Category: Sosial

‘MRT Abang’ Who Stood Up To Bully Among Top 30 Manhunt Contestant

Part-time parking attendant

From starring in viral video to acting on Suria

It was an MRT ride that thrust Hanafie into the spotlight.

In July, he was on the North-South line, between Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio stations, when he saw a middle-aged commuter verbally abusing a teenager whose T-shirt he had taken issue with.

The Caucasian commuter was much bigger than the teen, so Hanafie stepped in to defuse the situation.

The incident was filmed and posted to social media where thousands saw it.

Many praised Hanafie for confronting a bully verbally abusing a teenager on the train.

Originally known to the public as Elfy, he soon gained a different name: Abang (Malay for brother) MRT.

One comment described him as “Singapore’s superhero”.

Even Law Minister K. Shanmugam said the young man’s actions swelled him with pride.

He said of the video: “I have always believed that we should stand up for people who are being bullied or mistreated because otherwise, a lot of people will get away with misconduct and they will think it is okay to misbehave.”

Despite his noble actions, life threw some bumps for Hanafie to overcome.

He told The New Paper: “Shortly after the video went viral and people started calling me a hero, it made me feel good.

“But something bad also happened. I lost my job.”

Hanafie was working as a bellboy at a hotel.

“That was very difficult for me because I was supporting my entire family,” he added.

Hanafie, who is supporting his father, stepmother and brother, said the loss of income was a blow.

But fate has a way of working out.

The Manhunt organisers had also seen the video.

They felt he had the right looks and attitude for this year’s pageant, so they tracked him down on Facebook to offer him a spot among the 30 hopefuls.

But the true icing on the cake only came this week.

Hanafie’s life-long ambition of becoming an actor became reality when he was cast in an upcoming drama on Suria.

Not much is known about the yet-to-be-named drama – only that it will be broadcast early next year.

This means he can look forward to providing for his family again.

Hanafie said: “I feel like everything happened so fast.

“One moment, I lost my job and the next, I’ve been cast in a drama. It is a dream come true.”As for the incident that made him famous, Hanafie has some unfinished business.

“I thought when the videos of me went viral, the young man whom I stood up for would contact me but he didn’t,” he said.

“My only wish now is to meet him to find out how he is doing.

“I hope I made a positive impact on his life.”

Source: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg

September 26, 2015
27-Month Probation For 21 Year Old Man Who Molested Two 14 Year Old Boys

A 21-year-old man was on Friday (Sep 25) sentenced to undergo 27 months of probation for using criminal force to outrage the modesty of two secondary school boys in February last year.

Aloysius Goh Jun Yuan had outraged the modesty of the 14-year-old boys by grabbing the boys’ groins on separate occasions.

The incidents took place at Tanah Merah MRT station.

The first victim was molested twice in the span of about two weeks. He lodged a police report after the second incident, and was able to identify Goh through photographs.

The second victim, who is also friends and schoolmates with the first victim, was similarly molested by Goh. The boy managed to grab Goh’s arm immediately after he had molested him, and questioned him as to why he had done so. Goh did not respond, and walked away.

After telling his teacher and parents about the incident, the second victim’s mother lodged a police report. The victim was also able to identify Goh through photographs.

In coming to an agreement with Goh’s lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan, the prosecution said they would not object to Goh undergoing a “vigorous programme” of probation. Channel NewsAsia understands that Goh already stays at Teen Challenge (Singapore), a centre for youth-at-risk, where he is closely supervised.

District Judge Lim Keng Yeow told Goh that ordinarily, the nature of offences he had committed “should result in imprisonment”, and that probation is “an unusual sentence that will be meted out”.

In sentencing Goh to probation, Judge Lim noted that Goh had a lack of familial support and that a more structured environment would do him good. “I expect that you will comply with orders (of your probation officer) and receive treatment”, Judge Lim told Goh.

On probation, Goh will have to abide by a curfew, perform 180 hours of community service, be treated by a psychiatrist and is not allowed to possess or use any mobile device capable of downloading or running third-party applications.

His mother agreed to a S$5,000 bond to ensure her son’s good behaviour.

For using criminal force to outrage the modesty of a victim, Goh could have faced up to two years in jail, a fine, and caning.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

September 26, 2015
Victim To NTU Thief: Stop Stealing Underwear!

Here’s a warning to the thief who pilfers students’ panties: Stop it!

Victims at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) were so fed-up that they have put up not one but two notices telling the criminal off.

One even went online to berate the culprit, who made off with assorted lingerie worth hundreds of dollars, Chinese newspaperLianhe Wanbao reported today (Sept 25).

The un-named student wrote on a discussion forum on Wednesday (Sept 23):

“To the underwear thief who strikes at Hall 6 Block 33, you’ve repeatedly ignored the warnings that were put up at the laundry drying area (and) neither the security gate nor the hall’s email can deter you.

“I have little choice but to leave you this note. Stop what you’re doing.”

Victims pasted a warning to the criminal. The Chinese headline reads: Underwear thief on the loose in NTU female students hostel. PHOTO: LIANHE WANBAO

She also mocked the thief’s “refined taste”, claiming the person stole only expensive, branded lingerie.

A Year 3 undergraduate, known only as Miss Koh, said her hostel room mate and neighbours were recent victims:

“My friend lost her underwear twice, including a pair that costs over $100.

“She was so angry that she pasted two big notices around the drying area at the hall’s third level.”

A female Year Two hostel resident recalled how they would occasionally find sticky tape on the magnetic gate.

Perhaps this was how the underwear thief gained access, the 22-year-old alleged, by damaging the gate so it would not operate properly.

Female students live in the upper two levels of Block 33, which is four storeys high.

Those whom Wanbao interviewed called for closed circuit cameras to be installed as they felt that relying solely on the metal gate would not stop trespassers.

Source: www.tnp.sg

September 26, 2015
Indian Cable Installer Jailed 9 Months For Molesting 12 Year Old Girl In Her Own Home

A foreign worker who went to a flat to install a fibre optic cable earlier this year molested a 12-year old girl there. On Friday he was sentenced to nine months’ jail.

A district court heard that Chellamuthu Gajendran, 36 went to the flat at about 3pm on March 3 to carry out the installation works. The girl, a primary school student, was in the flat with her younger brother and she was reading a book in the living room.

About 15 minutes later, he asked to use the toilet and the girl showed him the way.

He then approached her and hugged her. He did this again later and also touched her breasts.

Shocked, the victim did not say anything and moved away. She sat down and continued to read her book. He repeated the acts and she pushed him away.

Asked if she liked it, she replied emphatically that she did not.

When she asked why he had done that to her, he said that he could not control himself.

The girl told her parents about the incident the next day via text message as she was too embarrassed to talk about it in person . Her father took her to make a police report that evening.

Gajendran was arrested on March 18.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Michael Quilindo said Gajendran had taken advantage of the fact that the girl was alone when he molested her in the sanctity of her own home.

Lawyer Rajan Supramaniam said his client, a father of two, is profoundly remorseful and offers his apology to the victim.

He said Gajendran had been working in Singapore for the past five years and had lost his job.

District Judge Low Wee Ping told Gajendran that he had been very foolish, and that he could have faced three charges and be punished with caning.

The maximum penalty for molesting a person under 14 years old is five years’ jail, fine and caning.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 26, 2015
Ello Ed Mundsell Bello Remorseful Over Remarks

Ello Ed Mundsell Bello, the Filipino nurse sentenced to four months imprisonment in Singapore for sedition, is “truly remorseful and sorry” for what he did, which was posting disparaging comments against Singaporeans on Facebook, according to his lawyer.

“A long time ago before the trials, he said that he’s truly remorseful and sorry because of what he has done,” said Mark Goh in an interview after the court slapped Bello, 29, with the sentence Monday.

Goh noted that Bello, 29, pleaded guilty for the charges.

“My client has surrendered. In fact he has already decided on a personal level that it has caused him already a lot of anxiety and stress. And therefore he did not want to perpetuate the trial and decided to plead guilty,” he said.

Aside from posting seditious messages on Facebook, Bello was also convicted for lying to the police.

All in all, he faced one count of sedition and two counts of lying to the police before District Judge Siva Shanmugam. An additional count of sedition and another count for false reporting were considered by Shanmugam.

Deportation

Goh said after serving jail term, Bello will be deported back to Philippines and banned to come back to Singapore for a certain period of time.

“He will definitely be repatriated. Under Singapore immigration law, he will not be able to come back to Singapore for a certain period of time and after that period of time, subject to good review, he may be able to go back to Singapore,” the lawyer said.

Bello’s disparaging comments against Singaporeans made rounds on social media in early January. In his post on The Real Singapore’s Facebook page, he said, “Now the Singaporeans are loosers (sic) in their own country, we take their jobs, their future, their women and soon, we will evict all SG loosers (sic) out of their own country hahaha. The best part, I will be praying that disators (disasters) strike Singapore and more Singaporeans will die than I will celebrate. Remember Pinoy better and stronger than Stinkaporeans.”

He further commented, “We will kick out all the Singaporeans and SG will be the new filipino state.”

Bello initially reported to the police that he did not post the comment, claiming his account was hacked. Goh said his client lied because he feared for an online backlash.

The controversy cost Bello his job in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he worked as a radiographer.

Ready to take punishment

Goh said the decision to plead guilty means that the accused himself does not want to fight and does not want to contest the matter in trial. “It is a personal decision and not a legal decision,” he said.

He added that by pleading guilty, Bello has “mentally accepted his guilt and he is mentally prepared to take the punishment.”

“The reason why Ed was mentally prepared is because he felt that he has caused enough stress between the Filipino community working here and also the Singapore citizens,” Goh said. “So he wants to move on.”

“After the course of these proceedings, there was a lot of unhappiness on the ground. That’s not denied. He also felt that it was also very difficult for him to stay here in view of this situation. In a way he described to me, in his own words, like shooting himself on the foot. And he has already been punished with all the negative publicity and that he just wants to get on with his life,” Goh added.

The Philippine Embassy in Singapore, through Consul General Victorio Dimagiba, Jr.,
released a statement, sayin “Mr. Ello’s penalty which was metted out by the court was deemed appropriate to the charges he had been convicted.”

The embassy hopes that “since Bello has accepted the verdict of the court, this will close the issue for all parties concerned.” —KBK, GMA News

Source: www.gmanetwork.com

September 26, 2015