Dickson Yeo, the Singaporean man who spied for China while in the US has been arrested after returning to Singapore on Wednesday (Dec 30), said the Internal Security Department (ISD).
He was arrested under the Internal Security Act upon his return. Yeo has admitted in the United States federal court to have worked for the Chinese intelligence for monetary rewards. He was subsequently sentenced to 14 months in prison by a US court on Oct 9.
The ISD said that Yeo will be interviewed to establish if he had engaged in activities prejudicial to Singapore’s security.
According to a CNA report, the agency added: “Singapore will not allow our nationals to be subverted or used by any foreign actors for activities prejudicial to our security and national interests”.
“The Government takes a very serious view of any Singaporean who enters into a clandestine relationship with a foreign government and engages in espionage or subversive activities at the behest of the foreign power”, it said, adding that it will deal firmly with such individuals in accordance with Singapore’s laws.
On Nov 7 last year, Mr Yeo was approached by FBI agents at John F Kennedy (JFK) airport to do a voluntary interview.
During the voluntary, non-custodial interview, Mr Yeo was “forthcoming about his activities”, admitting that he worked for Chinese intelligence services, the court documents said.
“After the interview, Yeo agreed to continue meeting with the FBI. The next day, Yeo was arrested and taken into custody,” the sentencing memorandum said.
According to a Straits Times report, Mr Yeo’s lawyer, Michelle Peterson said: “He did not betray Singapore and he does not bear any malice towards the United States or any US citizens. He was deeply attracted to China and its ability to uplift millions from poverty with industrial policy, which led him to be easily influenced”.
During his time in the US, Mr Yeo used social media to target American military and government employees who had access to sensitive information and persuaded them to write reports for cash. He would then pass these reports to his handlers from the Chinese intelligence services.
“When he was approached at the airport, he was free to leave. Nevertheless, he agreed instead to be debriefed by the agents. He deplaned when he did not have to do so, and fully debriefed,” Ms Peterson said. /TISG
Singapore— A minute-long video clip of skateboarding youths harassing an older man who spoke to them when they were practicing their stunts in public has gone viral on Twitter, with over 324,000 views.
“This is not your private property,” the older man, who was accompanied by a younger woman, can be heard telling the youths.
It seems that the young men themselves are the ones who put together, edited, and uploaded the clip, set to a hip-hop soundtrack.
In it, one of the young men can be seen raising his middle finger, while another screams expletives at the senior, interspersed with skateboard stunts.
The confrontation with the older man is said to have occurred outside The Cathay at Dhoby Ghaut.
In the video, the youth is seen trying to knock the older man’s mobile phone out of his grip as he uses it, and in another part of the clip, a youth hits the older man on the back of his head as he is seen walking away with the woman.
In yet another part, one young man is seen giving the older man a forceful shove in the chest.
And by the end of the video, another older man is seen holding up his hand in an attempt to stop the skateboarding boys’ stunts, which could indeed be dangerous since they were done in public.
The clip was uploaded to the Twitter account of @sg_trending on Dec 24, with the caption. “These clowns pushing the old man! Act big for what? #sg#singapore“
Others called out the young men for being so disrespectful.
They really think they did something… This isn’t aesthetic or retro in any way, it’s disgusting and fucking disrespectful. Couldn’t they have just simply talked to the old man, they didn’t have to get physical.
Yet other netizens encouraged the family of the older man to file charges against the youths.
Who’s dad or grandfather or uncle that is, I expect you guys to press charges against this group of people, this is assault no matter what the context is things could’ve turn for the worse if the guy fell and hit his head on the floor, remember the video circulating when –
The Singapore Police Force responded to some of the tweets where they were tagged by writing, “Hi, you may wish to submit more information via the i-Witness portal at http://police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential. Thank you.”
Hi, you may wish to submit more information via the i-Witness portal at https://t.co/vFaLcorhH5. All information will be kept strictly confidential. Thank you.
Hi, you may wish to submit more information via the i-Witness portal at https://t.co/vFaLcorhH5. All information will be kept strictly confidential. Thank you.
Singapore—An anonymous source familiar with beleaguered water treatment firm Hyflux told Bloomberg that the company only has S$21.5 million left in cash.
This is enough to keep Hyflux running for 10 months.
The source asked Bloomberg to remain unnamed as the matter is a private one.
Bloomberg further outlined the company’s dwindling liquidity. At the end of 2018, Hyflux had about S$92 million in cash and equivalents. And at the end of last year, it has S$44.6 million, according to court affidavits.
In 2011, Hyflux was worth S$1.6 billion. Two years later the firm was expanding in the Middle East. However, the price of oil dropped, affecting Hyflux’s progress.
Meanwhile, the company amassed huge debts, borrowing over S$1.4 billion in bank loans, perpetual bonds, and an issue of preferred shares in order to build the Tuaspring plant.
On November 16 of this year, Hyflux was placed under judicial management, after Justice Aedit Abdullah said that the repeated extension for the company’s debt moratorium needs to “come to an end at some point”.
Borrelli Walsh, the adviser for the unsecured working group (UWG) of Hyflux creditors, was appointed interim judicial managers (JMs) for the beleaguered company.
The water treatment firm’s application for a stay on the decision was denied.
The company’s financial straits became obvious with its debt-restructuring process affecting not only its creditors but around 34,000 retail investors.
Hyflux faces approximately S$2.8 billion in investor claims.
Borrelli Walsh said this month that there are 14 new potential investors, in addition to five existing ones, in talks regarding the company’s future. Who these entities are has not been made public yet.
Bloomberg’s source sad that one of the new potential investors is from Singapore and manages over S$100 billion in assets. Additionally, there are three other potential investors from the country: one investor with more than S$20 million in assets and two non-financial companies with latest annual revenues of over S$800 million and S$200 million each.
There is also a Japanese firm that makes more than S$40 billion in annual revenues, as well as another non-financial company with over S$30 billion in annual revenues interested in Hyflux.
Last month Justice Aedit said that the two-year-old court-supervised moratorium had not been “intended to continue indefinitely” but was a means to “give temporary reprieve” while Hyflux negotiated rescue plans.
However, “this has not been the case here,” Justice Aedit said.
“I’m not persuaded that sufficient grounds have been made for any further extensions and this must come to an end at some point,” he added.
After news broke of Hyflux’s S$2.8 billion debt due to default notices and unsecured claims that had the company at the edge of insolvency, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) was set to take over the company for zero dollars.
Singapore- As 2020 draws to a close, the world can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. With less than a month to go in December, the promise of a new age hangs in the air, and while it has been a maelstrom of a year, 2020 has brought us more than just the Covid-19 pandemic. In terms of trends, there has never been a more interesting time to be alive. So before we say sayonara to 2020, let’s revisit the year’s top fads and crazes.
Fashion
“Sloppy-chic” pandemic fashion
The industry of dressing and decorating ourselves (so that we can feel and look like our best selves!) took a turn for the casual this year, with the rise of “sloppy-chic” pandemic fashion. With a good portion of humanity stuck in their houses for most of 2020, comfort has taken precedence above all else. We’re talking sweatpants, joggers, house robes, cardigans, house dresses, fluffy slippers and of course, pyjamas. We’ve all been guilty of it—business-appropriate on top (for those work-from-home Zoom calls) and ultra-comfy on the bottom, because no one’s going to see it anyway.
We’ve spent a lot of time in our pyjamas this year. Image credits: F2 – Fashion & Freedom / FacebookComfort is king in 2020’s fashion scene. Image credits: Deneen Sneed / Facebook
Face masks
Let’s not forget thatface masksare now a part of our daily fashion choices. While we must cover faces to keep ourselves and others safe, we can still express ourselves fashionably. The world’s creatives responded to the must-wear-masks mandates in droves, coming up with masks in colours, designs and patterns to suit every taste on the planet. Style experts at Vogue recommend these pretty cloth masks.
Face masks are now a part of daily fashion. Image credits: UB2 Urban Baby Bonnets / Facebook
Non-pandemic-related fashion – polka dots and mini bags
In non-pandemic-related fashion news, top stylists agree that in 2020, corsets and waistcoats are a thing of the past, while polka dots and low, 1990s-inspired kitten heels are given a second chance at life.
Polka dots made a comeback in 2020. Image credits: Luxury & Fashion Journal by Ladyblitz.it / Facebook
Experts agree that leather jackets (especially colourful ones!) are here to stay, while the mini bag trend (think a doll- or child-sized version of a proper handbag) still has people confused—to hate it or love it, no one can seem to decide, but it’s definitely popular!
Mini bags are all the rage, but are they practical? Image credits: Atlanta Fashion Week / Facebook
Food
Home deliveries, take-aways and pick-ups
With the pandemic keeping most of us in our homes, groceries, restaurants and other food establishments switched their business strategies to include home deliveries, pick-ups and take-aways. While we definitely miss dining out, home delivery and takeout options have given us endless gastronomic choices, allowing us to savour our favourite dishes from the safety of our homes. As for the groceries, we’ve been getting them delivered, preferring to do our perusing online instead of in-store.
Many of us got our groceries delivered this year. Image credits: WPXI-TV Pittsburgh / Facebook
Home-based cooking and food businesses
If there’s one thing that the pandemic did not get in the way of this year, it was eating. If anything, we ate with more gusto this year. While stuck at home, people rolled up their sleeves and got culinarily inspired, churning out homemade dishes galore, from banana cake to sourdough loaves and more. Many got so good at it that they decided to turn it into a business, making 2020 the year of the home chefs and home bakerswho have wowed us with their delectable desserts and mouth-watering meals.
Local baker Doughmestic Bliss makes incredibly beautiful focaccia loaves. Image credits: Doughmestic Bliss / Facebook
Comfort food
In 2020, food has followed fashion’s foray into comfort. It’s all about feeling good as a result of what we put in our mouths, and while fast food is still a fan favourite, home-made goodies—which are more comforting and therefore currently more appealing—are moving up the ladder. Bread-baking and food-pickling at homeare here to stay, food experts say, as we become more aware and saving-savvy, even post-COVID-19.
Is there anything more comforting than homemade bread? Image credits: Priyanka Garde / Facebook
No-waste cooking
Another food trend that has been strong this year is the no-waste cooking approach, born from a heightened awareness of the environment and how we affect it. Supermarkets are stocking more long-life products and frozen goods—meat, vegetables and fruit—which people can keep for months at a time, therefore eliminating food wastage.
Buying frozen food can help cut down on food wastage. Image credits: Serene Fitness / Facebook
Image credits: Many turned to mindfulness and meditation in 2020 for relief from anxiety. Connecticut Innovations / Facebook
Intermittent fasting
With all the feasting going on, some say fasting is necessary. Enter the popular wellness trend of intermittent fasting, a schedule of eating which allows the eater to heavily restrict their calorie intake by not eating for a certain number of hours in a day. Intermittent fasting doesn’t tell you what to eat but rather when to eat—common methods call for daily 16-hour fasts or 24-hour fasts, twice a week—and it is said to be beneficial for cellular repair, weight management and inflammation reduction.
Image credits: Intermittent Fasting / Facebook
Fitness
Virtual fitness classes
Aside from all the feasting that’s been going on in 2020, people have gotten serious about their fitness, too. With gyms, sports arenas and other fitness centres closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, fitness became much more personal as people strived to workout and be healthy while stuck in apartments and houses. Virtual fitness classes held by gyms, fitness experts and trainers became extremely popular, providing people with the motivation and direction they needed to keep on top of their exercise. YouTube is a fantastic resource for fitness, with workouts that will suit everyone—from HIIT exercises to yoga and weightlifting to dance.
Image credits: There are a plethora of online yoga classes on offer. Edmonton Chamber of Commerce / Facebook
Fitness challenges
2020 has been the year of the fitness challenge. From 30-day yoga challenges to the viral take-off-your-shirt-while-in-a-handstand challenge popularised by actor Tom Holland on Instagram, fitness has also become more of a community thing. Participating in fitness challenges “together” has helped people stay in touch with others during the most isolating year of our lives.
Image credits: Actor Tom Holland does the handstand T-shirt challenge / YouTube screen grabs
Social media
TikTok trends
If anything has taken the world by storm, it’s TikTok. The video sharing app has gone completely viral, with nearly 115 million downloads in March 2020 alone. Besides reportedly being a whole boatload of rather bamboozling fun, TikTok has gone global, infiltrating pop culture an an incredible rate. Some of the biggest TikTok trends of 2020 include crazy viral dances, ghost bedsheet photos, the “what I eat in a day” posts, and sharing cringe-worthy childhood moments (when you thought you were cool but looking back at it, you weren’t).
Dressing up like a ghost was a big thing on TikTok. Image credits: HalloweenMovies Facebook
Instagram trends
Still everyone’s favoured social media platform, Instagram has only gotten bigger and better in 2020, with new and exciting features. This year, some of the platform’s biggest trends were the rise of Instagram Shopping—Instagram Checkout allows shoppers to purchase products without exiting the app, and Facebook Shops allows businesses to build online stores on Facebook and Instagram.
Instagram users love it, as evidenced by internal data—around 130 million people tap on shopping posts per month. Instagram is expanding what it can do for social media users with the introduction of carousel posts (you can share up to 10 images in one post) and Instagram Live (the app’s answer to live streaming).
Ah, travel, we miss you dearly. 2020 has not been the greatest year for travel; if anything it’s been one of the worst, with the pandemic disrupting most of global travel. With people cooped up indoors, the most traveling some of us get to do on a regular basis is from the desk to the fridge or to the bathroom.
Looks like our major travel plans will have to be postponed until when the world opens up and travel becomes safe again. In the meantime, to combat cabin fever, many have taken to going on short nature trips and walks, which scientists say offer many benefits for our health and wellbeing.
Image credits: Spending time in nature has wonderful health benefits. Central Park / Facebook
Road trips
Another travel trend that took off in 2020 is the road trip. Road trips have earned their stripes back; for years folks preferred to travel as far away from home as possible for the most exotic and different experience.
However, with travel restrictions in place, road trips have become more appealing, allowing travellers the freedom to stretch their legs and learn more about their locale in one fell swoop. Governments have also jumped on the local travel bandwagon, encouraging their citizens to explore their own countries, which boosts local tourism.
Image credits: Go on a road trip and explore your locale. BMW Singapore / Facebook
Microcations, solo travel and eco trips
At the beginning of 2020, microcations (short, three- to five-day vacations) were becoming quite the travel trend. Instead of saving up time and money for a long vacation, people wanted to get away more often, even if it meant going for a shorter time. Travel experts say that the Microcations trend is sure to continue, along with solo travel and eco trips, which focus on sustainability and having a low carbon footprint.
Light packing is all you need when going on a microcation. Image credits: ibis budget Surabaya HR Muhammad / Facebook
Singer-actress Miley Cyrus is becoming an aunt soon. The 28-year-old’s younger brother Braison, 26 has announced on Monday that he and his wife Stella are expecting their first child together, a son. An excited Miley then went on to Braison’s comment section, writing: ‘Aunt Swinkle in the [HOUSE EMOJI]’.
Braison shared snaps of himself and Stella showing off their recent sonogram and he wrote on Instagram that he is ‘extremely blessed and grateful to say that [Stella] and I are expecting our first child.’
‘This is our son and he’s due in June. Love this little dude so much already,’ concluded the musician, who wed Stella in November of 2019. The father-to-be went on Instagram Story to share a short clip of their son’s heartbeat which was captured five weeks into Stella’s pregnancy.
‘Heartbeat baby,’ he captioned. ‘This was our first [doctor] visit around 5 weeks pregnant.’
His wife went on her own Instagram to note that although ‘2020 has been a difficult year, to say the least,’ the year has also ‘brought me the greatest gift of my life!’
‘I cannot wait to meet our baby boy this summer and watch him spread light & happiness to those around him. You’re going to be the best dad ever @braisonccyrus,’ concluded the mom-to-be.
Miley Cyrus is becoming an aunt soon. Picture: Instagram
Braison is the youngest child of musician Billy Ray Cyrus, 59 and wife Tish, 53 who are also parents to Miley and Noah, 20. Tish also has two children from her previous relationship, daughter Brandi, 33 and son Trace, 31. They were adopted by Billy Ray when they were just toddlers.
The Achy Breaky Heart singer got married to Tish in 1993 and has a son Christopher Cody with former lover Kristin Luckey. Miley went on her own Instagram to share a selfie with her 118 million followers after celebrating her impending nephew. The photo shows the singer-actress in a car with messy hair and the caption, ‘Red light district.’
The Hannah Montana star had a lot to celebrate recently after the release of her seventh studio album Plastic Hearts. The album earned the star her first-ever entry on Billboard’s Top Rock Album chart. It features the likes of Billy Idol, Joan Jett and Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks.
Plastic Hearts has remained at #1 on the Top Rock Album chart since its November 27 release. Miley has been busy since the launch of the new album and despite the restrictions brought about by the pandemic, Miley has been working the TV and radio circuit. Miley revealed in an appearance on Heart FM on Christmas day she will kiss Harry Styles if given the chance.
The singer-actress who split up from Liam Hemsworth last year confessed that she thinks the Golden singer, 26, is ‘looking really good’ while playing a festive game of ‘would you rather.’
Miley also found herself falling into a social media love affair with the polarizing video sharing app TikTok.
And during one of her recent commenting sprees, the Grammy nominee decided to leave a very suggestive message on a video of Shawn Mendes and girlfriend Camila Cabello covering her 2009 hit The Climb.
‘Let’s have a three way,’ joked Miley, who later clarified that she meant ‘a three part harmony’ and NOT a ménage à trois.
Singapore—Dr Jamus Lim, Member of Parliament for Sengkang GRC, penned a thoughtful post looking back at the past year, noting that it’s been“a significant learning experience” for him as a newcomer to the country’s political arena.
The Workers’ Party’s Dr Lim, an assistant professor in Economics atESSEC Business School, arguably had the most stellar rise to fame among all the new politicians this year. Many Singaporeans paid attention to Dr Lim during July’s General Election, especially after his performance in a televised debate.
Despite coming face to face with candidates from different parties who were older and had far more experience than he did, including longtime PAP MP and Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Dr Lim’s intelligence shone through.
He said that the MPS is “the surest opportunity to represent the residents that have placed their trust in us. It is a responsibility that we all take very seriously, and I hope that I have offered an empathetic ear, as you’ve entrusted me with your problems, concerns, and appeals.”
And, as a newbie to public service, he has also called these sessions “a significant learning experience,” and pledged to do even better in the year to come.
“I promise I will continue to listen, to understand, and to offer the best advice that I can. If I have fallen short in any way, I will do my best to improve. And I hope that the people of #SengkangGRC will continue to exercise patience as we strive to be your champions, even if an inadvertent mistake or oversight occasionally creeps in.”
The best reward as a politician, he added, is discovering that “we have been able to successfully help our residents in their times of need.”
He thanked the team of volunteers who have made the MPS in Sengkang possible, making special mention of his “core gang—Vic, Cat, and Choong Yong—without whose collective experience, dedication, and support I would never have seen it through the past six months.”
Ms Lee is also a former MP who represented the Punggol East SMC, which is now part of Sengkang GRC.
Dr Lim studied at Harvard University, London School of Economics, University of Southern Queensland, and the University of California, Santa Cruz, as well as Raffles Junior College and Raffles Institution.
Furthermore, he also worked at the World Bank and JP Morgan.
In the same month, Dr Lim was featured in AsiaOne, in an article entitled, “WP’s potential GE candidate is an RI, Harvard and LSE grad.” The following day, Mothership put out an article, “Workers’ Party could field Jamus Lim, economics professor, Harvard grad & RI boy, in Sengkang GRC” about Mr Lim. The subtitle: ‘Big brain energy.’—/TISG
It is expected that Christmas in the Kardashian-West home was never going to be a quiet affair. Despite the coronavirus outbreak and the fact that their annual extravagant Christmas Eve party was cancelled, Kim, Kourtney, Kendall, Kylie and the rest were still able to gather at Kourtney’s home to exchange gifts before the big day.
Kim shared about the gifts her four children, North, 7, Saint, 5, Chicago, 2 and Psalm, 1 received over the holidays.
The proud mother of four posted on Instagram Stories on Boxing Day some videos of herself and North rollerblading. It seems like North received some cool gold skates and was having fun with them. However, the next gift that did not go so well was an art set. Together with a snap of some very creative drawings on what looks like grey stone, Kim wrote: “Thanks to whichever sister gave my kids this art set for Christmas! So appreciate your generosity. My stone bathtub really is grateful”.
Kim Kardashian-West’s bathtub was ‘redecorated’. Picture: Instagram
Kim’s expensive tub was scribbled with graffiti. According to Architectural Digest, Kim’s mansion home is worth USD60 million (SGD79 million) so it is no surprise how much their bathroom cost. Perhaps Kim and Kanye would grow to love the drawings left by one of their children on their bathtub? This is not the first time the bathroom had a makeover. Earlier this year, Kanye turned the space into an enchanted forest to surprise Kim.
The bathroom was filled with flowers and trees which Kim found to be “so sweet.”
Posting on social media to her 196 million followers, the SKIMS mogul said of the surprise, “So I come home, and my whole bathroom is decorated like an enchanted forest. It’s so beautiful and so visually pretty and so sweet of my husband.”
Any guesses on which of the four children left the ‘art’ on the bathtub? Since we are at it, can we also guess which Kardashian-Jenner sister bought the art set which started the whole thing?
A 57-year-old Yishun resident who fell into a pit outside a coffee shop at Block 732 Yishun Avenue 5 on Sunday (Dec 27) morning, said that he plans to take legal action against the town council.
According to a report on TODAY Online, the man, Colin Pereira said that he fell into a grease trap after stepping on its unstable metal cover. He added that he found the grease trap to be about a metre deep.
Mr Pereira recounted that passers-by who witnessed the incident helped to move chairs to surround the grease trap.
Mr Pereira’s hospital bill amounted to S$600 and as a result of the fall, he pulled his back muscle and suffered cuts and bruises on his right knee.
After the incident, Mr Pereira called the police and was treated on scene. He had his knee bandaged after the paramedics arrived. Though he initially declined to be taken to the hospital, he later visited Mount Elizabeth Hospital for treatment when the pain worsened.
Nee Soon Town Council spokesperson Pauline Kwa said that the town council immediately dispatched a group of people to cordon off the grease trap after being notified about the incident.
She added: “The town council is in touch with the coffee shop to expedite the repair works and alerted the Housing and Development Board to the incident”.
“In view of public safety, the town council will be sending out a letter to all coffee shops in Nee Soon town, to remind them to conduct regular checks and maintenance of their grease-trap covers,” she said. /TISG
Netizens have started to speculate that Neelofa is having relationship problems with preacher PU Riz after a number of cryptic Instagram Stories uploaded by the TV host and entrepreneur’s family members on December 26.
Neelofa’s siblings and mother posted a similar set of messages on social media, saying, “If someone shows you their true colours, don’t try to repaint them.” Following that, a netizen posted, “These posts aren’t directed to anyone but if the shoes fit, then WEAR IT CINDERELLA.”
Neelofa’s family members also unfollowed PU Riz, also known as Haris Ismail on Instagram. Neelofa’s mother deleted photos of the couple at their merisik ceremony. All these led to a frenzy on Twitter. Screenshots of WhatsApp conversations started to spread, suggesting that the reason for the family’s strong reaction had to do with Neelofa holding a secret wedding, the transfer of RM100,000 (SGD32,000) to PU Riz and a spell (of minyak pengasih) placed on Neelofa caused more speculation and rumours.
Neelofa then decided to come clean on an Instagram video message on December 27, saying that all the allegations against her were untrue. As for her relationship with PU Riz, this is what Neelofa had to say: “What I can say is, every relationship has its own stories, and it’s not nice for me to talk about my family members.”
“My family and Haris’s family are currently in discussion and we’re trying to find a solution. I’d also like to apologise to my family and Haris’s family for all that has happened.”
“To my family, your support, your love, your advice, I appreciate them sincerely.”
Previously, Astro Awani reported that a merisik ceremony (a traditional ceremony where a man visits his potential bride’s family) was held on Nov 1 and that Neelofa will tie the knot at the end of March 2021.
PU Ris and Neelofa are rumoured to have broken up. Picture: Instagram
Born on February 10, 1989, Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor is a Malaysian actress, television presenter, commercial model and entrepreneur. She participated in a beauty queen competition, Dewi Remaja and won the title of Dewi Remaja 2009/10 organised by the Malaysian teen magazine, Remaja. She received her Bachelor in International Trade and Marketing education at Sunway University College.
Neelofa was named amongst ‘Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia’ in 2017. With her background in business studies, she then became involved in ventures involving contact lenses, nutritious drinks, and small gigs before Naelofar Hijab was launched.
Singapore—A fourteen-year-old boy sustained burns on his abdomen and arms after he and two other secondary school students played with fire and a butane gas canister at a HDB block in Sembawang.
At around 8.45 on Sunday night (Dec 27), the boys set a gas canister on fire on the staircase landing on the third floor of the building, which resulted in the clothes of the 14-year-old catching fire as well, reported Lianhe Wanbao.
The boy is said to have suffered second-degree burns.
The Chinese news portal reported that the victim got injured when one of the youths lit a lighter while the 14-year-old boy released gas from the canister of butane.
Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to take his shirt off at once, seeing it had caught fire. One of the other boys attempted to snuff the flames out with water from a 1.5 litre bottle.
However, that short amount of time that the shirt was aflame was enough for the victim to suffer from burns.
The boy also ran home immediately to jump into the shower, one of his family’s neighbors told Lianhe Wanbao. But when his family had seen the burns on his abdomen and arms, an ambulance was called.
He was brought to the ambulance with his torso and arms wrapped in gauze, another neighbour told the Chinese daily.
The boy was then brought to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, AsiaOne reported the Singapore Civil Defence Force as saying.
The incident is now under investigation, with the two other boys, aged 14 and 15, assisting the police. The police had received a report of reckless behavior caused by the use of dangerous and harmful objects on Sunday night.
The family told Lianhe Wanbao, however, that “Everything is fine” with the boy.
