LONDON: Former Singapore national badminton player Fatimah Kumin Lim walked free from a London court this week after a jury found her not guilty of defrauding the former wife of the Sultan of Brunei of three diamond rings.
The jury believed 35-year-old Lim, who was then employed as a personal bodyguard, had been tasked by her employer Mariam Aziz to sell US$12 million worth of gems to pay off considerable gambling debts that Ms Aziz wanted to keep secret from the Brunei royal family.
Lim, a 2002 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, went to Brunei in late 2003 after being hired as a badminton coach.
She later became Ms Aziz’s assistant and bodyguard.
She was arrested last year over the case.
This is not the first legal case to arise from this matter.
In 2012, Ms Aziz brought a successful civil suit against Lim for the loss of her jewellery.
Lim was ordered to pay just over US$6 million in compensation and was told by the judge she was an unreliable witness.
In the current case, Lim was alleged to have stole three diamond rings, had the gems replaced with fakes and sold the real diamonds to pay off her own gambling debts owed to several London casinos.
After five weeks of testimony in which jurors heard a parade of witnesses testify against Lim, the jury chose to believe her version of events.
During the trial, the court heard claims of Ms Aziz’s opulent lifestyle, that she travelled with an entourage of 10 people, including a chef and a hairdresser, and visited casinos around the world, losing up to US$1 million on a daily basis.
Lim wept with relief when the jury verdict was announced.
Sources close to Lim said she is keen to return to Singapore as soon as possible.
USTAZ BUNTINGKAN PELAJAR SEBELUM KE TANAH SUCI MEKAH | Sungguhpun kes ini berlaku pada tahun lalu, wajarlah kita jadikan sebagai pengajaran dan berhati-hati agar tidak tersilap menilai orang melalui perwatakan yang alim dan baik.
Kuala Lumpur: Kopiah sentiasa di kepala, tasbih sentiasa di tangan. Siapa sangka di sebalik perwatakan waraknya itu Ustaz Sazali (bukan nama sebenar) menjadikan teman wanitanya tempat melampias nafisu setiap minggu datang ke ibu kota.
Paling menjijikan, Ustaz Sazali sanggup menodai kekasihnya sehingga hamil sebelum berangkat ke Tanah Suci mengerjakan umrah.
Ustaz berusia awal 30-an berasal dari utara tanah air itu sentiasa berulang alik ke ibu kota setiap minggu kerana menghadiri kelas pengajian jarak jauh di sebuah universiti di sini.
Setiap kali ada kelas pengajian Ustaz Sazali menyewa hotel bajet di ibu kota semata-mata untuk meniduri teman wanitanya yang dikenali sebagai Sofea, 23 (bukan nama sebenar), pelajar sebuah koleh swasta di pinggir kota.
“Sayang Mari Ikut Abang Ke Syurga”
Sofea yang ditemui di sebuah rumah perlindungan di sini amat menyesal kerana terpedaya dengan ayat manis ustaz durjana itu.
Dia tidak menyangka seorang ustaz yang mengetahui pengetahuan luas di bidang agama tergamak melakukan maksiat.
“Pada mulanya saya berasa bertuah dapat memiliki teman lelaki bergelar ustaz, sekurang-kurangnya dapat membimbing saya ke syurga.
“Rupa-rupanya perangainya amat teruk sekali, tidak seperti digambarkan sebagai lelaki alim,” cerita Sofea sambil menangis, menyesal dan rasa berdosa kepada Allah dan keluarga.
Menurut Sofea, setiap kali menidurinya Ustaz Sazali berbisik ke telinganya sambil berkata; Sayang, mari ikut abang ke syurga!”
Setelah enam bulan melakukan hubungan terlarang itu, Sofea mengakui mula ketagihan seks dan akhirnya dia disahkan hamil.
“Harap Ustaz Sazali bawa saya ke syurga, rupanya melencong ke neraka!” ujarnya.
Sekembalinya dari menunaikan umrah Sofea memaklumkan keadaan dirinya sudah berbadan dua.
“Ustaz hanya mendiamkan diri tetapi selepas itu dia terus menghilangkan diri.
“Dia tidak lagi datang menemui saya, walaupun masih menghadiri kelas pengajiannya di ibu kota,” tambahnya.
Kini Sofea mengandung tujuh bulan dan ditempatkan di Pondok Penyayang Raudah Batu 11, Gombak, Selangor bagi meneruskan kehidupannya dan proses bersalin.
Sofea bersyukur kerana keluarga terutama ibu memahami keadaannya, walaupun perbuatan yang dilakukan itu amat memalukan keluarga.
Sementara itu, pengasas Pondok Penyayang Raudah, Ustaz Mokhtaruddin Haji Md Said berkata, generasi muda perlu melengkapkan diri dengan iman dan takwa bagi mengelak terjerusmus ke lembah maksiat.
Katanya, jika iman dan takwa dipelihara dengan baik masalah gejala sosial di kalangan remaja dapat dihindarkan.
“Jika nak pilih teman lelaki atau wanita elok lakukan solat istikharah mohon petunjuk llah sama ada kawan itu benar-benar jujur atau mahu mengambil kesempatan.
“Allah akan beri petunjuk kepada kita dan dengan izinNya kita akan dapat teman yang baik,” tambahnya.
Bill B. – The American gay who wrote to The Real Singapore
I was quite horrified to read this open letter to TRS from two tourists who were recently in Singapore for a holiday. I was horrified for two reasons: first, over their terrible experience in Singapore, and second, that they’d choose TRS to air unhappiness over a very serious issue. I’ll only be discussing the first reason here (there is subtext, in case you are wondering).
I was quite shocked to learn that there are still Singaporeans who think it’s okay to publicly and openly discriminate against a minority group. I know this isn’t surprising to many out there, but I’ve been extremely sheltered for most of my life — I went to a convent school and the culture was incredibly inclusive. In fact, almost all my friends are from different races/religions/sexual orientations. Festive celebrations in my home might as well be a successful and happy initiative for a racial harmony campaign.
So, to learn that a mother would openly (and clearly, loud enough for the two men to hear) tell her son to avert his eyes because being gay is abnormal seems just horrendous to me. Please note that the operative words here are “openly” and “loud enough”.
There is a world of difference between keeping opinions and beliefs that might hurt others to yourself and blatantly airing them for the world to see
I get it: we all have (and are entitled) to our own opinions. I dislike corn, peas, pork and a multitude of other harmless items. I also have less harmless opinions about this country, Singaporeans, various ethnic groups, and so on. But I know these opinions might end up causing more dissension than peace, so I am careful what I say and to whom (those who know me will know that I am not so good on volume control, so I am extra careful at times).
Openly airing our beliefs, especially if it may be hateful towards certain groups in society is not, and will never be, helpful. There is nothing to gain; nothing to achieve. The mother may have been caught unaware by her child’s curiosity in that moment, but the way she chose to handle the situation — trying to pass on sensitive values and beliefs loudly and in public – reflected a lack of wisdom and social awareness.
Be aware of what values we pass on to our children, when and where it happens
We’ve established that we’re all entitled to our own opinions. We were also raised with certain beliefs that we’ve assumed as our own. However, we should be mindful of the situation in which we attempt to convey these sensitive values and beliefs to the younger generations.
We should always do so with an awareness that the child will have to grow up (live and function) in a society where each individual has a different set of values and beliefs. In other words, we should teach them inclusion instead of exclusion.
We should do so behind closed doors (especially religious values that may be sensitive to a changing society), not with the intention of “hiding” our opinions, but simply being mindful that these values and beliefs we’ve cultivated may be hurtful to other members of society… and we don’t want our children, who might not have social awareness at a young age, slipping up and saying something harmful.
What that mother did publicly — covering her son’s eyes and telling him that the couple was “abnormal” — could have been done in a different way. I can’t fault the mother for her personal beliefs, but I can fault how she had expressed it, and the way she attempted to pass it on to a future generation.
Let me elaborate.
Alisa Chopard
I am Christian. I grew up in a Christian family, which had a strong belief in the heterosexual family unit, according to the Bible. However, my parents never instilled hate along with the values and beliefs they passed on to me, instead, they made sure I understood humility. This was to ensure that I would be able to recognize fellow sinners and feel compassion before hate. In doing so, they passed on bigger and more important values of love. This also meant that in the face of a society with varying values and beliefs, I would not judge, instead, I’d attempt to understand first.
I would like to add that the children we mold today will grow up to be teenagers and adults of tomorrow, some of whom would think that it is perfectly okay to scream “f*cking faggots” to strangers and teach their children loudly and in public that being gay is “abnormal”.
This is a complaint over the ridiculous treatment me and my boyfriend Walter endured during our visit to Singapore. I am an American tourist who holiday-ed in Singapore last month together with my boyfriend of 5 years. We planned for this holiday for ages and finally booked our tickets to this world renown Garden City. After arrival, we took in the beautiful sights and was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness, diverse cultures and food until something happened.
All that initial positivity went out of the window when me and my boyfriend were taking a leisurely stroll at the botanic gardens. Out of the blue, a young local boy accompanied by his mother pointed at us and shouted, “mummy… why are the two boys holding hands?” What came next shocked us beyond words. The lady knelt beside her son, hurriedly covered his eyes and exclaimed at the top of her voice “don’t look at them, they are abnormal”. After which she dragged the puzzled boy away as though we had the plague!
We were both dumbfounded at this shockingly bigoted behavior. Apart from the Christian belt in the South, we would never be subject to such blatant discrimination in the USA. Even President Obama , the most influential man in the world has repeatedly called for universal love and equality. It is thus disappointing that despite being a democracy, Singaporeans are still backward in their mindsets and deny minorities the freedom to love.
I write in now because our brush with Singaporean’s narrow mindedness happened not only once but twice. Shortly after that episode, while Walter and I were cuddling by the riverside at Clarke Quay enjoying the river breeze, a group of rowdy brown skinned goons ran up to us and screamed “fucking faggots” and ran off laughing like hyenas.
What’s with this trashy behavior Singapore? Why are we being bullied and insulted for our sexuality? We are paying tourists in your country and this is how you treat your guests? For all your beautiful buildings and wonderful infrastructure, the people of Singapore are sorely lacking in common decency and woefully antagonistic towards us. Where is the love Singapore? How can you proclaim yourself a first world nation when such blatant discrimination against sexual minorities still exists?
Seorang wanita berusia 25 tahun terkejut menemui seorang kanak-kanak lelaki berusia 12 tahun bersembunyi di bawah katil dalam keadaan berbogel di bilik anak saudara perempuannya berusia 12 tahun, Rabu lalu.
Dalam kejadian jam 11.40 malam itu, wanita berkenaan menemui kanak-kanak terbabit di rumah keluarga anak saudaranya di Labis.
Sebelum itu, wanita itu mengesyaki berlaku perkara tidak diingini apabila mendapati lampu di bilik anak saudaranya itu dimatikan.
Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Segamat, Deputi Superintendan Anuar Ismail berkata, wanita itu terus keluar rumah dan mengetuk tingkap bilik anak saudaranya. “Kira-kira 10 minit kemudian, anak saudaranya membuka pintu. Wanita itu mendapati anak saudaranya memakai baju terbalik,” katanya.
Menurutnya, wanita berkenaan juga mendapati terdapat seluar dalam lelaki di atas katil anak saudaranya. Anuar berkata, kanak-kanak perempuan itu mendakwa seluar dalam itu miliknya.
“Wanita itu masuk ke dalam bilik itu dan terkejut menemui seorang kanak-kanak lelaki bersembunyi dalam keadaan berbogel. “Kedua-dua mereka mengaku melakukan hubungan terlarang. Mereka kemudian dibawa ke balai polis.
