A Singapore content creator, Kasey Avarielle Low, 28, recently shared her experience confronting a man at a HDB void deck.

He was allegedly taking photos of her butt while she was playing pickleball with friends, she said.

Her video has since racked up more than 500,000 views on Instagram.

Speaking to Mothership, Low said she decided to confront the man because she did not want to "leave it to chance" and let him get away with it.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kasey Avarielle Low (@kaseyavariellelow)

Noticed man taking photos

Low said she was playing pickleball with her friends at a public court in the Northeast area on Jul. 18, something she does every week.

Halfway through their game, one of her friends noticed a man "hiding" in a corner and seemingly taking photos of her.

The friend alerted her husband, and the pair observed the man holding his phone vertically and leaning to one side, as though he was zooming in.

A male friend approached the man to ask if he had been filming, but he denied it.

Although they were not completely certain the man had been taking photos, Low said she did not want to leave it to chance and decided to confront him herself.

"If I confronted and was wrong I would sincerely apologise, but if I wasn’t wrong, some random creep will get away with it again," she said.

Low said this was not the first time she had experienced such an incident, but that she had been too stunned to speak up on previous occasions.

This time, however, she said it was an easy decision to confront the man and clarify the situation calmly.

Found photos in 'recently deleted' gallery

In her video, Low approached the man and asked to see his photo gallery.

He readily showed her the gallery, which did not contain any photos of her. However, Low also asked to check the "recently deleted" folder.

There, she said she found three rows of "zoomed-in" photos of her bottoms.

As the man "buffered for excuses", Low deleted all the photos herself.

Continued to lie

According to Low, the man continued making excuses even after she confronted him.

He claimed the angle made it appear otherwise and said he had only been trying to take photos of the game.

Low rejected his explanation, pointing out that the images were focused on her.

"He just kept giving excuses and changing his statement, from saying he didn’t take any photos to saying it’s accidental, it’s not on purpose, to saying he only wanted to take the game bc it’s interesting.

"But I’ve seen the photos and it’s very clearly zoomed in," Low told Mothership.

The man only left after Low's boyfriend, whom she described as muscular and tattooed, walked over and asked him to leave.

Why she's speaking up

In the caption of her video, Low wrote:

"Past me would’ve not posted this or just kept quiet, but I know there’ll be other girls that’ll be afraid/ don’t want to cause trouble and just keep quiet and let it go because I used to be like that."

She told Mothership that she hopes to encourage other girls to speak up, while acknowledging how difficult it can be to do so in such situations.

"It’s never your fault. It’s not how you dress, how you act, if the perpetrator wants to do this kind of act, they’d do it anyway," she said.

Since posting the video, Low said she has received an influx of comments accusing her of overreacting and claiming she had "asked for it" because of what she was wearing.

She said she had been wearing running shorts.

Low emphasised that regardless of what someone is wearing, such behaviour is never acceptable.

She has personally been harassed even while in long pants and long sleeved-shirts, she said.

"It’s never about what you wear. But if you don’t speak up, don’t shout out, this will always keep happening, to you and to the other girls around you," she said.

"They only do it bc they think we’re easy/ not scary/ won’t speak up. The only person who is at a disadvantage is you if you don’t learn to stand up for yourself.

If you’re scared, at least tell your friend/ your boyfriend/ your family, so they can help you. Don’t suffer alone."

Did not make police report

Low shared that she did not make a police report as she deleted the evidence and was not sure if the report would still go through.

But she added that she regrets not having done so.

"Honestly I was wrong, even if it took three to four hours to file a report and even if he just got a warning, it would’ve probably been best so he wouldn’t attempt this with anyone else," she said.

Voyeurism in Singapore

According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF), voyeurism is the act of observing or filming another person who is engaged in a private act without his or her permission.

The majority of voyeurism cases involve perpetrators taking upskirt photographs or videos, as well as “Peeping Tom” cases where perpetrators intentionally observe or record another person engaging in a private act without his or her consent.

According to Singapore Legal Advice, acts of voyeurism are criminalised under section 377BB of the Penal Code.

This includes recording an image of the victim’s private parts, namely genitals, breasts (where the victim is a female), or buttocks (whether exposed or covered) that would not usually be visible, without the victim’s consent and with the knowledge or belief that the victim does not consent to being recorded.

One example is taking upskirt pictures on the escalator.

A 72-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to 23 years' jail for sexually abusing his step-granddaughter on multiple occasions over five years since she was nine years old.

The man pleaded guilty to three charges of aggravated statutory rape and was sentenced on Jul. 20, CNA reported.

A total of 18 other charges were considered during sentencing.

The man was in his 60s when the offences were committed, while the victim was aged between nine and 13.

He cannot be identified due to a gag order to protect the victim.

The man cannot be caned as he is above 50.

Grandfather

The victim referred to the man as “grandfather”.

Between 2018 and July 2023, he sexually abused the victim in his car and at a flat on multiple occasions.

In 2018, the victim routinely visited the man once or twice a month.

He would get her to go with him to a mall and promise to buy whatever she liked.

He only treated her this way as he wanted to be with her alone for sexual acts.

The man did not do this to any of his other grandchildren.

He would drive the victim to a multi-storey car park and sexually abuse her.

The victim would be rewarded with art supplies or other items she liked after each occasion.

Sometimes when the girl tried to resist, the man would tell her he would buy her an item she chose if she complied.

The victim would then give in reluctantly, even though she was uncomfortable.

The man also requested that she kept their sexual encounters a secret.

Art project

In April 2024, the victim was working on an art project related to the theme of “struggle”.

She drew the back of a human body with hands wrapped around it for the project and the art teacher asked her about the story behind the work.

The girl revealed she was sexually abused by the man.

The teacher then alerted the victim’s mother, who then lodged a police report.

Totality principle

The prosecution sought 23 years’ jail for the man.

They did not request imprisonment instead of caning due to the “totality principle”, which requires the court to take a last look at all the facts to assess if a sentence is justified or too excessive for there to be a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

The prosecution pointed out that the sexual acts escalated from molestation to rape, and he was emboldened after each occasion.

He had attempted to rape the victim when she was 11 to 12.

There was also evidence of premeditation, such as grooming the victim and getting her to be alone with him away from others.

Sometime between 2020 and 2021, the man even took her to his flat alone when other family members had gathered elsewhere for dinner.

The prosecution said the victim was traumatised and experienced frequent flashbacks.

A strain has developed between the victim’s immediate family and her extended family after the authorities were alerted.

Her extended family members, including her cousins, have ceased communications with her.

For each count of aggravated statutory rape, the man could have been liable to a jail term of between eight and 20 years.

A commuter's power bank caught fire and emitted smoke at Woodlands MRT station on the morning of Jul. 20, 2026.

According to a video seen by Mothership, a bag on the station floor near the platform screen doors was emitting smoke.

Commuters could be seen boarding the train and the train doors closed shortly after.

Power bank emitted smoke

Responding to Mothership's queries, SMRT Trains' president Lam Sheau Kai said a commuter was waiting for a train at Woodlands station on the Thomson-East Coast Line at about 9am on Jul. 20 when the power bank in her bag started emitting smoke.

"Another commuter on the platform alerted our station staff," he said.

A station staff responded to the fire quickly by extinguishing it.

The staff also assisted the affected commuter, who suffered minor blisters on her fingers. No other injuries were reported.

Safety precaution

"As a safety precaution, the station's exhaust ventilation system was activated to clear the smoke and maintain a safe environment for commuters," Lam said.

During the incident, trains bypassed Woodlands station for about 20 minutes while station staff managed the incident safely.

In addition, announcements were made in trains and at stations to keep commuters informed.

"We would like to remind commuters to use only power banks with built-in safety features. This helps reduce the risk of overheating and other battery-related incidents."

Metro will be shutting its remaining two department stores in Paragon and Causeway Point when their current leases end.

The decision comes after "a strategic review of its retail business amidst the operating challenges faced by Singapore’s retail sector", Metro Holdings said in a Jul. 20 news release.

"Metro has been a trusted retail name in Singapore for more than six decades. As the retail landscape continues to transform, it is important that we evolve alongside it," the company chairman Tan Soo Khoon said.

The news release did not state when the leases will expire.

Shift to concept stores

The homegrown retailer explained that it intends to progressively transit from operating traditional large-format department stores towards "specialised retail concepts".

It has been discussing with the landlords of the two malls and more to roll out such concept stores.

"[Metro] has expressed interest in remaining at Paragon under new retail concept stores, and discussions are ongoing," the manager of CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT), who operates Paragon, said on Jul. 20, as quoted by The Business Times.

Improve competitiveness

Currently, Metro Holdings is still assessing the financial implications of the transition, and cannot yet quantify the full financial impact on the company's earnings.

However, its board believes this repositioning "will strengthen the long-term competitiveness of its retail business and enhance its ability to respond to changing market conditions".

The company previously reported that weaker sales at their Paragon and Causeway Point stores dragged down group revenue and contributed to another year of losses, according to The Straits Times.

The United Kingdom has a new prime minister, its sixth in the last 10 years, after Andy Burnham met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Jul. 20.

He succeeds Keir Starmer, who leaves his post after two years in the role.

Addressing the media as prime minister for the first time, the 56-year-old Burnham characterised his appointment as a "circuit breaker" moment for Britain, reported The Guardian.

According to the BBC, Burnham also used his speech — delivered somewhat unorthodoxly without notes or a teleprompter — to stress the importance of regaining stability in the country.

He mentioned addressing the rising cost-of-living as among his government's top priorities, adding that he would announce measures on Jul. 21 to give those feeling the pressure "some breathing space now".

His first instruction, however, would be to end rough sleeping in the UK.

Congratulations from PM Wong

In a congratulatory letter, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong wished Burnham "every success" in leading the UK through "this period of profound geopolitical and economic change".

"I am confident that we will continue to strengthen cooperation across a wide range of areas, including in innovation, science and technology, and defence."

On Facebook, PM Wong noted the "close and enduring partnership" between Singapore and the UK, "built on decades of trust and cooperation".

"Man of the People"

Burnham's seemingly rapid rise to 10 Downing Street was preceded by his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester, which lasted from 2017 to 2026.

Before that, he had served in various Labour government cabinet positions between 2007 and 2010, and twice unsuccessfully challenged for the role of party leader.

He has now built a reputation as a folksy, relaxed, "man of the people" and will hope to stem the rising popularity of Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform Party.

Just slightly over a year after taking over the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs portfolio, Faishal Ibrahim has resigned from political office, as well as from Parliament and the People's Action Party (PAP), over his "interactions" with a female member of the public.

According to a Jul. 20 statement by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Faishal and the woman had interacted through online messages and met on the sidelines of public events.

In his resignation letter, Faishal wrote that there was neither a physical relationship between them nor the intention to develop one on his part, but acknowledged that he failed to "establish clearer boundaries at an earlier stage".

The Attorney-General's Chambers assessed that no criminal offence was committed, but the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs accepted that his conduct "fell short" of what is expected of a political office holder and Member of Parliament (MP).

The resignation of Faishal, who did well to connect and engage with the Malay-Muslim community, is a loss to the community.

This was also acknowledged by former President Halimah Yacob.

She said that Faishal "was, frankly, everywhere in his effort to personally reach out and assuage the (Malay-Muslim) community that he heard them and was trying to address their concerns".

The gap Faishal leaves behind

Faishal's sudden resignation leaves in its wake significant gaps, analysts told Mothership.

The Muslim Affairs ministerial appointment is a crucial cabinet portfolio, with the office holder playing a central role in shaping laws and policies that affect the welfare of the Malay-Muslim community.

Walid Jumblatt Bin Abdullah, Associate Professor at the Nanyang Technological University School of Social Sciences, explained that the office comes with "serious powers".

For instance, he recommends council members to Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), the Muslim religious authority of Singapore.

The significance of Faishal's resignation lies in losing him as Muslim affairs minister, owing to the good work he has done during his tenure to "repair" the goodwill with the Malay-Muslim community, Walid commented.

"I think he did a really good job in the past year, also trying to engage different people within the Muslim community and really trying to have a big-tent approach towards embracing the Muslims," Walid commented.

"He was someone who was really able to bridge the relationship between the government and the people," the professor also said.

Eugene Tan, political analyst and Professor of Law at Singapore Management University (SMU), echoed this sentiment, saying, "Faishal was popular on the ground with his unassuming ways and ease of connecting with people."

His resignation is a "significant setback" for the PAP's 4G leadership.

Tan also pointed out that Faishal was appointed to the Muslim Affairs office "to shore up support of the Malay-Muslim ground" after the 2025 General Election.

With Faishal's departure, the PAP government will have to "beef up the representation and leadership" within the Malay-Muslim community.

Apart from Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli, there is no other Malay MP who is a full minister, Tan observed.

Zaqy is a Senior Minister of State (SMS).

Rahayu Mazham and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim are Ministers of State (MOS), while Syed Harun is a Senior Parliamentary Secretary.

"This is a gap that will take some time to plug," Tan remarked.

He also said that the PAP will have to pay "even more attention" to the Malay-Muslim ground, in a variety of other ways.

Big shoes to fill for Zaqy

This also means the new Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs will have big shoes to fill.

Zaqy's appointment is "at least the first step" being taken by the PAP to ensure someone is taking over, Teo Kay Key, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, said.

The PAP's quick response also indicates that there are people who will be taking up the work in Faishal's absence.

"But it still means that the community will need to get used to a new minister," Teo added.

She opined that Zaqy has cycled through multiple political office holder appointments and has been SMS since 2020, putting him on comparable footing with Faishal in terms of experience.

Tan pointed out that, for Zaqy, there will be a "steep learning curve" and "building trust and confidence will be even more demanding".

However, Tan also said that the acting minister will "step up even as this role is thrust upon him".

Walid made the observation that when Faishal was made Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, he was promoted from Minister of State to SMS. At that point, Zaqy had already been SMS.

Zaqy is not starting from zero, however.

Under Faishal, there was a "division of labour", in which Faishal oversaw MUIS while Zaqy oversaw Mendaki, Walid said.

At a media doorstop, Zaqy expressed sadness at Faishal's departure and noted that he had worked closely with him for close to 20 years, most recently on the Mendaki 2030 and the Tunas programme.

"I'm sorry that this has happened, but I can assure the community that I will continue to engage and better understand the needs of the Muslim community," Zaqy said.

He noted in a separate Facebook post that many in the community are "disappointed and saddened".

"I will do my best to serve the community as the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, working closely with all our stakeholders and community leaders in the days ahead," he also said.

Independent political analyst Felix Tan, on the other hand, thinks that the changes will not have a "major impact" on the Malay-Muslim community, noting that the circumstances of this change in office holder are "quite different" from the previous one.

When Faishal was picked to take over the Muslim Affairs portfolio from Masagos, the debate was largely "about representation and public confidence in the role", he elaborated.

In Faishal's case, it was a matter of personal conduct. "There was no comparable public backlash over his ability to discharge his official responsibilities," Tan said.

"Whoever takes over the portfolio will inevitably have their own style and priorities, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into a major shift in policy or engagement," he remarked.

He also commented that the broader relationship between the PAP and the Malay-Muslim community is "unlikely to hinge on the appointment of any single minister".

Did it warrant a resignation?

Faishal's resignation over his interactions with a female member of the public is the latest in several similar departures from the PAP camp in the past.

Based on what is publicly known about the circumstances surrounding his resignation, Walid asked if it was warranted.

"The standards are getting higher and higher in terms of what disqualifies an MP," he commented.

While he does not object to such heightened standards when it comes to competence or fiduciary duties, Walid noted that Faishal's case was a "personal" matter.

"I don't think he should have resigned," he opined, reiterating that he found Faishal to be a good minister.

This is also echoed by former NMP Calvin Cheng, saying that "one has to balance losing a good minister/MP , with small failings that all human beings have".

"And when they fall short, they will need to face consequences," Teo said.

Tan commented that both the PAP and the Workers' Party have set "varying benchmarks of sorts, and they cannot and do not want to be seen to be soft on them".

"Ultimately, the PAP is not prepared to have an individual MP or political office holder get in the way of its political messaging and becoming a political distraction or even a political liability. It’s an albatross around its neck that it would rather not have," he continued.

However, with the number of similar cases from its camp, Tan said that it will be a political setback as the PAP prides itself on "integrity in governance and virtue in its leadership".

Independent political analyst Felix Tan differed on this, finding that the political backlash on the PAP is "likely to be fairly limited".

He also said, "At this stage, it remains unclear whether the matter involved personal misconduct or simply a lapse in judgment, and it would be premature to draw firm conclusions."

Cabinet reshuffle?

It is now more than one year since GE2025, and a cabinet reshuffle may already be on the horizon.

Faishal's resignation comes about two months after then-Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon stepped down from political office.

These movements may hasten the process for a reshuffle, Teo said.

Meanwhile, Tan doesn't see the business of government being "materially affected", but it's "a loss all the same".

"It may also point to unevenness in its bench strength and political renewal and succession for the Indian and Malay representation," he said, agreeing that the Prime Minister might bring forward cabinet reshuffle plans.

Notably, Faishal's role in the Ministry of Home Affairs and work on the fight against drugs and radicalisation "will have to be addressed".

Faishal's role in lowering recidivism was acknowledged by Minister Masagos Zulkifli. 

"Particularly when there are still many unanswered questions and the broader picture has yet to emerge," he added.

No by-election

In a Jul. 20 media doorstop with Minister for Education and Chairman of the PAP Desmond Lee, it was announced that Faishal's resignation will not lead to a by-election for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, which went uncontested in GE2025.

However, Faishal was the minority representative for the GRC.

SMU's Tan explained that the law does not require it, referencing the Court of Appeal's 2019 decision which concerned the minority seat vacated by Halimah Yacob to contest in the 2017 Presidential Election.

When President Tharman Shanmugaratnam vacated his Jurong GRC seat to run for the 2023 Presidential Election, no by-election was called either.

"It’s more a political choice, bearing in mind the political imperatives and context," he continued.

In this case, Parliament is "not even one year into its five-year term".

Teo also commented that there had been past cases in which a by-election was not called, despite a vacant minority representative GRC seat.

Other examples include when Raeesah Khan resigned from her seat in Sengkang GRC in 2020 and when Minister S Iswaran vacated his in West Coast GRC in 2024, both of which did not result in by-elections.

Closing the gaps

Fellow GRC MP and Minister of State Goh Pei Ming assured residents in a Facebook post that Faishal's MP duties will be picked up and covered by the rest of the team, which also includes Tin Pei Ling, Diana Pang, and Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng.

"Our immediate priority now is to continue our care and support for Kembangan residents, as we continue to care for and support our respective divisions in the GRC," Tin also said.

At a media doorstop held in Faishal's Kembangan ward at Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, Lee said, "Maintaining high standards of integrity and conduct is fundamental to the PAP, and we will continue to hold ourselves to those standards."

He was later seen speaking to residents at a meet-the-people session, alongside the four other GRC MPs.

Lee also told the media that the team will serve all residents, and further arrangements to strengthen the team will be made in due course.

Zaqy had also hit the ground running, attending a MUIS scholarship event in his new capacity the same evening his appointment was announced.

Faishal's resignation is a loss owing to his performance, and the gap he leaves behind needs to be filled.

The PAP MPs and the new office holder appear to be making sure that this is as seamless as can be.

A mother of a student at Punggol Cove Primary School has taken to social media to share her concerns after alleging that her daughter was bullied and inappropriately touched at school.

In her post, the mother claimed that her daughter had been bullied on multiple occasions, but that the incidents were not handled properly.

She also alleged that, on one occasion, a teacher responded inappropriately instead of protecting her daughter.

She was apparently told that saying “stupid” and “f**k you” is “normal”.

The mother further wrote that her daughter had told her she was "sexually molested twice" by a classmate in the school hall.

However, when she raised these concerns with the school, she did not feel that the gravity of the situation was acknowledged.

Instead, she said she was simply told that the school would change her daughter's seat.

The mother has called for appropriate action to be taken and said she would consider legal action if the issues remain unaddressed.

School's response

In response to queries from Mothership, Teo Whye Choo, principal of Punggol Cove Primary School, said the school is aware of the concerns raised by the parent.

"We take the well-being and safety of all our students very seriously," she said.

Addressing the alleged bullying, Teo said the incident took place in October 2025, when another student used inappropriate language towards the girl.

The school looked into the matter "promptly upon receiving feedback from the family", Teo said.

The student involved was reprimanded and apologised to the girl.

According to Teo, both families were informed of the incident and the actions taken.

In a separate incident on Jul. 2, the girl informed her form teacher about alleged inappropriate physical contact by another student.

Teo said the school interviewed both students separately on the same day and contacted their parents.

A further incident occurred on Jul. 8, after which the school conducted the necessary investigations and remained in contact with the family to provide support, she added.

Teo said the school is continuing to work closely with the students involved and their parents as investigations and follow-up processes are carried out:

"We are committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all students. Our teachers have followed up on each reported incident promptly and professionally, and have kept parents informed of the actions taken."

There will not be a by-election following Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim's resignation, said People's Action Party (PAP) chairman Desmond Lee on Jul. 20.

Faishal, who served as Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, and Member of Parliament for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, had earlier announced his resignation from his political offices, role as an MP, and a member of the People's Action Party.

No by-election

Speaking to the media at the PAP Kembangan branch in Eunos, Lee, who is also the education minister, said the key was whether the residents' needs are adequately provided for.

"In this case, the four other MPs for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC will step up, step forward, put in extra effort to ensure that the residents of Kembangan are taken care of," he said.

He added that further arrangements would be made in due course to strengthen the GRC team.

Have to maintain high standards of integrity

Lee said maintaining high standards of integrity and conduct remained fundamental to the PAP, and that they will continue to hold themselves to those standards.

He also paid tribute to Faishal's contributions:

"Professor Faishal has made significant contributions to Singapore over his two decades of public service... And as an MP, he also served his residents diligently and with commitment."

Lee thanked Faishal for his "many years of dedication, service, and sacrifice to Singapore".

Commitment to Malay-Muslim community remains unchanged

In response to Mothership's question on how Faishal's resignation could affect the Malay-Muslim community and the PAP's relationship with it, Lee said the government's commitment remained unchanged.

The resignation marks the second change to the Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs portfolio in less than a year.

Faishal had taken over as Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs from Masagos Zulkifli after the 2025 General Election (GE).

It was earlier announced that Senior Minister of State for Defence and Sustainability and the Environment Zaqy Mohamad would assume the role of Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs.

Lee acknowledged that the Malay-Muslim community would have concerns.

"Certainly, the Malay and Muslim community will be concerned because the Minister for Muslim Affairs looks after their specific issues, concerns, and aspirations, but our commitment, the PAP government's commitment to the Malay-Muslim community, as well as all communities in Singapore, remains firm and clear."

He added that the government would support Zaqy in representing the community's concerns and aspirations, as well as addressing the concerns they have.

Historical precedent

There is historical precedent for not holding a by-election if an MP steps down with the Parliamentary term still to run, as there is no requirement under the law.

This holds true even if that MP is the designated minority member in that GRC, to fulfill the need for racial representation under Singapore's GRC rules.

Previously, Halimah Yacob resigned as both MP and Speaker of Parliament in order to stand in the 2017 Presidential Election.

Then National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said he and the other MPs in the GRC, Alex Yam and Ong Teng Koon, would fill in to serve residents in her ward.

In 2021, Workers' Party MP for Sengkang Raeesah Khan resigned as an MP following an untruth she told in Parliament and the subsequent fallout.

The other MPs proceeded to split the GRC between them, with Faisal Manap assisting in an advisory capacity.

In 2024, then-Transport Minister S Iswaran resigned his roles, including that of an MP for West Coast GRC after the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau had given him formal notice of charges. Iswaran would later serve a jail term.

Coincidentally, Desmond Lee was also a fellow MP in West Coast GRC then. He said the other MPs would continue to serve the residents and have stepped up to cover Iswaran's duties as MP on the ground.

However, this has not stopped others from calling for a by-election to be held, with Ravi Philemon of RDU advocating for one.

Code of conduct for officeholders and MPs

When asked about the boundaries MPs should observe, given that they frequently communicate with residents through WhatsApp and social media, Lee said the PAP's code of conduct applies across all forms of engagement.

"The code of conduct for all officeholders and MPs applies to our everyday actions, whether it's physical interactions, whether it's online communications, whether it is in the things that we say and do."

"When it comes to online communication, this applies with equal force," he said.

When asked whether the incident had damaged public trust in the PAP, Lee said such situations were "always painful" and "always difficult".

"People, of course, will be concerned... We will double down on looking out for their interests and needs in order to maintain public trust."

"We will work doubly hard": Seah Kian Peng

Separately, Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, who led the Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC team at the 2025 GE, said his team will continue look after residents of the constituency.

Seah spoke alongside Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC MPs Goh Pei Ming and Diana Pang at the Kembangan branch, adding that Tin Pei Ling was overseas.

"I have known Professor Faishal Ibrahim for over 20 years, and I'm proud to call him my friend," he said. "His departure from the team will be felt very much by, not just us, but this team of volunteers and grassroots leaders, and certainly by his residents."

Seah also revealed that he had spoken to Faishal over the weekend.

"Before I could utter my very first words, he said to me, 'Kian Peng, I am sorry, sorry to the residents, sorry to my team of volunteers, and sorry to the four of us'," he recounted.

"We had a good conversation, and I told him we will miss him and please take care of yourself and your family."

Seah also assured residents that the team's commitments would remain unchanged.

"I want to assure not just residents in Kembangan, but residents in our GRC, as a team, that the commitments we've made to all of you... will not change. We will maintain it, and we will make sure we deliver."

"We will step forward, and we will work doubly hard," he affirmed.

Asked how responsibilities would be redistributed, Seah said community initiatives would continue as planned.

"We have quite a few that we will be announcing in the months ahead. So that will not change."

He added that the team would take a few days to work out the division of responsibilities, but will share the arrangements once they are finalised.

Related stories

If you’re a working adult in Singapore, you’d probably look forward to meeting your secondary school friends to take a break from the corporate rat race and reminisce about the good old days.

You know, the times where you’d mug together for the O- or N-level exams, or the naughtier times like when you’d skip school together to spend an entire day at the LAN shop.

That's the reunion a lot of people take for granted, and unfortunately for Daniel, one he doesn’t get to have.

Now in his late-20s, Daniel has no idea what his secondary school friends are up to, or whether they're even ok — a result of his own decisions more than a decade ago.

Some friendships don’t last and that’s perfectly fine, but the circumstances of Daniel’s friendship break up is a little different.

A small smile etched across his face as he recalled the times spent with his secondary school friends, describing his clique as a bunch of "typical troublemakers".

"We were intelligent and could probably do decently in school but had very misplaced priorities, short attention spans, and an appetite for mischief which was simply more instantly gratifying than paying attention in school," he said.

“If it's legal elsewhere, how bad can it be?”

The mischief started off harmless and small in Secondary 3, like sneaking off to the toilet without a permission pass. And slowly got bolder, like sneaking a smoke break in that very same toilet.

But it didn’t stay small nor innocent for long.

One day, while they were hanging out together on a weekend, Daniel’s friends casually started smoking marijuana.

Daniel explained that he was known to be the “goody two-shoes” among the group, so the fact that they had access to illegal substances alarmed him.

Daniel’s friends told him to relax, however.

Since marijuana was legal in other parts of the world and generally accepted elsewhere, such as Amsterdam, they reasoned, getting into it wasn’t as bad as it was made out to be.

"I was pretty shocked at first because up until that point it was never something I'd seen being done outside of movies or television shows so I was taken aback," Daniel recalled.

While Daniel wasn’t comfortable with their bad habits, he never dared to question his friends either, as he feared that he would be seen as a killjoy and end up being left out of his social circle.

After all, they had been friends since Secondary 1, and being left out meant he’d no longer have a clique to hang out with during recess or after school, or play basketball with on the weekends.

“I thought it was alright as long as I wasn’t actually partaking in the act itself”

"I think my desire to be accepted within the group also made me accept it very quickly rather than questioning it and realising that this was a bad thing my friend was doing."

Daniel added: "They were doing their own thing and they are their own people — I think the fact that I wasn't partaking was good enough for me. It was a lot of twisted logic to convince myself it wasn't a big deal."

So while his friends were in the school toilet smoking marijuana, he hung around outside to keep them company, which also meant buying them time if a teacher or schoolmates came close.

“While I wasn’t actually smoking (marijuana) with them, helping them to keep watch still felt uncomfortable because it made me feel complicit,” Daniel said.

"We eventually stopped messaging each other”

Eventually, his friends moved on from marijuana to harder drugs.

This time, he still didn’t confront his friends. Instead, he slowly saw himself hanging out with them less.

Daniel’s friends didn’t ask him to come by, and he didn’t ask to be invited.

He simply stopped being part of their hangouts, and they did not message him either.

“I guess they didn’t miss me enough to ask why,” he said.

"It was just distancing over time because I started to feel really uneasy about being their friends when it felt like everything started to revolve more and more around substance abuse for them."

There was no single blow-up or dramatic goodbye. Although it was Daniel’s choice to leave the friend group, it wasn’t an easy decision to walk away.

"I felt pretty bummed out. On one hand I did feel relief because I felt like I had escaped the grasp of something damaging. On another hand, it did come with a lot of heaviness because these were still my friends who I had a lot of history and good times with in Secondary 1 and 2."

These were his first real friends from secondary school, the ones he’d copy homework from, shared inside jokes during lessons, and spent countless hours creating memories that went far beyond textbooks and exam halls.

After graduating from secondary school, Daniel made the conscious decision not to keep up with his friend group.

He heard from acquaintances that some of them furthered their studies in tertiary education, but that’s as much as he knows about them.

The what-ifs that never quite go away

Now a working adult, Daniel can’t help but to look back and wonder what his secondary school friends are up to now.

Did the dream of going on that graduation trip to Bali ever made it out of the group chat? Are they too, like Daniel, part of the corporate rat race? Most importantly, how are they doing?

He never will, because cutting them off meant losing that thread for good.

"What if I had given in to drugs when they offered? I think that's the scarier what-if that makes me feel very relieved," he said.

"Would I still be where I am now? Would I be in jail? Would I have a job? Would I like my life? It is a spiral, yes — but it also makes me grateful I didn't try it myself."

But there's another what-if that sits heavier: What if he had just spoken up and told them not to go down that path?

"Maybe I'd still be friends with them and know where they are," he pondered.

He added, “Maybe if I’d spoken up, they would’ve heard me. Probably not immediately but it could have stuck with them later.”

“I don’t know what I would have said then… maybe I’d have expressed how I’m concerned about the side effects on them. But basically, I could have been more explicit about how uncomfortable it made me feel.”

Speaking up, he says now, is the braver and kinder choice.

Looking back, Daniel doesn't think his silence made him complicit in his friends' choices.

"I don't think it can be attributed to me. I know that they knew I didn't approve too. I don't think my silence was necessarily a significant part of their downward spiral," he said.

But he does believe speaking up could have made a difference — not for his own sake, but for theirs.

It's his biggest regret, and the advice he'd give to anyone who finds themselves in his position.

"I do wish I spoke up. If anything, maybe they'd just make fun of me a bit. But why not say something anyway? If they won't listen then at least I did my part of being a good friend," he says.

"I think anyone facing a similar situation should seriously consider speaking up. It's not just about protecting yourself, but also — being a good friend means to speak up for them. This can sometimes mean protecting them from their own actions too."

Back then, Daniel believed that staying silent was part of keeping friendships. Now, however, he understands it differently.

Sometimes, friendship isn’t just about going along, it’s also about being honest enough to speak up even when it is easier not to.

This article brought to you by Central Narcotics Bureau has reminded the writer to check in on her friends.

Want to find out how you can help your friends? Check out this quiz to learn which statements work best for you.

A 41-year-old Indian national was sentenced on Jul. 17, 2026, to two years, two months and two weeks' jail after he worked with another Indian national to steal a diamond worth nearly S$200,000 from a Chinatown jewellery store.

The Straits Times (ST) reported that Mangroliya Manojkumar Kurjibhai and 30-year-old Serasiya Milan Ramnikbhai were tourists who arrived in Singapore on Jun. 19.

Mangroliya had earlier pleaded guilty to a theft charge and Serasiya's case is pending.

Visited store

Prior to Jun. 19, both men had planned to steal the diamond from Dianoche jewellery store at Kreta Ayer Road in Chinatown.

ST reported that court documents did not state how the pair knew about the diamond.

The pair had commissioned a counterfeit diamond in India that matched its specifications and serial number.

After arriving in Singapore on Jun. 19, they visited the store at around 3pm.

Hid diamond in mouth

Serasiya hid the fake diamond in his mouth while Mangroliya asked to view a 4.95-carat diamond worth over S$199,000.

A sales manager at the store had to leave his seat multiple times after Mangroliya said he wanted to view several other items.

ST reported State Prosecuting Officer (SPO) Yip Cheng Yee as saying that Mangroliya then told Serasiya to swop the fake diamond in his mouth with the real one.

Serasiya spat out the fake diamond and then hid the real one in his mouth.

The pair left the store after Mangroliya told the manager they would consider the purchase.

After their actions were caught on the store's CCTV camera, the manager examined the diamond with an optical gemstone identification machine and confirmed it was a counterfeit.

An earlier report noted that through follow-up investigations, ground enquiries, and with the aid of images from CCTV and police cameras, officers from the Central Police Division and Police Operations Command Centre established the identities of the two men.

Arrested at airport

They were later caught at Changi Airport Terminal 3 at around 9pm on the same night, having booked a flight back to India.

Local authorities arrested them when they were attempting to clear immigration.

Officers then recovered the genuine diamond from Serasiya's haversack, ST reported.

If convicted of theft, an offender can be jailed for up to seven years and fined.