A woman who hired a moving company to relocate from Serangoon to Kovan was expecting to pay S$228, but ended up with a S$1,796 bill after being charged S$1,280 in “long pushing distance” fees.

The moving company reportedly said the woman had more than five times the number of items declared, including several large pieces of furniture.

The company explained that such fees apply because lorries can only be parked outside the apartment.

Lei (transliteration), 39, told Shin Min Daily News that she found the company online on Aug. 25 and booked a move for 9am on Sep. 1.

Her new apartment was about 4km away.

Expected to pay S$228

Lei said her larger items included a sofa, massage chair, TV, TV cabinet and a bed frame.

She had initially thought a 10-foot lorry would be sufficient.

The quoted transportation fee was S$198, while furniture disassembly cost S$30, bringing the total to S$228.

However, on moving day, she was told the lorry could only be parked outside the condominium, so an additional “long pushing distance” fee would apply.

According to Lei, the company told her the fee was S$80 for every 60m.

The distance was calculated at 180m for her old apartment and 300m for her new one.

Both locations required two round-trips, resulting in S$1,280 in additional fees.

This brought the final bill to S$1,796.

Lei said she had to make payment when the movers arrived, before her belongings were unloaded.

She reluctantly agreed to the charges because her furniture had already been dismantled and she wanted to avoid an argument.

When she later asked why the additional fees had not been disclosed beforehand, she said the company staff allegedly ignored her.

Company says terms and conditions stated extra fees

The operations manager, Long (transliteration), told Shin Min that its terms and conditions state that quoted moving prices do not include additional “long pushing distance” fees, complicated disassembly and other charges.

He explained that such fees apply because lorries can only be parked outside the apartment.

Long said Lei had initially declared five or six boxes and a few large pieces of furniture.

However, when the movers arrived, they found more than 20 boxes in addition to the large furniture, requiring an extra trip.

He also said the “long pushing distance” fee is not necessarily S$80 per 60m, as the difficulty of each move varies depending on the apartment and circumstances.

The move was initially expected to take two hours but eventually took about five.

Long said the company had another job scheduled for 11am that day but had to outsource it to another moving company.

He also had to send two additional employees to help with the move.

A 28-year-old woman in Singapore and her 34-year-old husband have been sentenced to jail for illegally importing puppies from Malaysia and keeping them at home to be sold on Instagram.

They are among the first individuals in the country to be jailed for keeping animals in captivity to be sold as pets.

Separately, another 33-year-old man received the highest sentence to date for a similar offence of keeping 13 smuggled animals at his residence.

Husband-and-wife couple illegally imported puppies

The 28-year-old woman, Ng Siew Teng, and her husband Callurn Lim, 34, were arrested in December 2023 for their involvement in the illegal import of puppies from Malaysia.

They were discovered when Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers found five smuggled Pomeranian puppies when inspecting the vehicle of one Bryan Peh, 23, at Woodlands Checkpoint.

Peh was a friend of Ng and Lim.

The puppies were placed in a plastic storage container, with two of them inside a pet carrier in the container.

Investigations by the National Parks Board (NParks) revealed that the couple kept illegally imported puppies at their home for sale.

They profited around S$21,000 through selling 21 puppies on Instagram, holding viewings of the puppies at their void deck with potential buyers.

Ng and Lim pleaded guilty to five charges under the Animals and Birds Act.

They were each sentenced to 19 weeks and three days' imprisonment and a fine of S$5,000.

Of their sentence, three days' jail and the fine of S$5,000 came from the Section 48(1) charge. The amount fined was the maximum possible fine for the charge.

As Ng was first sentenced on Aug. 5, 2026 before her husband, she became the first ever person in Singapore to receive jail time for a Section 48(1) charge.

Peh was also discovered to have aided the two in smuggling puppies, and was sentenced to 16 weeks' imprisonment.

Transnational syndicate smuggling animals

In a separate case, the 33-year-old man, Sundra Pandian, was found to have kept 13 illegally imported animals at his home.

It was discovered that the animals were smuggled from Thailand through Malaysia by a transnational syndicate, with Pandian serving as a runner by storing the smuggled animals at his home until buyers were found.

He was discovered after a tip-off from the public led the authorities to his accomplice, Chow Chee Hoe, 25.

Chow would collect the animals from Pandian and carry out the sale to prospective buyers.

In total, 14 animals were seized from Pandian, including his pet Rottweiler.

The smuggled animals comprised dogs of various breeds and two British Shorthair cats.

Pandian pleaded guilty to nine charges under the Animals and Birds Act, and was sentenced to 24 weeks imprisonment on 17 Aug. 2026.

Of the 24 weeks, two weeks stemmed from the Section 48(1) charge, which is the heaviest such sentence handed out to date.

Chow also pleaded guilty to one charge and was fined S$4000.

Mistreatment and poor conditions

In both cases, the animals were kept and treated poorly.

Ng, Lim and Peh transported the puppies in cramped and poorly ventilated conditions, causing them suffering.

All five puppies tested positive for Canine Parvovirus, a highly contagious disease that can cause severe illness and death in dogs.

Notably, the virus is preventable through vaccination.

In Pandian's residence, the animals were housed in cages and pet carriers stacked up to three levels high in the service yard.

They were kept in their cages for two to three weeks at a time, only being let out for short periods of time for exercise or cleaning the cage.

The animals were cramped in the cages and their movement was restricted.

One dog was found to have tested positive for Canine Parvovirus, while some of the other animals required veterinary treatment after showing signs of ill health.

NParks: Smuggled animals often kept in poor conditions

The jail terms meted to Ng and Lim reflected their active role in selling and earning from the smuggled animals, NParks noted.

Pandian, correspondingly, was punished accordingly for the planning and coordination that he contributed in facilitating the smuggling operation.

Smuggled animals are often kept in poor conditions, and sometimes even heavily sedated to minimise noise and movement to avoid their detection by the authorities.

Furthermore, they may carry infectious and contagious diseases, threatening Singapore's native wildlife, pets, and humans.

Buyers who abet the illicit import of their pets into Singapore may be prosecuted, the authority added.

Members of the public with information on suspected poaching, smuggling or illegal trade of pet animals and wildlife can contact NParks at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback or call their Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600.

A 33-year-old Singaporean woman was fined S$24,000 after allowing private investigators from her firm to surveil a police officer.

Tan Hui Ting faced two charges of obstructing justice and a charge under the Private Security Industry Act.

She pleaded guilty to one charge and was sentenced on Sep. 15.

The other charge was taken into consideration during sentencing.

Tan paid the fine in full.

Client

In court documents seen by Mothership, Tan was a partner of CDiC Consultants LLP, a private investigation firm.

In November 2021, an individual identified as “Pai Hong Yao” reached out to the firm through an alleged intermediary to hire a private investigator to look into a police officer.

At that time, the police officer was an investigation officer assigned to investigate a matter involving Pai’s father.

Pai wanted to look into the officer as he was dissatisfied with how the investigations were conducted against his father.

On the morning of Nov. 29, 2021, Pai, Tan, and another firm partner met to discuss the engagement.

At that meeting, Tan and the partner learned that Pai’s investigation subject was a police officer and that Pai wanted to know whether he was a “good or bad policeman”.

Tan and the partner agreed to engage the firm to provide a licensed private investigator to investigate the police officer.

Later that day, Tan sent Pai a formal letter of engagement issued by CDiC, which he signed and returned the same day.

On the evening of Nov. 29, 2021, Pai provided further details of the police officer, including his photograph, his mobile number, and that he worked at Police Cantonment Complex.

Investigate

On or about Nov. 30, 2021, the firm began surveillance of the police officer.

On Dec. 30, 2021, Pai sent several messages to Tan and the partner identifying persons of interest the officer may have interacted with, or would be interacting with, in relation to the investigations against his father.

This included the name and photo of the lead deputy public prosecutor handling the prosecution of Pai’s father.

From about Dec. 16, 2021, to Jan. 9, 2022, the firm deployed its private investigators to surveil the police officer at his residence and his workplace.

This included tracing his whereabouts during the day, including when he left and returned to his residence, when he arrived at and left his workplace, where and when he went, who he met with, and what he did.

Photographs were taken of the officer moving about, including at the entrance of his workplace, and two photographs were taken when he was standing topless in his home by the kitchen window of his flat.

Surveillance of the officer lasted for long hours over multiple days.

Private investigators also called his workplace to divert calls to the officer to ascertain whether he was at work.

During the engagement, Tan provided Pai with regular updates on the surveillance conducted, including photographs of the officer, his vehicles, and his residence.

Tan also updated Pai on the various instances when surveillance was conducted at his workplace.

In total, CDiC received S$25,100 from Pai for the engagement.

The officer noticed he was being followed on Jan. 9, 2022 and the surveillance stopped.

He filed a police report the next day.

Protected area

The prosecution sought a S$25,000 fine for Tan.

They argued that the Police Cantonment Complex is “not merely a building”, but a protected area that is the “operational heart of the Singapore Police Force and other law enforcement departments”.

“It is a protected area for good reason: to shield the men and women who serve within it, and the sensitive work they carry out, from precisely the kind of intrusion that occurred in this case,” they said.

They also argued that Tan’s actions “threatened” the protection of public interest and national security.

The prosecution acknowledged the police officer's duties.

“They are entitled to carry out their duties without being subjected to unauthorised surveillance. The targeting of a police officer, especially one that is an investigation officer, elevates the seriousness of the offence above a case where the target might be an ordinary civilian working at government premises," they added.

"This is especially because of the officer’s sensitive work which has real and tangible implications for public safety and security," they said.

A 28-year-old Malaysian man drove around Singapore in a car with a device known as an SMS blaster that sent phishing messages to fraudulently obtain WhatsApp account login credentials.

He was sentenced to one year and nine months’ jail and fined S$1,500.

Ong Kak Seng faced three charges consisting of cheating and charges under the Computer Misuse Act.

He pleaded guilty to one charge and was sentenced on Sep. 14.

The rest of the charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Job

In court documents seen by Mothership, Ong became acquainted with a man identified as “Bai Ge” in Malaysia in 2023.

Ong knew him as he was tasked by another person to collect debt repayments from Bai Ge.

Over time, Ong struck up a friendship with Bai Ge.

In October 2025, Bai Ge learned that Ong owed approximately RM80,000 (S$24,943) to various unlicensed moneylenders.

He then offered him a job opportunity to earn RM1,000 (S$311.78) in cash per day by driving around densely populated areas in Singapore or Hong Kong for 10 to 12 hours daily with an SMS blaster in the car.

Bai Ge also informed Ong that he had a “boss” based in China who specialised in operating SMS blaster devices and disseminating messages through them.

Ong believed that the SMS blaster device would be used to disseminate messages promoting illegal online gambling platforms to persons in the vicinity of the device.

He was also aware that the job involved illegal activities, as a driver in Malaysia would ordinarily be paid approximately RM3,000 (S$935.35) a month for legitimate driving services.

Bai Ge offered a salary of almost 10 times that amount.

However, Ong was enticed by the job's earning prospects and agreed to take it up.

Ong also told Bai Ge he wanted to work in Singapore instead of Hong Kong, as he could drive his own car there.

Hence, Bai Ge enlisted the accused to work for him in Singapore.

Training

In October 2025, Ong visited Bai Ge's residence in Malaysia.

He received training on how to assemble and set up an SMS blaster device from various components, including batteries, antennae, wires, remote controls, and other items.

On Oct. 11, 2025, Ong travelled from Malaysia to Singapore and met another person whom Bai Ge instructed him to meet.

This individual then handed Ong a black motorcycle box and a brown box containing parts he could use to assemble an SMS blaster device.

He then brought the parts back to a residential unit, whose owner he did not know.

However, he knew that Bai Ge had arranged with other parties to make the residential unit available for him to reside in.

Ong was also allowed to reside at the residential unit as long as he helped Bai Ge drive around Singapore in high-traffic areas, with the SMS blaster device placed in his car.

Function

On Oct. 12, 2025, Ong assembled the SMS blaster and placed it at the rear of his car.

He was then added to a Telegram group named “Xin Jia Po Qun”, which meant Singapore group, with other persons, including Bai Ge and others whom he believed were from China, including the “boss” whom Bai Ge reported to.

Ong then took a photograph of the assembled SMS blaster in the rear of his car and sent it to the Telegram group chat to inform them that he had successfully assembled the device.

He then visited a handphone store in Geylang to purchase two mobile phones and downloaded an application on both.

He used one of the mobile phones alongside his own.

Ong operated one mobile phone as a primary device.

Through the application, he could pair the primary device with the SMS blaster device, enabling him to turn the SMS blaster device on and off remotely.

Ong used his personal mobile phone as a secondary device and turned on its mobile hotspot function.

With the mobile hotspot function turned on, he paired the secondary device with the primary device and enabled the primary device to access the internet.

Drive

Between Oct. 13 and Nov. 18, 2025, Ong drove his car to numerous locations in Singapore for 10 to 12 hours each day, carrying the SMS blaster device, antennae, and various battery packs.

He also covered the SMS blaster device with a cardboard box to conceal it.

After one or two days of driving, Ong discovered, by reading the messages the SMS blaster device would transmit, that it was sending WhatsApp account phishing messages to people in the vicinity of the device.

Between October 2025 and November 2025, Ong also met with an individual identified as “Lie Dao Jing”, whom he knew as “Ah Jing”, at least three times under the instruction of Bai Ge.

During these meetings, Ong handed Lie Dao Jing various parts for assembling an SMS blaster device, as well as sums of cash, as Bai Ge informed him.

Ong knew that Lie was performing the same services as him and that he was also working for Bai Ge.

Sister

On Oct. 15, 2025, Ong drove to visit his sister in Singapore, with the SMS blaster device in the rear of his car.

As Ong knew his sister might receive WhatsApp account phishing messages transmitted by the SMS blaster, he told her not to visit any webpage in any messages she received.

He knew his sister was vulnerable to such scams, as she had previously been a victim of a scam.

Arrest

In October and November 2025, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) received multiple reports from members of the public about suspicious WhatsApp and text messages on their mobile devices.

The messages claimed that recipients had issues verifying their WhatsApp accounts.

They would then ask recipients to provide their WhatsApp account login credentials via a link to a fraudulent landing page designed by third parties to obtain those credentials and facilitate account takeovers.

Between Nov. 18, 2025, and Nov. 19, 2025, officers from the SPF’s Police Intelligence Department and Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) conducted an islandwide operation to apprehend the individuals involved in the transmission of these WhatsApp account phishing messages.

On Nov. 18, 2025, Ong was arrested on suspicion of being part of a transnational syndicate perpetrating WhatsApp account phishing scams in Singapore.

CAD officers searched his car and the residential unit.

Ong also claimed that before his arrest, he had received RM5,000 (S$1,558) in exchange for services he performed for Bai Ge.

Impact

Investigations revealed that at least 31,820 mobile phones fell within the SMS blaster's coverage area, and 10,533 WhatsApp account phishing messages were successfully transmitted to mobile devices while Ong operated the SMS blaster.

At least one police report was also lodged, in which a complainant reported a loss of S$1,823.26 after receiving the WhatsApp account phishing messages.

The complainant was induced into transferring money to a bank account controlled by a third party.

Deliberate

The prosecution sought 21 to 25 months’ jail and a fine of RM5,000 (S$1,558), which was equivalent to the sum he received.

They argued that Ong “deliberately” performed such services in Singapore for the prospect of a higher income.

“Understanding the harmful effects of such messages, the accused even warned his own sister not to act on the contents of the messages sent by the SMS blaster device,” they said.

The prosecution also said there was a “transnational element” in this case.

“Transnational criminals are likely to be emboldened by the prospect of getting away scot-free. In a rare instance where they are arrested and prosecuted, general deterrence is of paramount concern, to create awareness in the public and among potential offenders that punishments will be ‘certain and unrelenting’,” they said.

They cited premeditation and an “element of sophistication” in the offences and argued that Ong needed training to operate the SMS blaster.

“He single-handedly assembled the SMS blaster device in Singapore, and drove around Singapore with a functional SMS blaster device in his motorcar with limited assistance,” they said.

Debt

According to CNA, Ong’s lawyers sought no more than 18 months’ jail for Ong.

They claimed Ong used to work on a farm before entering a pawn-related business in Malaysia and had debts due to gambling.

They argued that one victim was harmed despite the 10,533 phishing messages sent, and that a “transmitted message is not equivalent to a completed instance of cheating”.

"The disparity between the potential and actual harm is therefore stark," they said.

"Further, given that the messages were transmitted in October to November 2025, it is highly unlikely that any further victims will come forward now, if they have not already," they said.

His lawyers also countered the prosecution's argument that Ong’s offence was a sophisticated scheme.

"Mr Ong plugged things into a machine and placed this in his car. He covered the SMS blaster device with a cardboard box. All of this was done in accordance with instructions and teaching from Bai Ge. This was not, by any means, sophisticated," they said.

Annoyed by the noise caused by crows in his housing estate, a 59-year-old man created a makeshift crossbow-like device to shoot metal ball bearings at them.

On at least five occasions between Apr. 4 and Jul. 16, 2025, Seah Yam Seng stood at the window in his house in Tiong Bahru and used the device to shoot metal balls towards the trees and the linkway near the block opposite his.

According to court documents, his actions endangered the personal safety of passersby, and Seah pleaded guilty in court to this charge.

Two more charges for damaging the windows of other residents, and one charge for possessing a weapon, were taken into consideration for sentencing.

On Sep. 15, he was sentenced to a mandatory treatment order for one year.

Shooting metal balls

In 2024, Seah bought metal ball bearings online along with various other items to put together the makeshift crossbow.

It was designed to let him aim and discharge a projectile by holding the device in just one hand.

He admitted later that he intended to use the device to shoot at crows, not at passersby.

However, court documents said he was aware that people regularly walked under or near the trees and the linkway he aimed at.

He also knew that these passersby were not always visible from where he was standing at the window.

There were occasions where the metal balls he shot did not hit their intended target but hit other objects.

Still, he continued firing the metal balls because he was annoyed by the noise the crows made.

Damaged windows

On Apr. 12, 2025, Seah shot a metal ball that went through and damaged the kitchen window of a resident in the block opposite his.

The shot created small holes in the window.

He also similarly damaged the windows of another resident in the same block on at least three occasions between May 2 and Jun. 16, 2025.

Arrest

Seah was arrested on Jul. 16, 2025.

That morning, he got agitated with the noise from the nearby crows again, and used his device to shoot metal balls towards the trees and the linkway.

A resident was looking out of his window at the time, and after seeing what Seah was doing, they lodged a police report.

On Jul. 18, 2025, Seah was released from police custody on court bail, and has been on bail ever since.

Adjustment disorder

The court called for a mandatory treatment order suitability report, which the prosecutor did not object to.

According to the prosecutor, Seah has been diagnosed with adjustment disorder, which was found to have had a contributory link to his offending.

Dyson has acknowledged that some early batches of its CameraJet toothbrush, which retails at S$699 in Singapore, may have been affected by a component issue.

The company was responding to queries from Mothership.

The CameraJet is an electric toothbrush that combines brushing, flossing and rinsing by using a built-in camera and artificial intelligence.

What users have reported online

However, some customers have surfaced issues with the device online.

Some Reddit users claimed that they found water in the battery compartment.

One user on X said their CameraJet initially experienced problems with its camera before it stopped charging.

Another claimed their toothbrush stopped working shortly after they began using it.

“Do you want to tell me why I paid £420 (S$720) for a fancy toothbrush for it to be faulty after 30 seconds, it does not turn on,” the user said, adding that they had contacted Dyson's customer service about the issue.

Man fuck @Dyson this toothbrush doesn’t work. Their customer service is ass. Don’t buy it. Lmao I’m so fucking annoyed. I got it yesterday and it started with camera not working to now not even charging.

— Kathy (@kdotv_) September 10, 2026

What Dyson said

The toothbrush is currently listed as "out of stock" on Dyson's websites in Singapore, the U.S., France and the U.K..

In a statement to Mothership, a Dyson spokesperson said:

"We have had a very positive reaction to the new Dyson CameraJet and are experiencing strong demand globally. We are seeing some shortages of supply as we are in the process of scaling up production."

The spokesperson added that Dyson is aware a small number of early batches "may have experienced a component issue", and that the company is isolating those batches and taking the necessary steps to support customers.

Dyson did not say what the component issue was, how many units were affected, or which markets those batches went to.

At least S$71,000 has been lost to job scams involving online tasks associated with Pokémon and other trading cards since Aug. 25, 2026.

Modus operandi

In this scam variant, scammers contact victims through unsolicited messages or calls and offer remote online jobs involving Pokémon or trading card-related tasks, the Singapore Police Force said on Sep. 14.

Victims are then directed to fraudulent websites where they are instructed to complete tasks, such as opening digital trading card packs or selecting trading cards in exchange for commissions.

To complete tasks or unlock higher-value opportunities, victims would need to make cryptocurrency transfers or deposits.

While some victims may initially receive small payouts, they are subsequently asked to make additional payments to complete tasks, clear negative balances, restore their accounts, or withdraw their purported earnings.

Victims only realise they have been scammed when they are unable to withdraw their money from the fraudulent websites.

Use ScamShield app

The police advised members of the public to use the ScamShield app to block scam calls and filter suspicious SMSes, and to check scam signs with official sources such as the ScamShield Helpline (1799).

Members of the public can also check the legitimacy of suspicious messages, phone numbers, and website links via the ScamShield app or the ScamShield website at www.scamshield.gov.sg.

The police also advised members of the public not to accept dubious job offers that promise lucrative returns for minimal effort or require upfront payments.

Members of the public should tell authorities, family, and friends about scams and report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately.

If in doubt, call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 to check.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg.

Smoke was seen coming from underneath a carriage of a train at Bukit Gombak station on Sep. 15.

Commuters were subsequently evacuated from the train, SMRT Trains President Lam Sheau Kai said in response to Mothership's queries.

Preliminary checks suggest that the smoke may have been caused by a faulty brake, Lam said.

As a safety precaution, SMRT staff assisted all commuters to leave the train safely.

The train was then withdrawn to the depot for further checks, Lam said.

Train services continued to operate normally afterwards.

There were no reports of commuters needing medical assistance, Lam added.

A video taken by a passenger shows commuters standing on the platform as smoke comes out of the train.

Staff members were seen entering the train for checks.

Three seniors became unsuspecting victims of a crow attack after the bird's nest apparently fell from a tree at Crawford Lane.

Residents in the area noticed that the nest had fallen on the ground outside Block 462 Crawford Lane in Lavender on Sep. 4, according to Shin Min Daily News.

A resident told the media outlet that the crows had been nesting there for some time, and were often heard cawing in the mornings.

After the fall, they began cawing noticeably louder and appeared more aggressive, presumably to protect their young who fell out of the nest, Shin Min noted.

One was also seen pecking at the heads of three elderly passers-by.

An employee of a nearby restaurant reported seeing the crows rummaging through trash cans at night, though she did not witness any crow attacks.

Another employee also told Shin Min the crows have become noticeably more aggressive, which he said was a cause for concern for people who throw their trash outside the back doors.

The Jalan Besar Town Council said it has assisted NParks in moving the crow's nest on Sep. 9.

Both parties will also cooperate in prevention and control efforts where necessary.

Springleaf Prata Place is the chain behind some of the more inventive things that have ever been put on a prata.

Hits include the Murtaburger, the salted egg prawn prata, the eggs benedict version, and portobello mozzarella prata.

The chain has 12 outlets, and its boss, SV Gunalan, known as Guna, recently sat down for an interview on The Rojak Room podcast.

He also doesn't work weekends, which in this trade, takes some explaining.

How he stopped working weekends

His wife's requirement was that he get back to office hours three years after—close to impossible in this trade.

He then decided to build a structure around it.

Staff who have been with Springleaf five years or more are offered a junior partnership in a new shop. They continue drawing their last salary, which is then frozen.

In return, they take 10 per cent of that shop's profits in year one, 20 in year two, and 30 from year three onwards.

They get no equity. That is where his accountancy training proves useful, he said.

"When you want to sell, you don't need to do a valuation or anything."

There were also two things that drove it. He wanted his weekends, and one of his better staff was about to leave.

He said: "I need to come up with something to keep him there as well."

But his summary of the whole arrangement was blunter than that: "I think I'm lazy."

Every batch of dough is made by someone with autism

Beyond the prata, Guna spoke about who makes it.

"Every dough made by Springleaf is made by someone with autism," he revealed.

A team of six to eight people work in the dough room under one supervisor, in four-hour morning and afternoon shifts.

The company also employs people with special needs as packers and dishwashers.

He said 35 per cent of his central kitchen staff have special needs, and that the target is 80 per cent.

To make that possible, the kitchen has been moving towards automation so staff can work without being exposed to open flames. Spices are pre-packed at the company's own spice factory in India, so cooking is a matter of opening a packet and adding water.

He said: "So it's, you can cook, I can cook."

How the hiring works

Springleaf films its cooking processes and sends the videos to the Autism Resource Centre (ARC), which operates under SG Enable. The centre reviews them and identifies clients who might fit.

For the first three to six months, a trainer from ARC supervises and helps them settle in, and remains reachable afterwards.

He said one trainer, Matthew, has been with them for three or four years, and is almost like his own staff.

Guna acknowledged it is not always smooth. Sometimes someone forgets medication and flares up, he said, but his staff are getting better at handling it.

When the host said it was good that he was giving opportunities to people who might not otherwise have them, he said: "I always say we're selling prata. We need good karma."

A separate intiative

Springleaf went further than hiring.

It also ran an outlet called Pronto Prata that was largely staffed by people with special needs.

A social kitchen supplied the staff, and machinery let them handle the noodles and drinks, though a chef still made the prata.

But the point had been to move people from Pronto Prata to regular outlets, and that did not happen.

Springleaf then wound down the arrangement last year.

However, Guna added that they are now looking at other ideas, including working with a coffee machine company on a one-button system.

"90% and above of my customers are not Indian"

Guna also shared what he had learnt over the years running Springleaf Prata Place.

When he opened in 2003, he said, nobody ordered fish curry and everyone went for chicken. Tastes have then shifted and now it runs roughly 70 to 80 per cent fish and 20 per cent chicken.

He has views on spice tolerance that cut against the stereotype.

He said: "Chinese can take spicy food. People come to me and say, 'You can make your curry spicier, we can take it.'"

And then the figure that surprised his interviewers: "Indians, we don't have so many. Actually less than 3 per cent of my customer base is Indians."

He returned to the figure later, when asked about Springleaf keeping its Singaporean identity.

"Like I said, 90 per cent and above of my customers are not Indian. So we're not going into Serangoon Road."

A new prata every August since 2012

Since 2012, Springleaf has launched a new creation every August for National Day. The Murtaburger came and stuck. Then an eggs benedict version, salted egg, an Alfredo, and a pratwurst after a trip to Germany, among others.

Not all of them land, however.

Kimchi prata, he admitted, was a mistake. Chilli crab prata worked but the crab was expensive enough that it had to sell at S$16.90, which he assumed nobody would pay.

Next year, some are coming off the menu and going seasonal.

The one that got away

Springleaf went to Las Vegas once, through a tie-up with Genting, for a reported US$30,000 (S$38,160) a year in royalties.

Training was done through a 60-inch screen, an hour a day.

Guna had friends in Vegas acting as informal quality control, and their reports got worse as the chefs kept changing. The annual visits that were meant to happen never did.

Eventually Genting said it wasn't profitable enough and the two parted ways.

He said: "More than the money, it was our name being there."

From one shop to 12

Guna started in the trade as a child, helping at his family's business. His father, mother, sister and two brothers run Casuarina, making him, in his words, “the outcast”.

He studied psychology at NUS while learning accounting at ACCA part-time, worked two years as an auditor, then two more as an admin manager at a school.

It was his principal who told him his admin work was not good and that he was probably meant to do something else.

He started the prata place with Casuarina, but the collaboration lasted about six months before he took it over alone.

His family let him have the place for free, and he spent two years paying his brothers back. He never repaid his father.

The business was renamed Springleaf Prata Place after a customer suggested naming it for its location, on Springleaf Road.

It now has 12 outlets.