• Aliff Aziz stole about S$400 from Ms Raja Yunika Perdhana Putri while in her hotel room
• He also pilfered cigarettes and a lighter from a man at a Starbucks cafe
• Judge calls for a report to assess his suitability for a mandatory treatment order 

SINGAPORE — Popular Singaporean singer and actor Aliff Aziz pleaded guilty on Friday (Aug 7) to stealing from an Indonesian singer in her Singapore hotel room and behaving rowdily several months later near Orchard Towers.

Aliff, 29, had previously been mired in several scandals and extramarital affairs with other actresses. He and his wife divorced in May last year, but remarried earlier this year.

Principal District Judge Victor Yeo called for a report to assess if Aliff is suitable for a mandatory treatment order, a community sentencing option offered to offenders suffering from mental health conditions that led to an offence.

One of Aliff’s lawyers, Mr Murali Pillai of Rajah & Tann, told the court that a psychiatrist at Raffles Hospital diagnosed Aliff with a psychiatric condition. He did not give more details.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Siaw said that she would elaborate on the prosecution’s sentencing position after the report is ready. 

She said that in 2014, Aliff was fined S$2,000 for theft with common intention.

Aliff and his wife, Malaysian singer and actress Bella Astillah, recently welcomed the arrival of their second child, a daughter. He remains out on bail.

Another charge of theft will be taken into consideration when he is sentenced on Sept 14.

THE CASE

On June 7 last year, Aliff met Indonesian celebrity Raja Yunika Perdhana Putri, 32, in her room at the Studio M Hotel near Clarke Quay.

They discussed how Ms Raja could help further his singing career in Indonesia.

She then went to rest and left her handbag where Aliff was.

He took S$300 and 1 million rupiah (S$94) from her handbag before leaving the room.

When Ms Raja awoke a few hours later, she confronted Aliff over the phone about the missing money. He initially denied stealing it.

She made a police report later that afternoon and he eventually admitted that he stole the cash because he needed money.

He exchanged the rupiah for Singapore dollars at a money changer, and spent the cash on food and transport. 

He has since repaid the full amount to Ms Raja.

Separately, on Aug 6 last year, at about 4.45am, Aliff stole a packet of Marlboro cigarettes and a lighter from a man at a Starbucks cafe in Plaza Singapura mall along Orchard Road.

Three months later, on Nov 10, he was captured behaving in a disorderly manner in a video that went viral online.

At 5.30am that day, while drunk, he shouted loudly and gesticulated at another person under the link bridge at Orchard Towers along Orchard Road. Several passers-by tried to intervene.

Two police officers advised him to calm down and he walked away.

Trailing him from a distance, the officers saw him shouting loudly again and gesturing at passers-by. He also kicked the bumper of a taxi.

The officers again told him to calm down, but he continued to be rowdy.

Aliff then ran into an acquaintance, but the pair soon got into a scuffle and pushed and shouted at each other.

The officers intervened and arrested Aliff.

For theft in a dwelling, he could be jailed up to seven years and fined.

For behaving in a disorderly manner in public, he could be put behind bars for up to six months or fined up to S$2,000, or given both penalties.