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Amos Yee Invokes Court Process To Decide On Trial Position

After several false starts, the first day of blogger Amos Yee’s trial yesterday was adjourned for the 17-year-old to use a court process that helps accused persons consider whether to claim trial or plead guilty.

He had earlier objected to a joint hearing for the two sets of offences he has been charged with.

When he was overruled, Amos told the court he would like the prosecution’s seven witnesses to testify orally, rather than through written statements.

Then, as his hearing was about to kick off, he told a judge he was “thinking of taking a certain course of action”.

Amos, who was not represented at his hearing yesterday, asked to go for Criminal Case Resolution (CCR), a court process where an accused person may ask for an indication of his possible sentences in a closed-door meeting with prosecutors that is presided over by a senior district judge.

CCR was started in 2011 to minimise wastage of court resources. It provides a neutral platform for parties to explore the possibilities of early resolution of criminal cases, instead of waiting until a trial starts.

When District Judge Lim Tse Haw asked why he had not brought up his request during his pre-trial conference, Amos said he only learnt about CCR through “sheer luck” while he was doing research.

He was given the go-ahead to attend a CCR session this morning, following which he would decide if he would want to continue to claim trial.

Amos faces six charges of wounding the religious feelings of Muslims and Christians and two counts of flouting an order to show up at a police station for investigations. Both sets of charges relate to content he posted online between November last year and May this year.

Amos argued that the nature of the two sets of charges are different and he would not have a fair trial if they are heard together.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Hon Yi countered that the alleged offences happened close together and were linked.

Amos was convicted of similar offences last year and was sentenced to four weeks’ jail. But he was released on the same day as the sentence was backdated to include his time in remand.

If convicted of deliberately wounding the religious feelings of others, Amos could be jailed up to three years and fined. For failing to turn up at the police station in spite of an order, he could be jailed up to a month and fined up to S$1,500.

Source: TODAY Online

August 18, 2016
Most Singaporeans Want Someone Of Same Race As Prime Minister, President: CNA-IPS Survey

If given a choice, most Singaporeans prefer someone of the same race as the nation’s Prime Minister or President.

This was one of the findings in a nationwide survey of 2,000 citizens and permanent residents on their views on relations between the country’s four major races. The survey was commissioned by Channel NewsAsia in partnership with the Institute of Policy Studies, and was one of the largest of its kind.

The survey, conducted between June and July this year, was done through a random sampling of dwelling types. Malay and Indian respondents were oversampled to ensure sufficient minority representation. Selected households completed a survey questionnaire then returned it to a surveyor at a stipulated time, to reduce the possibility of interviewer bias.

The results were then statistically weighted to ensure that the final sample resembled the national population in terms of racial composition, dwelling type and gender.

According to the survey, the vast majority of Chinese respondents – 98 per cent – would accept a Singaporean Chinese as Prime Minister, while 96 per cent preferred a Singaporean Chinese as President.

Malay respondents also overwhelmingly wanted a Singaporean Malay to be Prime Minister or President. A total of 93 per cent of Malays surveyed said they preferred a Singaporean Malay to be Prime Minister, while 94 per cent would accept a Malay as President.

Among Indian respondents, 89 per cent would accept a Singaporean Indian as Prime Minister and 92 per cent said the same for the role of the President.

The majority of respondents of all races were agreeable to a Singaporean Chinese in both positions, with more than 80 per cent of Malays, Indians and Others saying they would accept a Singaporean Chinese as Prime Minister and as President.

A smaller number of respondents said they would accept a minority race in the positions – around 60 per cent of Chinese, 75 per cent of Malays and around 68 per cent of Others said yes to a Singaporean Indian Prime Minister or President. When it came to a Singaporean Malay Prime Minister or President, just over half of Chinese, around 70 per cent of Indians and about 80 per cent of Others said yes.

The older a respondent, the less likely he or she would accept someone of a different race to hold the nation’s highest positions, the survey found.

Among Chinese respondents who were below 30 years old, more than 60 per cent would accept a Singaporean Malay as Prime Minister or President, while more than 70 per cent would accept a Singaporean Indian.

Among those over 60 years old, about 40 to 42 per cent would accept a Singaporean Malay, while between 45 and 50 per cent would accept a Singaporean Indian in the two positions.

Source: ChannelNewsAsia

August 18, 2016
This Singaporean Has Caught Them All!

Less than two weeks after the release of the Pokemon Go game in Singapore, a 39-year-old app developer has claimed to have caught them all, including the rarest and most powerful ones.

Mr Terence Ho told The New Paper he has caught all 145 available Pokemon in the game within 10 days of playing it. He showed TNP a live video of his Pokedex as proof.

His captures do not include the six legendary Pokemon – Ditto, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo and Mew – which have not been released in the game yet.

So far, only two other people in the world have reportedly caught all 145 – Mr Nick Johnson from the United States and Mr Ahmed Ali from the United Kingdom.

Business Insider reported on July 22 that Mr Johnson from Brooklyn was the first person in the world to catch all the Pokemon, accomplishing this just 16 days after the game’s release in the US on July 6.

Mr Ahmed also caught all the Pokemon in two weeks, according to The Sun.

This could mean that Mr Ho, who took just 10 days since the game’s launch in Singapore on Aug 6 to get them all, could be the player who did so in the shortest time so far.

Mr Ho said: “It’s always been the goal of every Pokemon trainer to catch all the Pokemon in the Pokedex. I’m no different.”

Mr Ho was unaware that he could be the fastest player in the world and seemed surprised at the possibility. “Wow! I didn’t know that! But I’m sure other players may not believe me and claim that I ‘cheated’ to catch all 145 of them,” he said.

The bachelor works as an app-developer at THWL Apps, which recently released an app which compiles worldwide news onto a single app.

He said news was an integral part of his Pokemon-hunting process.

“Before you catch any Pokemon, you should always read up on the latest news so that you know where the rare Pokemon are going to spawn.”

Mr Ho also started the SG Pokemon Go Singapore Facebook group and has been updating the page with locations of the various Pokemon that he caught.

His first Pokemon was the starter fire-type Pokemon Charmander, and his last was the grass-type Victreebel which evolved early Tuesday (August 16) morning at 12.05am.

Mr Ho bought ‘coins’ in the game to buy incense, lucky eggs and lures, in order to progress faster in the game. He claims to have spent $150 on these in-app purchases.

Mr Ho admits that he spent many hours after work catching Pokemon at the nearby park and would play till even after 1am on many nights.

He has also been to locations all around the island, including Punggol, where he finally caught the rarest of all Pokemon, a Cloyster.

Since completing the whole set of Pokemon, he has cut down his play time by at least half after achieving his goal.

He said with a laugh: “It’s time for me to get back to proper work!”

Mr Ho caught all his Pokemon when he was at level 24, but crossed level 25 late on Tuesday. The highest level in the game is 40.

He had decided to use his ‘candy’ in the game to evolve into new Pokemon rather than to power up his Pokemon to higher combat levels.

“My focus has been catching all the different types of Pokemon and filling the Pokedex,” he said.

As for the best spots to go to catch the rare ones, Mr Ho said Sentosa was a “nest for Pikachus”. “Occasionally, a Raichu may be spotted too!”

To complete his set of 145, Mr Ho had to catch Pokemon in region-exclusive spots – North America, Europe, Australia and certain areas of Asia.

These Pokemon are Tauros (US exclusive), Farfetch’d (Asia exclusive), Mr Mime (Europe exclusive) and Kangaskhan (Australia and New Zealand exclusive).

When asked how he caught these virtual creatures from Singapore, Mr Ho said he got friends living in these regions to log in for him to catch them.

Mr Ho said this was a “creative way” to catch Pokemon without breaking the rules, even though some players would consider this cheating.

“Every one of us use our own unique and creative ways to solve each problem. All players have this problem of catching region-exclusive Pokemon,” he said.

“What I did was to think out of the box, devise a possible solution and executed it. I only have every supportive friend around me to thank for this accomplishment.”

Source: The New Paper

August 18, 2016
Singapore To Assess Need To Send Forces To Frontlines To Fight IS

If Singapore faces a direct security threat, forces might be sent to the frontlines for counter-terrorism efforts, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in Parliament on Monday (Aug 15).

This comes after Member of Parliament Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC) asked Dr Ng for an update on how Singapore can directly contribute to support the multinational coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group.

He said that should Singapore face a direct security threat, the country would fight to make a “real difference”, and not just a “token” contribution.

Dr Ng also added that a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) medical support team will be deployed to Iraq for about three months next year.

“The exact size, composition, and capabilities of the medical support team will be determined after our needs assessment and survey team assesses the situation,” he said.

He added that the medical team will take care of injured soldiers and civilians in the event of a battle against ISIS.

It was first announced in November 2014 by Dr Ng that Singapore will participate in the multinational coalition against ISIS.

In 2007, Singapore sent 492 SAF servicemen to Afghanistan during a six-year deployment to the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force, which ended in 2013. It was the SAF’s longest overseas deployment, The Straits Times reported.

Source: AsiaOne

August 18, 2016
Pendakwah Britain Anjem Choudary Didapati Bersalah Sokong ISIS

Salah seorang pendakwah di Britain, yang terkenal dengan ceramah-ceramah yang menerapkan kebencian, kini berdepan dengan hukuman penjara setelah didapati bersalah menyokong ISIS.

Anjem Choudary dijatuhi hukuman di Old Bailey setelah para juri mendengar bahawa dia mengikrarkan taat setia kepada ISIS, lapor The Guardian.

Lelaki berusia 49 tahun itu, yang ada kaitan dengan salah seorang pembunuh Lee Rigby, Michael Adebolajo dan anggota militan Omar Bakri Muhammad, juga menggesa para pengikutnya supaya menyokong beberapa rancangan ISIS yang disiarkan di laman YouTube.

Anjem dan rakannya yang turut berdepan hukuman, Mohammed Rahman, 33 tahun memberitahu para penyokong mereka supaya mematuhi Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, iaitu pemimpin ISIS, yang juga dikenali sebagai khalifah, serta menggesa mereka agar ke Syria untuk menyertai ISIS atau “khilafah”, mahkamah dimaklumkan.

Kedua-duanya didapati bersalah pada bulan Julai namun perincian perbicaraan termasuk keputusan mahkamah tidak boleh dilaporkan sehingga sekarang.

Anjem dan Rahman berdepan hukuman penjara selama 10 tahun kerana memberikan sokongan kepada pertubuhan yang berbahaya, menurut The Guardian.

Mereka akan dijatuhi hukuman pada 6 September di Old Bailey.

Menurut Ketua Polis Metropolitan Anti-Pengganasan, Komander Dean Haydon: “kedua-dua lelaki ini cuba mengelak pengawasan pihak berkuasa sejauh ini, namun tiada seorang pun dalam bidang anti-pengganasan yang meragui pengaruh mereka, kebencian yang mereka sebarkan dan orang-orang yang mereka galak supaya menyertai pertubuhan pengganas.”

“Berkali-kali kami menyaksikan orang-orang dibicarakan atas kesalahan paling serius, yang pernah menghadiri ceramah kedua-dua lelaki ini. Ikrar taat setia mereka kepada ISIS adalah satu titik perubahan – akhirnya kami mempunyai bukti yang menunjukkan bahawa mereka sudah melanggar undang-undang dan kami boleh buktikan bahawa mereka menyokong ISIS,” tambah beliau, menurut laporan The Guardian.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

August 18, 2016