A 26-year-old Malaysian man has been sentenced to five months in jail in Singapore after admitting to stealing S$17,300 (approximately RM55,000) from the durian stall where he was employed.
The case attracted additional public attention after Singaporean media identified the accused, Tan An Senn, as the younger brother of Malaysian singer-songwriter Diorlying, whose real name is Tan Jiaying.
According to Shin Min Daily News, Tan was working as an assistant at Ding Feng Durian Station when he allegedly stole cash from the company’s safe on two separate occasions between Feb 20 and Feb 22 this year.
The total amount taken was S$17,300. Tan later pleaded guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust before being sentenced to five months’ imprisonment.
Following the court proceedings, local media reported that Tan had allegedly borrowed money from several people in the area where he worked.
His family connection to Diorlying was further highlighted after social media users resurfaced an Instagram post the singer shared two years ago, in which she spoke publicly about her younger brother’s long-standing gambling addiction and its devastating impact on their family.
In the post, Diorlying alleged that her brother had been addicted to gambling since his teenage years, with debts escalating from a few thousand ringgit to hundreds of thousands over the years.
She claimed the family repeatedly helped settle his debts, believing each payment would be the last, but alleged he continued to abuse their trust without changing his behaviour.
The singer also accused her brother of borrowing money using fabricated stories, including claims that family members urgently needed funds for school fees, medical treatment or surgery.
According to Diorlying, he also allegedly stole gold jewellery belonging to family members and even took a keepsake left behind by their late mother.
She further claimed he cheated relatives, friends, his girlfriend and investors by promoting what she described as a fake durian business, adding that she eventually decided to speak publicly after he allegedly began targeting her fans.
In 2024, Diorlying revealed that her family had decided to sever ties with Tan and urged the public not to trust or lend him money to avoid becoming victims of fraud.
She also encouraged anyone who believed they had been cheated by him to lodge police reports, saying the family had endured years of stress due to debt collectors and loan sharks allegedly linked to his gambling debts.
