Singapore women prim and proper?

This perception of local women as submissive and reserved has taken a hit in the light of recent court cases.

In the five sex-related cases, the women are said to play integral roles.

In one, a female teacher in a top secondary school is accused of having sex with a student, who was a minor at the time.

In the other four, the women are allegedly involved with men accused of wrongdoing.

Two top civil servants – former Central Narcotics Bureau head Ng Boon Gay, 46, and former Singapore Civil Defence Force commissioner Peter Lim Sin Pang, 52 – face corruption charges.

They are both alleged to have received sex in exchange for helping the women’s companies in their bids for contracts.

National University of Singapore assistant law professor Tey Tsun Hang, 41, is awaiting trial for allegedly obtaining gifts and sexual favours from his then student, Miss Darinne Ko Wen Hui.

In the last case, 51 men, including well-known personalities, landed in court after allegedly having commercial sex with a underage prostitute.

Of the five women in the above-mentioned cases, three are married, one is single and another is still a teenager.

When each of these cases broke in the media, it sparked widespread interest in these women.

Much of it centred on their identities and their looks. Some netizens posted photos that were ostensibly of the women. Some of them were wrong.

When juicy details emerged of Ng’s alleged relationship with Ms Cecilia Sue during his trial last week, queues formed as curious people went to the court to catch a glimpse of Ms Sue and listen to the court proceedings.