SINGAPORE, July 16 — A 37-year-old Malaysian cashier who stole close to S$57,000 (RM188,600) from a minimart in Jurong West, Singapore over six months to fuel her online gambling habit has been sentenced to 17 months’ jail.

Kon Chin Sia had been employed at Li Li Cheng Minimart at Block 651 Jurong West Street 61 when the offences took place between April and October 2024, Mothership reported.

The store’s manager initially attributed falling sales to poor business, but grew suspicious when the daily takings consistently dropped only during Kon’s shifts. 

According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Joseph Gwee, the shortfalls ranged between S$600 and S$700 each time she was on duty.

To investigate, the manager reviewed CCTV footage recorded between September 30 and October 27, 2024. He observed that after collecting payment and giving change to customers, Kon would leave the till open and transfer cash to a separate drawer beside the register. At the end of her shift, she would pocket the hidden cash and later void the transactions.

When confronted, Kon admitted to the thefts, revealing that she had been taking cash from the register daily since April 2024. She would typically steal S$500 to S$600 each shift and deposit the money into her bank account via ATM.

Despite being given a chance to return the stolen money, Kon failed to make any restitution. On December 20, 2024, the manager filed a police report and terminated her employment.

The court heard that she had misappropriated a total of S$56,797, most of which was spent on online gambling. The prosecution noted that she “has not made a cent of restitution”.

Kon pleaded guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust and was sentenced on July 14, 2025. A second charge — for using an unlicensed gambling service — was taken into consideration.

She could have faced up to 15 years in jail and a fine. However, under an amalgamated charge framed under Section 124(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010, she was liable for up to double the imprisonment term.