SINGAPORE: A content creator from Australia had the time of her life in Singapore when she had taxi uncles recommend places to eat around the city-state.

It wasn’t the first time for Amy Lyons, the woman behind the popular Blondie in China YouTube channel, to go on a food trip in Singapore, and judging from her delighted responses to the delicious meals she was served, it won’t be the last.

When she gets into cabs, Ms Lyons asks drivers to take her somewhere she would recommend to their relatives who may be visiting from out of town, where they can get something that the drivers themselves like to eat.

The first uncle recommended lor mee and chendol, urging her to find the longest queue for the most delicious lor mee, and dropped her off at Old Airport Road food centre and shopping mall.

Once there, she was recognised by an uncle who follows her channel. He and his buddies recommended Tiong Bahru Lor Mee, but it was closed. Ms Lyons was then treated by her new uncle friend to chendol, and they guided her to sit at table 188, “the best in the house.”

As 8 is a lucky number in Chinese, the uncles wished her luck every day.

She ended up loving the chendol with gula malaka, saying she wanted to eat it every day during her visit.

“This is why my soul keeps leading me back to Singapore. Nowhere else is food so easily a conduit for friendship,” she said.

The uncles then led her to try their favourite oyster omelette, which she also enjoyed greatly.

They also dropped her off at Roxy Centre, where she was set to try the katong laksa, also recommended by the first cabby. 

The smell of the laksa was so good that she said she could spray it on her body like perfume. And yes, she loved it, surprised at how different it is from the laksa she’s had at home and in Malaysia.

Other items she tried on this trip were Generation Coffee Roasters and curry chicken noodles from Heng Kee at Hong Lim Centre, from an obliging cabby who admitted he’s not a food lover. Needless to say, she enjoyed both. She also had muffins from a store called Pretty Good Muffins, and recommended the chocolate pistachio, which she had with some Ben and Jerry’s vanilla ice cream.

On her final day in Singapore, she visited Adam Road Food Centre with local content creator Brenda (@wordweed), with whom she’s gone food tripping. before. Brenda took her for Malay and Indian mamak food, and they first had Indian rojak, but what really won Ms Lyons’ heart was a bowl of mee soto, which she pronounced a new favourite. 

For her last stop, they headed to Azmi restaurant in Little India for some homemade chapattis and mutton keema. 

“This is food that speaks to my soul,” Brenda told her. /TISG

Read also: We missed a golden opportunity,’ says M’sian woman after taxi uncle boasted about Grab being a ‘Singapore product’

This article (Australian YouTuber asks taxi drivers pick her meals on Singapore food tour) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A non-local TikToker’s assumptions about how Singaporeans live have drawn some raised eyebrows. 

An Australian content creator named Connor (@cozzau) recently took a walk around Yishun, which is one of the most colourful parts of Singapore, if not THE actual OG heartland, and confidently wrote, “This Is How Singapore Really Is.”

In his May 4 video, Connor took a little tour around Yishun and started by saying, “This is how I assume most of the country I’m assuming lives. Not that Crazy Rich Asians type.”

With a chuckle, he then pointed to the condenser unit of an air-conditioner, on which several pieces of laundry were laid.

Erroneously, he said, “Why do you need a clothesline when you have a heater. Chuck it all on that. Let’s go.”

He went on to wonder if the clothing belongs to someone who lives in the area, or if it’s somewhere where a homeless person keeps their clothes.

As Connor walked on, he observed that the surroundings were beginning to look, if not downright sketchy, but “a bit filthy here, people are not picking up after stuff.”

He also said that he could tell from the way people looked at him that he was the first Westerner to come through the area in a while. 

“Especially with a camera, my god,” he added.

When he called out hello, one woman answered him with “bye,” which made him laugh. Others, however, were more friendly.

While commenters could have rightly called him out for how he was making generalisations about how Singapore “really” is based on one neighbourhood, many simply pointed out the fact that Yishun is a singular place.

“Of all places, you go to Yishun,” one remarked.

And when Connor asked, “What’s wrong with Yishun?” not just one commenter replied that it’s Singapore’s version of Florida.

“It’s the weirdest part of Singapore,” wrote a TikTok user, while another added, “It’s the armpit of SG.”

“Bro woke up and chose Yishun whyyyyyyyyy?” another asked.

One corrected his misidentification of a heater, writing, “That is an aircon, bro. We do not need a heater cos it’s always hot in Singapore, but sometimes it rains. I wonder how much research you do before you decide on the Yishun housing estate? And why only Yishun?”

Another seemed to feel Connor was being disingenuous, writing, “You do know you were walking through and filming the back alley of shops and eateries at the start of the video, right?”

A commenter added, “lol bro thinks he stumbled upon some big secret.”

“Just went to one side and you commented as if the whole of Singapore is like this… and oh… You are not the only ang mo in Yishun or the whole of Singapore,” wrote another. /TISG

Read also: Singapore’s unspoken class system, revealed by a real estate agent — Yishun gets its own category

This article (Australian TikToker’s take on Yishun as ‘real Singapore’ sparks debate) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A 32-year-old Malaysian man pleaded guilty to arson after setting fire to a debtor’s home for a promised payment of S$2,500, putting a family of seven at risk.

According to a report by Shin Min Daily News, the incident took place on December 8, 2023, at an HDB unit occupied by a 41-year-old man, his wife, their two children aged nine and three, his parents, and his sister.

Investigations showed that in November 2023, the accused, who was facing financial difficulties, received a message from an unknown person offering him money to harass residents and set fire to a unit. He initially turned it down, but later agreed after being promised S$2,500, along with a S$400 deposit.

He travelled from Malaysia to Singapore and collected the deposit in cash from a man before being given the address of the unit.

On December 8, 2023, he siphoned petrol from his motorcycle into a bottle and went to the flat. He changed into a hooded top, wore a mask and hat, and used an umbrella to conceal himself.

CCTV footage showed him locking the unit’s gate with a chain, pouring petrol on it, and setting it on fire before leaving the scene. He later sent a photo of the act to another person and returned to Malaysia the same day.

Inside the unit, the victim’s father discovered the fire and woke the rest of the family. The victim’s wife later checked the CCTV footage and called the police.

The victim said he had been facing financial difficulties and had received threatening messages, although the sender could not be traced.

Nearly two years later, the accused surrendered to the police. He asked for leniency, saying he took the job for money and that his wife was pregnant at the time.

Other related news 

In other related news, a 40-year-old man was recently arrested for his suspected involvement in three separate arson cases, with police making the arrest within two hours of receiving a report.

Read more about the news story here.

This article (Malaysian man carried out arson attack for S$2,500, endangering family of seven) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A location renovation contractor who cheated clients out of more than S$40,000 that he used for personal expenses was given a jail sentence of 16 months on Tuesday (May 5).

He has also been slapped with a fine of S$13,140.

Moreover, 44-year-old Shen Kaibin (transliterated) has been ordered to pay compensation of S$22,000, according to a report in Shin Min Daily News.

Shen was charged with cheating, criminal breach of trust, and forgery. He pleaded guilty to two charges, and the other two were taken into consideration for his sentencing.

The report said that Shen owns a company called WS Renovation. From 2022 to 2023, aside from his work as a renovation contractor, he also worked with an interior design company that subcontracted work to him. Customers of the interior design company would pay for the services of the firm, which would then share profits with Shen after the completion of renovation works.

In February 2023, a homeowner interested in renovation placed an inquiry with the interior design company through a message on Instagram. Shen was able to obtain the homeowner’s contact details and proceeded to reach out to them. Shen told the homeowner on March 5 that the renovation they wanted would cost S$55,000 and asked for a 10% down payment.

The homeowner was then instructed by Shen to deposit S$5,500 into his personal account. Between March 6 and 27, Shen received a total of S$30,250 from the homeowners for bogus renovation costs, and he forged three receipts from the interior design company and issued them to the homeowner.

Shortly afterwards, the homeowner and Shen got into multiple disputes concerning the renovations, prompting the homeowner to reach out to the owner of the interior design firm to complain about Shen. This is when they found out that the fees they paid had not been deposited into the account of the company.

On the part of the owner of the interior design firm, they were not even aware that the homeowner was supposed to be one of their clients.

In another incident from February 15, 2023, a client of the interior design company bought around S$8,400 worth of materials for a bathroom renovation. Shen, however, told the client that Shen paid for the items for the client, which caused the company to reimburse this amount to him. /TISG

Read also: Hair salon boss apologises, asks unhappy customer for refund extension, being scammed by renovation contractor

This article (Singapore renovator gets 16 months’ jail for cheating clients of S$40,000+) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: On May 6 (Wednesday), a 50-year-old Indonesian woman who worked in Singapore as a domestic worker was given a jail sentence of two months for marrying a local man who already had a wife. 

She married the Singaporean man in Batam because it would allow her to obtain a housing loan on the island.

The helper, who only goes by the single name Komariah, together with 61-year-old Low Kok Peng, travelled to Batam in 2024 for a Muslim marriage ceremony, according to a report in CNA. On April 24, Low, who had entered a guilty plea to one charge of bigamy under the Women’s Charter, had similarly been given a two-month jail sentence. 

Komariah entered a guilty plea to one count of abetting bigamy under the Women’s Charter. Another charge of contravening a condition of her work pass by marrying a Singaporean without prior approval was considered for her sentencing.

Backstory to bigamy

After Komariah met Low through a friend in 2016, the two became romantically involved. At the time of their meeting, Komariah had a permit to work in Singapore as a domestic helper.

Low has been married to a Singaporean woman, now 55, since 1992, with whom he has a daughter.

In 2024, Low and Komariah travelled to Batam and had a Muslim marriage solemnised by a religious leader who had been contacted by Komariah’s relatives. The pair did this since they could not legally get married in Singapore.

Additionally, the helper is said to have failed to obtain permission for the marriage from the controller of work passes, which violates her work pass.

When they returned to Singapore, Loh went back to live with his legal wife.

Loh’s wife was unaware of her husband’s second marriage ceremony. Komariah, however, knew that Loh’s first wife was still alive, but pushed through with the ceremony to obtain a housing loan.

In January, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) received information about a case of suspected bigamy, and later that month, a police report was filed in relation to the case.

A representative from MOM told CNA that the helper’s work permit has since been cancelled.

Her marriage to Loh, however, has not been annulled.

The helper asked for a sentence lighter than the two months’ jail sought by the prosecution, saying that she is the only person supporting her elderly parents. 

Komariah could have been made to pay a fine of as much as S$10,000, been jailed for a maximum of 12 months, or both, for the offence of abetting bigamy. /TISG

Read also: Singapore man who married already-wedded Vietnamese woman to get 4 months, 6 weeks’ jail

This article (2 months’ jail for maid who married already-wedded Singaporean man in Batam) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: An expat who has apparently lived in Singapore for 20 years is being blasted online for his “arrogant” behaviour on board a Malaysia Airlines plane after the flight landed at Changi Airport.

A fellow passenger on the plane took to Reddit and revealed that the incident took place on Sunday (May 3) and said the Caucasian man “played traffic police on MH0607 and blocked the aisle with his leg,” asserting that the plane doors were not open yet.

u/PAPasNCMP said that the plane had already reached the gate when passengers began standing up to retrieve their belongings from the overhead compartments, but a man seated around rows 26 or 27 allegedly refused to join the queue and instead obstructed others from doing so.

“Not sure if it’s his ego or what, but he decides to stay seated and literally stretches his leg out into the walkway to physically block the people behind him from moving forward,” the Reddit user wrote, “He actually tells us: ‘You all are not leaving this plane anyway, the door is not open.’“

One young passenger reportedly managed to squeeze past before the man could fully block the aisle, and the move appeared to irritate the Caucasian man. The Redditor recounted, “The guy got annoyed and asked the kid, ‘What is the rush, you are not able to leave the plane.’”

“The young chap just casually replied: ‘It’s ok, I’m a Singaporean, we will rush to the queue and are willing to queue for a long time.” Honestly, massive respect to this kid.’”

The man then apparently responded, “I’ve lived in Singapore for 20 years, I don’t think so.”

The netizen said the man continued to block the aisle until the space in front of him had cleared, only then choosing to stand and disembark. As a result, passengers behind him were forced to wait.

“He just sat there, blocking the way, until the path in front of him completely cleared out. Only then did his majesty finally stand up and exit, while the rest of us behind him were basically stuck waiting for him.”

Expressing frustration, the Redditor asserted that no one has “the right to play traffic police and physically stop people from queuing to exit just because you personally don’t agree with it.” He added, “Honestly, don’t fly. So entitled.”

The post has since drawn attention online, with the man’s actions described as arrogant and inconsiderate by commenters. Others, however, asked why the passengers were trying to rush anyway.

One commenter said, “I stay seated usually too. But blocking others is grade A Karen behaviour.”

Another netizen felt, “But why do Singaporeans insist on pushing towards the front of the plane before the doors are open? It can be pretty aggressive with ppl pushing, etc.”

Another commenter offered what they called an “unpopular take,” saying, “Ang Moh is right in his comments. Rush what la sial… You all already suffered hours in a flight, wait another few more mins to queue up orderly to leave the plane is fine, relax lah. BUT Ang Moh is an asshole for stretching his leg to block.”

They added, “I think some passengers legitly [sic] need to go off earlier, like urgently need to go to the toilet, or maybe they have a connecting flight.”

Others said that the passengers should have just pushed through like the young man who did so. One netizen wrote, “Why didn’t people just push past his leg? He’s not supposed to be obstructing the aisle, right? And if he tries to physically restrain you, that’s wrongful restraint/confinement.”

This article (Expat labelled ‘arrogant’ after blocking plane aisle at Changi arrival) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: On social media, a theatre-goer voiced his disappointment with the ticketing platform SISTIC, accusing it of providing misleading seating information as they were buying their tickets, resulting in them having obstructed views during a performance of Les Misérables in Singapore. 

The netizen posted his concerns on Facebook, declaring that he purchased four tickets for his family, costing $138 each for seats on the back row of the second level of the theatre. The complainant emphasised that their experience was ‘severely dampened’ by a major issue: The projector screen, which was essential for viewing actors’ expressions and key details during the play, was almost entirely blocked. 

“We could only see the bottom half of the screen; the top half was completely obscured due to the height of where we were seated… For a production like Les Misérables, the projector screen is crucial for seeing the actors’ expressions and the finer details of the performance. Missing that meant missing the heart of the show.” 

Furthermore, the netizen admitted there is a lack of transparency from the ticketing website. 

“There was absolutely no warning on the SISTIC website during the booking process that these were ‘Restricted View’ seats. Had this been disclosed, I would never have chosen these seats for my family. We feel completely let down and, frankly, scammed by the lack of disclosure,” the netizen further added. 

In the comments, other people also admitted that they had the same issue. One shared: “Indeed, very true. Just to make more $$ and lack honest disclosure.” 

Moving forward, the netizen hoped that SISTIC and the venue management would take his feedback very seriously, claiming that “paying full price for a half-view is unacceptable.” 

There has been no public response from SISTIC or Sands Theatre at the time of writing. It is unclear if the seats were labelled as restricted view during the booking process, raising questions about how such limitations are communicated to buyers.

This article (SISTIC Singapore under fire for misleading seating details) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Balestier Regency, a 72-unit freehold condominium located off Balestier Road, has been put up for collective sale in its fourth attempt, with a guide price of S$255 million.

The latest tender, launched on Monday (May 4), reflects an estimated land rate of about S$1,473 per square foot per plot ratio (psf ppr), inclusive of a land betterment charge of S$381,181. The tender will close on July 9 at 3 p.m.

The development, a 10-storey residential block at 4 Jalan Ampas, previously failed in its 2022 en bloc bid, when it was priced at S$218 million. That attempt did not proceed after the required 80% owner consensus was not achieved.

According to marketing agent SRI Capital Market, the higher asking price takes into account rising land values as well as the increasing cost for owners to secure replacement homes. Under the current exercise, owners of the condominium’s three-bedroom units, which range in size from 1,270 sq ft to 1,496 sq ft, are expected to receive between S$3.28 million and S$3.5 million if the sale is successful.

The site occupies a land area of 61,931 sq ft and is zoned for residential use under the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Master Plan 2025, with a gross plot ratio of 2.8. This allows for a maximum gross floor area of 173,407 sq ft. Based on prevailing planning guidelines and subject to approval, the site could potentially be redeveloped into a new project with up to 161 residential units.

Balestier Regency is situated near amenities such as Shaw Plaza, Zhongshan Mall, and Whampoa Market and Food Centre and is a short drive from the Novena area, including HealthCity Novena and Velocity@Novena Square.

Its relaunch comes amid a renewed push by ageing residential developments to pursue collective sales. This follows the recent S$880 million sale of Loyang Valley to a SingHaiyi Group-led consortium on April 17 — the largest residential en bloc transaction since Thomson View was sold for S$810 million in 2025.

Notably, the Loyang Valley deal was struck at a price about S$100 million lower than its previous 2022 attempt, despite the project having 55 years remaining on its 99-year lease.

Elsewhere, High Point, a freehold condominium in the Mount Elizabeth area, entered its fifth collective sale bid on April 22 with a guide price of S$580 million. The move comes five years after a proposed sale to Shun Tak Holdings for S$556.7 million fell through in December 2021, shortly after new property cooling measures — including higher additional buyer’s stamp duty rates — were introduced.

The High Point guide price translates to about S$2,641 psf ppr, inclusive of a 7% bonus gross floor area.

This article (Freehold estate back on market for en-bloc sale with S$255 million price tag) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A woman has complained that a delivery driver asked for a S$10 tip after she placed a takeaway order worth more than S$130.

In her post, she said the driver contacted both her and a friend through the app to request a tip, claiming the order was too large.

“I received a message from a friend saying that the delivery person had asked for a tip. Later, I found that he had also sent me a message through the app,” she wrote.

According to the driver, the order was too much to handle. He allegedly said that if the tip was not given, the order could be cancelled, and she could find another delivery person.

“The delivery person said if we didn’t tip, he could cancel and we could find another driver,” she added.

Following the incident, Grab said that tipping is entirely optional and customers should not feel pressured to give one.

In response to queries from Channel NewsAsia, the company emphasised that drivers are expected to complete their deliveries professionally, regardless of whether a tip is given.

For large or bulky orders, Grab also highlighted its “order splitting” feature, which allows drivers to request additional support without affecting their earnings or increasing customer fees.

The company encouraged users to report similar incidents through its in-app customer service channels, adding that it will continue to improve its system to better handle more complex orders and deploy additional drivers when needed.

This article (Grab emphasised delivery drivers should be professional and complete orders with or without a tip from customers) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A single lottery ticket holder has struck it big in Singapore, taking home nearly S$13 million in the Toto cascade draw held on Monday (May 4).

The winning combination for the draw was 7, 18, 19, 30, 36, and 48, with 11 drawn as the additional number. The Group 1 prize, totalling S$12,813,283, was claimed by just one ticket purchased through the Singapore Pools account betting service.

According to information published on the Singapore Pools website, the winning entry was a QuickPick Ordinary ticket. It remains unclear whether the ticket was bought by an individual or shared among a group.

While the top prize went to a single winner, 17 tickets secured the Group 2 prize, with each payout exceeding S$87,000.

The jackpot had been steadily growing in the lead-up to the draw. Starting at more than S$1.2 million on April 23, it climbed significantly after consecutive draws produced no Group 1 winners, reaching over S$5.7 million by April 30. The eventual payout was boosted further under Toto’s cascade system.

Under revised rules, if the top prize is not won for three consecutive draws, the jackpot rolls over and must be distributed in the fourth draw, regardless of whether any ticket matches all six numbers. This mechanism contributed to the substantial prize pool seen on May 4.

The previous cascade draw, held on Jan 29, saw six winning tickets share a jackpot of S$13.5 million.

Following the latest win, queues at Toto outlets are expected to grow as interest surges. Singapore Pools has reminded the public to gamble responsibly.

This article (Single ticket makes bettor overnight millionaire after Toto jackpot snowballed to S$13 million) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Party businesses in Singapore have recently reported that their overall operating expenses have risen amid higher helium costs linked to the Middle East conflict. However, it seems concerns over helium supply may spill over and disrupt Singapore’s manufacturing sector, especially the semiconductor industry, which is the backbone of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, risking Singapore’s chip output and driving up manufacturing costs in the coming months.

Barnabas Gan, group chief economist and head of market research at RHB Bank, told Singapore Business Review that business sentiment is expected to remain positive through September 2026 despite geopolitical uncertainty, thanks to “firms supporting the global semiconductor industry, particularly those in the semiconductor equipment industry, amidst strong AI-related investment globally.”

However, he warned that potential disruptions to helium supplies from the Gulf region could constrain semiconductor and high-value manufacturing output, pushing up costs and limiting Singapore’s capacity in the coming months.

This comes as Singapore’s manufacturing sector is showing signs of recovery, with the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rising to 50.7 in April 2026, marking the ninth straight month it has expanded and the highest reading since February last year, thanks to an AI-fuelled electronics boom that has lifted new orders, exports, factory output, input purchases, and employment.

While often overlooked, helium, supplied mostly by the United States and Qatar, is essential in semiconductor manufacturing, especially in chip fabrication, where it helps maintain optimal conditions in various stages of production.

As American economist and Johns Hopkins’ applied economics professor Steve Hanke told Fortune, “Helium doesn’t get much attention in the AI supply chain, but it should. Not only is it essential for cooling wafers during chip etching, there is no viable substitute at scale.”

According to a recent Moody’s Ratings report, helium supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict could pose a US$650 billion (S$827 billion) risk to hyperscalers, including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta, which are investing in AI infrastructure, assuming the supply chain holds.

Concerns over helium supply remain as tensions between the US and Iran continue, compounded by the fact that helium isn’t manufactured. In fact, liquid helium can only be stored in containers for about 45 days before it begins to degrade. /TISG

Read also: Global energy crisis could push countries towards renewables ‘within months,’ says IEA head

This article (Helium supply concerns amid the Middle East conflict may limit Singapore’s chip output and drive up manufacturing costs in coming months: RHB economist) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A customer has taken to social media to share what she described as a stressful encounter with a durian seller in Geylang, warning others to be cautious.

In her post, she said she and her mother were buying durians from a stall near Block 113 Aljunied, opposite Geylang East Market & Food Centre.

According to her, she first selected a durian and asked the seller to open it for inspection, which he agreed to. Satisfied with the fruit, she then requested two more.

However, she claimed the seller later insisted she take a different durian he had chosen instead.

“I picked a small one for him to open, but he put it back and asked me to choose the one he picked, which was bigger. I was sceptical, but he reassured me it had more flesh,” she wrote.

She said the durian turned out to have hard flesh and large seeds, and she told the seller she did not want it.

The situation then escalated. She alleged that the seller raised his voice and insisted she pay for the fruit as it had already been opened.

She also claimed the seller had earlier said he would taste the durian and give it to them for free if the flesh was hard, but later refused when asked to do so.

Feeling pressured, her mother eventually paid $100 before they left.

The post drew responses from other netizens, some of whom urged consumers not to give in to such situations and to report similar incidents to the authorities. Others thanked her for sharing the experience and said they would avoid the stall.

It is unclear what the stall’s policy is regarding open durians. The seller has not publicly responded to the claims.

This article (‘Felt pressured’: Customer recounts tense exchange with durian seller in Singapore) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.