Singapore PR couple lose wallet at Johor Bahru mall, CCTV shows elderly man taking it
A Singapore permanent resident couple are seeking help after their wallet was allegedly taken by an elderly man at a Johor Bahru shopping mall, with CCTV footage showing the man leaving the scene after using an e-wallet and booking a ride-hailing service.
- A couple lost their wallet after dining at a Johor Bahru mall restaurant.
- CCTV footage allegedly shows an elderly man taking the wallet and leaving by private-hire car.
- The case has been reported to police in both Malaysia and Singapore, but progress remains unclear.
JOHOR, MALAYSIA: A couple based in Singapore lost their wallet after dining at a restaurant in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
According to local reports, the incident occurred at around 2.30pm on Tuesday (20 January) at AEON Mall Tebrau City.
The woman, surnamed Cai, who runs a beauty salon in Singapore, said she and her husband — both Singapore permanent residents — had gone to Johor Bahru for a short outing.
The couple only realised their wallet was missing about half an hour after leaving the restaurant.
CCTV Footage Reveals What Happened
Believing the wallet had been left behind at the restaurant, they returned to check and reviewed CCTV footage with the restaurant staff.
The footage allegedly showed an elderly man, who had been seated at a nearby table with a female companion, picking up the wallet.
Ms Cai said the man was seen showing the wallet to his companion, placing it into a paper bag, taking it out again, and eventually leaving the restaurant. Their departure — including boarding a Grab vehicle — was fully captured on CCTV.
Suspected Singapore Tourists
According to the CCTV footage, the female companion paid for their meal using a YouTrip e-wallet card.
Ms Cai said YouTrip cards are commonly used by Singapore travellers, leading her to believe the pair may be from Singapore.
The couple subsequently lodged police reports in both Malaysia and Singapore.
However, Ms Cai said Singapore police informed them that because the incident occurred in Malaysia, action would depend on investigations by Malaysian authorities.
Cash and Important Documents Missing
Ms Cai revealed that the wallet contained close to S$3,000 (approximately US$2365) in cash.
Inside were S$1,100 (approximately US$867) in cash and RM5,800 (approximately US$1,460), along with her husband’s Malaysian identity card, Singapore permanent resident card, driving licence and several credit cards.
She said her husband had withdrawn the money earlier after receiving a bonus, intending to repay a housing loan and buy gifts for their children.
Couple Appeals for Wallet to Be Returned
As of publication, the wallet has not been recovered and the case has seen no progress.
Ms Cai said she does not wish to pursue the matter aggressively and hopes the individual involved will come forward to return the wallet and documents.
“We know we were careless. We just hope they can return the wallet to us,” she said.
She later made a public post online appealing for the elderly man to come forward, adding that if the wallet is returned, the couple is prepared to withdraw the police report.
