Najib has begun crowdfunding money from Malaysians in a bid to avoid jail.

The former prime minister of Malaysia, who is 73 this year, was recently granted permission to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house arrest, reported Reuters.

As part of the terms, Najib must pay a RM50 million (S$15.6 million) fine.

He has turned to the public to raise the money, beginning his crowdfunding efforts on Sep. 19 2026.

Fundraiser

The pardons board, which was chaired by the Agong (King) of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor, decreed the conditional pardon on Sep. 18 2026.

Following the announcement, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Najib's political party, released posts on social media calling for supporters to rally around Najib.

Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, the general secretary of UMNO, shared UMNO's bank details and encouraged supporters to donate to help Najib pay off the fine.

According to a subsequent Facebook post by Asyraf, the fund collected RM634,562 (S$198,499) in the first three hours.

He added that most donors gave sums between RM10 to RM50 (S$3.10 to S$15.60).

Fundraiser necessary

The New Straits Times reported that Najib's lawyers have put out a media release to explain why the fundraiser was necessary.

As per their statement, a significant part of Najib's assets and monies are currently frozen while government proceedings are ongoing.

He is therefore unable to pay off the fine with his own money.

They also said that Najib does not want to make the public feel "burdened or obliged" that they should donate.

He is reportedly "profoundly grateful" to those who have assisted him.

Pushback

The fundraiser move has come with a slew of criticism.

Najib's detractors have responded to the fundraiser by donating RM0.01 (S$0.0031) and posting the transfer receipts online.

One Facebook user, James Chin, shared his 1 sen transfer to UMNO with the recipient note, "Free my boi Najib".

In the caption, he also wrote, "Lets all support BossKu". "Bossku", meaning "my boss", is a slang term referring to Najib.

Chin is a political commentator on Malaysian affairs, and has been largely critical of UMNO and Najib in the past.

Other users made transfers with the remarks "Bapak Sakau Negara", meaning "the nation's father of embezzlement".

Political fallout

Aside from the controversy in Malaysian civil society, Najib's pardon has generated a strong response from politicians.

Malaysia's transport minister, Anthony Loke, has offered his resignation over the matter, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

He said that his party, the Democratic Action Party (DAP), could not accept the decision.

This move came in response to the growing backlash against Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition for forming a government with UMNO, its rivals.

The DAP is currently part of the PH alliance.

Sheikh Omar Ali, the vice-chairman of the DAP's Johor chapter, criticised the pardon on Facebook and the resulting public response.

"The money from the villagers' pockets is misused, and from the villagers' pockets they are asked to help pay the fine...

What level of knowledge is this that is being taught to the people?"

According to CNA, Anwar has stressed that while he was able to provide advice on the matter, the power to grant a pardon ultimately rests with the Agong.

He emphasised that the conditional pardon would not negate the other ongoing legal proceedings against Najib.

SCMP has reported that the PH coalition is facing internal strife over not just Najib's pardon, but also their recent electoral losses to UMNO.

While PH and UMNO currently form a unity government, the rift between the two parties are deepening.

During the 2026 Johor state elections in July, the Barisan Nasional (BN), UMNO's alliance, secured a landslide win against PH, leading pundits to remark that a resurgence of UMNO in Malaysian national politics might follow.

An advisory issued by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Sep. 21 warned against scams involving the impersonation of Harvey Norman employees and government officials.

Since January 2026, at least 119 cases have been reported, with total losses amounting to at least S$4.8 million.

Fake calls

Victims will receive a call from scammers posing as Harvey Norman employees, confirming a recent purchase or pending delivery.

Upon denial, the scammers then claim that the victim’s personal information has been abused and that further investigations are required.

Victims would then be referred to a second scammer impersonating an officer from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), who will then accuse them of involvement in criminal activities.

The scammers will then request money transfers into “safe accounts” or for the handover of valuables to unknown individuals for “investigation purposes”.

Victims usually realise they have been scammed when they do not receive their refunds after multiple payouts.

Beware of certain behaviour

The police said that Singapore government officials would never ask for cash or personal valuables, and transfer calls to the police or other officials.

They also would not ask for the disclosure of banking login details or to download apps from unverified locations.

Members of the public are advised to take necessary precautions against scams.

Guidelines by Harvey Norman

In response to The Straits Times' queries on Sep. 10, Harvey Norman said staff have been briefed and guidelines put in place to help them identify and respond to inquiries relating to the scam calls.

The company said it has also urged consumers to "remain vigilant" and to verify any suspicious calls through its official channels.

It added that it will never ask customers for ID and banking details when they transact with the company.

In the first two months of its operation, the Online Safety Commission (OSC) has received more than 500 reports of online harm from the public, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo told the media on Sep. 17.

She was giving her remarks ahead of Ministry of Digital Development and Information's (MDDI) launch of a new podcast series, "Let’s Table It", on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Among the reports that were referred to the social media platforms involved, the platforms have resolved 90 per cent of them.

The OSC was launched on Jun. 29, 2026, providing a website where victims of online harm in Singapore can submit reports about what they experienced.

The OSC recently shared some key statistics with the media.

Many of the eligible cases received in the first two months were related to doxxing, making up 44 per cent of the reported harms.

It was followed by online harassment at 38 per cent, intimate image abuse at eight per cent, online stalking at seven per cent, and image-based abuse of children under 16 at three per cent.

A case can involve more than one type of online harm.

Young victims involved

The victims of the eligible cases were as young as a seven-year-old, who was doxxed, up to a 68-year-old, who suffered online harassment.

Around 17 per cent of the eligible reports received involved a young victim under 18 years old.

The most common type of online harm these youths experienced was online harassment, at 51 per cent, followed by doxxing, at 31 per cent, and image-based child abuse, at 11 per cent.

In terms of gender, men and women were impacted at nearly equal rates, according to the OSC.

Taking action

The OSC has taken action to resolve many of the online harm cases.

It issued its first direction for a case of online sexual harassment where the victim received unsolicited explicit content.

Someone also used AI to generate nude images and videos of her, and shared them in over 1,000 posts across multiple platforms online.

After the OSC issued its direction, they managed to get the harmful content removed.

In another case, a victim experienced online harassment and stalking over a prolonged period of time after someone created several social media accounts to target him.

The perpetrator approached the victim's friends directly and impersonated the victim and his network to gather information.

The harassment even extended to death threats, which prompted a police investigation.

The OSC responded by flagging the social media accounts, and they were successfully removed for violating community guidelines. The commission also referred the victim for counselling and guidance.

In a case of doxxing, a victim was targeted in a forum thread due to a post that made negative allegations about her character and reputation.

Users in the thread solicited her identifying details and negative information about her, and one identified her and her partner by name.

To assist the victim, the OSC issued an Access Disabling Direction to the forum, asking them to disable the original post and the identified comment.

Related stories

A 19-year-old Mercedes-Benz driver who was allegedly involved in a car crash that ended with the deaths of five people has pleaded not guilty.

On Sep. 18, Goh Yin Zun was charged with reckless and dangerous driving over a crash that killed five people in the Kluang magistrates' court, Free Malaysia Today reported.

The dead included Goh's 22-year-old older brother and a family of four, including a 10-year-old girl.

It was reported that the two brothers were racing on the road and travelling at high speeds.

Goh's brother lost control of his BMW before colliding with several oncoming vehicles.

The charge

According to Malay Mail, the charge sheet stated that Goh is accused of driving in a manner dangerous to the public at KM27 of Jalan Renggam-Simpang Renggam at around 1:19pm on Jun. 1.

Under Malaysia's Road Transport Act 1987, the charge carried a jail term of up to five years and a maximum fine of RM15,000 (S$4,692).

The prosecution initially proposed bail at RM20,000 (S$6,256), but during mitigation, the defence counsel appealed for a reduction.

The counsel urged the court to consider that Goh was a youthful offender pursuing a business studies diploma in Singapore.

His defence counsel also added that Goh fully cooperated with authorities during his initial remand period and after his release on police bail, Malay Mail reported.

The magistrate set Goh's bail at RM10,000 (S$3,128) with one surety and ordered Goh to report to a police station once a month.

His case will be mentioned again in Malaysia's courts on Nov. 20, alongside document submissions.

The family of a 19-year-old motorcyclist, who was injured in an accident in Yishun on Sep. 2, is appealing for witnesses to come forward.

In a Facebook post on Sep. 21, the mother of the injured man said her son had been involved in a serious accident and was at one point in critical condition.

What she is looking for

The accident happened on Sep. 2 between 10:20am and noon along Yishun Avenue 1 towards Seletar Link, near Yishun Avenue 11.

His mother said the family had been unable to find any footage of the accident and appealed for witnesses to come forward.

She also urged anyone who witnessed the accident or assisted in calling an ambulance to contact the family with information that could assist with investigations.

What the police said

In response to Mothership's queries, the police said they were alerted at about 11:50am on Sep. 2 to an accident involving a motorcycle and a lorry along Yishun Avenue 1 towards Seletar Link.

The 19-year-old male motorcyclist was taken to hospital conscious, and is assisting with investigations.

Police investigations are ongoing.

The five actors from the 1996 Singapore film “Army Daze” reunited at Sheikh Haikel's chicken rice restaurant at Kampong Glam.

This occurred after Sheikh announced that he had stage four cancer and was battling it for over a year.

In an Instagram post by Edward Yong, he and former actors Ahamed Azad, Adrian Lim, and Kevin Mark Verghese met up with Sheikh at his restaurant, Hai Ge Ji.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Edward C. Yong (@infernoxv)

“it’s been 29 years. feels like a lifetime ago, but seeing the lot of you again, it almost feels like no time has passed. We haven’t been able to get together as frequently as we would have liked, but i am always grateful when we manage it,” the caption read.

Yong also acknowledged that Sheikh was battling “a monster” and wished for him to “stay strong and fighting as you always have”.

He also expressed gratitude towards Sheikh’s wife, Anna Belle Francis, “for the hospitality and for her unfailing support of Haikel”.

Army Daze

“Army Daze” is a 1996 comedy film which was based on the 1987 theatre play of the same name by Singaporean writer Michael Chiang.

The plot follows five recruits and their journey through national service.

The film reportedly grossed S$1.6 million at the box office at the time.

A man allegedly took a speaker from a Bukit Batok shop on Sep. 16.

He was caught on the stall's CCTV.

The incident apparently took place at 2pm that day, according to a TikTok video by @Top One Communication.

Allegedly took speaker

In the video, a man can be seen waiting at the shop with an orange plastic bag on the counter.

He then looked around before reaching forward and taking a speaker.

The man placed the speaker in the orange plastic bag and allegedly left the shop with it.

The video was also accompanied by the caption: "If you wanted it, you could have just said so — why did you have to steal it?"

Investigation

Responding to Mothership's queries, the Police confirm that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.

Mothership has reached out to the shop for more information.

Accommodations at the 2026 Asian Games have come under scrutiny.

This year’s Asian Games, hosted in Nagoya, Japan, have an estimated 17,000 athletes and officials. This is more than the estimated 15,000 they had prepared for.

The Olympic Council of Asia had decided against building an athletes' village to control costs, saying that it would have become a white elephant after the games.

Arrangements include hotels, a cruise ship, and even temporary wooden containers, reported ESPN Singapore. 

Singapore athletes

About 4,000 athletes and coaches will be housed on the Costa Serena ship, which has 1,500 cabins, according to The Straits Times.

Amongst them are Singaporean athletes, including those from the women's water polo team and wushu.

The Singapore water polo team's Juni Ong told Mothership that the accommodation onboard the ship was "small but comfortable".

"We were lucky to receive a room with a balcony which is great since we play water polo and always need to dry things like our suits, robes and caps," she said.

Karate athlete Isaiah Tang told Mothership that Team Singapore sourced hotels for his team after organisers said there were insufficient accommodations for them.

Japanese organisers reportedly told late additions to the games to find their own accommodation, reasoning that the host city agreement had only specified a delegation of 15,000 people.

Tang posted on his socials on Sep. 19 saying that his hotel was quite "cosy" and expressed gratitude to Team Singapore.

He added that he has heard of athletes from other countries who were unable to find accommodations and were "stranded".

Singaporean triathletes Tey Yi Jun and Luke Chua also posted about their unique accommodation furnishing.

Their bed frames and bike stands were interestingly made out of cardboard. These were also seen at the athletes’ villages during the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.

Subpar accommodations amid bad weather

Meanwhile, around 2,000 guests were accommodated in wooden container huts used for disaster evacuation facilities, BBC reported.

Some participants have criticised the accommodations, with the South Korean basketball association calling it the "worst it has ever been".

The situation was exacerbated as record rainfall hit Nagoya last week, prompting a substantial number of athletes to be briefly evacuated from the containers.

Roof leaks at the accommodation and sports venues were later reported.

Improvements

Organisers of the Asian Games have acknowledged the complaints by athletes and organisations.

Reuters cited the organisation manager as saying that concrete steps have and will continue to be taken to improve living conditions.

Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry reportedly called the container-style accommodations “beautiful”.

According to The Japan Times, she also admitted they were “a little tighter” than similar accommodation at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics earlier this year but said she did not understand the negativity around the accommodation.

A cello player received complaints from her neighbours living downstairs for practising the instrument almost every day.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, four tenants living below the player claimed that it sounded like someone was sawing wood.

They also alleged that it was impossible to get proper rest due to the sound, and apparently had to seek refuge outside the house at times.

In response, the player who reportedly only practises in the afternoon said the instrument was her livelihood, claiming the tenants were making it a big deal.

Jurong tenants

The tenants living at Jurong West consist of a 31-year-old engineer, Wu (transliterated), as well as university students, 24-year-old Li (transliterated), 22-year-old Wang (transliterated), and 23-year-old Ruan (transliterated).

They alleged that their upstairs neighbour had recently been playing the cello at home almost every day.

Shin Min reported that they claim the player usually starts practising around 1pm and continues until 5pm at times.

After Wu previously communicated the concerns with the cellist, she reportedly agreed to try to lower the volume.

The situation then improved for some time, but Wu alleged that the practice time became longer again.

On Sep. 19, the playing apparently lasted for about three hours, Shin Min reported.

'Sawing wood'

Li had previously started staying in the unit in July 2025, and claimed that on Aug. 9, the music upstairs lasted from the afternoon till evening.

Noting that she has classes in the evening, she pointed out that she needs to rest in the day.

"When the piano music comes, even wearing headphones can't block it out, and sometimes I can't even talk to people with my microphone on," said Li, who takes online classes at home sometimes.

The four tenants described the sound to be coming from all directions like a "stereo sound".

They told Shin Min that the music sounded like "sawing wood", and the continuous high-frequency sound was unbearable.

One tenant, Ruan, would seek temporary refuge in her school library at times as she did not dare to stay at home starting from the afternoon.

Livelihood

The woman, 25-year-old Lin (transliterated), told Shin Min that playing the cello is part of her livelihood since she is a student at an arts school and a music teacher.

According to Lin, she usually starts practising around 1pm or 2pm each day, with each session apparently lasting a maximum of two hours.

"Music is my livelihood, and I need to practise," she said.

In response to complaints that the music was disturbing, she claimed they were "making a mountain out of a molehill".

Lin said she did not understand why she would be accused of disturbing the tenants' rest when she practised in the afternoon.

She claimed that she always keeps the doors and windows of her home closed when practising her instrument, and had reportedly lived here for over ten years without getting complaints from her neighbours.

Mediation

Wu told Shin Min that after the landlord sought help on their behalf, the Community Mediation Centre invited both parties to a meeting.

He further claimed that Lin did not attend the meeting.

She argued that mediation was not necessary as she did nothing wrong.

Noting that the tenants below her kept changing, she questioned whether she would have to communicate all over again every time a new batch of tenants moved in.

Bound by lease

Shin Min reported that the tenants who complained are unable to move out due to being bound by a tenancy agreement.

As such, the students hope Lin can be understanding and not play for too long or lay mats on the floor for soundproofing.

Lin said she was exhausted over the situation, referring to the regular complaints and even the police being called.

She questioned if it was wrong to play an instrument in her own home and apparently said the tenants could go to the library if they needed to study.

A Singaporean man moved to Thailand and has since stayed for more than a decade.

In an Instagram video posted on Sep. 18, the man, Alden Lee, explained why.

He began by saying, "Would I ever go back to live in Singapore after living in Thailand for more than 10 years? Well, that answer is absolutely no."

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Alden lee (@ahdhlee_)

Who is he?

Speaking to Mothership, Lee introduced himself as a 40-year-old who moved to Thailand when he was 26.

According to Lee, his first encounter with Thailand was during his university days, when he went to study in a college in the Thai countryside.

There, he fell in love with the country, noting the "peace, the friendly culture, [and] the slow pace of life outside of a city."

After graduating, he just spent one year or so back in Singapore before deciding to return to Thailand in 2012.

With the help of his parents and friends, he managed to start a small business.

14 years on, Lee is still in Thailand working as a business development consultant, and raising his family there.

He now runs an Instagram account sharing about life in Thailand as a foreigner under the handle @ahdhlee_.

What's great about Thailand?

In the video, Lee extolled the day-to-day benefits of living in Thailand, such as the "great value for money", "friendly Thai culture", and the variety of places to explore in the country.

He pushed back against those who suggested that he would have better economic opportunities in Singapore for both himself and his children.

In fact, he thinks that his kids are "living a really good life".

He pointed out that his children are living in a gated community, attending international schools, and have time to play outdoors every day instead of being "stuck to screens".

He also noted how they have friends in the neighbourhood and a large garden.

Lee thinks that all the above would not be true if he and his children were in Singapore.

While he admitted that the minimum wage is low and starting salaries come up to under S$1,000 in Thailand, he said that these numbers are not "a measure of your career path or opportunities".

He further claimed that there are "so many ways to earn money [in Thailand]".

He ended the video by emphasising that he did not move to Thailand for the money, but for the life and comfort that it afforded him, musing that he would make the same choice after another 10 years.

Advice for prospective movers

When asked if he had any advice for those that wanted to move to Thailand, he stated that moving there is a "lifestyle choice" that entails a slower pace and requires more travelling around than in Singapore.

He also conceded that it would be difficult at first, having to grapple with the language and cultural differences.

However, he reiterated to Mothership that Thai people are friendly and helpful, and that one would be able to "pick [Thai] up easily and navigate [one's] way around."

"My advice is not to commit outright, but to just start with a month or two first. Get to know people and the environment. See if you really like it, because it will be totally different from the tourist view that you see when you are on holiday."

He further stressed that Thailand is more than the well-visited tourist destination of Bangkok, and that there are other cities and the countryside to explore and consider staying in.