13-8-2024 (SINGAPORE) Well, it looks like Tham Lai Ying has really done a number on her karma. The 44-year-old former administrative assistant at the Toa Payoh Seu Teck Sean Tong temple was sentenced to 10 months and two weeks in jail for a rather peculiar pastime: using temple funds to fund her grocery shopping and dining out habits.
Tham’s new hobby, which she picked up about a month into her job in February 2022, involved swiping a cool $38,799—$37,799 from donations and $1,000 in membership fees. Apparently, seeing all that cash just gave her the munchies… and a taste for fancy meals.
Her scheme was as elaborate as it was short-lived. After issuing receipts, she would stash the money in a locked drawer. But once all the receipts were issued, she was supposed to hand over both the cash and the receipt book to the finance executive. Instead, she started pocketing the cash and hiding some of the receipts. Smooth move, right?
By May 2022, the missing receipts were a red flag. The finance executive noticed and let the temple’s secretary-general know, which led to an internal audit and eventually a confrontation. When caught, Tham fessed up and was promptly suspended.
Though she promised to pay back the stolen money in installments, she hasn’t made any repayments yet. Her lawyer argued for a lighter sentence, saying she’s out of a job and needs more time to return the cash. Apparently, she’s truly sorry and acknowledges she acted out of sheer “folly”—or perhaps just an insatiable craving for takeout.
District Judge Teoh Ai Lin, however, wasn’t swayed by the “I didn’t mean to” defense. Tham’s previous run-in with the law didn’t help her case either. For her crimes, she could have faced up to 15 years in the slammer and a hefty fine. Instead, she’ll have to make do with 10 months and two weeks, while trying to pay back her ill-gotten gains.
