A 26-YEAR-OLD volunteer at St Joseph’s Church will appear in court today to face charges for making a false threat of a terrorist act, following a bomb hoax that disrupted church activities yesterday morning.
The Singaporean man was arrested on 21 December, the same day the incident occurred. Police have indicated they will also seek a remand order for him to undergo a psychiatric assessment, according to The Straits Times.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the volunteer acted alone when he “placed a self-fabricated item which resembled an improvised explosive device within the church premises,” the police said. Authorities emphasised that there is “no evidence to suggest that it was a religiously motivated attack or an act of terror.”
The incident took place at around 7.10am, shortly before the 7.30am mass, when a suspicious object — described as three cardboard rolls and wires bound together with black tape — was discovered at the church on Upper Bukit Timah Road.
The church was promptly evacuated, and all mass services for the day were cancelled as the Singapore Armed Forces’ bomb disposal unit was called in. The unit later confirmed that the item was harmless.
Under the United Nations (Anti-terrorism Measures) Regulations, if convicted of making a false terrorist threat, the man could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years, a fine of up to S$500,000 (approximately RM1.5 million), or both. - December 22, 2025
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