No Olympic hangover for Max Maeder with Austrian title; Tighter security at checkpoints into Singapore from 9-14 Sept: Singapore live news

Malaysia’s Immigration Department has reportedly launched a special investigation into the case of a Singaporean woman who claims she was detained for seven days at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex in Johor.

Atalia Chua alleges she was passing through the border on 7 August as part of a day trip but ended up being detained for a week following an altercation with an officer at the BSI CIQ Complex.

“We will examine all aspects to ensure the investigation provides justice for all parties,” Immigration Director-General, Ruslin Jusoh was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian.

He added: “I promise this matter will be resolved soon to provide a clear picture. I do not want this incident to cast a negative image on the country.”

Chua posted a video on TikTok detailing her ordeal which went viral with over 80,000 views.

Singapore has proposed a law which will see deepfakes and other digitally manipulated content featuring candidates banned during elections.

The bill – Integrity of Online Advertising – was introduced in Parliament by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) on 9 September.

If passed, the Bill would stop the publication of digitally generated or manipulated content that “realistically” depicts a candidate saying or doing something false.

This includes content generated using non-AI techniques such as Photoshop editing, dubbing and splicing.

Under the bill, a corrective direction can be issued to take down offending content, and if necessary disable access to Singapore users during the election period.

Social media agencies that fail to comply face a fine of up to S$1 million upon conviction. For others, non-compliance may result in a fine, or imprisonment, or both.

The Bill will be tabled for a second reading at the next Parliament sitting.

Singapore’s general election must be held by November 2025, and Monday’s development is another example of how governments are reacting to the threat from AI-powered election misinformation.

In a recent survey, it was found 83% of Singapore consumers were worried about the potential for AI and deepfakes to influence upcoming elections in their country, compared to 75% globally.

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong took a trip down Punggol memory lane in his speech to launch One Punggol hub on 8 September.

PM Wong drew from his own personal experiences such as coming to the area for seafood in the 1980s, to getting lost while visiting a relative during Chinese New Year in the early 2000s.

“Remember this was the days before GPS and even the street directory had not been updated with Punggol streets. So it was very hard to find my way around here, a lot of construction, a lot of empty buildings, even the road signs were not very clear, and I was thinking to myself, ‘Goodness, this is really frontier territory’,” he said.

According to PM Wong, all that is in the past because Punggol is now a very different place.

“The vision of a waterfront town has come to life,” he said.

In his speech, PM Wong spoke of the new developments which includes the Punggol Regional Sports Centre that will open around 2026.

“Of course, today, we mark another milestone of Punggol development and that is the official opening of One Punggol – an integrated community and lifestyle hub, where we bring together community spaces, public services, and retail, all under one roof to better serve residents,” he said.

You can read PM Wong’s full speech at the official opening of One Punggol, here.

Opposition leader Pritam Singh has failed in his bid to have his upcoming trial heard in the High Court – he had attempted to compare his case to that of former transport minister S. Iswaran.

The Workers’ Party (WP) chief’s bid to transfer his case was dismissed by Justice Hoo Sheau Peng as it was deemed not to have the same wide-reaching impact as Iswaran's trial.

Iswaran faces a total of 35 charges including 32 counts of obtaining valuables as a public servant, two counts of corruption and one of obstructing justice.

In contrast, Singh is accused of lying to a Committee of Privileges that was trying to determine if former Workers’ Party MP Raeesah Khan had lied about the police mishandling a sexual assault case.

“While I disagree with many aspects of the Prosecution’s decision to transfer Iswaran’s case while taking a different position in my case, I acknowledge their work, and that of the High Court, in responding to my application,” Singh said in a Facebook statement.

His trial is set to begin on 14 October at the State Courts.

It appears hit-making US band Maroon 5 won’t be in Singapore for ‘One More Night’.

Live Nation Asia announced, on September 9, the list for Maroon 5’s Asia 2025 dates which kicks off in Manila on 29 January before dates in Jakarta, Bangkok, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur and finally Kaohsiung.

Maroon 5 fans in Singapore who are desperate to see Adam Levine and Co next year could consider the drive across the border to Kuala Lumpur for the 12 February concert which will be held at the National Hockey Stadium.

More details of their Malaysian show can be found here.

Asia Tour 2025:

29 January: Manila (SM Mall of Asia Arena)

1 February: Jakarta (Jakarta International Stadium)

3 February: Bangkok (IMPACT Arena)

6, 8, 9 February: Tokyo (Tokyo Dome)

12 February: Kuala Lumpur (National Hockey Stadium)

14 February: Kaohsiung (Kaohsiung National Stadium)

Singapore has pledged US$100,000 (S$130,000) to support the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) in fundraising efforts towards Bangladesh as the country continues to be devastated by severe flooding.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement: “The contribution will support humanitarian relief efforts and the immediate needs of affected communities.”

The death toll from floods in Bangladesh rose to 71 on Tuesday, and millions of people remain stranded in flood-devastated areas, according to Reuters.

There’s also growing concern in Bangladesh about outbreaks of waterborne diseases.

Earlier, the SRC confirmed it would commit US$50,000 (S$65,000) to support emergency operations as well as provide aid and relief through the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS).

The floods are the result of heavy monsoon rains while UNICEF has said two million children are at risk from the severe conditions.

“We hope that the people of Singapore will stand in solidarity to support the affected communities,” said Benjamin William, Secretary General/CEO of the Singapore Red Cross.

Sinkholes became a hot topic of concern recently after the tragic incident involving Indian tourist Vijaya Lakshmi Gali who fell into an 8-metre deep hole in Kuala Lumpur.

The horrifying event occurred on 23 August and was caught on CCTV which showed the moment the ground opened up beneath her feet as she walked along Jalan Masjid India.

It has sparked debate over safety concerns – but how exactly are the public supposed to be aware that they could be walking near potential sinkholes?

In a recent interview, Prof Jeffrey Chiang Choong Luin, president of the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), detailed what the “tell-tale signs” of sinkholes are.

Among the signs to look for include ground depressions, fallen trees, tilted buildings, cracks in buildings and concentrated water flow.

He explained that ground depressions might indicate unstable or eroded soil, possibly due to prolonged water damage.

However, the Malaysian Geotechnical Society (MGS) was also quoted in the article as saying that sinkholes can sometimes form without visible signs.

You can read the full story about how to spot sinkholes, here.

Travellers to Singapore from 9 September to 14 September should expect increased security checks and delays, according to the country’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

In a Facebook post on September 8, the ICA said: “In view of the heightened security situation in the region, ICA will be implementing enhanced security checks on arriving travellers and conveyances at the land, air and sea checkpoints from 9 to 14 September 2024.”

The ICA added: “Travellers should expect delays at the checkpoints due to enhanced checks and factor in additional time for immigration clearance.”

The dates coincide with Pope Francis’ papal visit to Singapore from 11 September to 13 September.

The Pope is also scheduled to preside over mass at the National Stadium on 12 September – an event which will have around 50,000 attendees.

Max Maeder received the perfect birthday present on Sunday.

Singapore’s Olympic hero wrapped up a dominant display over the weekend on Lake Traunsee to take home gold at the KiteFoil World Series Austria.

The 17-year-old showed no signs of Olympic hangover as he cruised to the title just a few days shy of his 18th birthday.

"I took 25 days out between the Games and now, so I feel refreshed and it's good to be back," Maeder was quoted as saying by the International Kiteboarding Association.

The Singaporean beat training partner Martin Dolenc for gold while Olympic champion Valentin Bontus finished seventh.

Maeder’s victory in Austria also marked the first time he has used his new gear – the smaller 21 sqm Flysurfer V3 kite and the R6 edition of the Levitaz foil and mast combination – in high-level competition.