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Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Turbulence ahead: How used cooking oil could hinder aviation's green fuel hopes
Members of the public delivering their used cooking oil to Evergreen Oil and Feed joint collection drive with the Melaka City Council. PHOTO: SAIRIEN NAFIS Turbulence ahead: How used cooking oil could hinder aviation's green fuel hopes A joint investigation by The Straits Times and Climate Home News reveals how soaring demand for this key ingredient in sustainable aviation fuel has led to 'ridiculous' data and suspected fraud – undermining the industry's climate goals. – This is the starting point for the world's – and especially Europe's – lofty dreams of greener air travel: a collection point for plastic bottles filled with discarded frying oil in Malaysia. One Saturday morning in May 2025 in the city of Melaka, volunteers in green T-shirts rushed over as Ms Adibah Rahim and her husband drove into the central square, eager to unpack, weigh and register her consignment of used cooking oil (UCO) – the 'liquid gold' in European and Asian plans to ramp up production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Ms Rahim, a housewife, told The Straits Times it was her first time selling used oil, which she had collected over five to six months. She left the collection point RM90 (S$27) richer: At RM3 per litre of oil, it is a welcome boost to her family's household budget. Ms Rahim left the collection point RM90 (S$27) richer. PHOTO: SAIRIEN NAFIS 'We usually collect UCO from around 200 members of the public,' said Mr Michael Andrew, sales manager for Evergreen Oil & Feed, the company running the Melaka collection with the local council. Evergreen, which runs similar collection drives elsewhere in Malaysia, supplies leading European SAF producers such as Spain's Repsol, UK-based Shell and Finland's Neste, the operator of SAF refineries in Europe and Singapore. The aviation industry and many governments, including Singapore's, are pinning their hopes on SAF as a way to cut the sector's greenhouse gas emissions, which are set to increase as demand for flying grows. And fuel suppliers around the world are scrambling for raw materials to meet new legal SAF blending quotas in Europe and growing demand elsewhere. When it is made from waste such as UCO, rather than agricultural commodities such as soya or palm oil, SAF purportedly has up to 80 per cent less planet-heating emissions than kerosene jet fuel. And repurposing waste cooking oil avoids using land that would otherwise be used for food crops, or fuelling forest destruction. After purchasing the used cooking oil from the public, Evergreen Oil and Feed staff would transfer the oil to barrels for easy transportation to their filtration plant. PHOTO: SAIRIEN NAFIS But behind SAF's climate-friendly facade, a months-long investigation by Climate Home News and The Straits Times has uncovered an opaque global supply chain that exposes jet fuel providers and their aviation clients to significant fraud risks – raising doubts about the climate benefits of the sector's main green hope for the years ahead. The concern is that barely used and virgin palm oil – the latter is not permitted under European Union rules because of its links to rainforest loss – is being passed off as UCO that traders supply to fuel companies, experts and industry operators said. The investigation focused on the UCO trade between Malaysia, the world's second-biggest palm oil producer, and Spain, the EU's largest aviation market and home to one of its SAF pioneers – oil and gas giant Repsol. The investigation was funded by Journalismfund Europe. Fried in Spain? Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, Repsol chief executive Josu Jon Imaz held up his company's new €250 million (S$369 million) plant for renewable fuels, including SAF, near the historic Spanish port town of Cartagena as an example of how Europe can pursue a fair green transition. Repsol, which aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, started large-scale production of biodiesel and jet fuel – with its SAF mainly made from UCO – at the plant early in 2024. Repsol started large-scale production of biodiesel and jet fuel – with its SAF mainly made from UCO – at the plant early in 2024. PHOTO: MEGAN ROWLING, CLIMATE HOME NEWS Contrasting this with electric vehicles, many of them imported from China, Dr Imaz said the raw material for Repsol's renewable fuels 'comes from the Spanish farms and from the Spanish rural economy'. In a promotional video for those fuels, Spanish celebrity chef Susi Diaz is seen dispensing advice to young cooks in the kitchen of her La Finca restaurant. Olive oil is then poured out of a pan into steel jugs as a voiceover explains how the waste cooking residue will be sent to the Repsol biofuel refinery. The company is also promoting the recycling of UCO from Spanish households – of which it says only 5 per cent is currently collected – at its fuel stations across the country. Spain's restaurants and homes, however, are not the main source of Repsol's UCO. In 2024, more than 126,000 tonnes of UCO from Asia – enough to fill 50 Olympic-size swimming pools – arrived in the Spanish region of Murcia, where Repsol's flagship biofuel plant is located, according to trade data published by Spain's tax agency. Nearly two-thirds came from Malaysia, whose UCO exports to the region saw a tenfold rise in the same year that the energy heavyweight fired up its Cartagena SAF refinery. The figures do not specify who provided or bought the raw material. But trade data shows that Repsol purchased at least 53,000 tonnes of UCO from five Malaysian companies, including Evergreen Oil & Feed, in 2024. That amount represents 18 per cent of the UCO the Repsol plant in Cartagena uses annually. This is based on an analysis of Customs records provided by investigative consultancy Data Desk, which provided Climate Home News with a list of shipments of UCO certified for the European market, sourced from Malaysia by Repsol's trading unit in Singapore. No incidents of fraudulent UCO were detected in Repsol's supply chain, with imports meeting EU rules on green certification. Repsol told Climate Home News it 'complements with imports when necessary' and receives raw material shipments from more than 20 countries. It declined to provide more details about the imports for 'competitive reasons'. A view of Escombreras port, where energy companies including Repsol take delivery of oil, gas and biofuel cargoes, near Cartagena, Spain. PHOTO: MEGAN ROWLING, CLIMATE HOME NEWS Repsol's heavy reliance on Malaysian supplies exposes it to fraud risks that raise wider questions about global assertions over the sustainability of SAF. Asked what steps it takes to fight fraud, Repsol said it operates a rigorous supplier monitoring system to ensure the sustainability and integrity of its SAF production. A 'very strong' compliance process means dubious raw materials and suppliers suspected of misconduct are quickly weeded out, it added. 'Any type of fraud distorts the market and undermines the confidence in the system, so it must be fought with all possible legal means,' the company said in e-mailed comments. Shrinking air travel's carbon footprint Europe's green aviation fuel refineries are boosting output because of new requirements by the EU for planes to use more SAF in the coming decades. From the start of 2025, fuel supplied to airports across Europe needs to contain at least 2 per cent of SAF, with targets rising to 70 per cent by 2050. A million tonnes of SAF is needed to hit the EU's 2025 mandate, and this will rise to 2.7 million tonnes a year by 2030 to meet the 6 per cent mandate. SAF is crucial for shrinking aviation's carbon footprint, according to industry body the International Air Transport Association (Iata), and is expected to account for 65 per cent of emissions reductions by 2050, when the sector has committed to reaching net zero. An Airbus A350-1000 refuels with the Sustainable Aviation Fuel. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO In 2023, emissions from international plane travel accounted for 2.5 per cent of the world's energy-related carbon emissions. As air travel increases, and other sectors are more easily able to decarbonise, that share is set to grow. One of the reasons SAF is so attractive is that it is a drop-in fuel for planes, requiring no new additional infrastructure at airports. Current technology allows up to 50 per cent of SAF to be blended with fossil fuel-based jet fuel. Repsol's Dr Imaz told financial analysts early in 2024 that emissions-cutting alternatives to SAF – such as restricting short-haul flights – would represent 'a drop in the ocean'. Repsol's plant uses 300,000 tonnes of UCO to produce 250,000 tonnes of renewable fuels, including SAF and hydrotreated vegetable oil. But surging demand for UCO, SAF's feedstock of choice, and a far-from-perfect global certification system based on self-declaration at the start of the supply chain are encouraging fraud that undermines the new fuel's green credentials. An Evergreen Oil and Feed staff member pulls out a bottle of used cooking oil collected from members of the public. PHOTO: SAIRIEN NAFIS 'Ridiculous' export statistics This investigation found that by the time Asia-based traders ship UCO supplies overseas to refineries for processing into SAF, guaranteeing their environmental integrity is virtually impossible – despite the certification system on which fuel companies and airlines rely. A source at a leading Malaysian UCO supplier to companies including Repsol told ST that he suspects that both UCO collectors and restaurants are committing fraud by providing oil that does not qualify as used, although it is difficult to prove. In Malaysia, which is among the world's leading suppliers of UCO and virgin palm oil, government-subsidised cooking oil is cheaper than UCO – providing a clear incentive for fraud. Subsidised cooking oil sells for RM2.50 per kg versus the UCO trading price of up to RM4.50 per kg. In a 2024 report, Brussels-based environmental group Transport & Environment (T&E) cited figures showing that Malaysia already exports about three times as much UCO as it is estimated to collect domestically and import, raising concern about where that oil is coming from – and what it consists of. In 2023, 458,000 tonnes of UCO originating in Malaysia were registered with International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), the leading certification scheme recognised by the European Commission to demonstrate compliance with its biofuel sustainability criteria. In absolute terms, that puts Malaysia second only to China, which registered 1.65 million tonnes. Malaysia's UCO volume, if indeed collected from its population, works out to 15.2 litres per person – the highest worldwide by far. This figure is 'ridiculous', said Mr Cian Delaney, campaign coordinator at T&E, adding that for it to be feasible, Malaysia would need to be 'a world-leading collection and refining system – which it isn't'. On the left are two of Evergreen Oil and Feed used cooking oil processing tanks. PHOTO: SAIRIEN NAFIS In comparison, China collected 1.4 litres per capita, while the figure is 0.9 litre in Indonesia and 3.8 litres in Spain. Malaysia's Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities Chan Foong Hin has previously acknowledged there is fraud in the country's UCO supply chain. He told Reuters in February 2025 that the government would crack down on this to uphold the country's 'reputation as a responsible exporter'. In a response to questions from ST, he said: 'To maintain supply chain integrity, various measures are in place, including traceability systems, certification requirements, and stringent export documentation. The Malaysian Palm Oil Board , in collaboration with other regulatory bodies, is actively monitoring the industry to prevent fraudulent activities.' He also said the government was strengthening enforcement mechanisms to uphold industry credibility. Opaque supply chain The waste ingredients from which SAF is made change hands multiple times in a largely opaque system. To verify their sustainability, European regulators rely on checks by private auditors and agencies that issue green certificates based on their findings. But there is a systemic blind spot: The restaurants, street stalls, households and factories from which the UCO is pooled self-declare the origin of their contributions. Aside from ad hoc spot checks and sampling, there is no way of knowing that all of these providers are telling the truth. 'The opportunity ... of fraud is very high,' said Mr Vasu R. Vasuthewan, former Malaysia head for the ISCC. The Malaysian authorities recently uncovered criminal syndicates that had pocketed thousands of dollars a day by getting hold of large amounts of subsidised cooking oil, mixing it in with UCO, and then selling it on to industrial UCO traders. A member of the public purchases a one kg bag of subsidised cooking oil. To prevent abuse, people can only purchase three bags in one transaction as these bags costs only RM2.50 each. PHOTO: BERNAMA Sources within the industry told Climate Home News and ST that many households and restaurants are motivated to replace cooking oil after a single use – contrary to the standard practice of three to five times – and then sell it on as UCO. Cooking oil is considered waste when it is no longer fit for frying. 'Restaurant compliance (with sustainability standards) may be very low,' said Mr Vasuthewan, who now runs his own UCO import and export business. 'Many will fake their declaration, hoping they won't get caught.' Mr Delaney of T&E said it is difficult for auditors to physically check the origin of the oil, since hundreds of restaurants can supply the same collection point, making it a 'notable blind spot'. Singapore, a global SAF hub in the making Singapore is a key part of the global SAF supply chain and is positioning itself as a leader in the production and usage of such fuel. The Republic is home to the world's largest SAF refinery by capacity: Neste's biofuel refinery in Tuas. Its SAF production capacity is one million tonnes a year. Government trade data shows that Singapore is a major importer of UCO from China and Malaysia; this is most likely for the Neste refinery. The Republic also has a licensing framework for local UCO collectors, who pick up UCO mainly from restaurants, hotels and commercial kitchens, with about 19,000 tonnes collected annually from 2021 to 2024, according to the National Environment Agency. A pre-treatment facility at Finnish energy giant Neste's expanded refinery in Tuas South, which was officially opened on May 17, 2023. The facility filters out and removes impurities from materials such as used cooking oil and waste animal fats that are used to make renewable fuels. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG The Government regards SAF as a critical tool to reduce aviation emissions while allowing the industry to keep expanding and Changi Airport, one of the world's busiest, to keep growing. To ramp up SAF usage, from 2026, all flights departing Singapore's two civilian airports must use 1 per cent SAF. The goal is to reach 3 per cent to 5 per cent SAF use by 2030. Fraud is a concern for the authorities and the industry. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) told ST that it recognises the importance of ensuring transparency and integrity in SAF feedstocks. 'We are aware of concerns raised by various stakeholders, including the EU and the US, regarding fraudulent practices in the SAF supply chain. We share the same concerns as these pose risks to market confidence, fair trading and development of a nascent SAF market,' said CAAS chief sustainability officer Daniel Ng. He said the authority is working with the International Civil Aviation Organisation's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection to develop 'harmonised standards for feedstock verification to prevent further fraudulent practices'. Neste told ST, in response to questions: 'Neste sources traceable UCO and other renewable raw materials globally from carefully selected suppliers. Neste evaluates its suppliers and accepts renewable raw materials only from those suppliers that are able to meet strict criteria for sustainability.' The Singapore Airlines Group said it works closely with its partners to ensure supplies meet internationally recognised standards such as the ISCC, and comply with regulatory requirements in jurisdictions with SAF mandates. Workers weigh the used cooking oil before Evergreen Oil and Feed's purchase. PHOTO: SAIRIEN NAFIS Spot checks, patchy audits There is a system in place to keep fraudulent stocks out of the supply chain. Buyers and regulators in Europe rely on audit companies to trace the raw materials used in SAF and prove their green credentials. Those audits are verified by authorised certification systems like the ISCC – which is led by the biofuel industry and, according to one source, enjoys 'a kind of monopoly' in the sector. It then issues sustainability certificates to commodities traders and fuel suppliers. According to the ISCC, its certification supports 'sustainable, fully traceable, deforestation-free and climate-friendly supply chains'. While in some cases auditors conduct random field checks, that happens less often in countries outside the EU, industry experts say. According to Mr James Cogan, compliance and markets lead at Irish biofuel firm ClonBio, it is far easier for fraud to occur outside the EU where 'it's much less visible to us'. A 2024 analysis by T&E in China, for example, showed that sampling of points of origin happened in less than 10 per cent of the ISCC-approved audits, whereas in the EU, it was about 30 per cent. Mr Adam Kirby, ISCC's senior sustainability manager, told Climate Home News that auditors monitor volumes going in and out of collection points for any suspicious behaviour, in addition to carrying out spot checks. He added that the ISCC follows the requirements established by regulators like the European Commission. In 2024, the ISCC also conducted 79 special 'integrity assessments' – around two-thirds targeting Asia-based suppliers – which independently monitored the work of auditors. In a third of the cases, it found violations of its certification requirements, including an inability to demonstrate the traceability of products, leading to the withdrawal of 11 certificates. Evergreen Oil and Feed employees loads a container full of used cooking oil into one of their trucks at the Waste to Wealth collection drive at Malacca City Hall. The oil will then be sent to their filtration plant for processing. PHOTO: SAIRIEN NAFIS Long paper trail Under the current system, the entire SAF supply chain relies on a long paper trail rooted in those self-declarations and sporadic inspections at the points where UCO is collected. In Malaysia, Evergreen's owner C.K. Lau told ST that the company follows the proper processes in its collection based on the requirements established by the ISCC. He added that the documentation is critical as, otherwise, the company would not be able to export its UCO. Evergreen Oil and Feed owner CK Lau at his company's used cooking oil filtration facility in Malacca. PHOTO: SAIRIEN NAFIS Repsol, for its part, said it requires 'suppliers to be certified under European Commission-recognised voluntary regimes'. In turn, airline companies that buy from Repsol, such as the International Airlines Group (IAG) – the parent company of British Airways, Iberia, Vueling, Aer Lingus and Level – rely on documentation they get from it and other jet fuel providers, to show that the SAF they are paying for has green certification. In exceptional cases, IAG has sent its own staff to carry out checks on the ground, as with a Shanghai-based Chinese supplier in 2024. It told Climate Home News the outcome of that audit – which included supply, record-keeping, environmental and health and safety standards – was 'positive'. Mr Robert Boyd, Boeing's Asia-Pacific sustainability lead who previously worked for Iata, believes airlines' exacting standards will bring positive change in the SAF industry. 'You'll see a race to the top... on sustainability, and it will, in a way, be self-regulated,' he added. SAF certification faces EU scrutiny In the meantime, following a string of fraud allegations about the authenticity of UCO-derived biofuels imported from China, the EU has been trying to ascertain whether the certification system that governments and businesses rely on is fit for purpose. The EU authorities have been in talks to strengthen that system, leading to speculation that the ISCC could be suspended for failing to catch cases of biodiesel fraud. The ISCC denied in a statement that regulators had considered halting automatic EU-wide acceptance of its certificates, adding that its relationship with the European Commission remained constructive. 'There are always bad actors, there are always bad people, and there's only a certain amount of policing that can be done in any industry,' said Mr Kirby. 'We at ISCC have done, I think, an incredible job.' The ISCC did not respond to follow-up questions from Climate Home News on whether it has full confidence in the current system, including self-declaration. A European Commission spokeswoman said the bloc's executive arm was closely monitoring the SAF market 'to detect and prevent fraud, which risks undermining the EU's ambition to effectively decarbonise air transport'. Two sample jars show used restaurant frying grease (right) and the refined end product of biodiesel. PHOTO: REUTERS Demand for UCO sizzles Demand for SAF and UCO is only expected to increase as usage in Europe, Asia and elsewhere grows and as new refineries are completed in China, South Korea and Malaysia. In 2024, Malaysia's state energy firm Petronas, Italy's Enilive, and Euglena of Japan announced they would develop a biorefinery at Petronas' Pengerang Integrated Complex in Johor. Due for completion in 2028, it would produce SAF and other biofuels. Malaysia plans to mandate SAF usage by 2027, with the initial goal of blending it into aviation fuel at a 1 per cent rate. Leading European refiners like Repsol are pushing for a level global playing field as well as more public funding to bring down costs and help develop the nascent sector on the continent. Iata warned earlier in June that the European mandates had caused the SAF price paid by airlines to double because of hefty compliance fees being charged by producers. Repsol's aviation head Carlos Suarez Cubillo warned that fuel producers in parts of the world with laxer rules could produce SAF 'with less regulation and less control of the feedstock... and here in Europe that could de-incentivise the production, the construction of new facilities'. In Brazil, for example, an emerging SAF industry is gearing up to use crop-based feedstocks that are commonly linked to deforestation – and are therefore banned in Europe – such as soya and palm oil, as well as sugarcane-based ethanol, which has been linked to labour abuses and modern slavery. An investigation by Climate Home News' partner in Brazil, InfoAmazonia, found that the palm oil producer behind a planned biorefinery in the Amazon region – billed as Brazil's first SAF project – is growing the crop on land areas subject to sanctions by the national environment agency over illegal deforestation, and is struggling financially after rights abuse allegations. Iata hopes its efforts to put in place a global registry for SAF, launched in April as a voluntary initiative, will boost transparency around feedstocks and their greenhouse gas savings – and enable airlines to have some level of visibility and comparability between countries, fuel providers and airports. SAF producers and airlines are also looking to other waste-based materials to meet rising mandates – especially as more advanced fuels made from hydrogen and carbon dioxide, known as e-SAF, are still being developed and tested. Repsol, for example, recently closed a deal with US vegetable oils giant Bunge to source camelina and safflower – non-food crops that can grow on poor land – to produce hydrotreated vegetable oil for biodiesel and SAF. In January, it also announced it would invest more than €800 million in Europe's first plant in the Catalan city of Tarragona to produce renewable methanol from organic urban waste, for use in maritime, road and aviation transport from 2029. But in the meantime, Europe's overwhelming reliance on UCO means it will continue to import supplies from Asia – despite the concerns over fraud, said Ms Sophie Byron, global head of biofuels pricing at S&P Global Commodity Insights. 'That trade flow is not going away any time soon,' she said. Additional reporting by Megan Rowling and Joe Lo, Climate Home News Azril Annuar is Malaysia correspondent at The Straits Times. David Fogarty is deputy foreign editor at The Straits Times and senior climate writer. He also covers the environment, in areas ranging from biodiversity to plastic pollution. Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here.
The Star
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Siti Nurhaliza to debut new song at Singapore concert
Singaporean fans of Siti Nurhaliza are in for a treat, as the Malaysian pop queen will debut a new song at her Singapore Indoor Stadium concert on July 26. 'Singapore has always been special,' she tells The Straits Times in a Zoom interview conducted in Malay from her office in Kuala Lumpur on June 16. 'If you look back at my past concerts there, I've always had some exclusive performances. So, yes, I have a new song. It hasn't been released yet, and I plan to debut it exclusively at the concert.' The 46-year-old declines to reveal its title, but teases it is a ballad. The upcoming gig comes two decades after she last performed at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. She has staged concerts here multiple times, including two nights at The Star Theatre in June 2024, as well as a show with Canadian songwriter and producer David Foster, also at The Star Theatre, in 2023. The Singapore Indoor Stadium, which can accommodate up to 12,000 people, is larger than her usual Singapore venues, so fans can expect 'a big sound', says the singer behind pop hits such as Aku Cinta Padamu, Purnama Merindu and Bukan Cinta Biasa. '(The place) holds so many memories for me. It's a huge venue and that makes the responsibility even bigger. We're bringing a mini orchestra to deliver a more powerful sound. 'I'm thankful to return to Singapore for this concert. I promise fans a performance they will never forget. This time, I'll sing songs I rarely perform, and some that have never been performed live.' One of Malaysia's most decorated musicians, the Pahang-born music star was awarded the Biduanita Negara accolade in November 2024. She is the third artiste to receive the title, after late Malay singing icons Saloma and Sharifah Aini. She also holds the title of Datuk Seri in Malaysia. Siti made her debut after winning a national singing contest by television station Radio Televisyen Malaysia in 1995. The upcoming concert is part of a series of events, including an exhibition at shopping centre Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, that kicked off in March to celebrate her three decades in music. She is still one of the top singers in Malaysia and was the most streamed local artiste among Spotify listeners in the country in 2024. In March, her 2018 song Anta Permana was included in a playlist of favourite songs by British monarch King Charles III, who described her as an 'outstanding Malaysian artiste'. Her 20th full-length album, Sitism , was released in 2023. Her follow-up, she reveals, will focus on traditional Malay music, and she is in the process of gathering songs from both seasoned and new composers. 'What I'll never forget is the loyalty of my fans – that's something that can't be replaced,' she says of the highlight of her long entertainment career. 'After 30 years, if Gen Z recognises my name, that's the biggest honour for me.' She is touched when a new generation of artistes cite her as a role model and influence, but insists she also learns from her younger counterparts. Her Singapore show, for example, will feature guest singer Hael Husaini, the 37-year-old Malaysian known for pop and R&B hits such as Jampi. 'They give me fresh ideas. Experienced artistes shouldn't think we know everything, we need to collaborate.' Besides her singing career, she is also a successful entrepreneur whose business empire spans cosmetics, clothes, and food and beverage. She married businessman Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, better known as Datuk K, in 2006. The couple have a seven-year-old daughter, Siti Aafiyah, and four-year-old son, Muhammad Afwa. Juggling motherhood and work is not easy, she admits. 'I've been trained since a young age to be disciplined. It's in my blood now,' she says on how she strikes a balance. 'But I still need rest and time with my children. I also take them to every concert – they are my motivation to give my best on stage.' Show business is a tough industry, she acknowledges, which is why it is not something she would recommend for her kids. 'In my heart, I hope they don't follow the path of becoming singers, even if they have the talent.' – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Straits Times
9 months' jail for former primary school teacher who touched seven-year-old pupil in class
The father of three was given a discharge amounting to acquittal on two similar charges ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG 9 months' jail for former primary school teacher who touched seven-year-old pupil in class SINGAPORE – A former primary school Chinese teacher has been sentenced to nine months' jail after he admitted to using criminal force on his pupil with the intention to outrage her modesty. The father of three was given a discharge amounting to acquittal on two similar charges. These charges were not read out in court. On June 20, District Judge Lim Tse Haw said the man, 38, had breached a sacred trust between him and his pupil – for whom he was the Chinese language and form teacher . Sometime around 2019, the seven-year-old pupil approached the man to find out the name of a song he had played in class earlier. As she approached the man, who was sitting down near the front of the classroom, the man reached out and touched the pupil underneath her school skirt. They were alone at the front of the class at this time, as the other pupils were queuing up to go for recess. After three years, she decided to confide her experience to the school's vice- principal in April 2022 . A police report was then made. The judge said: 'Teachers are held in high regard by society. By virtue of the trust we ( place) in them to impart knowledge and good moral values in our students, parents therefore entrust their children in the good hands of our teachers for these reasons.' He pointed out that the pupil in this case was just seven years old. There is a gag order imposed to protect her identity. 'Although the touch was fleeting and did not intrude into her private parts, there was skin on skin contact with her inner thigh under her skirt – a sensitive part of the female body.' The judge added: 'The psychological harm, which included suicidal thoughts and potential problems with interpersonal relationships later in life, could be prolonged.' The Ministry of Education had previously told The Straits Times that the man had been dismissed in April 2022, and that he is no longer teaching in any school. For each count of molesting a child below 14 years old, an offender can be jailed for up to five years, fined, caned or receive any combination of such punishments. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
18 hours ago
- Straits Times
Vietnamese woman helped sister sell bank accounts to scammers, earning up to $700 apiece
Despite suspecting that the accounts would likely be used for illicit activities from the onset, Nguyen Lan Dung agreed to the arrangement. Andrew Wong The Straits Times June 19, 2025 Lured by the promise of money, a woman decided to take up her sister's offer to obtain bank accounts and cards in exchange for payment. Despite suspecting that the accounts would likely be used for illicit activities from the onset, Nguyen Lan Dung, 24, agreed to the arrangement. On June 19, the Vietnamese national was sentenced to 10 months' jail after pleading guilty to three charges under the Computer Misuse Act, and one under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act. Eleven charges of a similar nature were taken into consideration during the sentencing. Dung was also fined $1,700. Investigations revealed that after Dung agreed to the arrangement, she reached out to a man to say she knew people who would pay him for control of his bank account. Court documents do not reveal how investigations into Dung and her sister started. Sometime in March 2024, the man agreed and gave up his bank details and the corresponding physical ATM card. Dung handed over the card and login details to her sister and her sister's boyfriend, and was paid $700. Court documents stated that the man's bank account and ATM card were later found to be linked to extortion scams, and were used to transact a flow of scam proceeds. Under the arrangement, Dung would also act as the point of contact for other Vietnamese nationals who were willing to sell their bank accounts. She would earn between $500 and $700 for each bank account she helped to procure. Sometime in March 2024, she managed to obtain two different bank accounts from two Vietnamese nationals. Court documents do not reveal how Dung had managed to contact the two. Around the same period, Dung, along with her sister and her sister's boyfriend, arranged to sell 11 bank accounts to unknown persons. Dung's sister, Nguyen Huong Giang, remains on the run from Singapore. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Singapore's Juliet Heng surprises herself with historic silver medal at Asian Fencing C'ships
The silver medal won by Juliet Heng, who is ranked world No. 93, is Singapore's best finish in the competition. PHOTO: BIZZITEAM SINGAPORE – Almost two hours on from clinching a historic silver medal at the Asian Fencing Championships on June 18, Singapore's Juliet Heng was still in disbelief and unable to quite comprehend what she had just achieved while speaking to The Straits Times. Earlier in the day, the 20-year-old had reached the women's sabre final, where she fell 15-7 to Japan's defending champion and world No. 2 Misaki Emura at the Westin Resort Nusa Dua in Bali, Indonesia. The silver won by Heng, who is the world No. 93, is Singapore's best finish in the continental competition. It surpassed the modest target she had set for herself. The Singapore Sports School student said: 'I had zero expectations. When people asked me (before the competition) , I said I wanted to get third, but deep inside I didn't actually believe I could get third. But then, now I am in second. 'I'm shocked. I'm actually still just trying to process it. I still can't believe I made it all the way... to the podium stage.' A joint-bronze in the women's foil by Amita Berthier in the 2023 edition had been Singapore's best showing till Heng's silver. Singapore had also won a joint-bronze in 2022 in the women's foil team event courtesy of Maxine Wong, Berthier, Denyse Chan and Cheung Kemei, as well as in 2010 via Ruth Ng, Tay Yu Ling, Wang Wenying and Cheryl Wong. Heng said that recent results had left her devoid of confidence in the lead up to the Asian championships, although she wanted to do well to repay the faith that her coach, Kim Seung-jun, had in her. At the Asian Junior & Cadet Fencing Championships in Kuwait in February, she exited in the quarter-finals. Two months later, she bowed out in the round of 64 in the Junior & Cadet Fencing World Championships in Wuxi, China. Heng, who won a SEA Games gold medal on her debut at the 2023 edition in Cambodia, said: 'I haven't been fencing great, to be honest. I haven't had the best season since last year. 'I hadn't got any breakthroughs, so I was waiting for something, but I didn't know what it was going to be. And also, I have been having a lot of stress and worry about what if I am not able to do well.' The mantra, Heng said, was to win one match at a time after emerging from the opening pool stage. First, she defeated compatriot and world No. 264 Jermaine Tan 15-7 and edged out 152nd-ranked Tatyana Prikhodko of Kazakhstan 15-13, before overcoming three top-30 fencers. In the round of 16, she beat Japan's world No. 26 Seri Ozaki 15-8, before a pulsating finish saw her pip Uzbekistan's world No. 18 Zaynab Dayibekova 15-14 to make the semi-finals, where she defeated 20th-ranked Kim Jeong-mi of South Korea 15-12. Heng said the feats of Berthier and Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman – both two-time Olympians – had motivated her, as well as the relentless cheers from her teammates during her bouts. 'I think it (the silver) shows me that I can fence with people at the top level,' she said. 'And also, this medal is not just for me. I think more importantly, I always wanted to put Singapore's name on the map. I want to show people that Singapore is able to achieve stuff. And Amita and Kiria started that. 'I'm just glad I was able to continue it and improve it as well.' Up next for Heng is the World Fencing Championships in Georgia from July 22 to 30, before she defends her gold medal at the Dec 9-20 SEA Games in Thailand. For now, there are no targets but a renewed confidence in her mental strategy of winning one match at a time. Heng said: 'I'm not going to put any pressure (on myself) by saying, 'Oh, I won this, so I should be doing well there (at the world championships).' I just want to replicate the same mentality and mindset that I had today... and if it is meant to be, it will be.' The fencers will next contest the men's foil and women's epee individual events on June 19 before team events kick off a day later. Raphael Tan, Julian Soh, Jonathan Lim and Chin Chun Wai will represent Singapore in the men's individual foil while Kiria, Elle Koh, Filzah Hidayah Nor Anuar and Esther Tan will fly the flag for the Republic in the women's individual epee. Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports journalist at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
