S'porean man leaves BMW parked at JB market for 50 min -- and returns to find it smashed

Lok Jian Wen
The Straits Times
Apr 3, 2024

It was meant to be a leisurely jaunt to Johor Bahru like many others he had made over the years.

On April 2, however, a Singaporean man and his family had a rude shock when the four of them returned to their car after shopping at a local market and saw that one of its windows had been smashed.

The businessman, who wanted to be known only as Rino, had parked his BMW 218i Gran Coupe in a sheltered carpark at a Pandan wholesale market after midnight.

About 50 minutes later, they were ready to leave when they realised that there was a gaping hole above the door on the driver’s side.

A check revealed that a bag that contained items including a crane operating licence, some cash amounting to RM100 (S$28), a smartwatch as well as a bunch of house keys, had gone missing.

The bag was placed under the driver’s seat, according to a police report made after the incident and seen by The Straits Times.

Mr Rino estimates that replacing the window would cost around $500.

“We were there for just a short while to buy some clothes. I think I was unlucky this time,” the 47-year-old said, adding that the car was loaned to him by a workshop, as his own BMW 216d Gran Tourer was being serviced.

He said a dashcam camera in the car did not capture any footage, as it was turned off. He added that he will leave local police to conduct investigations.

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This is the first time in 20 years of visiting Johor Bahru that Mr Rino has encountered an incident like this.

He posted a TikTok video on April 2 telling other would-be visitors to Pandan to be careful. Undeterred by the theft, Mr Rino plans to visit Johor Bahru again on April 5, as well as during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

He was also unwavering in his choice of transport.

“I have to drive,” he said.

It is the second such known incident shared on social media in recent weeks in the Pandan district, a popular haunt less than 10km away from the Johor Bahru checkpoint. During the Ramadan month, many locals and Singaporeans like to visit the bazaars in the area.

On March 18, a TikTok user posted a video about his unpleasant visit to the S’mart market after his car was broken into and ransacked, Berita Harian reported. The man also had his car window smashed, but did not reveal his losses.