JOHOR BARU - Johor's rich history is being rekindled, thanks to an age-old video clip going viral over social media.

The eight-minute clip, believed to have been made some 80 years ago, was part of a travel documentary series titled Fitzpatrick Travel­talks.

It was shown to American and British audiences by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc, a US media company founded in 1924.

Called Singapore and Jahore, the clip begins with footage of the Singapore port before showing the Causeway, which was completed in 1923, and scenes of Johor Baru.

One scene shows Sungai Segget with a small boat along its banks, with the Johor Baru High Court building and Masjid Sultan Abu Bakar visible.

The clip also shows two of Johor's past rulers - Almarhum Sultan Ismail Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim, the then Tunku Mahkota Johor, who was driving a vintage car before greeting the show's host just outside Istana Besar.

The host is then seen meeting Johor's second Ruler Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar together with the Johor Military Force.

The clip was uploaded by Persatuan Bangsa Johor on its Facebook page where it received more than 8,000 views.

Local historian Kamdi Kamil urged the people, mainly the younger generation, to view the clip to learn about the state's rich history.

"To have such a major international production company depicting Johor Baru proves that the city was already well-known to foreigners back in the early days," he added.

Singapore and Jahore - 1938 Travelogue

Singapore and Jahore - 1938 Travelogue

Police have arrested four teenagers between 14 and 16 years old who are believed to be involved in a series of theft cases in Ang Mo Kio and Yishun.

Police said they received a report on Aug 28 at 8.15pm from a 37-year-old man, who told the police that his cashcard was missing from the IU unit of his motorcycle which was parked at Yishun Avenue 11.

With the aid of images from Police Cameras, or Polcams, the identities of the suspects were established and they were arrested along Yishun Ring Road on Monday (Sept 4).

Preliminary investigations revealed that they were also believed to have stolen cash cards at Ang Mo Kio and Yishun. 

Two of the suspects, both 14, are also believed to be involved in a snatch theft case that was reported on Sept 1 at Blk 240 Yishun Ring Road. If found guilty, the two may face a jail term of between one and seven years, and may also be caned.

Police said investigations against the other two suspects are ongoing. If convicted of theft, the suspects may face imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both.

a1admin@sph.com.sg

A woman was arrested on Sunday (Sep 3) after attempting to climb into a second-floor flat at Block 336B Anchorvale Crescent, that is believed to be her former boyfriend's home.

Stomp previously reported on a video of the incident that was posted on Facebook by Yusliena Zulkifli Smith, showing the woman climbing over a parapet.

Yusliena was alarmed and shouted at her to "be careful".

She then asked the woman what she was doing and where she was from, but the woman just ignored her.

Yusliena wrote in her Facebook post that the woman had run away when her neighbour told her that Yusliena had called the police.

In response to Stomp media queries, police said that the 21-year-old woman was arrested after they were alerted to a case of intentional alarm at the said location.

According to The Straits Times, it is understood that the woman had wanted to go to her ex-boyfriend's house, but he did not want her to.

She then tried to climb down from the third floor of the block to his home on the second floor.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Two aunties got into a fight after one allegedly removed the other's seat close to the end of a getai performance at a temple along Arumugam Road.

The incident happened on Sept 3, at around 10.15pm.

When Lianhe Wanbao rushed down to the scene, they found the auntie who removed the seat, bleeding from her face.

A 66-year-old witness told reporters that the spectator, another elderly woman in blue, had tugged at the auntie's collar and the two got into a scuffle.

The witness, a regular at the getai shows, said that the fight had arisen when the auntie attempted to place the spectator's chair back in a stack as the show was ending.

However, the spectator wanted to continue watching, and the two started fighting.

The witness added:

"The auntie's intention to help show organisers clear up the chairs is good, but her attitude towards others was not.

"Many of the audiences could have been offended."

A spokesman for the show reminded the public that matters like these should be resolved through discussions.

He said:

"The getai performances are meant for everyone to enjoy themselves, so let's work together to maintain the order here."

As a self-professed Japanese food lover, it might come as a surprise that I don't eat sashimi, or any form of uncooked fish.

Usually the prized plate during conveyor belt sushi buffets and the bit everyone saves for last in their donburi, I simply couldn't bring myself to enjoy the pink slabs of raw fish all my friends raved about.

Perhaps it's because I tried sashimi in the wrong places, and the restaurants I went to weren't the stickler for freshness.

When poke bowls came to town, I quickly found out that the cubes of salmon and tuna were heavily-marinated, and I deduced that the savoury sauce would mask the fishy aftertaste…I was wrong.

My first poke bowl, from a store I shall not name, reacquainted me with my gag reflex, and I had to pass the remaining half of the bowl to my colleague.

So, when I received an invitation to the anniversary dinner celebration of Aloha Poke, a local poke chain, I was honestly a bit worried that I might end up rejecting the food that they were going to offer.

Upon reaching the cosy media session with co-founder John Chen (38), food quickly appeared on the table, the first of which were samplers of their poke - their signature spicy salmon, and mentaiko salmon, their seasonal special.

Bracing myself for the taste of the sea, I was instead treated to mouthful after mouthful of well-seasoned fish - sans any hint of fishy aftertaste.

Just like someone going through a bunch of shitty relationships and finally finding the right one, I felt that I finally found the joy that came with eating raw fish that everyone raved about.

I was a convert.

But this article isn't about my newfound love for poke and raw fish - it's about the brains behind this life-changing experience - 2 pairs of couples that are running the ever-expanding Aloha Poke chain.

And the most amazing part about all of this?

They're all still working full-time in the banking industry.

The Fateful Holiday

For the regular Singaporean, going overseas for a holiday usually means checking off a list of places and foods to eat.

It was the same case for the 4 founders, made up of 2 married couples - John Chen (38) and Lee Yue Xian (35), Paladin Hsu (38) and Selene Ong (35) - who were vacationing in Hawaii.

But it wasn't in some hip joint or famous Michelin-starred restaurant that they first tried poke - it was in a supermarket called Foodland.

Calling the experience "love at first taste", they spent the rest of their vacation seeking out the best poke joints in and around Oahu.

Upon their return to Singapore, they tried to find suitable alternatives - but to no avail.

This was when they started experimenting with poke flavours in their own kitchen based on the fond memories of their time in Hawaii. They also made poke for each other, their family and their friends, until they believed they got the balance of flavours just right.

Not satisfied with simply sharing the wonders of poke with loved ones, they decided to start a restaurant, and opened their very first Aloha Poke outlet along Amoy Street in August 2015.

Given that they were themselves still holding their full-time jobs, they hired Michael Yonathan, a trained sushi chef formerly of B @ Rochester and Capella, to helm the kitchen and scale (pun not intended) the operation.

Today, Michael is the Corporate Chef at Aloha Poke and oversees all of its operations.

Early Challenges

But getting to where they are now wasn't at all smooth-sailing.

None of the prominent landlords were willing to rent to them a space, especially since they were first time F&B entrepreneurs.

In fact, they were even willing to overpay in rent just to get a foot in the door.

Eventually, the founders found a shophouse lot in Amoy Street at a decent rental price, and soon proved all their doubters wrong.

With 6 bustling outlets open currently, they have plans to open another 4 by the end of the year.

At the moment, all their outlets are located in the CBD, and I asked them (with much hope) if they're planning to open outlets in the heartlands.

To be realistic, Aloha Poke's target customers will always be within the CBD and in town. For the moment, the chain will look to expand within this area, making it more convenient for diners to have a quick meal.

Nevertheless, they do not rule out the possibility that they might start a new concept, specifically targeted at the heartland malls - for example, burrito-style 'Pokerittos' - which they have already been selling at their CityLink Mall outlet.

The ambitious founders are also looking into expanding overseas, with a Hong Kong outlet slated for opening by end of this year.

"While the F&B scene in Singapore is extremely vibrant, the consumer population is still small. For expansion beyond 12 outlets, Aloha Poke will need to look overseas particularly in the region. The demographic of the Hong Kong consumer is very similar to that of Singapore, and with a similar Commonwealth legal system, Hong Kong is the ideal option for Aloha Poke's first international outlet."

"Next on the cards will be Perth, Australia!"

Selling 2 Bowls A Minute

Singaporeans are no strangers to poke bowls these days, thanks to the emergence of various restaurants serving them up to health-conscious office workers.

This familiarity has led to very impressive figures garnered by Aloha Poke's 6 outlets.

Based on current statistics, each outlet can expect to sell an average of up to 30kg of fish and an average of two poke bowls per minute during the busy two-hour lunch window per day.

Each outlet generates between $60K to $100K per month, and at the current rate, it is on track to deliver $3.8M in revenue and an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, and amortisation) of $750K this year.

With thousands of bowls sold to date, have they noticed any trends among their fans?

"The taste for poke transcends all ages - [we have] regular customers from office workers in CBD, students from universities and polytechnics, as well as retirees in their 60s."

But what do they think is the secret to their longevity, given the very competitive nature of the local F&B scene?

Other than their first mover advantage in a food trend, their dedication to making the ordering process as swift as possible was also cited as their key to success.

"Despite having long queues, staff are trained and committed to preparing each lunch bowl within 5 minutes - from when the order is made and paid for to collection point - to get the queues moving swiftly.

We understand that lunch hour is precious!

Running A Full-Time Business Alongside Full-Time Jobs

With all 4 of them still working full-time in the banking industry, I wondered how they manage to handle their workloads alongside their chain.

Everyone is busy and only has 24 hours, how they allocate and plan their time is key. Naturally, some sacrifices need to be made.

Attributing their success to effective time management, delegation, and synergies in their partnership, they're also big believers of empowering staff and grooming them to handle bigger projects.

For example, one of their staff, Goh Ling Lee, started just as a waitress and worked her way up to the chain's Group Operations Manager - all within a span of less than 2 years.

There are now plans for her to go to Hong Kong to spearhead the company's overseas expansion.

Among the 4 founders, they've also divided and conquered various aspects of the business - all according to their unique skill-sets.

"Each partner is responsible for a specific subset of the business, they will debate, even argue, on all important matters but will ultimately defer to the decision of partner-in-charge of that area."

The founders also left some valuable advice for aspiring F&B entrepreneurs:

Consider carefully the risk, make sure you work out your numbers and contingency plans. Most importantly, find good partners.

Aloha Poke is turning a food trend into something more permanent, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of its outlets around Singapore (somewhere in the heartlands soon, please!).

A woman, Madam Lee, claimed that she was punched in the face more than 10 times by a man after trying to alight a shared cab from Johor Bahru.

The incident happened close to Johor Bahru City Square on Aug 18, 2017, at about 12am .

Madam Lee, who holds a Singapore identity card, told Shin Min Daily News that she was in Johor Bahru visiting relatives and shopping during the time of the incident.

She then boarded a taxi near City Square.

Said the 46-year-old manager: "There were two other women and the three of us initially agreed to a $30 fare with the driver, but they suddenly backed out.

"A couple then came along.

"The man looked intimidating so I asked the driver if I could reject sharing the cab with them, but he simply ignored me.

"The driver then went off and was replaced by another driver, who seemed like he knew the couple."

After the taxi moved off, Madam Lee found a plastic bag wedged between the legs of the driver, and suspected that he was ferrying prohibited items.

Fearful of implications, she asked the driver to stop, intending to alight.

However, the couple insisted that the driver continue moving.

Just as she turned to protest, she was suddenly punched by the man.

Madam Lee sustained injuries on her face and right arm from the assault.

She elaborated on the viciousness of the attack: "He punched me more than 10 times, and my face was bleeding.

"There were also scratch marks.

"The driver then kicked me out of the taxi and I didn't have enough time to take my passport and personal documents which were still in the cab.

"I went to a doctor in Malaysia and stayed with a friend for the time being.

"After a few days, I managed to locate the driver and retrieve my documents."

Madam Lee said that she has lodged a report with the Singapore Police Force over the incident.

In response to media queries, a spokesman confirmed that a report was made.

What was supposed to be a normal day at work for Ms Ng Lay Kheng at OCBC Tampines Branch turned out to be a lot more meaningful for the 46-year-old bank staff.

On Aug 30, a 55-year-old man visited the branch with the intention of remitting $17,100 to Malaysia.

When Ms Ng asked the customer what the money was for, she was told that it was for an "anti-terrorism certificate" for clearance of a parcel that was kept at the Kuala Lumpur customs.

Upon hearing this, Ms Ng suspected that something was not quite right. 

She then probed further and found out from the man that the parcel needed to be released as it is said to contain cash in it. And in order to do so, he had to remit the amount over to what he believed to be KL customs.

Ms Ng escalated the matter to the fraud risk management team. The police were contacted and managed to intercept the remittance. 

According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that the man had met an unknown woman on a social networking site and eventually developed a romantic relationship with her. He was then asked to remit money overseas on the pretext of various reasons, such as payment for examination fees, parcel fees or immigration clearance fees.

Before the incident on Aug 30, the victim had already remitted some money to Malaysia on a few occasions, said the police, who added that investigations are ongoing.

For managing to put a stop to the victim's further losses, Ms Ng was commended today by the Singapore Police Force for preventing a potential victim from falling prey to an internet love scam.

When asked how did the victim react when she tried to intervene, Ms Ng revealed that he did not seem nervous or jumpy, and was calm and resolute in wanting to send the money across. She added she was glad that she managed to help.

"I will protect my customer's money the same way I will protect my (own) money," said Ms Ng, who has worked at OCBC for 28 years.

An OCBC spokesperson told AsiaOne that all bank staff are briefed weekly as well as monthly on what to look out for when it comes to potential scams, as culprits these days tend to come up with creative ideas to cheat victims of their money. 

Commander of Bedok Police Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police Tan Tin Wee commended Ms Ng for her vigilance and timely intervention in preventing the victim from falling prey to the scam.

“It is indeed heartening to see the strong working partnership between the Police and the community. The vigilance displayed by Ms Ng is indeed commendable”.

klim@sph.com.sg

Nowadays, it's getting harder to find old-school barbershops with those iconic striped barber poles fronting their storefronts.

And in its place, gentleman barbershops - which have been dubbed as very "hipster" - are on a rapid rise.

These trendy hair establishments specialise in giving men the most contemporary hairstyles like a pompadour or a side-part hairstyle; and have carved a new direction in the evolution of barbershops.

Step into one and you're most likely to find a league of dapper-looking barbers hard at work - all meticulously trimming, shaving and shaping - in a spiffy shop decked out with cool wooden interiors and barbershop chairs.

And The Golden Rule Barber Co. is no exception.

This brand has gained a lot of recognition this year after it made national headlines for its "craziest VIP house call" - they had the rare opportunity to provide haircuts for the Argentina's football stars.

"WE THOUGHT IT WAS A MESSAGE FROM A FAN OF DEBALA"

It all happened about three months ago.

On June 12, one of the players, Paulo Dybala, dropped the team a direct message on their Instagram page.

"One of our admin guys read it and decided to pass it off due to the sender's broken English. We simply thought it was just a message from a kid who is a fan of Debala," said co-founder Yanto Aryan Sani, 35.

But they thought wrong.

Later that evening, they received an unexpected call at the outlet - the person over the phone asked what time they were coming to give a haircut to the Argentina players.

Despite the confusion and disbelief, they somehow still managed to confirm a time and venue.

And at 10.30pm, they ended up at Fullerton Hotel giving haircuts to the team, who were in town early for their friendly match against Singapore.

They gave haircuts to Guido Rodriguez, Manuel Lanzini, Joaquin Correa and Leondro Parades, and hung out with stars such as Angel Di Maria and Dybala himself.

Absolutely starstruck by them, the team of barbers decided to not charge them for their services. And in exchange, they were offered six to seven Argentinian kits, in which one was signed by Di Maria.

While the management forbade the barbers from taking pictures, the team graciously offered to take pictures with them instead before leaving.

"The whole experience was definitely something unforgettable - to actually cut their hairs and "chill" in the same place with them," gushed Yanto, recounting the incident.

"Honestly, we have no idea why they would chose us out of all people, but most of our customers are from the the sports industry, including football players, boxers, and MMA fighters. So it's probably through word of mouth that they got to know about us."

"Before this, Nick Kyrgios, ranked #13 as the world's best tennis player, came for a haircut with us when he was in Singapore last December. Jermaine Pennant, the ex-Liverpool star, also came to our place for a haircut when he first came to Singapore for his S-league stint."

STRIKING OUT ON THEIR OWN

Yanto is a veteran hairstylist with over 10 years of experience under his belt.

Since 2004, he worked as a freelance hairstylist while producing music on the side.

Prior to starting up The Golden Rule Barber Co., he was a senior barber at Hounds of the Baskervilles, which is arguably the pioneer of the new wave of barbers here in Singapore.

During his three-year stint there, he befriended colleague Mohamed Jay Anudin, 28, who is now his business partner.

According to Yanto, the two have always had similar interests, and they even shared the same vision of opening up their own barbershop.

So when Yanto proposed an idea to bring the plan to life one day, Jay readily jumped on board, albeit being fairly new to the industry.

Unlike Yanto, Jay has only been in this line for about five years now. Nonetheless, his passion for barbering is clear to see.

He has a background in graphic design and media, but decided to ditch that to pursue his passion for grooming instead, which he has cultivated since he was 15.

Similarly, Yanto harboured the dream of working in the hair industry since he was a teenager and often gave free haircuts to his band mates in his younger days.

Fast forward to today, the two are proud owners of The Golden Rule Barber Co. who has a strong following of over 11,000 fans on their Facebook page and over 14,000 followers on Instagram.

START SMALL, WIN BIG

In May 2014, the duo pumped in $22,000 to launch their first shop at Race Course Road, affectionally called TGR SOHO.

The humble space exudes the vibes of a classic Western barbershop, with their walls plastered with posters of bands from the '90s as well as electric guitars.

But essentially, TGR SOHO is really just a man-cave where patrons can chill out (there's even a PlayStation 3 for customers to play while waiting) and get services such as haircutting, hot towel shaving, and beard sculpting.

According to Yanto, the response at launch was very positive.

"Our first shop only had four chairs and we didn't expect so many customers. The shop has been kept very busy, so we are very grateful to our family, friends, and customers who have lent us their support and helped spread word about our business."

The duo recognised the need for a bigger space so they recently opened up another outlet along Race Course Road called TGR Studio to accommodate its VIP services, which is expected to launch this December.

They invested about $55,000 for the second studio, which is double the size of TGR Soho.

"Soho is able to accommodate four barber chairs, while Studio is able to accommodate 8 chairs with hair washing services. And in total, we have a total of 18 barbers across the two outlets."

When asked why he chose to expand in the same area, Yanto said that they prefer somewhere that was "far from any hip area so [they] can stand out."

For him, Race Course Road was the ideal spot away from hip enclaves such as Tiong Bahru and Haji Lane.

Despite the unlikely location, their business has grown by about 40 per cent since its opening.

On average, they receive about 40 to 50 bookings a day. In fact, business has been so brisk that they broke even within the first year for both outlets, revealed Yanto.

BARBERING IS A FORM OF CRAFT

When asked what he thought about the rapid rise of 'hipster barbers' in Singapore, Yanto said that he didn't find the term offensive and simply associated the word 'hipster' with what's trending now.

"We're no different from other barbershops in the United States, United Kingdom or Italy, or even those who have operated for over 10 years. Hipster or not, a good barber is a good barber."

At The Golden Rule Barber Co., they consider each haircut "a form of craft" and spend a lot of time focusing on details as it's paramount in getting the best haircut desired by their customers.

They don't rush their work and stay close to their motto, which is to follow the golden rule of barbering.

This 'premium service' is also probably the reason why their prices are so steep as compared to a regular haircut at a neighbourhood barbershop.

Their prices range from $28 for a beard trim to $38 for a haircut, but Yanto emphasises that "you get what you pay for".

Typically, customers are willing to shell out more because they provide the best and latest type of haircut in a very relaxed atmosphere.

Also, a haircut at their salon typically takes an hour, which a growing number of men have grown to appreciate as opposed to quick-cut and mom-and-pop outlets.

"Most of the cheaper neighbourhood haircuts usually don't turn out the way you want it to be. The new wave of barbers are more meticulous in their work and have a proper consultation with their clients. We are more focused on clipper work and shaving instead of scissor work, colour and treatment services provided at salons," said Yanto.

In other words, with a barber, the lines are cleaner and the fade along the sides is more precise.

NOT DAUNTED BY STIFF COMPETITION

According to Yanto, while the proliferation of gentleman barbershops have helped raise awareness about this new-age style, it has also contributed to stiffer competition for them.

Nonetheless, he is not daunted and simply sees it as a reason to put in continuous effort to provide even better service, both online and offline, in order to stay relevant in the competitive market.

"Barbering is not a trend. The trend lies in the hairstyles instead. Since hairstyles and fashion evolve with time, existing barbershops need to be able to accommodate and follow through with the trends, otherwise they will end up falling out of the competition."

And while it's true that competition has gotten stiffer over the past few years, Yanto said that it has not come to a point where they actually have to fight for survival.

Neighbourhood barbers or 10-minute vendors target different people and above all, there is no lack of hair to cut.

At the end of the day, every guy needs a haircut every now. This means that The Golden Rule Barber Co. is providing a very essential service, which makes for a very sustainable business.

Sharing their future business plans, Yanto said that they are focused on just maintaining their current two outlets now.

Nonetheless, business expansion is still on their map. They are looking at opening more outlets in other parts of Singapore in the short term, and breaking into the Southeast Asia region like in Malaysia or Indonesia in the long run.

For young barber wannabes who are infatuated with the idea of potential money that's to be made from cutting hair, Yanto wants them to know that they need grit and sheer determination to make it in this industry.

"Long hours and seven-day work weeks aren't uncommon, and only the truly passionate make it," said Yanto.

"Don't ever feel like you're the best because there will always be someone out there who is better than you are. And never stop striving to be a better version of yourself - always be forever hungry to learn new things and skills."

If you are interested to check out their haircutting portfolio and/or want to make an appointment with them, check out their Facebook page here.

Twelve women and a man, aged between 23 to 46, have been arrested for suspected involvement in vice-related activities in residential areas.

According to a police statement on Thursday (Sept 7), officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division raided five residential units in Kovan, Sembawang, and Yishun in August 2017.

Other than the arrests, cash amounting to $1,560, mobile phones, and related documents were seized.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 12 women were believed to be advertising sexual services via online websites and operating within the residential areas. A man was arrested as he is believed to have assisted in the management of the vice activities in one of the residential units.

Investigations will also be carried out against the house owners.

Any person found guilty of being the tenant, lessee or occupier or person in charge of a brothel and the offence of keeping, managing or assisting in the management of a brothel are liable to be fined up to a maximum of $10,000, or jailed up to five years, or both.

In addition, any person who contravenes the offence of knowingly living wholly or in part on the earnings of the prostitution of another person, for example by receiving rental earnings from the prostitutes, may be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $10,000.

The police says it will spare no effort in clamping down on online vice activities, especially those operating in the heartlands. House owners are also advised to be diligent in ensuring that their tenants do not carry out vice activities in their units.

a1admin@sph.com.sg

Netizens are up in arms after a university student posted about her "dilemma" on NTU (Nanyang Technological University) Confessions' Facebook page.

Her problem? That her boyfriend of two years has decided to join the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) as a regular.

She wrote: "Initially I was ok until my parents commented that it's a dirty hands job (sic) done by certain people only.

"To me personally, army is still ok but police or SCDF is (sic) low class jobs done by "some people" only.

"I tried to convince my bf because he has a degree why should he do that kind of job.

"But all those pleas fell on death (sic) ears.

"I feel like I need to save my parents' face too.

"And with that kind of manual labour job, I can forget about having a posh wedding.

"Whenever my friends asked me what kind of profession he is in, I would just lie and say that he is doing some business startup, no concrete plans yet. Any advice?"

Needless to say, her post did not evoke much sympathy from the Internet.

Many of the commenters, including some who are currently serving or have served in the SCDF, try to educate the student on what being an SCDF officer actually entails:

Others injected some humour into their responses:

Many urged her to leave her boyfriend for "his own good".

However, some labelled the poster as a "troll" and questioned the true intention of the post.

What do you think?

A woman claimed that she was 'pressured' into signing packages worth $17,000 at a beauty salon, and an employee even escorted her to an ATM to make the funds transfer.

The incident happened at a beauty salon in Toa Payoh Central on Aug 7.

The 35-year-old administrative officer told Shin Min Daily News that employees pestered her to sign up for packages - including three sessions of facelift, six sessions of eyebrow embroidery procedure, and treatment for oily skin, as well as $940 worth of cosmetic products - which came up to $17,000 in total.

She also claimed that despite being hesitant to sign up, she ultimately caved in after 'pressuring' from the staff.

Nearly a month after the incident, the woman told her sister-in-law about her experience.

Feeling indignant for her, she headed down to the salon with the woman and three other family members to reason with the staff.

Failing to reach a resolution with the salon, the family called the police.

In response to media queries, a Police spokesman confirmed that the Police received a call at 5.09pm on the day of the incident, and advised the two parties to resolve their differences in private.

SINGAPORE - Police in Singapore have arrested a man suspected of planning to join Islamic State-linked fighters in the Philippines and a woman who was in contact with foreign militants, the government said on Thursday.

Singapore, regarded as the most stable country in Southeast Asia, has become increasingly concerned about the risks of radicalisation among its Muslim minority.

At least 14 radicalised Singaporeans have been put under restriction or detention orders under a tough internal security law since 2015, up sharply from 11 cases between 2007 and 2014, the government said in June.

The man arrested was identified as Imran Kassim, 34. The Ministry of Home Affairs said he had tried to make his way to Syria to join Islamic State fighters at least twice, and had been prepared to attack members of the Singaporean armed forces.

More recently, he had intended to join militants who seized control of Marawi City in Philippines this year, the ministry said in a press release.

Imran's arrest came as a result of information given to police by "people close to him".

Authorities have mounted a campaign to encourage family members, friends and neighbours to report on anyone they fear was in danger of becoming radicalised.

The woman who was detained was identified as Shakirah Begam binte Abdul Wahab, a 23-year old administrative assistant. She is the second Singaporean woman to be detained on suspicion of becoming radicalised.

The ministry said she had been in contact with several foreign fighters since 2013. "Shakirah has demonstrated a propensity to engage in risky behaviour which renders her vulnerable to adverse influence and recruitment by terrorists who belong to a group that poses a security threat to Singapore", the Ministry said.

In June, police arrested an auxiliary policeman and child-care worker who were both suspected of becoming radicalised.