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Chief Justice: Two years in remand before trial is unfair
Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said it is unfair for an accused person to wait more than two years in remand before trial, and that criminal cases worry him most because they involve a person's liberty. He said the government has agreed to set up a Judicial Academy for continuous training of superior court judges, speaking at a Johor Baru dinner.
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Databricks to invest S$445m in Singapore and double staff to over 500
American data and AI firm Databricks will invest more than US$350 million (S$445 million) in Singapore and double its workforce to over 500 within three years. The company, which runs its Asia-Pacific and Japan headquarters here, will move into a 32,000 sq ft office at IOI Central Boulevard Towers in November and train 20,000 people in data and AI skills. New local customers include iFAST, Singtel and Singapore Customs.
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4,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes seized at Tuas; Malaysian driver held
Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority stopped a Malaysia-registered trailer at Tuas Checkpoint on Sept 4 and found 4,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes hidden under a load of concrete piles. The 26-year-old Malaysian driver was arrested and handed to Singapore Customs with the seized cigarettes.
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Keretapi Sarong 2026 in Johor Bahru draws over 500 participants
Over 500 participants in traditional attire joined the Keretapi Sarong Johor Bahru 2026 on Malaysia Day, travelling from Kulai KTM Station to JB Sentral before a parade into the city centre. Johor's Unity, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman Pannir Selvam flagged off the group at the MBJB building. The event is expected to draw about 5,000 visitors with cultural performances and community activities.
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Buriram hold JDT to 1-1 draw in Iskandar Puteri
Buriram United drew 1-1 with Johor Darul Ta'zim in the AFC Champions League Elite East Zone at Stadium Sultan Ibrahim, Iskandar Puteri. Buriram coach Mario Silva praised his players' commitment after playing with 10 men following captain Kenneth Dougall's red card in the 57th minute.
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150 Indonesians deported from Pasir Gudang over immigration offences
A total of 150 Indonesians were sent home through the Pasir Gudang International Ferry Terminal yesterday, most for immigration offences such as overstaying and working without a valid permit. The deportation was carried out with cooperation between the Malaysian Immigration Department and Indonesian authorities, and the Johor Bahru Indonesian Consulate has helped repatriate 4,166 Indonesians since January 2026.
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Man caught on CCTV wrecking Orchard Central store, damage estimated at S$1,000
A man was caught on CCTV trashing the Henri Charpentier store at Orchard Central at about 4am on Sep. 13, throwing furniture and shouting while apparently intoxicated. The store's operator is seeking about S$1,000 in compensation and has lodged a police report; investigations are ongoing.
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Fibre services fully restored after Bishan and Thomson outage
Fibre services in parts of Bishan and Thomson were fully restored at 5.40am on Wednesday after an outage that began on Tuesday and affected about 2,000 end-user connections. NetLink Trust said the disruption was caused by damage to its fibre infrastructure during road-widening works by a third-party contractor not engaged by the company.
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S$3b money laundering case: first seized properties go to auction from Sep 17
The first batch of properties seized in Singapore's largest money laundering case will be auctioned this month, with 25 properties including a Suntec City office and a South Beach Residences penthouse among over 80 to be sold from September to mid-2027. Knight Frank holds its auction on Sep 17, while SRI and Edmund Tie hold theirs on Sep 23.
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Tamil youth festival stages 'Tamil Voice' drama at Ngee Ann Polytechnic
A 'Tamil Voice - True Form Youth' event was held at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore on September 11 as part of the Tamil Youth Festival. Organised by the National Institute of Early Childhood Development, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and the Tamil Language Movement, youths showcased songs, dances and a drama on Tamil identity. More than 80 students registered.
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Comic-making workshop for students at Tamil Youth Festival
A comic-drawing workshop was held on 12 September at the Possibility Room of the National Library Board building on Victoria Street, Singapore, as part of the Tamil Youth Festival. Organised by Creative Hands, it drew more than 20 students who learned AI tools while creating Tamil comics. A Ngee Ann Polytechnic team won first prize for their comic 'The Taste of Friendship'.
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Serangoon to Kovan move: S$228 quote becomes S$1,796 bill over 'long pushing distance' fees
A 39-year-old woman who booked a mover online on Aug 25 for a Sep 1 move from Serangoon to Kovan was quoted S$228 but billed S$1,796 after the company added S$1,280 in 'long pushing distance' fees. The company says its terms and conditions exclude such charges and that she had declared far fewer items than the movers found. She paid before her belongings were unloaded.
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Tiong Bahru man, 59, gets one-year treatment order for firing metal balls at crows
A 59-year-old man in Tiong Bahru built a makeshift crossbow-like device and fired metal ball bearings at crows between April and July 2025, damaging windows in the block opposite his flat. Seah Yam Seng pleaded guilty to endangering passersby and was sentenced on Sep. 15 to a one-year mandatory treatment order, with other charges taken into consideration.
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JDT held 1-1 by 10-man Buriram United at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium
Johor Darul Ta'zim drew 1-1 with Buriram United in their AFC Champions League Elite East Zone opener at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri. Bergson Da Silva missed a second-half penalty, while Buriram played with 10 men after captain Kenneth Dougall was sent off.
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Anwar: Malaysia will not be transit point for Israel-bound military cargo
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia will not allow the country to be used as a transit point for shipments supporting Israel's military operations, and any suspicious cargo will be inspected and investigated. His statement follows the seizure of three Israel-bound containers at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Johor on Aug 19, and an earlier detention of a container from the Philippines on Aug 7. Malaysia has no diplomatic relations with Israel and regulates sensitive exports under the Strategic Trade Act 2010.
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Rainforest Wild Adventure East wins BCA inclusive design award
Rainforest Wild Adventure East at Mandai Wildlife Reserve is one of four projects to receive the Building and Construction Authority's Universal Design Excellence Award this year. Its Canopy Glider ride has removable side guards and armrests, a portable ramp and free wheelchairs, while the park also offers Braille signage and an accessible changing room. The other winners are an Enabling Village extension with a sheltered walkway from Redhill MRT, Great World Mall and Harmony Village @ Bukit Batok.
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26 luxury units tied to S$3b money laundering case go to auction
Twenty-six properties linked to Singapore's 2023 multibillion-dollar money laundering case, including a 61st-floor Wallich Residence apartment owned by convicted launderer Zhang Ruijin, go under the hammer from Sept 17. The first batch of more than 80 seized properties is being liquidated by Knight Frank, SRI and ETC, with the Wallich unit guided at $6.78 million.
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Worker wellness centre opens at Capital Tower in Singapore's CBD
A new centre at Capital Tower in Singapore's central business district began offering counselling, stress management and physiotherapy to workers from 15 September. Touchpoint@Capital Tower was launched by Touch Community Services with CapitaLand and opened by Minister of State Foo Cexiang.
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Indonesian man jailed a month for dropping cigarette butt in Stulang
An Indonesian general worker became the first person in Malaysia jailed for littering a cigarette butt under the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007. He failed to pay a RM1,000 fine and was sentenced to a month from Aug 28, followed by six hours of community service. The offence took place around Stulang, Johor, in February.
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Johor SWCorp opens four probe papers into Singapore construction waste dumping
Johor SWCorp is preparing four investigation papers over the alleged dumping of construction waste from Singapore at several sites in Pontian last month. Its director Zainal Fitri Ahmad said the probe involves four landowners and will take about three months before being referred to the deputy public prosecutor. The debris, including at Kampung Sungai Karang, was found dumped last month.
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Woodlands residents douse corridor fire with hose and pails before SCDF arrives
A shoe rack in the eighth-floor common corridor of an HDB block in Admiralty Grove, Woodlands, caught fire on Sept 14. Neighbours used a home fire extinguisher, the communal hose and water pails to put out the flames before firefighters arrived, and no injuries were reported. The cause is under investigation.
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NUHS value-based care benefits over 300,000 patients in a decade
The National University Health System's Appropriate and Value-Based Care approach has helped more than 300,000 patients since 2015, avoiding 18,225 hospital days and saving over $13 million yearly. A symposium marking the decade was held on 15 September with Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam as guest of honour.
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Thailand, Cambodia take maritime border dispute to Singapore arbitration hearing
Thailand and Cambodia presented their cases before a five-member panel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Singapore on Tuesday over overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand. Bangkok accused Phnom Penh of playing the victim, while Cambodia said it sought a peaceful resolution after Thailand withdrew from a 2001 bilateral framework agreement.
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Kopitiam founder sues contractor over unfinished Whitley Road houses
Lim Bee Huat, founder of the Kopitiam foodcourt chain, is suing contractor Tiandi ACMV Engineering over allegedly abandoned and defective building works on two adjacent houses in Whitley Road, Singapore. He seeks about $456,000 to complete and rectify the works plus damages for loss of use, while Tiandi denies liability and counterclaims $1.14 million under the $3.5 million contract. The High Court trial began on Sept 14 and is set to run until Oct 15.