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SINGAPORE: A 67-year-old man turned to the court in an attempt to revoke his spousal maintenance obligations, saying that he had been retrenched and was of advanced age. Mr Moey Park Moon who, from January 2013, had to pay his ex-wife Leong Yim Ling S$4,000 (about US$3,100) a month for spousal maintenance, among other obligations, said that this would cost him at least S$1.2 million over the next 20 years. His living expenses would amount to about S$494,000 in that same period, and he urged the court to consider that Ms Leong had enough money for her own retirement and had not sought any form of employment. In a judgment released on Tuesday (Mar 17), Justice Pang Khang Chau dismissed Mr Moey's application, but converted his periodic maintenance obligations to an order for a lump-sum maintenance of S$364,800. Mr Moey is appealing against this decision. THE CASE Mr Moey married Ms Leong in 1984 and the couple had a son 10 years later. They filed for divorce in 2009, with final judgment granted in 2013. As part of the divorce, Mr Moey was given maintenance obligations towards his ex-wife. which included spousal maintenance of S$4,000 a month from January 2013. This was later varied to become S$5,150 a month, including a base sum of S$4,000, as well as S$300 a month for travel and S$850 for medical, dental and optical expenses. Justice Pang noted that this case was the latest episode in "an acrimonious relationship that has seen the parties face off in numerous contested proceedings before the courts in the decade or so following the end of their marriage". This application was Mr Moey's third try at seeking a variation of his spousal maintenance obligations, the judge noted. In past proceedings, Mr Moey had originally offered to pay a lump sum in maintenance but withdrew this offer because his income had "fallen substantially". He claimed that his ex-wife's alleged harassment had contributed significantly to the loss of his job. He was previously the managing director of Marsh (Singapore), an insurance broker and risk advisory firm, earning about S$37,000 monthly. He also used to be a senior risk engineer with insurance company HDI Global SE, earning a monthly salary of around S$17,500. However, he claimed that he has since been retrenched and relies on savings and investments for his old age. He said that he had extended his employment a few times but could not do so further as his employer was unwilling to re-employ him "for his own health and safety" and for the company's insurance liability exposure. He stopped working in late 2024. Mr Moey argued that he had already worked past the retirement age and this was not a situation where he voluntarily resigned, but where he had pleaded with his company to re-employ him past retirement age. He added that his age would have a severe impact on whether or not he would be in a position to find another job that would match his former income. He also said that although his savings would allow him to continue paying maintenance for some time, this would eventually be unsustainable. He emphasised that the intention of spousal maintenance was "not to create a lifetime dependency and/or a free meal ticket, but to allow the ex-wife to transition to a post-divorce life".  Mr Moey also argued that it would be desirable for he and his ex-wife to have "a clean break". Ms Leong opposed her ex-husband's application, saying that a large portion of his submissions had already been raised in past proceedings and dismissed. She doubted her ex-husband's assertion that he was unemployed or that he would have difficulty finding employment. She argued that his financial situation was "much better" than he made it out to be. Ms Leong also claimed that her medical conditions had deteriorated and it would be impossible for her to continue treatment or take her medication if she stopped receiving spousal maintenance. She asserted that she had no savings for retirement and it would be "impossible" for her to get a decent paying job due to her lack of experience and the attention that her son - who has Asperger's Syndrome - requires. Ms Leong added that she was 65 and had devoted her entire life to taking care of their son and she had no choice but to continue being a homemaker. JUDGE'S FINDINGS Justice Pang said that the authorities do not support Mr Moey's position that his unemployment and alleged inability to continue working are enough to justify rescinding the maintenance order. A spouse's retirement would already have been borne in mind by any court making a maintenance order, since it is a certainty that no one would be employed for the whole of his life, Justice Pang added. He also said that except in cases where a spouse has to retire at an unexpectedly young age due to ill health, the event of retirement cannot be properly characterised as a material change in circumstances. It is a consistent position that a husband's obligation to maintain the ex-wife continues beyond his retirement, the judge said. Instead, the court should focus on whether the husband's retirement, when considered together with his overall financial circumstances, constitute a material change in circumstances that makes him incapable of paying maintenance. Justice Pang said the evidence showed that Mr Moey owned five properties in Malaysia, four insurance policies valued at about S$121,500 in total, and two investment accounts with a total balance of about S$92,300. Mr Moey had also received a sum of about S$327,380 in withdrawn funds from his Central Provident Fund accounts in October 2024 when he renounced his Singapore permanent residency in order to return to Malaysia after retiring. Recent balances in his bank account statements also showed that he would have about S$378,750 in savings in late 2024 or early 2025. In the four years before his retirement, he was earning an average of S$246,000 a year. His monthly living expenses were about 6,694 ringgit (S$2,182), with monthly mortgage payments amounting to 9,200 to 9,400 ringgit monthly. Justice Pang found that this financial information showed that Mr Moey had enough alternative financial resources to continue paying maintenance to his ex-wife. Mr Moey had submitted that it would be "unreasonable" for the court to punish him for leading a frugal lifestyle since the divorce and for working past retirement age to save up as much as possible, but the judge said that it was neither "punitive" or "unreasonable". This is because a husband is obliged to maintain his former wife beyond his retirement and up to the former wife's remarriage, or until either one of them dies. Justice Pang said that a clean break was "obviously desirable" in this case and that Mr Moey has repeatedly defaulted on his maintenance obligations, requiring his ex-wife to commence applications to enforce them. However, Ms Leong failed to disclose certain details such as a loan she had purportedly received. The judge drew an adverse inference against her that she had undisclosed assets and was in a better financial position than she made herself out to be. Because of this, he reduced the figure he used to calculate the lump-sum maintenance and rescinded Mr Moey's obligation to pay 95 per cent of his ex-wife's hospital and surgical bills. Source: CNA/ll(sf)

[SINGAPORE] The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Tuesday (Mar 17) issued prohibition orders against two former bankers from Citigroup and Swiss private bank Julius Baer who were convicted in 2023’s S$3 billion money laundering scandal. Wang Qiming, previously a relationship manager at Citibank Singapore, was given a 16-year prohibition order, and Liu Kai, who was formerly a relationship manager at Julius Baer, was issued with a seven-year prohibition order.  Under the prohibition orders, which took effect on Tuesday, Wang and Liu are barred from conducting any MAS-regulated activities. They are also prohibited from participating, directly or indirectly, in the management of any financial institution, or from serving as a director, partner or manager in such entities.    Additionally, the two are not allowed to become, or increase their stake as substantial shareholders, in any corporate financial institution.  On Oct 23, 2025, Wang was convicted of four charges related to forgery, money laundering and obstructing the course of justice. He was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. Six additional charges were taken into consideration by the judge during the sentencing.  A day later, on Oct 24, Liu was convicted of one charge of using a forged tax document to defraud Bank Julius Baer. He was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment.    In 2023, authorities in the city-state arrested 10 people from the southern Chinese province of Fujian in Singapore’s largest money laundering scandal. The 10 were eventually handed jail sentences ranging from 13 months to 17 months, and deported after they were released. This included a client of Liu’s.  The arrest of the 10 foreign nationals sent shockwaves through Singapore, with authorities uncovering vast holdings in property, luxury assets, cash and cryptocurrencies. Investigations found that much of the wealth had been generated from illegal gambling and unlicensed money lending in China. The scandal also reverberated across the banking sector, as the convicted individuals, their associates and related entities were found to have placed more than S$370 million at more than a dozen financial institutions.

SINGAPORE – Warmer weather is on the cards for Singapore from July, with the Republic’s meteorological service forecasting the return of the sizzling El Nino weather phenomenon. South-east Asia could also be hit by a more intense El Nino than in previous years, according to some international weather scientists. El Nino is a climate phenomenon that results in less rain, longer dry spells and higher temperatures for the region. It is caused by a natural cycle called the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, when changes in winds and sea surface temperatures shape weather patterns over the Pacific Ocean, which covers about one-third of the planet.   Since late 2025, Singapore has been experiencing La Nina conditions. La Nina, the opposite phase of the oscillation to El Nino, brings cooler-than-usual weather and more rainfall over Singapore. Thai news outlet The Nation had in March quoted US-based weather scientists suggesting that an El Nino capable of causing severe and prolonged drought could occur in 2026. However, it is still too early to predict how serious the event will be for Singapore and the region, local climate scientists and the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) told The Straits Times.   Meteorologist Koh Tieh Yong, who is also a member of the Working Group for Asian-Australian Monsoons at the World Climate Research Programme, said El Nino forecasts are known to lack accuracy at this time, when spring arrives in the Northern Hemisphere.   The adjunct associate professor, who teaches meteorology and climate science at the National University of Singapore, said: “So, there may be significant updates to the forecasted El Nino strength in two or three months’ time.” MSS told ST that models have predicted possible El Nino conditions from July.   “If El Nino does develop, it tends to impact Singapore’s rainfall most during June to October,” said the service, which operates under the National Environment Agency. It noted, however, that long-term forecasts at this time of the year remain uncertain. Prof Koh noted that global forecasts from renowned international climate monitoring centres in South Korea, Tokyo and the United States anticipate a moderate El Nino from around May or June, with about 30 per cent chance of the phenomenon being stronger than normal. He said past moderate-to-strong El Nino events in the last 30 years have shown that there could be 40 per cent to 80 per cent less rainfall for some months in parts of Singapore. What affects the strength of an El Nino? The strength of an El Nino event is measured by how much it causes sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean to rise above the long-term average, said Prof Koh. Some weather scientists have suggested that when sea surface temperatures in key parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean rise by at least 2 deg C above the normal average, they will trigger what has been colloquially termed as a “super El Nino” that could fuel extreme dry weather and wildfires in South-east Asia. An El Nino of such a magnitude is rare, occurring every 15 to 20 years, although not on a fixed schedule, according to NTU Earth Observatory of Singapore’s principal investigator, Professor Adam Switzer. The most recent instance of a strong El Nino occurred between 2015 and 2016, said Prof Koh and Prof Switzer. At that time, the prolonged dry and hot weather caused by El Nino resulted in South-east Asia experiencing its worst haze crisis on record. The El Nino event then was also considered strong by MSS, which uses the Nino3.4 index to gauge the intensity of the phenomenon. The index compares the sea surface temperature in the central and western tropical Pacific Ocean with its long-term historical average. MSS said: “During El Nino, temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean are much warmer than the historical average, while temperatures in the western Pacific Ocean are cooler than average.” The gradual warming of sea surfaces caused by climate change, however, has made it harder to predict the intensity of El Nino and La Nina events, it noted. “Without accounting for this long-term warming, we may see slightly higher values of the Nino3.4 index, making El Nino events seem stronger, or La Nina events appear weaker than they are,” MSS said. El Nino events are considered strong by MSS when the three-month average of the Nino3.4 index exceeds 1.5 deg C. The El Nino events spanning 2015 and 2016, as well as 1997 and 1998, both logged an index of more than 2 deg C. Prof Switzer said that generally, drier and hotter conditions brought by El Nino to much of South-east Asia can lower reservoir levels, stress water supplies, reduce crop yields, and increase the risk of drought, forest fires and transboundary haze, especially in Indonesia. “In the wider region, El Nino can also disrupt fisheries, ecosystems and hydropower generation while raising heat stress for people and cities,” he added.   An interdisciplinary study by researchers from Nanyang Technological University and the City University of Hong Kong published in January found that intensifying El Nino events could reduce life expectancy across high-income Pacific Rim countries. Based on current climate projections, it estimated economic losses of up to US$35 trillion (S$44.7 trillion) by the end of the 21st century, with most of the monetary burden shouldered by the middle-aged population. Singapore will be better prepared to manage the health risks of El Nino with its national heatwave response plan unveiled in 2025, said Prof Switzer. The plan, formulated by the inter-agency Mercury Taskforce, will issue public advisories when a heatwave is forecast and activate measures like the opening of islandwide cooling centres. MSS said its latest forecast of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation’s effects over the next three to six months will be released on March 20.  

A former chef at Tong Ah Eating House, along Keong Saik Road, was sentenced to 13 weeks' jail after throwing hot soup at his kitchen assistant in a fit of rage. Kee Pui Yen, a 50-year-old Malaysian national, faced four charges, including voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and criminal intimidation.     He pleaded guilty to two of the charges in court on Mar. 17, with the remaining charges taken into consideration during sentencing. According to Chinese news daily Lianhe Zaobao, Kee was working as a chef at the establishment at the time of the incidents. His victim, Chen Guoxing (transliteration), who is also a Malaysian national, served as a kitchen assistant responsible for taking orders and preparing ingredients.   Alleged the assistant kept mixing up ingredients   Citing court documents, Zaobao reported that Kee had grown increasingly frustrated with Chen's slow pace and tendency to mix up ingredients, which frequently resulted in wrong dishes being sent out. That frustration escalated from verbal abuse to repeated acts of physical violence. Charge sheets seen by Mothership revealed that on Mar. 9, 2025, Kee had scooped up hot soup and splashed it at Chen's wrist.   The same thing happened again the following day, this time aimed at Chen's chest. Concerned about getting Kee into trouble, Chen neither reported the incidents to the police nor sought medical attention at the time. About a month later, on Apr. 11, 2025, while the two were working in the kitchen, Kee, angered by Chen's pace, threw hot soup at him again. Chen was splashed on the chest and suffered first-degree burns. The following day, Kee hurled hot soup at him once more, narrowly missing. That same afternoon, he issued a direct threat: "If you return to work, I will throw more boiling water at you." Fearing further harm, Chen finally called the police. When medical personnel arrived, they found a burn wound approximately four centimetres long on Chen's chest.     He initially refused to be taken to the hospital, citing concerns over medical costs, but was subsequently referred by police to Singapore General Hospital for a full evaluation. Doctors there found scarring on his chest, waist, and wrists — injuries suspected to be from prior burns sustained during the earlier incidents. Kee was arrested on October 6, 2025. In urging the court to impose 14 weeks' imprisonment, prosecutors described the offences as an extreme case of workplace bullying, noting that Kee had repeatedly targeted a subordinate through both verbal abuse and sustained acts of physical violence. The judge ultimately sentenced Kee to 13 weeks' jail.   Said to have a history of verbal and physical abuse   When contacted, the restaurant owner, surnamed Chen, told Shin Min Daily News that most of the staff work front-of-house and were unaware of what was happening in the kitchen.     It was only after the incident came to light that Chen learned Kee had a history of verbal and physical abuse at other restaurants as well. "As the boss, this is certainly not something we would have wanted. Had we known about his past, we would never have hired him," Chen said. He added that while the victim had a slight tendency to be forgetful, he was hardworking and remains employed at the restaurant to this day.

The bus and pink car got into a fight. The car lost. 3.55pm, 16 March 2026. Update 2 : A pink Honda Civic car and a double-decker SBS Transit bus collided outside Rendezvous Hotel along Bras Basah Road on Mar. 16. - mothership.sg article. The car had apparently tried to overtake the bus from the left.       A pink Honda Civic car and a double-decker SBS Transit bus collided outside Rendezvous Hotel along Bras Basah Road on Mar. 16. The car had apparently tried to overtake the bus from the left.   Man sent to hospital   In response to Mothership's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident at 9 Bras Basah Road at around 2:20pm on Monday. The 33-year-old male car driver was conveyed conscious to Raffles Hospital.   Photo from BusesINgapore     Left side of bus damaged   Photos taken in the aftermath of the accident and shared on the BusesINgapore Facebook page showed the car partly on the bus lane and also on the pavement having collided into a pillar at the hotel's exterior.   Photo from BusesINgapore   Three wheels of the car had mounted the kerb and its left bumper and left wheel appeared damaged. The right side of the bus was in contact with the rear of the car.   Photo from BusesINgapore     SBS Transit says car apparently attempted to overtake   SBS Transit's spokesperson Grace Wu said in response to media queries that the service 174 bus was in the process of moving into the extreme left lane to serve a bus stop along Bras Basah Road when it was involved in an accident with a car.   Wu added: "Based on our CCTV footage, the bus had almost completed its lane change when a car travelling some distance behind accelerated in an apparent attempt to overtake but collided into the left side of the bus." She said none of the passengers or the bus captain was injured in the accident. Police investigations are ongoing.