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Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/life/spore-woman-offers-2000-bounty-to-find-life-partner SINGAPORE – How much would you pay to meet the love of your life? For one woman, that figure comes up to $2,000. Ms Bella Dai, 29, began sharing her $2,000 bounty and dating criteria on her Instagram account (@bellzdai) in February. “I am looking for a life partner that embodies the following qualities,” reads her post. These qualities include being a straight man aged 25 to 42, who is based in Singapore; possessing a “mastery in his craft”; having an interest in wellness and fitness; having the “courage to face difficult conversations”; and being open to explore spirituality for self-development. A key condition: The bounty can be collected only if the referral results in a committed relationship that lasts at least six months. Chengdu-born Ms Dai, a former industrial designer who is the founder of a wellness company, moved to Singapore at age 15 and has a degree in design art from Nanyang Technological University. The 29-year-old said she was inspired to create the bounty after a conversation with a friend made her wonder what would happen if she applied work principles to her personal life. “I realised the struggle we have with finding a relationship is the search. None of my friends join dating apps because the intent of people on those is very unpredictable,” said the Chinese national who is a Singapore permanent resident. Her longest relationship lasted for four years, and her last one ended in 2020. “If I were a product, how would I market myself? How would I make my status known among my friends?” she told The Straits Times. “Because every campaign starts with awareness, I wanted people to know that I am available and I am looking.” She decided on the $2,000 figure because she thought it would be a large enough sum to shock or leave a lingering impression, but not so much that it might make one go “too crazy” for the cash. Since launching her campaign, Ms Dai has received five referrals from friends, accompanied by the prospective date’s Instagram or LinkedIn profile. Two of these prospects have been serious, and she has gone out on three dates with one of them. Ms Dai is not the first to resort to a bounty approach to finding love. In 2024, The New York Times (NYT) reported that US tech worker Anatoliy Zaslavskiy was offering a US$100,000 (S$134,000) dating bounty, to be paid out over a four-year schedule, to the person who would introduce him to his future partner. Mr Zaslavskiy told NYT that the online ridicule sparked by the unusual nature of his quest was part of its appeal. As at December 2024, the bounty was still active. Ms Dai said she arrived at the idea on her own, after considering how much money one might spend on a professional matchmaker. She added that using a bounty has clear benefits over hiring a matchmaker or using a dating app. Even though dating apps and other online communities have become synonymous with dating, disillusionment over their usefulness has set in, leading to the rise of alternatives such as blind-dating shows and in-person speed dating. Part of this stems from mismatched intentions. A 2024 YouGov survey found that Singapore Tinder users are more likely to be “social daters” seeking new friends rather than “serious daters”. In contrast, Ms Dai said putting out a bounty means that her friends will take some of the guesswork out of vetting a prospective date. Friends who know her well can also better identify compatible matches who are more aligned with her interests. “I’m in the wellness, yoga and spirituality world, so it does take someone with an open mind to hang out with me,” she said. It also reduces the likelihood of being ghosted. “That’s what’s great about meeting through friends. You don’t have to worry about being ghosted because you know they wouldn’t do that to a friend’s friend,” she added. Though such an approach might not be for everyone, Ms Dai believes that people looking for love should consider how best to let their friends know their seriousness in finding it. In career-driven cultures like Singapore’s, much time and focus are placed on one’s professional life. “But, in our personal lives, we sort of expect things to happen magically,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be so public,” she added, referring to her open call for suitors. “The key thing is to put ourselves in front of people we can trust.”

Two S'porean businessmen offer $1m bounty for Mas Selamat's capture By Zakir Hussain A $1 MILLION cash bounty has been offered for information that will lead to Jemaah Islamiah (JI) fugitive Mas Selamat Kastari's arrest. Two businessmen have approached the Home Affairs Ministry to put up the reward, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told Parliament on Monday. The businessmen have asked to remain anonymous because they do not want their families or business interests in the region to be a target. Mr Wong reiterated that while Police do not offer cash rewards, they will not object if private firms or individuals wish to do so. This is not the first time a bounty for Mas Selamat has been offered. In March, labour supply company Aasperon Manpower offered $50,000 for information leading to his capture, while Crime Library, a volunteer organisation that helps to find missing persons, offered $5,000. The United States has offered rewards in the millions for the capture of top terrorists with links to Al-Qaeda. These include JI bombmaker Noordin Top. Mr Wong, who is Home Affairs Minister, was replying to a question from Non-constituency MP Sylvia Lim on whether the Government had received or verified any information that Mas Selamat is now in Indonesia. Security agencies here have not received any information to confirm that Mas Selamat is hiding in Indonesia, or that he has left Singapore, he said. 'Nevertheless, we obviously cannot dismiss the possibility that Mas Selamat could have managed to escape Singapore for another country,' he told the House. Mas Selamat, the leader of the Singapore JI network, escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27. Mr Wong added: 'We will continue to work on all possible scenarios. Although there is no intelligence at present to substantiate it, as more time passes, the scenario of Mas Selamat being harboured by sympathisers inside or outside Singapore must logically be treated as increasingly plausible', he said. In a separate statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said it has agreed to the request of the two private individuals to manage the $1 million reward. 'As a policy, the Home Team security agencies, including the Singapore Police Force and Central Narcotics Bureau, do not itself offer cash rewards or bounties for information on fugitives and unsolved crimes, or for assistance by the public', the ministry explained. The policy, however, does not preclude private corporations or individuals from doing so if they are acting on their own volition to assist in the procurement of information pertinent to the police. 'The two individuals approached MHA for assistance to operationalise and manage their combined cash reward of S$1 million because they wish to remain anonymous. MHA has assessed these persons and their proposal to be serious and credible and has agreed to their request', the ministry added. Members of the public with information on Mas Selamat can call the Counter Terrorism Centre hotline at 1800-262 6473 or the police at 999. 'All information received will be kept confidential and will be verified and investigated', said MHA. Now then "pang pui"