sold, which suggests that the previous male homeowner did not even update his address," Huang told Zaobao.

She claimed that she contacted the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), who informed her later that the man had updated his address.

Regarding the redemption of Huang's CDC vouchers, ICA told Zaobao they could not provide further information as the police investigation is ongoing.

ICA also highlighted that, according to the National Registration Act, people who have moved are required to report a change of their residential address within 28 days.

Huang has apparently managed to claim her CDC vouchers, Zaobao reported.

Still, she expressed concern that her address might continue to be misused and that she might face more trouble.

A fire broke out at a flat at Block 684 Race Course Road on Aug. 3 evening.

In a Facebook post, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident at about 7:10pm.

Upon SCDF's arrival, a fifth-floor bedroom unit was on fire.

The fire was extinguished with a water jet.

Five persons were found trapped in the unit.

One person was rescued by the police.

The other four persons were rescued by SCDF.

Out of the five persons rescued, three were unconscious.

SCDF said three persons were conveyed to Singapore General Hospital and two persons were conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.

A 39-year-old man was found dead, with his body discovered floating in a river in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Sin Chew Daily reported that the body is believed to be that of Chinese businessman Liu Kaixian (transliterated).

Body discovered

According to China Press, his hands and feet were apparently bound, with his body entangled in a net.

Sin Chew reported that the district police chief confirmed the incident and said further details regarding the discovery of the body would be released by the Johor State Police Headquarters.

Went missing, found dead

Prior to this, Liu apparently went missing in Skudai, a town in Johor.

An incoming Skudai state assemblywoman, Jati, posted on Facebook that Liu was said to have lost contact after arriving at a mall around 12pm on Jul. 29.

She told Sin Chew in a Aug. 4 phone interview that she received news from Liu's family on Aug. 3 stated that his body had been found.

On Aug. 4, she also urged via a Facebook post that the public would stop forwarding posts and videos about the discovery of the body.

She also hoped the public would understand the family's grief and give them respect.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Lim Tean for failing to surrender to court to start his jail term.

According to the court’s Integrated Case Management System (ICMS), a warrant of arrest review will be held for Lim on Aug. 17.

He was originally supposed to attend a pre-trial conference on Aug. 4 for outstanding charges against him, but this scheduled event has been changed to a review.

The 61-year-old Singaporean lawyer and politician was slated to surrender on Jul. 20 to start serving jail time for practising law without a valid certificate.

Mothership understands that he did not show up.

In the latest development, CNA reported that Lim was supposed to surrender on Aug. 3 to serve three months and one week in jail for practising law without a valid certificate, but did not show up, according to his lawyer.

Both Lim's lawyer and bailor could not reach Lim, according to CNA.

Mothership has contacted the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and Judiciary for confirmation.

CNA reported that Lim said in court in January 2026 he has severe daily migraines known as status migrainosus and was hospitalised twice.

Background

Lim is the secretary-general of the People’s Alliance for Reform.

He was sentenced to six weeks’ jail and a S$1,000 fine in February 2025 after being convicted in July 2024 of three charges under the Legal Profession Act.

Even though he did not have a valid practising certificate, he had attended court hearings and submitted documents on 32 occasions between April and June 2021.

In February 2026, the High Court judge increased Lim’s jail sentence to three months and a week.

This was after he appealed in the High Court against his conviction and sentence.

Prosecutors filed an appeal to increase his jail term to five to eight months.

Separately, in April 2026, Lim was fined S$30,000 in a disciplinary case over his handling of a S$30,000 cheque meant for his client.

The Law Society of Singapore wanted Lim struck off the rolls.

Lim argued before the Court of Three Judges for “a very small fine”.

The court decided on a "heavier fine", citing his cavalier attitude towards lawyers’ obligations in handling clients’ money and his more than 25 years of experience as a senior practitioner at the time.

Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said plans for Gillman Barracks and Sunset Way "have not been finalised".

He added that while the formal consultation period for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) ends on Aug. 6, 2026, the government will continue to engage stakeholders and take in views and feedback before deciding how to carry out the development of both sites.

Tan was responding to questions from at least 13 Members of Parliament (MPs) about the fate of Gillman Barracks and Maju Forest, such as the conservation of the biodiversity there, and whether alternative sites were evaluated.

Total number of households has increased

Tan noted that the government plans decades ahead to meet the needs of Singaporeans while keeping options open for future generations.

Following trends, more homes are needed as compared to the past, as "the total number of households has increased".

He pointed out that "many members on both sides of this house have also called for the relaxation of the eligibility criteria to provide wider access to public housing and shorter waiting times for built-to-order flats, and we understand, and we share these aspirations".

He added:

"But if we want more Singaporeans to qualify for HDB housing, and to get their homes sooner, then we must build more homes and we must build them faster."

He said, "the question is where we build and how we build responsibly".

Tan shared existing examples of areas for redevelopment, such as the relocation of Paya Lebar Air Base to Changi and Tengah, and the consolidation of Tuas Port.

As part of the Greater Southern Waterfront, the former Keppel Golf Course is also already being redeveloped, and by 2030, more than 400 hectares of golf-course land will be taken back for redevelopment.

Conservation in Singapore

Tan noted that by 2030, the government aims to restore and enhance 80 hectares of forest, marine and coastal habitats and establish 300km of nature ways.

More than 7,200 buildings and structures in over 100 areas have also been conserved through the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Master Plan, which is reviewed every five years through a "major public consultation exercise".

However, "there will be occasions when no other suitable site can meet the same need in the same area, and within the required timeframe".

Tan added that in those cases, trade-offs must be weighed to serve important national needs such as providing homes for Singaporeans.

Studies conducted

"We proceed with great care when a site has significant ecological or heritage value," Tan said.

He stated that government agencies appoint independent external consultants to conduct EIAs and HIAs, drawing on input from nature and heritage groups.

The consultants may also propose a preliminary Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) which provides "mitigation measures, monitoring arrangements and reporting requirements that will apply during development".

In explaining the process, Tan shared:

"So, our general approach is to avoid impact when we can, where we can, reduce them where we cannot, and mitigate those that remain. We then publish the findings, the potential impact, and propose mitigation measures in the EIA or HIA report, and this allows residents and the wider public to study the proposal and to give their feedback and views. Agencies then consider the studies and these feedback before finalising the detailed plans."

Tan said the studies are not meant to "justify a detailed plan that is already fixed".

"They are an integral part of the consultation process through which the plan is shaped."

Planning intention for housing

Tan said that the planning intention for housing had been reflected in the Master Plan since 1980 and reaffirmed in subsequent reviews.

He added that brownfield redevelopment in Clementi, Bukit Merah and surrounding areas was prioritised first.

Several older estates in Clementi and Bukit Merah were redeveloped under the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS).

However, demand for housing in these estates remained strong, Tan said, with Build-To-Order (BTO) launches at Clementi Emerald and Berlayar Rise being oversubscribed by four times.

Tan added that the government is unable to give exact figures of how many homes the sites will provide as the detailed design has not been finalised.

He added that other sites that appear vacant or underused are also intended for housing, including the former Raffles Junior College site at Mount Sinai and the former bus facility at Ghim Moh.

Tan highlighted that the government's approach to both the Gillman Barracks and Sunset Way sites "will be informed by science and evidence".

"But in our current conceptual plan, we already reduced the number of homes to retain important green and heritage areas identified through the studies, if we conserve even more, we will build even fewer homes."

Will proceed with redevelopment: Tan

In response to Tan's speech, WP Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Andre Low asked if he could confirm whether "not proceeding with development" was an option, as opposed to just "adjusting developmental boundaries or taking mitigation measures".

Tan said he had "made it quite clear" that the two sites have already been zoned for residential use under the Master Plan, and have been set aside for housing.

"So we will proceed, but how we build is important," following which Tan reiterated the importance of EIAs and HIAs.

Tan added that they have looked for alternatives in the vicinity of both sites, and other factors are taken into consideration, such as the availability of the land, the leases remaining on the land, and if they have additional uses.

HDB receiving and reviewing feedback

On Jul. 26 and 30, MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Rachel Ong held dialogue sessions with a total of 430 attendees, reported The Straits Times (ST).

In response to Mothership's queries, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) stated that as of Jul. 28, they had received 2,712 responses for Sunset Way and 860 responses for the Gillman Barracks reports.

HDB's public feedback channels are open from Jul. 10 to Aug. 6, 2026.

HDB added that all feedback received will be reviewed alongside the findings of the environmental and heritage studies, as well as other planning considerations, before detailed development plans for the site are finalised.

Tan added that after the formal consultation period closes on Aug. 6, 2026, further engagements with stakeholders will be conducted and the study findings and feedback will be closely reviewed before finalising detailed development plans.

"We will also publish a report summarising agencies’ responses to the feedback, and any amendments made to the original set of plans."

Tan concluded his speech by saying:

"The question before us is not whether housing, greenery, or heritage matters; they all do. The challenge is how we balance these needs responsibly within our limited space. We will and must always make the best use of existing land and safeguard our most important natural and heritage assets, but there will be times where we cannot avoid difficult trade-offs.

When that happens, we must be clear about why we need to build, deliberate about where we build, and take great care over how we build. We must be honest with Singaporeans about the choices before us, listen carefully to their views and improve our plans wherever we can. And after weighing all these different considerations, the government must decide in the best interests of Singapore and Singaporeans."

A Chinese woman has gained attention online for paying to be the lead actress of a short-form drama and reportedly requesting for more than 60 kissing scenes.

Lianhe Zaobao reported that according to the drama's director, an investor claiming to be a rich woman spent a lot of money requesting that she tailor-made a short-form drama.

Accused of inappropriate intimate behaviour

The woman then casted herself as the female lead "princess" of the drama with more than 50 episodes and was said to have personally selected her male lead actor.

On top of that, she apparently requested for over 60 kissing scenes to be included in the drama.

Zaobao reported that the male lead actor Zhong Yufei, posted a video saying his co-star allegedly engaged in inappropriate intimate behaviour during filming.

He claimed that he was forced to endure his discomfort on set, where he had reportedly been cast as a "fallen prince".

The production team alleged that since the female lead requested more than 60 kissing scenes in the drama with over 50 episodes, the proportion of intimate scenes became "quite exaggerated".

In addition, Zaobao reported local media as saying that the male lead accused his co-star of frequently adding kissing scenes.

After the drama was completed, the platform reportedly deleted over 20 intimate scenes as they were believed to be too explicit.

This apparently resulted in problems with the plot, leading some viewers to be mistaken that the co-stars had a close relationship in real life.

Advised reducing kissing scenes: Director

After the incident was brought to light, the director reportedly clarified in a video that she was only the production company for this customised short drama.

She was not the wealthy woman she had mistakenly been portrayed to be.

Zaobao also reported the director as saying that the investor allegedly refused to pay the remaining 30,000 yuan (around S$5,700) production fee after filming was completed.

This was supposedly due to dissatisfaction with the platform cutting many kissing scenes from the final product.

The director added that though she had initially advised reducing the proportion of kissing scenes, the female lead had allegedly insisted on her own opinion.

Zaobao reported that the production team stated that in the future, they would protect actors' rights more clearly and clarify responsibilities when signing contracts.

A 90-year-old man, who allegedly murdered his wife in their Bukit Panjang flat in 2024, was found by the High Court today (Aug. 3) to be of unsound mind.

Ridawi Morsudin was 88 when he allegedly fatally attacked his wife while the pair were alone at home in a murder the prosecution described as being "overwhelming lethal", according to court documents seen by Mothership.

The ferocity of the attack left a gaping wound extending from the left side of the victim's jaw to the left side of her chest, leaving her fractured jaw, clavicle, ribs, and lungs exposed.

Ridawi was found to be in a delirium at the time of the murder due to his unsound mind and dementia, said medical practitioners from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

On this basis, the court also found him incapable of making his defence and unfit to plead or stand trial due to his mental state.

The case is the first of its kind in Singapore.

Under the new regime that came into effect in February 2025, the court must determine if the accused is indeed incapable of making his defence.

If so, the court must report the case to the Minister of Law and specify the notional imprisonment period that the accused would have been required to undergo, if he was convicted of the offence.

An appropriate order would then be taken by the minister.

Background

Ridawi lived with his wife, 74-year-old Aminah Abdul, and their 26-year-old grandson in their flat at Block 137 Petir Road in Bukit Panjang.

Sometime in 2022, Ridawi's mental state began deteriorating and he started losing the ability to recognise his family members.

He also became more hot-tempered and aggressive, and would wander out of his home and lose his way.

On 10 separate occasions from January 2023 to January 2024, he was attended to by the police after becoming lost and disoriented.

At one point, he was also admitted to the hospital after being found in a delirium and was diagnosed with mixed dementia.

The hospital enrolled Ridawi into St Luke's Eldercare.

While waiting for the enrolment, a healthcare assistant was assigned to care for him at his flat.

Ridawi's family members also locked the metal gate of his flat when the healthcare assistant was not on duty to prevent him from wandering out of the flat.

He was enrolled into the eldercare facility for about a month from March 2024, but was discharged by the end of April 2024 as he was, amongst others, increasingly uncooperative with the staff.

A roster was then set up by Ridawi's children to deliver meals to him and his wife.

A surveillance camera was also installed to provide a live feed of the living room.

Day of the murder

On Jun. 4, 2024 at about 6:40pm, a relative delivered food to Ridawi and his wife, who were the only people in the flat at the time.

The relative left at about 7pm.

She would be the last person to see the victim alive.

Just past midnight on Jun. 5, 2024, the couple's grandson saw through the CCTV camera that the victim was lying motionless on the floor in a pool of blood, with Ridawi standing behind his recliner chair looking in her direction.

The grandson rushed back to the flat and called for an ambulance.

When he arrived, he saw his grandmother lying on the ground topless with her sarong down to her knees.

Ridawi was mumbling to himself. When asked what had happened, he said in Malay: "That person is no longer alive. It's too late."

After the police and paramedics arrived at the flat, the victim was pronounced dead at about 1:39am.

Two pairs of bloodstained scissors with the deceased's blood and DNA were found at the scene.

The same was found on the sponge handle, shaft, base and interior of the four legs of Ridawi's walking aid.

Bloodstain patterns indicated that the attack occurred when the victim was on the sofa and near the wall of the living room.

An autopsy conducted later found a large injury extending from the left side of her jaw, across the left side of her neck to the left side of her chest exposing her jawbone, collarbone, ribs and a lung.

There were at least 34 lacerations across the body, including stab injuries and sharp force injuries.

The certified cause of death was sharp force injuries to the head, neck and chest.

No alcohol or drugs were found in the victim's blood and urine.

Accused incoherent, disoriented

Ridawi appeared incoherent when interviewed by the police at the scene.

When examined by a psychiatrist later, he was noted to be alert and jovial, but not oriented to time, place or person.

He was also unable to provide an account of the incident or his personal medical history.

He was charged in court on Jun. 5, 2024 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and remanded in Changi Prison for a psychiatric evaluation until Jul. 2, 2024.

It was found that Ridawi had major neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease and vascular disease, with behavioural disturbance.

His attack "is within the range of symptoms associated with delirium, albeit uncommon," a psychiatrist said.

From the time he was arrested, he exhibited changes in behaviour ranging from being in a daze, walking aimlessly with poor appetite to verbal aggression, sleep-wake reversal and non-compliance to medications.

Psychiatrists found him to be of unsound mind, unfit to plead and incapable of making his defence.

The case was later transmitted to the High Court.

Prosecution sought five years' jail

In court on Aug. 3, the deputy public prosecutors said a notional imprisonment period of five years is appropriate.

The court should proceed on the assumption that the accused committed and has been convicted of the offences for which was charged, they said.

In this case, the physical elements of the offences were made out, confirming Ridawi was the only person who could have inflicted the injuries on the victim as only the pair was at home at the time.

However, Ridawi's lawyer said his client may die within that period, which would amount to life imprisonment.

He sought two to three years instead.

He added that while Ridawi was already frail at the time, his delirium may have given him "unnatural strength" to commit the crime.

However, it is unlikely for him to reoffend given his physical state, he added.

Ridawi is currently held at Changi Medical Complex.

He is now bed-bound and needs to be carried from his bed to a wheelchair.

The case has been adjourned to Aug. 13 for the judge to make her decision.

Planning to shop during the month of National Day? Here’s something you can look forward to.

The Elegant Group will be celebrating Singapore’s 61st National Day with various special promotions, perks and rewards from Jul. 31 to Aug. 30 at these three participating malls: Changi City Point, KINEX and The Clementi Mall.

Each mall will also be unveiling their own special mascot for everyone to enjoy – Charmy for Changi City Point, Temmy for The Clementi Mall and Kinny for KINEX.

So, what can you look forward to?

Snow crab legs galore at The Clementi Mall

For those living in the West, The Clementi Mall sports a range of shopping and dining options to meet both your daily essential needs and your indulgence cravings.

In particular, shoppers might not want to miss out on the following offer by the Seoul Garden at The Clementi Mall: a cluster of snow crab legs as a premium add-on buffet, starting from just S$5.90.

Yes, you saw the promo right. The higher the tier, the lower the price.

Plus, it’s a halal buffet option too.

If one Supreme-tier cluster is insufficient, you can get two at the price of just S$9.90, compared to two Regular-tiers for the price of S$11.90.

And for the purchase of any four Premium or Supreme Buffets, diners can enjoy two complimentary Snow Crab Leg clusters.

Delicious.

Special deals at KINEX for families

For families who enjoy shopping around Paya Lebar, KINEX offers everything parents and children need under one roof.

From toy shops like Toys“R”Us to enrichment centres such as the School of Concepts.

For parents looking to help their child to build a strong foundation in English and phonics, School of Concepts is offering S$61 as learning credits to new families.

These learning credits can be used for selected workshops, holiday programmes, FunBox kits and other eligible offerings from the School of Concepts.

All these for children under 12 to find joy in learning.

Existing families can also earn S$61 as lesson credits for each successful referral of a new family.

Families can also head over to Toys”R”Us and enjoy discounts on selected toys such as the four-in-one Unicorn Jewellery Dream Set and the Light-and-Sound Pitstop play set.

Previously priced at S$69.49, customers can now enjoy 42 per cent off the Light-and-Sound Pitstop playset at S$39.99.

As for the four-in-one Unicorn Jewellery Dream set, customers can purchase it at S$29.99, down from its original price of S$41.49 with a 28 per cent discount.

Outlet shopping at Changi City Point

For the Easties, fret not. There’s Changi City Point with over 48 outlet brands, spanning fashion, sportswear, travel essentials, and lifestyle brands, with up to 80 per cent off every day.

This includes brands such as kate spade new york, Coach Outlet, adidas outlet, Nike Factory Store, Samsonite Factory Outlet, and more.

Love handbags or know someone who does? kate spade new york is offering an additional 10 per cent off with the purchase of one handbag.

Additional rewards

For CapitaStar app users at Changi City Point and The Clementi Mall, enter the promo codes SG61@CCP or SG61@TCM to receive up to S$61 worth of eVouchers to spend in the malls.

They will also be able to redeem 10,000 STAR$ when they spend S$60 at participating food and beverage (F&B) outlets at The Clementi Mall and Changi City Point.

What’s more, if CapitaStar app users spend S$20 in a single receipt with an eCapitaVoucher, they will be able to redeem a bonus 1000 STAR$ at both malls.

Note that this redemption is limited while stocks last at both The Clementi Mall and at Changi City Point.

And if you are a CapitaStar user, shopping at Changi City Point on the weekends and on public holidays will earn you 10 times the amount of STAR$ on the CapitaStar app, from Aug. 1 to Dec. 27.

Meanwhile, customers at KINEX can redeem S$10 Sheng Siong vouchers when they spend S$60 at any food and beverage stores in a single receipt.

They can also enjoy an additional S$10 Sheng Siong voucher if they spend an extra S$30 at selected stores, while stocks last.

Oh and if you are the top spender at any of these three malls? You can win a three-day-two-night complimentary stay at Dorsett Changi City Singapore worth up to S$1,900.

So this National Day, why not spend some time shopping with your family at The Clementi Mall, KINEX, and Changi City Point, and earn some rewards while you are at it.

This article reminded the writer that she requires much-needed retail therapy.

This sponsored article was brought to you by The Elegant Group.

Four young children were seen sticking their heads out of the sunroof of a black Mazda GetGo car, with one of them apparently perched on the roof of the car.

The photo was shared on social media on Aug. 2.

The livery on the side of the car indicated that the vehicle belonged to car-sharing firm GetGo.

GetGo response

In response to Mothership's queries, GetGo said its users will be penalised for driving in an unsafe manner.

Users could be suspended in severe cases and repeated offenders banned from the platform.

GetGo said:

Safety is a priority for GetGo and we take reports of unsafe behaviour involving our vehicles seriously. We are in touch with the user involved and have highlighted this offence to them.

GetGo’s terms of use clearly require all users to comply with traffic laws and to operate vehicles safely at all times — this includes ensuring all passengers have their seatbelts fastened.

We actively engage with our community to educate and remind GetGoers on safe and responsible driving practices through different touchpoints such as the GetGo app, targeted emails, social media, Live Chat, and Help Centre.

We do not condone any behaviour that puts the safety of our users, drivers, or other road users at risk. Unsafe driving will be penalised, with the severity of the penalty dependent on the offence. In severe cases, the user’s account will be suspended immediately for the course of the investigation, and repeat offenders will be banned from the platform.

We will take the appropriate action in line with our policies.

Penalties

In Singapore, occupants of a motor vehicle must wear seat belts.

Drivers are to ensure that passengers below 135cm in height must be secured in a child restraint or body-restraining seat belt.

Failing to do so is punishable with a jail term of up to three months, a fine of up to S$1,000, or both.

Previous case

A man was convicted on Jul. 29 after his two sons were seen seated on the back of his yellow Porsche on Oct. 20, 2025.

He was found guilty of committing a rash act endangering the safety of children below the age of 14.

He was fined S$5,000 and disqualified from driving for six months.

An elderly man got his hand and part of his arm stuck in an iJooz vending machine at Hougang on the night of Aug. 2, 2026.

The incident was captured in a video posted on TikTok.

Stuck in machine

A man can be seen with his forearm in the machine, attempting to pull it out.

Some onlookers were seen gathering around the man and police officers appeared to be assisting him.

Other uniformed personnel were also seen assisting the man, and a stretcher was also seen near the machine.

The video has since garnered over 65,000 views, with netizens questioning how the incident took place.

Sent to hospital

Responding to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at 1 Hougang Street 91 at about 7:50pm on Aug. 2.

SCDF conveyed one person to Sengkang General Hospital.

Mothership has reached out to iJooz for more information.

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