Safe clubbing campaign returns as molestation, fights in nightspots continue to be concerns
The campaign was launched by Mr Goh Pei Ming (third from left), Minister of State for Home Affairs and for Social and Family Development. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Safe clubbing campaign returns as molestation, fights in nightspots continue to be concerns
SINGAPORE – Despite fewer molestation cases and fights at nightlife venues, the return of the Safe Clubbing Campaign for its fifth year underscores ongoing concerns.
The annual initiative organised by the Singapore Police Force and National Crime Prevention Council aims to promote responsible and moderate drinking habits while enjoying a night out.
With the tagline 'Celebrate Right, Enjoy Responsibly', the 2025 campaign was launched on May 26 at live music venue HaveFun LiveShow at Bugis+ by Mr Goh Pei Ming, Minister of State fo r Home Affairs and fo r Social and Family Development.
As part of the campaign, Safe Clubbing drink coasters will be distributed to 209 public entertainment outlets islandwide. These coasters feature safety reminders and a QR code linking to the Safe Clubbing Challenge mobile game launched in 2024.
Advisory videos conveying key safety messages – such as respecting boundaries and staying calm to defuse potentially tense situations – will also be shown at nightspots.
The videos feature local media personalities such as Li Nanxing, Constance Song, Vivian Lai, Evelyn Tan and Darren Li m .
Mr Goh said: 'No one will want to visit a public entertainment outlet hoping to have a good night out, only to end up injured, or to become a victim of crime.
'Public entertainment outlets with such reputation will probably find it more difficult to draw in customers. So, it makes good business sense, too, to work hand-in-hand and have measures in place to ensure that all Singaporeans looking for a night out will have a safe and enjoyable experience.'
T he police said outrage of modesty cases in the first quarter of the year declined by more than 34 per cent compared with the same period in 2024, dropping from 29 to 19.
Similarly, cases involving rioting, affray, disorderly behaviour and serious hurt at nightspots saw a slight drop from 14 cases during the first three months of 2024 to 12 cases during the same period in 2025.
This is a shift from the trends in 2024, when the campaign was held amid rising molestation cases and fights at nightspots. Previous versions of this campaign were also held in 2018, 2019 and 2023.
Acknowledging the decline, Mr Goh said: 'While the data is encouraging, such cases remain a concern, particularly outrage of modesty. In particular, these cases in and around public entertainment outlets still make up about 7 per cent of total cases nationwide last year.'
In 2024, 103 out of 1,427 outrage of modesty cases occurred at nightspots.
'Fights at nightspots also continue to occur,' said Superintendent Randy Chua, commanding officer of Marina Bay Neighbourhood Police Centr e.
'Through this campaign, we are reinforcing our collaboration with industry partners to create a safe and respectful environment for all,' he added.
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- AsiaOne
From cash and gold to leaves: 3 women, 1 man charged over suspected involvement in spiritual 'blessing' scams, Singapore News
Three women and one man aged between 47 and 61 were arrested and charged on suspicion of involvement in multiple spiritual 'blessing' scams. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a press release on Friday (June 6) that they had received a report three days prior from a woman who was allegedly cheated by the three others in Chinatown. "The first woman had initially approached the victim seeking directions to a Chinese physician. A second woman then intervened, claiming knowledge of a suitable physician but explained that consultations could only occur outside the premises due to overcrowding," the release stated. This second woman wanted the victim to pose as her relative, and the trio went to meet the third woman, who claimed to be a Chinese physician and told the victim she was "experiencing misfortune due to negative spiritual elements". "The three woman and the victim then arranged to meet at Hong Lim Park and the victim was convinced to surrender $700 in cash and a gold necklace with a Guan Yin pendant to the 'Chinese physician', who then placed the items in a black plastic bag and performed a purported blessing ritual," the release read. She was instructed to leave the bag unopened for a month underneath her bed, but examined it the next day and discovered her possessions had been replaced by leaves. A similar incident occurred on June 4, where another victim was approached by two women in Clementi. Upon noticing she had cash in her bag, the women convinced her to place her belongings, amounting to $700, into a black trash bag for safekeeping. However, the victim later discovered that her money had gone missing. SPF conducted ground investigations and utilised CCTV footage to establish the identities of the three woman and another man believed to be working with them. They were arrested on June 5, and cash amounting to S$1,311 and 10,050 yuan (S$1,800) was seized from them as case exhibits. The four were charged on Friday for conspiracy to cheat under Section 420 and Section 109 of the Penal Code 1871, with the offence carrying a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine. "The police would like to remind members of the public to be wary of strangers who claim to provide spiritual help or blessing services. No legitimate religious practitioner will ask for your money or valuables to be surrendered for any blessing ritual," the press release read. "Members of the public should be vigilant and alert their elderly family members about such scams. "If approached by someone claiming you have bad luck or need spiritual cleansing, do not engage with them and call the police immediately." Members of the public with information on such scams can call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at For more information on scams, they can visit or call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799. [[nid:718792]] drimac@
Business Times
18 hours ago
- Business Times
MAS, SPF to block website access to Octa and XM unlicensed trading platforms from Jun 20
[SINGAPORE] The websites of unlicensed trading platforms Octa and XM will be blocked for Singapore residents with effect from Jun 20, said the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Singapore Police Force in a joint statement on Friday (Jun 6). 'Consumers with active accounts with Octa and XM will not be able to access their websites through Internet Access Service Providers based in Singapore,' the authorities said, noting that information on the platforms' websites constitutes prohibited content under the Internet Code of Practice. The platforms had offered and marketed services – such as trading in foreign exchange on a leveraged basis, commodities, indices and equities – to customers in Singapore without licences, which breached the Securities and Futures Act 2001 (SFA). Section 82 of the SFA states that entities require a capital markets services licence to conduct business in the regulated activity of dealing in capital markets products – which includes securities and leveraged foreign exchange trading. The Octa platform is operated by two entities, Octa Markets and Uni Fin Invest, which were purportedly incorporated in the Union of Comoros and Mauritius, respectively. Meanwhile, the XM platform is operated by XM Global, which was purportedly incorporated in Belize. As the entities operating the two platforms do not hold the requisite licence, they are prohibited from carrying out such businesses, said the MAS and the police. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up This prohibition extends to entities operating outside of Singapore should they solicit or advertise products or services targeting Singapore persons, or if a substantial number of Singaporeans use their products or services, they added. The MAS and the police urged members of the public to deal only with regulated online trading platforms with valid capital markets services licences, which are listed in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory. They highlighted that most unregulated online trading platforms are located outside Singapore and pose a greater risk of fraud as the credibility of their operations cannot be easily verified. 'In addition to being subject to the risk of financial loss, members of the public may face challenges in pursuing claims against operators based overseas,' they warned. 'Online trading platforms may also require payment for trades to be made using credit or debit cards, which gives rise to a further risk of unauthorised card transactions.'
Business Times
a day ago
- Business Times
MAS, SPF to block website access to unlicensed trading platforms Octa and XM from Jun 20
[SINGAPORE] The websites of unlicensed trading platforms Octa and XM will be blocked for Singapore residents with effect from Jun 20, said the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Singapore Police Force in a joint statement on Friday (Jun 6). 'Consumers with active accounts with Octa and XM will not be able to access their websites through Internet Access Service Providers based in Singapore,' the authorities said, noting that information on the platforms' websites constitutes prohibited content under the Internet Code of Practice. The platforms had offered and marketed services – such as trading in foreign exchange on a leveraged basis, commodities, indices and equities – to customers in Singapore without licences, which breached the Securities and Futures Act 2001 (SFA). Section 82 of the SFA states that entities require a capital markets services licence to conduct business in the regulated activity of dealing in capital markets products – which includes securities and leveraged foreign exchange trading. The Octa platform is operated by two entities, Octa Markets and Uni Fin Invest, which were purportedly incorporated in the Union of Comoros and Mauritius respectively. Meanwhile, the XM platform is operated by XM Global, which was purportedly incorporated in Belize. As the entities operating the two platforms do not hold the requisite licence, they are prohibited from carrying out such businesses, said the MAS and the police. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up This prohibition extends to entities operating outside of Singapore should they solicit or advertise products or services targeting Singapore persons, or if a substantial number of Singaporeans use their products or services, they added. The MAS and the police urged members of the public to deal only with regulated online trading platforms with valid capital markets services licences, which are listed in the MAS Financial Institutions Directory. They highlighted that most unregulated online trading platforms are located outside Singapore and pose a greater risk of fraud as the credibility of their operations cannot be easily verified. 'In addition to being subject to the risk of financial loss, members of the public may face challenges in pursuing claims against operators based overseas,' they warned. 'Online trading platforms may also require payment for trades to be made using credit or debit cards, which gives rise to a further risk of unauthorised card transactions.'
