Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Singapore Fines Youth S$600 for Licking Vending Straw

8/1/2026

35 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

A Singapore court fined 19-year-old Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien S$600 on 12 March 2026 for pleading guilty to public nuisance after licking a straw and returning it to an iJooz vending machine.
The judge imposed S$600, referred his pass to immigration for review, and rejected prosecutors’ request for S$2,000.
He posted the incident online with the caption “city is not safe,” causing the video to go viral.

History

Historical Context

When the Public Order Act came into force on 9 October 2009, the Ministry of Home Affairs gained powers to fine disruptive conduct up to S$10,000 and to curb assemblies, a move K. Shanmugam defended for the APEC summit. The same legal framework enabled swift digital policing, leading to a S$600 fine and immigration review for 19-year-old Didier Maximilien after his viral straw-licking video in March 2026.

1 of 2

Story summary

A Singapore court fined 19-year-old Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien S$600 on 12 March 2026 for pleading guilty to public nuisance after licking a straw and returning it to an iJooz vending machine.
The judge imposed S$600, referred his pass to immigration for review, and rejected prosecutors’ request for S$2,000.
He posted the incident online with the caption “city is not safe,” causing the video to go viral.

1 / 2