Four Chinese nationals pleaded not guilty and claimed trial after they were charged with kidnapping a 72-year-old Singaporean man in Penang, Malaysia, in July 2026.

The accused — three men and one woman — were charged at a court in Penang on Sep. 10, The Star reported.

If convicted of kidnapping, they may face between 30 and 40 years in prison, and may be caned.

The kidnapping

According to a charge sheet cited by The Star, the four allegedly worked together to abduct and wrongfully confine 72-year-old Singaporean Quek Aik Teng at the Penang International Airport on Jul. 26.

Through coordination between the Singapore and Malaysian police, the man was rescued on Aug. 7 in Kedah, Malaysia.

The Singapore police previously shared some details about the kidnapping and rescue.

The man had travelled on his own to Malaysia on Jul. 26.

On Aug. 4, his family in Singapore received information indicating that he may have been kidnapped in Malaysia and that a ransom had been demanded for his release.

They reportedly received audio and video messages showing him blindfolded, handcuffed, and repeatedly beaten.

The kidnappers also allegedly demanded a ransom of S$1 million from the man's family.

They alerted the police after being concerned for his safety.

On Aug. 7, Malaysian police raided a residence in Kedah, and there was an exchange of gunfire that resulted in the deaths of two suspects.

Both of them were also foreign nationals, The Star reported.

Six other suspects were detained after the operation, but two of them are now at large, according to Free Malaysia Today.

Following preliminary investigations, the Malaysian police said the suspects allegedly used social media and online platforms to get to know potential victims.

They would then invite the victims to meet in person under various pretexts, including going on holiday, employment opportunities or socialising.

Bail denied

The lawyer representing three of the accused said that his clients were willing to surrender their passports, report periodically to a local police station, and abide by any conditions imposed by the court.

He thus asked the court to grant them bail.

The fourth suspect's lawyer similarly sought bail, arguing that his client had fully cooperated with police during detention and had a distant relative living in Malaysia who could act as a surety.

The prosecutor called for the court not to grant bail, highlighting the gravity of the offence.

He also said the suspects' passports were still undergoing verification with Malaysia's immigration department.

The judge ultimately dismissed all bail applications, and set the further mention of the case for Oct. 15.

Minister for Defence and Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing wrapped up the debate on political salaries. In his speech, he laid out how he viewed this debate, and addressed what he said were misperceptions about the numbers.

S$1.8 million is not what every minister gets

Echoing his colleagues Mariam Jaafar and Yeo Wan Ling, Chan said the new MR4 benchmark is a reference point, not an entitlement.

A minister currently on S$1.1 million will receive no more than about S$1.2 million after the one-off adjustment in October, which is capped at 9 per cent and differentiated by individual circumstances including performance and when the person's salary was last adjusted.

That works out to an average of 0.6 per cent a year over the past 15 years.

There is no intention to move all ministers to S$1.8 million in the near term. Most MR4 ministers are expected to be at S$1.35 million by the end of the term.

Only about two-thirds is guaranteed

Chan said the figures being discussed are not guaranteed sums, with about 65 per cent of the annual salary fixed and 35 per cent variable.

A minister at the S$1.2 million benchmark would get about S$780,000 fixed, and up to S$420,000 in bonus depending on individual and national performance. In weaker years, that bonus could be zero.

He said: "That variability is by design. It is what makes the framework accountable and not misleading."

From next year, the targets for all three socio-economic indicators on jobs and incomes will be tightened.

Chan said back-testing showed that applying them over the past decade would have produced a national bonus about one month lower each year on average.

What it costs

Assuming the maximum 9 per cent adjustment, spending on political office holder salaries is expected to stay below 0.05 per cent of government expenditure and below 0.01 per cent of GDP.

Even with the new benchmark fully implemented, Chan said spending would still be a smaller share of government expenditure and GDP than in 2011.

Why money shouldn't be the reason

On why someone might step forward, Chan said financial compensation cannot be the primary consideration.

Someone considering it must first weigh the public scrutiny, the loss of privacy, the uncertainty of being elected, public expectations and the possibility of failure.

But the most important factor, he said, is the burden of responsibility to "get it right" for Singaporeans.

He said:

"This is not a business venture; it is about the lives and livelihoods of Singaporeans. If a business fails, we can start a new one. But if Singapore fails, we are finished."

Chan said after all those concerns, issues of monetary pragmatism might come into play.

"Money should not be the primary consideration but even if it's one of the many practical considerations, we should still discuss this openly, honestly, and frankly, to ask ourselves not just how to get an individual to step forward, but how to build a system that maximises our chances of getting enough people of the right commitment and calibre to step forward."

Chan said the point is not simply finding enough people willing to take on the job, but having enough good people to choose from.

Singapore cannot build a strong team by hoping the people it needs can afford to step forward, he said, and narrowing the field before selection begins makes it harder for any government.

On measuring performance

Chan agreed that the difficulty of setting the right indicators, saying some things are qualitative rather than quantitative, some results take years rather than a single year to appear, and that the wrong KPI could drive the wrong behaviour.

He said:

"I've always learned since young that some important things in life cannot be measured, and we must be careful not to make important only what we can measure."

He added:

"The mark of success is not how well we do the firefighting. The mark of success, very often, more often than not, is how we have prevented the fire in the first place."

"The leadership Singapore needs tomorrow must be built today"

Chan closed by saying the debate was ultimately not about what MPs will get in allowances or what ministers will earn.

He said:

"It is about what Singapore can achieve and want to achieve. Whether our people have opportunities, whether our people can continue to look to the future with confidence, and whether the next generation will inherit a better Singapore so that we can continue to defy the odds of history for us to be a shining beacon in a turbulent world."

Posting on social media after the end of parliamentary debates on political salaries on Sep. 10, SM Lee said he is glad there was "substantial consensus" supporting the government’s move, on both sides of the House.

High quality civil service

By keeping civil service and political salaries realistic, they have been able to build a high quality civil service and assemble a strong and capable team of ministers to serve Singapore well, SM Lee said.

"If we allow these public sector salaries to fall out of line, the quality of the administration and political leadership will decline, slowly but inexorably," he added.

SM Lee also urged Singaporeans to continue supporting “realistic and practical policies” that will keep Singapore exceptional for many years to come."

SM Lee also reposted PM Lawrence Wong’s Facebook post, which thanked Members for the debate and their suggestions.

PM Wong also reiterated that the government does not believe in using higher pay as an incentive to attract people into politics. They are looking for those with a heart to serve.

Aspiring actor and content creator Kiki Darling has addressed his past sexual assault conviction after it was announced that he was dropped from Jack Neo's upcoming film, "Ah Boys to Firefighters".

The 26-year-old, whose real name is Hari Kishen Balakrishnan, was unveiled on Aug. 31 as one of the film's leading men.

On Sep. 9, it was revealed that Hari would no longer be part of the production after the production team became aware of his previous conviction.

Kiki Darling's statement

In a video posted on social media on Sep. 10, Hari acknowledged the offence and apologised to the victim and members of his online community for not having disclosed his past earlier.

He said he intended to continue taking responsibility for his past, and to remain accountable for his actions moving forward.

The full transcript of the video can be found here:

"Hey guys. It’s time for me to address what has been happening over the past few days, and I want this to come directly from me.

I promise to be transparent, and I promise to be clear, and I promise no more hiding.

My real name is Hari Kishen, and I'm 26 years old. Six years ago, I was involved in a sexual assault case. I was convicted and sentenced to six months of reformative training at RTC.

I want you guys to know that I take full responsibility, and the harm that I cause the victim, there's really nothing I can do to ever undo such pain.

When I was in RTC, they sent me for rehabilitation workshops and classes, and because of the nature of my case, they also sent me for counselling with a psychologist.

When I came out, I really knew that I needed to dedicate my life to move forward and to be a better person.

And through that, I decided to pursue education again.

I did my private O levels and I got into Republic Polytechnic (RP) to study culinary.

It was really through RP that I started getting all of the opportunities to work with lesser privileged communities and migrant worker communities that I realised my calling is really through volunteering.

I joined student council, I became the president, and I was also a youth advisory panellist for a government feedback unit.

I wanted to pay back somehow for everything that I've done, and it was through giving back to society.

Somewhere along the way, I started creating comedy content as Kiki Darling, and it was something that I never expected to become such a big part of my life.

It started with me doing, like just comedy and yapping, to recognising that I have built a community of people that supported me, loved me, and believed in me online and offline.

And I think this is where I need to acknowledge another mistake on my part.

It's that I've been open about my past to the people who have supported and guided me, because these were people who were giving me opportunities, and I felt like I deserved to tell them the truth.

While I had been open about my past to them, I did not extend this same opportunity and this openness to all of you, and I'm really, really, really sorry.

And I understand that after reading the news and after reading all the comments, some of you may change the way you guys see me.

Some of you are very sad, betrayed, and angry, and I totally understand that.

And I'm really, really sorry.

I wish I knew how to handle this better, and I wish it did not have to come to this point, but it did.

It was only after I applied for uni that I realised I had no access to my records anymore, and it was because of that that I felt I did not need to tell anybody anymore, and I did not realise that people would still connect me to the news articles about me.

As I became someone in the public eye, I realised that I needed to take more responsibility for my actions, be it past, present, or future, and I'm so sorry I didn't extend this to all of you, and I can just feel how terrible you guys must be feeling right now, and I'm really, really, really so sorry.

I just want you guys to know that from the past six years to now, I've really been on track to give back to community through various organisations, to pursue education to build myself, and I just wanted to show that I'm not the same person I was that time.

But I understand that this may still cause some hurt to some of you, and I totally understand that.

And I'm so sorry I did not give the people who supported me online the same choice.

Now that this is all out, I want you guys to know that I will need to move forward with my life, and I want to apologise firstly to the person I caused harm to with this case.

I want to apologise to all the people who believed in me and who felt betrayed because of this.

And I really want to apologise to all these people who have been giving me opportunities and who are also being attacked for this.

I'm not saying this because I'm trying to erase everything I did.

I just wanted to come clean and tell you guys the truth, and tell you guys that I really, really, really have been trying to build my life.

I'm so sorry it has come down to this.

I will now need to take the time to move forward with my life, to continue my school, to continue my work, and I think I will continue doing community work because it is really not something that I would take away from myself or from others.

I hope you guys can understand that this is part of my learning, and I really want to believe that I have changed.

I just want you guys to know that I'm really, really sorry, and I love you guys so much."

Convicted in 2021

In September 2021, Hari, then aged 20, pleaded guilty to committing sexual assault on a 23-year-old male friend after a night of drinking.

Hari had sexually assaulted the almost unconscious man for about 17 minutes in the bedroom of a friend's apartment.

He also took seven video clips of himself performing sex acts on the naked victim.

The clips were deleted, but police later recovered them during investigations.

"Very surprised to hear about it"

News of Hari's casting in "Ah Boys to Firefighters" prompted people in the know to raise concerns about his past criminal record.

A spokesperson from the production had told Mothership that they had verified the news on Sep. 8.

"We were very surprised to hear about it," the spokesperson said.

"None of the production crew was aware of his previous conviction as none of the cast members had declared that they had any prior convictions."

After discussions, Hari decided to resign from his role.

The spokesperson said the actor understood the "potential risks" to the production if he were to continue as one of the movie's main characters.

Work to recast the role and reshoots are currently underway, while edits will be made to remove Hari from the film.

Casting for future movie projects would go through more stringent processes, the spokesperson added.

Singapore's Primary One Registration Framework will be refined to improve the access and inclusivity of children from all backgrounds, particularly children without prior connections to a school.

From the 2027 P1 registration exercise, two new changes will be introduced by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Education Minister Desmond Lee announced on Sep. 10.

More reserved spots at Phase 2C

There will be an increase in the number of places reserved at the 2C phase, which is opened to all children regardless of prior connections to the school.

This number will be increased from 40 to 60 in all schools, except for those with smaller intakes of less than 180 Primary One students.

The latter will continue to retain 40 reserved places at this phase.

Students in this phase are given fourth priority, after those in Phases 1, 2A and 2B.

Phase 1 applies to children with siblings studying in the school.

The 20 more slots allocated to Phase 2C will be taken from earlier registration phases, Phases 2A and 2B.

Phase 2A is for children whose parents or siblings are former students, staff members, on the school advisory or management committee boards, or if the child was enrolled in an MOE kindergarten at the school.

Meanwhile, Phase 2B is for children whose parents are eligible parent volunteers, church or clan members connected with the school or active grassroots leaders.

Both phases may see a reduction in places available.

The move is intended to enhance access in all schools for those without prior connections to the school, said MOE.

At the same time, it seeks to continue recognising the contributions of alumni members and others who have supported the school and community.

Introduction of two-track scheme in Phase 2C

MOE will also be introducing a two-track scheme in Phase 2C for schools located in neighbourhoods where the proportion of public housing is significantly lower than the national average.

The current home-school distance priority may not substantially broaden access for children from different socio-economic backgrounds in such schools, said MOE.

From 2027, places at Phase 2C will be equally distributed across two tracks:

1. For applicants who live within two kilometres of the school
2. For applicants who live beyond two kilometres of the school

There will be no home-school distance priority within each track.

If the number of applicants exceed the number of places in a track, balloting will be conducted.

Any remaining places in one track will flow to the applicants in the other track.

Like to the current system, Singaporean citizens will have priority over Permanent Residents.

12 schools to start two-track scheme

In 2027, the two-track scheme will be implemented in 12 schools where public housing accounts for less than 40 per cent of dwelling units within two kilometres from the school.

The schools are:

• Anglo-Chinese School (Junior)
• Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)
• CHIJ (Katong) Primary
• Methodist Girls' School (Primary)
• Nanyang Primary School
• Ngee Ann Primary School
• Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School
• Raffles Girls’ Primary SChool
• Singapore Chinese Girls' Primary School
• St. Margaret’s School (Primary)
• Tanjong Katong Primary School
• Tao Nan School

Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) will be excluded from the two-track scheme after moving to Tengah in 2030 as it will no longer fit the criteria, said MOE.

The list of schools will be reviewed by MOE periodically taking into account changes in residential profiles surrounding the school, though frequent changes are not expected.

Part of ongoing changes

The upcoming changes are part of an ongoing review of the P1 Registration Framework.

They also come after feedback from parents, school leaders and alumni associations, who broadly agreed that primary schools should remain open and accessible to families from different backgrounds, Lee explained during a doorstop interview.

"There are different considerations to balance with every change that we make," he said.

"For example," said Lee, "we know that parents value a school near home, particularly for their young children, and it is more convenient for siblings to attend the same school together."

"Ultimately, we want our schools to remain open and inclusive, where our children learn and form friendships beyond their immediate social circles.

They will encounter different perspectives. They will learn to bridge differences, and they will build mutual understanding.

And this is good for the development, especially if you start from a young age, we are going to make sure we continue planning for sufficient places across neighbourhoods, so that families have access to good quality schools that are close to home."

A Singaporean actress and influencer were allegedly spotted at a networking session in Alexandra organised by individuals purportedly involved in a suspected pyramid scheme.

The scheme

On Sep. 4, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) revealed that 52 Singaporeans had been arrested and detained in Guangxi, China.

This came on the back of a law enforcement operation against suspected pyramid scheme activities and related offences.

Several Singaporeans, who had been invited to Nanning (the capital of Guangxi) for the alleged scheme, told local media that they were introduced to it as a business opportunity linked to the development of the city.

They later suspected that the programme was a pyramid scheme, although some had already invested thousands of dollars by then.

They also claimed that they had seen fellow Singaporeans conducting meetings and presentations about the programme and its purported investment opportunities.

These included former celebrities.

Networking sessions in Singapore

A Mothership reader, Alex (not his real name), said he attended two networking sessions in Singapore that he believes were connected to the alleged scheme.

Alex said a friend who had been involved in the scheme for about a year had approached him about joining.

Met a Singaporean actress, influencer

In March 2026, Alex said he attended a networking session at a bar along Alexandra Road.

According to him, about 60 to 80 people attended the session.

Alex described the gathering as "purely a dinner session and chat", saying there was no specific agenda.

However, he claimed that much of the conversation centered on the purported investment opportunities in China, which participants were told offered strong potential.

He said the organisers did not ask attendees to make any commitment during the session.

Alex alleged that he met the Singaporean actress, who was "quite high-ranking in the scheme", at this event, and even chatted with her.

He also allegedly saw other personalities there, including a Singapore car influencer.

The presence of these individuals made him feel like there were "a lot of highly credible people" in the scheme, he added.

Encouraged to buy a flight ticket to Nanning

Alex later attended another closed-door networking session in Singapore in June 2026, which he said was held at the office of one of the individuals described to him as a "director".

Alex said about 20 people attended this particular session and that participants were not allowed to take photographs.

He claimed that the individual referred to as a "director" was presented as someone with a high level of credibility.

Towards the end of the session, Alex said, organisers repeatedly encouraged him to purchase a flight ticket to Nanning.

He said he became suspicious when he was told that details about the programme could not be fully disclosed until he visited Nanning in person.

Alex said he had initially planned to travel to Nanning in October 2026, but decided against it after seeing MFA’s announcement about the arrests and detentions.

Mothership has reached out to the actress and the "director" for comment.

Raising ministerial salaries is fundamentally about ensuring current and future governments can sustain the quality of Singapore's political leadership, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said during the debate on the government's position to raise ministerial salaries by up to 9 per cent from Oct. 15, 2026.

This adjustment was based off the recommendations of an independent review committee and is the first time ministerial salaries were adjusted since 2011.

PM Wong also addressed several questions raised about the ministerial salary increments, such as the effectiveness of money as an incentive.

He also responded to several points raised by Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh, such as whether adjustments beyond the one-off up to 9 per cent figure will be across-the-board.

On the benchmark used to derive salary figure

Speaking during the debate, PM Wong said he was glad that there was "considerable common ground across the house", with "essentially the same principles" affirmed by PAP MPs, Singh, and Nominated Members of Parliament.

PM Wong then addressed two issues that he observed — the structure of political salaries, and how the government has chosen to implement the committee's recommendations.

On the structure for political salaries, PM Wong noted that some members asked if the benchmark should continue to refer to the top 1,000 Singaporean earners, and whether the resulting reference salary is "too high".

"The review committee did not simply take the existing formula as given. It examined the framework afresh," PM Wong said.

He also clarified that the benchmark used did not mean that the government intends to recruit political leaders only from the 1,000 individuals.

"The benchmark is a reference point. It seeks to capture, in a broad and objective way, the opportunity cost faced by the sort of people we hope will step forward," PM Wong explained.

PM Wong also explained the jump from S$1.1 million to S$1.8 million benchmark for MR4 ministers, which he described as a "substantial increase" if seen on its own.

"But we should also understand why the gap has opened up, because the benchmark has effectively remained unchanged for 15 years, while salaries everywhere else in the economy have continued to move," PM Wong explained.

On whether civil servants enjoy a pay increase by joining politics, PM Wong said he wanted to "dispel that myth".

According to PM Wong, the income that civil servants can potentially earn if they stayed on in their careers could be more than joining politics, if they do well in these careers.

He also cautioned against international comparisons of political salaries.

"In many countries, the overall remuneration of office holders extend beyond the official salary. There may be pensions, allowances, housing, or other benefits, as well as arrangements that provide support after political office, these do not appear in the headline salary," PM Wong said.

"In Singapore, we expect our ministers to be effective politicians, effective executives, and effective leaders. That's how we have operated our system, and that's how we have achieved exceptional results," PM Wong pointed out.

In turn, he said the relevant question is not about whether a different model adopted by another country can work for Singapore, but what arrangements will enable Singapore to sustain "high-quality political leadership over the long-term".

On timing

PM Wong acknowledged that there is never going to be a "politically convenient time" to adjust political salaries.

The conflict in the Middle East has not ended and may not end any time soon, but Singapore's domestic economic situation has stabilised, he said.

"We could always hope that next year will bring a better moment, but the world may just as easily become more difficult next year. And if every difficult circumstance becomes a reason not to act, then we will keep putting the issue off, and there will come a point where restraint ceases to be prudence and becomes neglect," PM Wong explained.

Another motivating factor was the "pressing" need for leadership renewal.

Three possible options in response to recommendations

PM Wong also laid out several other options the government could have adopted in response to the committee's recommendations.

First is to defer the increase, but he said that this will only cause the gap between the benchmark and actual salaries, thereby making it harder to correct later on.

The second option was to move all office holders to the new benchmarks immediately, which PM Wong noted that no members of the House suggested.

On this, PM Wong said he did not think this would be right.

He explained that there would be no need to automatically and immediately move everyone to the new benchmark just because the framework has been updated.

"But neither it is reasonable to leave their salaries unchanged indefinitely," he also said.

The third possibility, PM Wong said, was to ignore the formula and choose a lower benchmark, just because "S$1.8 million appears too high".

"If we appoint an independent committee to determine the appropriate benchmark, we should not then arbitrarily change its conclusion because the number is politically awkward," he remarked.

"Instead, we have dealt with the concern through implementation. We are accepting the framework, but moving towards it gradually," he continued.

He further explained that if ministerial salaries were adjusted for inflation, as MP allowances were, then the MR4 reference salary would be S$1.5 million alone.

"So, we are not giving ministers a larger immediate adjustment than MPs. In fact, we are taking longer to catch up," PM Wong said.

Considering these three other options, PM Wong described the government's response to the committee's recommendation as a "measured one".

"We keep the framework relevant for the future, without overcorrecting for the present," he remarked.

The one-off up to 9 per cent adjustment addresses a gap that has been built up over the years, but does so progressively and with restraint, said PM Wong.

PM Wong also responded to Singh's question on whether across the board adjustments will be made following the up to 9 per cent shift, saying that the adjustments are tied to individual performance and will not be general or across the board.

On how a minister's performance is evaluated

PM Wong continued to shed light on how he evaluates a minister's performance.

While some aspects of a minister's work is visible and he receives direct feedback from MPs and members of the public, other aspects are not visible "from the outside".

"So when I assess ministers, I do not do so based on one speech, one controversy, or one set of headlines. I look at their overall performance over time, and I discuss the assessments with my senior colleagues — DPM, the two senior ministers, and the coordinating ministers."

On this, PM Wong said his own experience has led him to recognise that leadership takes time to develop and people can become more effective with experience.

Hence, his approach has been to give new officeholders "time and support to grow" and develop their strengths.

"But if there is unsustained underperformance, then at some point I will have to make a change," he said.

PM Wong also said that the total bill for political officeholder salaries currently stands at S$55 million.

As a share of GDP, this is lower today than it was 10 years ago, according to PM Wong.

He also said he intends to keep it broadly at this level going forward.

PM Wong also shared considering the "greater interest", he will consider whether more information on the distribution of salaries and performance bonuses can be disclosed.

On mayors

PM Wong also addressed the functions of the mayor, which the WP has proposed to abolish as an office.

"Look at the value that the CDCs and mayors have brought to our communities and to Singapore, mobilising a wider network of volunteers, responding to local needs, and contributing to initiatives like the CDC vouchers and the Jobs Nearby scheme," PM Wong listed.

"I would not want to give up any of these contributions. I am proud of all our mayors and what they do for Singapore. I want our mayors to keep strengthening our communities and build a more cohesive and caring Singapore," PM Wong declared.

His comment on mayors invited audible applause from members of the House.

Salary framework not to entice people to join politics

PM Wong also addressed the critique on whether salaries need to be adjusted if the adjusted salary is still insufficient to motivate people to join politics.

"These arguments start from the same mistaken premise, the mistaken premise that the purpose of the salary framework is to entice people into politics with money. That is not the case," PM Wong explained.

He responded to Singh's speech, where the latter said that the MP allowance is not key to recruiting WP candidates.

"That is not unique to the WP. No one has a monopoly on virtue. All PAP candidates, too, step forward because they want to serve Singapore and their fellow Singaporeans," PM Wong said.

He emphasised that all PAP candidates join politics due to their desire to serve, and that that is he "key prerequisite" when fielding candidates in a election.

"No one should enter politics for the money. Competitive salaries do not create the motivation to serve. But they can make it possible for someone who already has that motivation in the first place to step forward."

PM Wong's own experience

PM Wong also relayed his own experience when making the switch from a civil service career to public office in 2011.

Back then, where he might contest electorally was not clear, much less the remuneration he would receive, PM Wong shared.

"Only when I resigned did I fully appreciate one consequence. I was just short of 15 years in civil service. You need 15 years to keep your pension. I was just short. I lost my pension," he quipped.

Despite the trade-offs, PM Wong said he did not regret his decision.

Sharing another anecdote, PM Wong revealed prospective candidates are asked to write something about themselves when they attend tea sessions with PAP leaders.

"I wrote that having worked as a civil servant, I knew that for Singapore to succeed, every generation must throw up its own leaders, people prepared to take ownership of our country and to serve their fellow citizens," PM Wong recalled about what he wrote in 2011.

"And I wrote that I would like to be part of that team to make a difference where it counted, and to contribute to Singapore's development. That's how I felt then. It is still how I feel today," he added.

Continuing, he said, "And I know there will be fellow Singaporeans who feel the same way, people who see a need for our country, who are prepared to answer the call to serve, and who will take responsibility for Singapore."

The government's task is to find such people and persuade them to step forward, he said.

Government will continue to support Singaporeans

Concluding his response, PM Wong said that he deliberated "long and hard" over the ministerial salary decision.

He acknowledged that the cost of living has risen and that many are worried about jobs and livelihoods.

"These concerns are real, and the government will continue to do all we can to support Singaporeans, especially those who need more help," PM Wong said.

Noting that members of Parliament broadly agree with the implementation approach, PM Wong emphasised that the issue is ensuring that a framework is put in place to enable future generations to sustain the quality of Singapore's political leadership.

The next ministerial salary review will take place five years from now, during which the suggestions raised by members during the debate will be studied carefully, PM Wong said during his remarks.

Singapore is open to chemical castration of sex offenders, if the evidence shows it works, Senior Minister and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Sep. 8.

However, the evidence is inconclusive at the moment.

So, what is chemical castration?

Lowers sex drive

Chemical castration lowers sex drive.

The process uses drugs to reduce sex hormones, such as androgens like testosterone from being produced in the testicles.

This also reduces the effects of sex hormones.

Its effects are short-term.

How is it applied?

Anti-androgen medications are injected at the abdomen or buttocks, or released continuously via implants under the skin, such as on the arm.

The process is repeated as long as hormone production needs to be suppressed.

Pills can also be ingested to block the body’s ability to absorb male hormones.

Which countries have adopted chemical castration?

South Korea became the first country in Asia to use chemical castration on convicted paedophiles in 2011.

Indonesia followed suit in 2020.

Poland and Russia also made chemical castration mandatory.

In Thailand, offenders can volunteer for chemical castration after psychiatric evaluation.

Voluntary chemical castration is also available in Britain, Denmark, and Germany.

How effective is chemical castration?

Offenders in South Korea who undergo chemical castration showed an overall reduction of sex offence recidivism by 92 per cent.

But it costs S$4,700 a year to implement chemical castration measures on a single offender.

What are the side effects?

There are side effects.

Offenders who stop treatment reported experiencing intense sexual urges and fantasies in the first two months after they are no longer treated.

There are also health concerns that the drugs lead to depression, heart disease, weakened bones, and reduced muscle mass.

Ethical concerns

Moreover, critics said sexual offending might not necessarily be driven by sexual urges, and reducing it might not solve the problem of sex crimes.

There is also the ethical issue of how long should offenders be chemically castrated.

Offenders in prison are already serving time for their crimes.

Implementing chemical castration during the prison sentence does not serve the purpose of preventing sex crimes in society, given that the offender is already in prison.

And once they are released, they should be considered to have done their time and punished.

Implementing chemical castration after the prison sentence could be seen as imposing an unusual punishment that could be an overreach of retributive justice.

The Hong Kong secondary school principal who was fired after swearing at security guards in Singapore has filed a lawsuit against the school for wrongful dismissal.

According to the suit, Lee Cheuk Hing believes he was unjustly dismissed by San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School after the incident, Hong Kong's The Witness reported.

He also alleged that the school terminated his contract without providing sufficient notice or payment in lieu of notice.

During a school trip in Singapore in May 2026, Lee was filmed scolding and swearing at two security guards at SAFRA Jurong.

Following backlash over the incident, the school suspended him because his conduct "fell short of public expectations".

Lee later apologised tearfully for his actions and tendered his resignation, but his school rejected it and decided to fire him immediately.

He previously said that he was "very surprised and full of regret" at their decision, but added that he respects it.

Damages

Before Lee was fired, he reportedly earned HK$137,085 (S$22,100) a month as the school principal.

Initially in his lawsuit, he sought over HK$960,000 (S$154,000) in damages which included a severance pay, payment in lieu of notice, compensation for dismissal during paid sick leave, sickness allowance, and difference in retirement fund contributions.

However, during the first court hearing for the case on Sep. 8, he said he would no longer pursue the last two claims as the school had settled those privately.

The final amount of his claims is about HK$902,867 (S$145,600).

Whether immediate dismissal was warranted

The judge presiding over the case said that the main argument was whether Lee's behaviour was serious enough to warrant immediate dismissal by the school.

A representative of San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School told the court that on May 22, the school had asked Lee to explain what had happened.

Lee admitted to the incident and claimed that he was trying to protect the students.

As the tour bus was parking on a roadside with double yellow lines, the bus was violating traffic laws, but Lee still shouted at the security guards.

Based on such behaviour, the school found it difficult to continue to have him represent them.

According to HK01, the school clarified that they first suspended Lee on May 26, then terminated his contract on Jun. 2.

They had also apparently notified Lee of the decision to dismiss him via both mail and email before he had applied for sick leave.

The school thus indicated that it was not willing to settle, and the judge scheduled the case to proceed to trial on Dec. 1.

A 43-year-old man claimed that he was pushed off his bicycle and punched multiple times along a bicycle path at Block 123 Bedok North Street 2 on Sep. 8.

Speaking with Mothership, the man, Kay, said the incident left him with an injured left elbow and a cut on his right knee.

He claimed that the other man later tried to take his phone as he was recording the incident.

Alleged altercation

Kay claimed that he was cycling along the bicycle path at around 8:50pm.

He was approaching a man and a woman walking along the path and came to an almost complete stop to avoid hitting them.

However, he claimed the other man then became aggressive and pushed him while he was stationary on his bicycle, causing him to fall to the ground.

In one clip seen by Mothership, the alleged assailant appeared to pick up and put on a slipper, and could be be heard saying, "You want to bang my girlfriend, ch** by*.

Kay said he sustained abrasions and pain in his left elbow from the fall.

When he tried to get up, the other man allegedly punched him on his left cheek before pushing him again, causing him to fall onto his left elbow.

Kay added that he began recording the man after the second push to preserve evidence of the incident.

He claimed the man then approached him and punched him on the right side of his lower chin, causing him to lose his balance and fall.

The man allegedly then moved towards Kay and tried to take his phone.

Kay said he held on to his phone, preventing the man from taking it.

He also alleged that the man threatened to hit him again after he got back up.

Kay said he then walked towards a more crowded area and called the police.

He said there were several people at a nearby coffee shop, but no one came forward to help.

He also claimed that the man's female companion remained beside the man throughout the incident.

He added that the altercation left him with a cut on his right knee.

He was also taken to Changi General Hospital for an X-ray.

Video clips

Kay provided Mothership with several video clips of the incident.

A separate clip appeared to show the man moving towards Kay and reaching for his phone while he was recording.

Another clip showed the man and his female companion walking away.

The exact sequence of events shown in the clips was unclear.

Under investigation

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that they received a call for assistance at about 9.05pm on Sep. 8 for an assault at Block 123 Bedok North Street 2.

The 43-year-old man was conveyed conscious to the hospital, while a 27-year-old man is assisting with investigations.

Police investigations are ongoing.