Tag: Singapore

Police Clerk Admits To Leaking Confidential Details Of Traffic Accident Victims

A former Singapore Police Force clerk pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Jun 7) to five charges under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) for divulging privileged information to an unlikely accomplice – an employee of a law firm.

Khatijah A Manap, 61, also pleaded guilty to three counts under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) for receiving at least S$2,500 in bribes from legal executive Gulzar Raja Singh Sandhu, 69, in exchange for contact details of people involved in traffic accidents.

Another 23 charges – 18 under the OSA and five under the PCA – will be taken into consideration during sentencing.

The duo met in 2008, when Khatijah was herself involved in a traffic accident. She was put in touch with Raja by a relative, and he in turn introduced her to his daughter, a lawyer at Clifford Law LLP. Khatijah told Raja then that she was working as a clerk in the investigation branch of the Traffic Police.

As a clerk, Khatijah had access to traffic accident investigation papers, including the personal and contact details of those involved.

When the two bumped into each other again more than two years later at the Traffic Police headquarters, Raja asked Khatijah if she wanted to work together by giving him the contact details of traffic accident victims.

Raja offered to pay her S$200 for every successful “contact” – traffic accident victims who engaged the law firm to act for them in compensation claims. Khatijah agreed, and eventually pocketed at least S$2,500 from the scheme, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani told the court.

She would randomly pick “victims”, copying their details down on a piece of rough paper which she would destroy after communicating these to Raja, the court heard.

Either Khatijah or Raja would then contact the victim to inform them they could lodge a compensation claim, and engage Raja’s daughter, a lawyer at the firm, to do so. In some cases, Raja told victims he had obtained their contact details from a police officer, or an employee of the Traffic Police.

Their offences came to light in 2013, after a traffic accident victim – who was contacted by the pair twice in two years regarding separate accidents – complained to Khatijah’s boss.

In 2012, Mr Haresh Vishindas Chandiramani was involved in a traffic accident and was contacted by Khatijah, using the alias “Azizah”. Azizah informed Mr Chandiramani he could seek compensation, and arranged for Raja to visit the man at his home.

At Mr Chandiramani’s home later that day, Raja admitted he had an arrangement to obtain contact details of accident victims from “someone at Traffic Police for a fee”, the court heard. Mr Chandiramani told Raja to leave.

About a year later, in 2013, Mr Chandiramani was involved in another accident. He again received a call from Azizah, claiming to be an employee of Clifford Law LLP. She advised Mr Chandiramani to engage the firm – specifically, Raja’s daughter – if he wanted to seek compensation.

Azizah then offered to set up a meeting with her paralegal, Raja, but was cut off by Mr Chandiramani over the phone. He immediately called Khatijah’s office, and asked why she had disclosed his number to “an outsider”. She explained that she and Azizah were, in fact, the same person.

Mr Chandiramani warned Khatijah that what she was doing was against the law, and complained to her boss, who advised him to lodge a police report.

For breaching the Official Secrets Act, Khatijah could be sentenced to up to two years’ jail and a fine of up to S$2,000. For receiving bribes, she could be jailed for up to five years and/or fined up to S$100,000.

Investigations against Raja are ongoing.

Source: ChannelNewsAsia

June 9, 2016
Moment Of Near-Failure Spurred Him To Succeed

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) convocation ceremony on Aug 1 will be a special occasion for Mr Ridhwan Muzaki and his family.

Not only will the 27-year-old be the family’s third graduate, but he will also celebrate the milestone with his brother, Mr Abdul Rashid, 32, who will be receiving his doctorate in biological sciences the same day.

Mr Ridhwan, who will receive his biological sciences honours degree, is a three-time Dean’s lister and scholarship recipient.

His academic success belies an unusual background.

Like his older brother, he was from the Normal (Academic) stream in secondary school. Many of his classmates smoked, others dropped out, and he was not motivated to do well.

But something changed when he was in Secondary 4. A teacher who never stopped believing in him encouraged him not to drop the subject, Principles of Accounts, when he was on the verge of giving up.

“She was like a mother-figure to me… I did some reflection and thought to myself, if I don’t work hard now, my future will never be bright,” he recalled.

So he studied hard, becoming the top N-level Malay student in 2005 and went on to study biomedical sciences at Singapore Polytechnic.

In 2010, his application to NTU’s School of Biological Sciences was rejected, but he did not give up.

He applied again the following year and got in.

He was so determined to get a head start that he borrowed his elder brother’s notes and studied them a year before he was due to start his university course.

During weekends, he would spend 10-11 hours each time poring over his notes.

“Ridhwan had a timetable which he would stick to strictly,” said his mother Rosiah Osman, 54. “He has always been quite an average student, but he studies very hard.”

The third of four siblings in his family, Mr Ridhwan has an older sister, Ms Siti Rawaidah, 31, who works as a project officer, and a younger brother, Mr Zulfadhly Muzaki, an NTU undergraduate.

All four siblings have either pursued or are pursuing the biological sciences course at NTU.

Mr Ridhwan says he hopes to be a researcher. He received a scholarship from NTU in April to do postgraduate studies.

He has a special interest in RNA – ribonucleic acid – a messenger in the body, transferring instructions from DNA to make proteins.

Mr Ridhwan says he is especially grateful to his parents for their support. His father, Mr Mohammad Muzaki, 57, works as a senior technician in a drinks packaging company.

Said Mr Muzaki: “It is every parent’s wish to see their children go further than they have. Being able to see my children come this far makes me proud.”

Source: The Straits Times

June 9, 2016
Meet Professional Female Boxer – Nur Shahidah Binte Rosli

Nur Shahidah Binte Roslie chose a career path most women in Singapore would not have thought of – professional boxing. The 28-year-old graduated from University of Western Australia with degrees in exercise and health and sports science, and has been on the national amateur boxing team since 2009. With 10 years of boxing experience under her belt, Shahidah decided to turn professional with Juggernaut Fight Club earlier in February this year.

How did you get involved in boxing?

I was already into martial arts when I was younger, and when I was in secondary school at Gan Eng Seng, I took up taekwondo and eventually earned my black belt. But I felt that I needed something more. During a school project at ITE, where we had to shadow and observe a coach, I was introduced to kickboxing and I started learning kickboxing and boxing altogether. Two years later, I got my first fights within two weeks. The first was boxing and second was kickboxing and from there, I was able to gauge my strengths and weaknesses and see which I preferred. After some time, I did more boxing than kickboxing and in 2009, I got into the national team and focused more on boxing. Eventually, when the opportunity came to turn professional, I knew I had to take it.

What are the biggest misconceptions of boxing?

It’s amazing how people expect you to be a bit disfigured and deformed, or maybe boyish and manly and masculine in some way when you’re a female. I’m actually quite the opposite. I can be like that during training, but outside, I mean, I like pink and I love Hello Kitty. I can be very feminine as well and people have these stereotypes that we’re not feminine. There were also a lot of questions on whether my parents would be afraid I would not be able to get married, that typical girls would have to settle down. Fortunately for me, my parents and relatives don’t ask these questions so I’m not sure how to answer that.

Nur Shahidah Binte Roslie poses for a photo at Juggernaut Fight Club on May 24, 2016 in Singapore. Photo: Lim Yong Teck

What has been your most memorable experience in boxing?

Training with my teammates. Every time I get injured or knocked down, it can be a painful experience but I see it as a memorable moment because it’s a learning experience as well. You get injured so you have to think, ‘What went wrong?’ So you sit down and think it through and you share it with your teammates so they can avoid making the same mistakes. And my teammates are all very encouraging and that keeps me going.

And your most heartbreaking?

The SEA Games loss was pretty heartbreaking for me. It was the first ever match that I almost won internationally. I always lose in the international matches that I’ve competed in by unanimous decisions. At the SEA Games, I thought I did well, but for some reason, it was a split decision and the victory was awarded to Vietnam. I was heartbroken, but it may be my own mistakes as well. I wasn’t exactly being very aggressive and I was focusing on my techniques instead. Most of the times, being aggressive in amateur boxing helps and I guessed I lost out on that. That is also one of the reasons why I decided to go into professional boxing because I feel that I fit in here more.

Nur Shahidah Binte Roslie (L) trains at Juggernaut Fight Club on May 24, 2016 in Singapore. Photo: Lim Yong Teck

Was there a time when you felt like walking away from boxing?

Yes – it was during the amateurs when there was no fights for a period of time. Sometimes, when I made the weight for a fight, there would be no opponents at all. It’s unlike professional boxing, where it’s definite unless your opponent pulls out and you know who your opponents are going to be. In the amateurs, you were made to cut your weight down to 57kg for example, wait until the weigh-in day and after you’re exhausted and starving, you’re told that you have no opponent and that feeling is not good. It happened two or three times in a row and I almost wanted to give up. Most female boxers would have faced the same situation at some point of time but I think it’s getting better now.

How far do you think boxing has developed since its inauguration?

When I first stepped into the ring, there were only a few female boxers. When the SEA Games was approaching, I heard of many more female boxers stepping into the ring and trying out for the national team. The SEA Games actually helped a little, because after the Games concluded, there was a good growth in the number of female boxers. The standard of female boxing had also improved a lot.

Nur Shahidah Binte Roslie (L) trains at Juggernaut Fight Club on May 24, 2016 in Singapore. Photo: Lim Yong Teck

What kind of challenges do you foresee in your professional boxing career?

Definitely financially, because I’m trying to pay off my education loan. When I graduated, I didn’t know what exactly I wanted to do and I worked with Arvind, the head coach here at Juggernaut, for a while. The opportunity to turn pro presented itself and I thought I’d give it a go. Not many people in Singapore at my age can get the opportunity to do what they really want and get paid for it. Of course, you start slow and you don’t get paid well at first, but I believe that when you put in the hard work and eventually everything else will come. At this point of time, I’m not worried about that and for now, this is my peak and I want to do something about it. And plus the fact that the female boxing scene is growing, I want to create a path for future female boxers to do this professionally. Even if I’m not earning thousands in my boxing career, at least I know that I paved the way for the younger generation to follow. Hopefully in time, they’re earning the thousands. Someone has to start it and I don’t want Singaporeans to think that there’s no future in boxing.

There was also this once, in the Philippines, I went to get some training done at Elorde Boxing Gym and at the end of the session, the instructor asked if I wanted to turn pro and fight for them. I had to decline because at that point of time I was still holding a job with ITE as a lecturer. After that incident, I had thoughts of going overseas to turn pro before Arvind actually offered me. For now, I don’t have any overseas plans and if Arvind can provide me with the opportunities and help me keep the momentum going, I won’t be going anywhere.

For my parents, they probably disagree with my career choice but they’re still supportive in what I do. Financially, it’s tight, but I think it’s going well for me so far and I think I can still afford to continue boxing professionally.

Nur Shahidah Binte Roslie (L) trains at Juggernaut Fight Club on May 24, 2016 in Singapore. Photo: Lim Yong Teck

What advice would you give to young aspiring boxers?

First and foremost, you have to take care of your own body and your own future. I’m not saying that you have to prioritise studies, but you have to balance out education and the sport. You can’t be a full-time athlete when you’re still studying and instead, you should use your youth to gain boxing experience through training and probably small tournaments. Studies is important because you have to secure your future that way. You need something to fall back on if it doesn’t work out, such as getting injured when you turn pro. That’s what I did. I focused on my studies first, and when I graduated and the opportunity came, I can do it without fear.

How can people get involved if they’re interested in boxing?

There are many gyms offering boxing classes today, although these classes may not be very cheap. If they have the means, go to the gyms and try it out. For the younger generation, try to push for boxing co-curricular activities (CCA) in schools. But for that to happen, the right coaches are necessary because boxing requires a lot of safety. For a start, gyms should work on training coaches so that eventually, the Ministry of Education would be willing to help set up boxing as a CCA in schools.

Nur Shahidah Binte Roslie poses for a photo at Juggernaut Fight Club on May 24, 2016 in Singapore. Photo: Lim Yong Teck

Source: https://sg.sports.yahoo.com

June 8, 2016
Indonesian Maid Arrested For Murdering Employer In Telok Kurau

Three men on motorbikes were riding past a semi-detached house in Telok Kurau last night when they heard shouts for help.

They parked their motorbikes in front of the house and saw a man struggling with a woman in the front porch.

The gate was open and the man told them to grab hold of the woman. Two of them went to help him while the third called the police.

One of them, a mechanic, told The New Paper in Mandarin: “I held on to the woman, who kept struggling and was bleeding from her hands.

“I held her hands and got blood all over myself. The man was also covered in blood”

His friend, who works in construction, added: “Of course, we were scared. Whoever saw what was happening would have been scared.”

He then ran into the house to get a cloth to wipe the man’s wound, which was around the throat area.

The three men, who are Malaysians in their 20s, had stumbled on the scene of a murder while heading to dinner after work.

The house owner later told them the woman is his maid who had just killed his wife.

When the police showed up about five minutes later, they went to a friend’s place nearby to wash off the blood on their hands and clothes before going for dinner.

The men, who declined to be identified, returned to the scene around midnight to see what was happening.

One of them said: “I would not call ourselves brave for helping.

“We just saw that the uncle needed help and he looked really scared.”

TNP understands that the house owner, 57, was on the first level of his three-storey house when he heard a commotion on the second storey.

He went up to check and heard noises in the bathroom. When he opened the door, he was shocked to see his maid step out with a bloodied knife.

He immediately tried to disarm her and was injured during the struggle while his daughter-in-law called the police for help.

The police said they were alerted to the incident at 50C, Lorong H, off Telok Kurau Road, at 8.48pm.

A spokesman said the injured man was later taken in an ambulance to Changi General Hospital (CGH). His condition could not be confirmed.

His wife, 59, was found lying motionless in the bathroom and pronounced dead by paramedics at 9.03pm.

He added that a 23-year-old woman was arrested in relation to the case, which has been classified as murder.

Investigations are ongoing.

TNP understands that the maid, believed to be an Indonesian, had attacked the woman in the bathroom.

Her motive for the attack was not known by press time.

CROWD

A nearby resident told TNP that he saw a crowd of people milling outside one of his neighbours’ home.

From the outside, he could see the house owner with blood on his chest.

“The maid was sitting on a bench with her hands bandaged. There were blood stains on her legs,” said the neighbour who declined to be identified.

“I think she had also sustained head wounds because I saw a policewoman cleaning her head and there was blood on the cloth.”

The owner was then wheeled on a stretcher to an ambulance.

“Before he got into the ambulance, he told the daughter-in-law to arrange for both their maids to be sent home,” he said.

The injured maid was taken away in another ambulance, he added.

“One of his sons later came out of the house and sat at the front porch. Then rain fell and most of the crowd dispersed.”

A neighbour in her 50s, who wanted to be known only as Ms Wang, said that she usually saw the owner gardening.

She heard from her sister that he spent a lot of time tending to the vegetables in the grass patch outside his house and did business in China.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it sent two ambulances to the scene after receiving a call at 8.47pm.

A spokesman said a woman in her 20s was taken to CGH with an injury on the left side of the head and lacerations on both hands.

A man who was in the crowd identified himself as an employee of the house owner’s son, who owns a fish farm in Johor Baru, and that his father owns a construction company.

He said he had gone to the house after his employer called him to say that something had happened to his mother.

A group of six to seven men had also gathered at a bus stop about 50m from the house. One of them was sobbing while gesticulating as two friends tried to console him.

Past cases of maid violence

May 31, 2016

Indonesian maid Dewi Sukowati, 20, was sentenced to 18 years’ jail for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

She had snapped after her employer, socialite Nancy Gan Wan Geok, 69, hit her head with a tray.

Dewi grabbed Madam Gan’s hair and swung her head against a wall before drowning her in the bungalow’s swimming pool.

Dec 10, 2015

Indonesian maid Yati, 24, was sentenced to 10 years’ jail for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

She smothered Madam Aandi Abdul Rahman Rasheeda Begam, 76, with a pillow while the victim was asleep on Jan 14, 2014.

Yati said she felt stressed as she would get scolded for her mistakes and was given leftover food.

July 27, 2015

Myanmar maid Than Than Win, 25, was sentenced to 13 years’ jail for culpable homicide.

She killed her employer’s mother-in-law, Madam Yong Wan Lan, 87, by stabbing her with a pair of scissors on March 4, 2014.

Win said she had become increasingly angry over a scolding from Madam Yong.

The elderly woman suffered 21 stab wounds, two of which were fatal injuries to her heart and lungs.

May 25, 2015

Indonesian maid Tuti Aeliyah, 30, was sentenced to 12 years’ jail for culpable homicide.

She tried to smother her employer’s daughter, Shameera Basha Noor Basha, 16, with a pillow while she was asleep before stabbing the teen with a kitchen knife and strangling her with her school pinafore.

Tuti said a ghost in the mirror had told her to kill Shameera.

Source: www.tnp.sg

June 8, 2016
100 Year Old Grandpa Still Fasts During Ramadan

He will be celebrating his 100th birthday in two weeks, which makes him one of the oldest Singaporeans around.

But with the month of Ramadan starting today, Mr Othman Nasir will not be having his usual birthday celebrations on June 20 because he will be fasting.

He told The New Paper that he wants to observe Ramadan because he is still capable of fulfilling his obligations as a Muslim.

His daughter, Madam Norlela Othman, 44, who is the youngest of his 10 children, said her father often fasts throughout Ramadan despite his advanced age.

Mr Othman, who was born in Batu Pahat in Johor, moved to Singapore in 1939 to serve in the British army.

His time spent in the army is what made him a disciplined and responsible man and father, said Madam Norlela.

Speaking from Mr Othman’s four-room flat in Tampines, where he has lived since 1984, the mother of four daughters said: “He was a strict father when we were growing up, especially with his words.”

It is this discipline that may have contributed to his longevity.

He eats plenty of vegetables and fruits. When he eats meat, it is mostly fish.

He also leads a relatively stress-free life, spending his free time reading the Quran.

Mr Othman still looks healthy at his age. Other than gout, he has no major illnesses.

His memory remains good although his hearing has weakened and his speech has slowed down considerably.

He used to be able to walk with the help of a walker, but has been using a wheelchair since a fall last year.

“If I were to tell my life story, it would be too long,” Mr Othman told TNP in Malay, with a chuckle.

After leaving the army, Mr Othman worked as a messenger.

He was then at a security company for 25 years before retiring in 1997.

Mr Othman has only vague memories of kampung life in Malaysia and Singapore, but he said he prefers life in Singapore today – everything is easier here.

His domestic helper, who wanted to be known only as Ms Setyani, has looked after him for eight years.

“Every two weeks or so, we take him out to get some fresh air,” said the 32-year-old Indonesian.

HARI RAYA CLOTHES

Madam Norlela, who works as an airline ticketing officer, said her father often asks to be taken to Geylang Serai and Beach Road, to places he remembers fondly.

“He used to take his children to Geylang during Ramadan to look for Hari Raya clothes” she added.

“And his old army quarters was at Beach Road.”

When asked about the birthday celebrations, Madam Norlela said she has nothing planned, but it is likely that her siblings and their families will break fast together with Mr Othman on that day.

The last day of Ramadan will be on July 5 in Singapore, the day before Hari Raya Puasa.

Source: www.tnp.sg

June 8, 2016