Latest news with #AsiaOne
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- AsiaOne
'Hiding behind gangster-style bravado': Debt collection firm responds after staff member attacked with golf club, Singapore News
A 57-year-old man has been arrested after hitting a debt collector with a golf club outside his Simei home. General manager of licensed debt recovery agency SG Collectors Kelvin Ho told AsiaOne on Thursday (July 17) that the incident happened on July 10 afternoon at Block 135 Simei Street 1. He said that they were called into service after their client, a food supplier, sought to recover a debt amounting to $12,412 from a food stall owner. "During a lawful visit to the debtor's residence, the situation escalated rapidly due to aggressive and threatening conduct," SG Collectors said in a Facebook on July 10. A video shared on SG Collectors' Facebook page showed the man and several debtor collectors taunting each other through the gate. "Do you dare hit [us]?" asked one of the collectors. After one of them kicked the gate, the home owner approached the debt collectors - armed with a wood stick. He was later seen spitting at the collectors. SG Collectors said that the debtor returned with a golf club just when their collectors were leaving. They added that one of the debt collectors was hit in the arm by the golf club, while another had minor injuries. Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they received a call for assistance at Block 135 Simei Street 1 on July 10 at 2.25pm. They added that two men, aged 36 and 39, sustained minor injuries but refused conveyance to hospital. "A 57-year-old man was arrested for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means," the police said. Police investigations are ongoing. 'A clear pattern of hostile resistance' The video showed the debt collectors seeking treatment at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, with one of them receiving stitches on his arm. The total bill for their medical treatment came up to around $159. In their Facebook post, SG Collectors acknowledged that their staff "responded" in the heat of the moment. They claimed that one of their debt collectors had kicked the gate "defensively". "Moving forward, we are taking internal steps to reinforce our standards of professionalism," they said. "This is not the first time such behaviour was observed. There is a clear pattern of hostile resistance and deliberate provocation from this debtor, hiding behind gangster-style bravado to avoid repaying what he owes." [[nid:473455]] chingshijie@
AsiaOne
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
'A lesson learnt': Singapore-based woman fractures rib while attempting viral Chongqing motorcycle trend, Singapore News
It sounds romantic — a rendezvous with a handsome man on a motorcycle, with the splendour of Chongqing's night skyline in the background. For Instagram user May Chang, that may have been the case — until she realised that she had fractured a rib while attempting to emulate the viral Chongqing motorcycle trend, according to a video she shared on the platform last Wednesday (July 9). The trend, popularised by Chinese influencers, sees the subject of the video standing by a roadside in Chongqing before a man with a motorcycle helmet dashes by, hugs him or her by their midriff and lift them off their feet. They then ride a motorcycle down the street with Chongqing's Raffles City complex illuminating the night sky in the background and Silence Wang's Love Love playing. But for Chang, it turned out to be a disastrous outing, a far cry from what she was looking forward to. The hug left her with injuries to her seventh, eighth and ninth anterior rib, with a fracture on the eighth rib, she revealed. "I was at the motorcycle trend's filming site just yesterday," the Singapore resident said. "Today, I'm here at Raffles Hospital for a CT scan." She explained that the hug that she received from the 'young actor' was the reason for the injuries as they had not discussed how she was supposed to stand and receive the hug. She also added that filming the video requires a high level of caution, as there was no medical insurance when she made the attempt. "This is a lesson learnt from this incident," she said, adding that she spent about 900 yuan (S$160) on medical fees. At the time of filming the video, she said she was still feeling a little sore from her injuries. "Everyone, if you're thinking of coming to try this motorcycle (trend) out, please be careful," she stated. AsiaOne has contacted her for comment. [[nid:719979]] khooyihang@
AsiaOne
a day ago
- AsiaOne
Man in coma after SLE accident in June; had planned to register marriage next year , Singapore News
He was planning to register his marriage to his girlfriend next year, but an accident last month has left 32-year-old Malaysian Guo Jiahuang in a coma for about 20 days. Guo, who hails from Ipoh, was riding his motorcycle from Johor Bahru on the morning of June 25 to drop his girlfriend, Lin Yingying, 37, who works at a food factory in Singapore, when the accident occurred, Shin Min Daily News reported. The couple were on the Seletar Expressway (SLE) towards the Central Expressway (CTE) when two vehicles ahead of them collided. Unable to stop in time, Guo's motorcycle crashed and the couple were thrown off the bike. Both Lin and Guo were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, confirmed the Singapore Civil Defence Force in a reply to AsiaOne's query. When contacted by AsiaOne, police stated that they were alerted to an accident involving two cars and a motorcycle along the SLE towards the CTE on on June 25, at about 5.15am. A 31-year-old male motorcyclist was taken to the hospital unconscious while his 37-year-old pillion rider was conscious when taken to hospital. According to police, a 30-year-old male car driver was arrested for drink-driving and careless driving without due care and attention. Police investigations are ongoing. In an interview with the Chinese evening daily, Lin said that Guo had just got a job at the factory where she was working and was waiting for his work permit to be issued. "I usually start work at 7am and he was taking me to work on the day of the accident," she added. Following the crash, Lin found Guo unconscious on the ground, and bleeding from his nose. When she gently removed his helmet, she noticed he was also bleeding from his ears. Lin suffered a fracture in her right hand and abrasions to her legs and back from the accident. She said that they had been dating for seven years and had planned to get married next year, but those plans are now up in the air. Guo's younger brother, Jiasheng, 31, told Shin Min that Guo had been working in Singapore since he was 19, and had always been in the F&B industry. He revealed that Guo had suffered a brain haemorrhage and had undergone two brain surgeries and another for a fractured right shoulder. Although he is in a coma, his condition had initially improved and he was moved to a general ward. But the family was informed last Wednesday that his condition had suddenly deteriorated, and he had to be transferred back to the Intensive Care Unit. Besides Guo's condition, financial worries are also weighing heavily on his family. Jiasheng told Shin Min that Guo's medical expenses currently total between $80,000 and $90,000, and added that although more than $30,000 has been paid so far, the looming bill has put the family in a difficult financial position. [[nid:720099]] candicecai@
AsiaOne
a day ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
'A lesson learnt': Singaporean woman fractures rib while attempting viral Chongqing motorcycle trend, Singapore News
It sounds romantic — a rendezvous with a handsome man on a motorcycle, with the splendour of Chongqing's night skyline in the background. For Instagram user May Chang, that may have been the case — until she realised that she had fractured a rib while attempting to emulate the viral Chongqing motorcycle trend, according to a video she shared on the platform last Wednesday (July 9). The trend, popularised by Chinese influencers, sees the subject of the video standing by a roadside in Chongqing before a man with a motorcycle helmet dashes by, hugs him or her by their midriff and lift them off their feet. They then ride a motorcycle down the street with Chongqing's Raffles City complex illuminating the night sky in the background and Silence Wang's Love Love playing. But for Chang, it turned out to be a disastrous outing, a far cry from what she was looking forward to. The hug left her with injuries to her seventh, eighth and ninth anterior rib, with a fracture on the eighth rib, she revealed. "I was at the motorcycle trend's filming site just yesterday," the Singaporean said. "Today, I'm here at Raffles Hospital for a CT scan." She explained that the hug that she received from the 'young actor' was the reason for the injuries as they had not discussed how she was supposed to stand and receive the hug. She also added that filming the video requires a high level of caution, as there was no medical insurance when she made the attempt. "This is a lesson learnt from this incident," she said, adding that she spent about 900 yuan (S$160) on medical fees. At the time of filming the video, she said she was still feeling a little sore from her injuries. "Everyone, if you're thinking of coming to try this motorcycle (trend) out, please be careful," she stated. AsiaOne has contacted her for comment. [[nid:719979]] khooyihang@
AsiaOne
2 days ago
- AsiaOne
'I worry for my kids': Loan sharks harass woman with funeral wreaths after friend allegedly uses her details , Singapore News
A woman's life became a nightmare after discovering that a friend had allegedly been stealing her identity card details to borrow money from loan sharks. Speaking to AsiaOne, the woman, who only wished to be known only as Zhuo, said she was overwhelmed with despair and frustration after receiving funeral wreaths on the evening of July 7. They were all addressed to her. Several of these wreaths were delivered to the music studio she owns in Jurong West, as well as to a beauty salon and a neighbouring residential unit located below her unit. "My son had arrived at our club to meet us when he noticed funeral wreaths placed outside our studio at around midnight. He called me immediately, and I rushed down and contacted the police," said the 60-year-old. Zhuo later found out that two other wreaths had also been delivered — one to the beauty salon located on the third floor and another to a neighbour's residential unit on the second floor. "I had to apologise to the neighbour and the salon owner for being dragged into this. I didn't want our relationship to turn sour because of this," said the mother of three. "This isn't the first time I've been harassed or received such funeral wreaths. I'm at my wits' end — it feels like an endless cycle." Harassment started in 2022 Zhuo shared that her ordeal began in April 2022 when her former neighbour informed her ex-husband about loan sharks harassing them in their estate. They were allegedly knocking on their doors, looking for the couple who have already moved out. At the time, Zhuo was already separated from her then husband and was living elsewhere. "My ex-husband relayed the message to our son, who then told me about it. I was totally dumbfounded as I had no idea what was going on. I've never borrowed money [from loan sharks before], so I was shocked," she said. She and her second husband - a singing instructor - opened a music studio in Jurong West in year 2020. She later discovered from her former neighbours that her name and details had been misused to borrow money from loan sharks. She promptly lodged her first police report for harassment. Friend initially denied involvement Shortly after that, Zhuo's former neighbours passed her a contact number which they had received from the loan sharks. She then realised it belonged to her friend - a former student from her husband's singing class with the surname Lum. According to Zhuo, Lum had once helped her to sign up for a health supplement membership during the Covid-19 period, during which Zhuo had sent her a copy of her NRIC details. She now suspects that Lum used that information to take loans in her name. "I confronted her, but she denied everything. Eventually, after much pressure, she agreed to settle the issue at that time," Zhuo recalled, adding that Lum managed to repay her debt to the loan sharks. [[nid:693192]] What Zhuo hoped would be a one-time ordeal quickly spiraled into a never-ending torment. "I thought that would be the end of it. But even after that, the harassment continued," she said. "She kept saying there's nothing she can do and that she's tired. Once, she even said, 'I might as well die.' That really put me in a difficult and helpless position. It's not the first time she's said that." Zhuo said that despite making police reports and repeatedly reaching out to Lum, things never improved. She said that she has reached out to the loan sharks to explain the situation, but the harassment still continued. She also pointed out that at some point, she become paranoid that loan sharks were stalking her on social media, prompting her to take down all her family photos on social media. "I removed all my family photos from Facebook especially those that have faces of my children. I worry for my kids and I don't want them to involved in this situation," she said. Zhuo revealed that she has filed eight police reports to date and estimated that the loans taken under her identity amount to more than $10,000. "I just want this to stop. I've never borrowed any money. I shouldn't be dragged into something I didn't do," she said. 'My health has been affected' Speaking to AsiaOne, Zhuo's husband who only wished to be known only as Chen, 59, said that he regrets taking in Lum as a student. "If she hadn't come to me for singing classes, none of this would have happened. I truly regret taking her in as my student," said Chen. "My health has been affected because of everything that has happened. I have suffered a stroke due to the stress, and I am now wearing a pacemaker." Chen also pointed out that despite the stress he faces, he believes that as long as he and Zhuo have not committed any illegal activities or crimes, they shouldn't have to worry about anything. "I am very upset but after all this I tell myself that life goes on and there is nothing much I can do. After all, I teach in this studio and there is a reputation for me to keep up to," said Chen. The couple also shared that they will be reaching out to their MP for help. AsiaOne has reached out to Lum for comment. [[nid:628603]]
