A 20-year-old Malaysian woman working in Singapore has been sentenced to four months in prison after she was found guilty of misappropriating funds from her employer to support her online spending on TikTok.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, Zhou Yuen was employed as a secretary at Xinlixing Hardware Environmental Protection Sdn Bhd, a recycling company, earning a monthly salary of S$2,300 (approximately RM7,630). Her crime came to light after it was discovered she had stolen a substantial amount of cash from her workplace over a period of more than a month.
Between December 2, 2024, and January 9, 2025, while her supervisor was away on an overseas trip, Zhou took advantage of the situation and accessed a cash box in the office. The cash was originally set aside for making payments to clients who brought in recyclable materials. Zhou repeatedly stole varying amounts of money, ranging from S$65 to over S$2,000 per incident. In total, she carried out 42 thefts, accumulating a sum of S$38,315.30.
The funds were spent on virtual gifts for TikTok influencers, a habit Zhou developed while following content creators on the platform. To conceal her actions, she forged signatures and payment vouchers in an attempt to make the missing money appear accounted for.
Despite the serious nature of the offense, the prosecution sought leniency due to several mitigating factors, including Zhou’s young age, her full cooperation during investigations, and the fact that she had no prior criminal record. They recommended a prison sentence of four to six months.
Taking these considerations into account, the court ultimately handed down a sentence of four months’ imprisonment on July 10. — Malay Mail
