Tag: Singapore

Married Ex-SCDF LTC Charged For Sexually Inappropriate Conduct

A former Singapore Civil Defence Force Lieutenant-Colonel was charged in court on Wednesday (March 16) with unlawfully stalking a woman in August 2015.

Goh Wee Hong, 39, was with the SCDF when he allegedly stalked the woman by sending her text messages in which he made sexual advances to the 28-year-old to harass her between Aug 27 and 30 last year.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheryl Janet George successfully asked for a gag order, so the woman cannot be named.

Goh, who is married, is represented by Mr Tan Hee Joek, who told the court that he had just been briefed and has instructions to claim trial.

He applied for access to the text messages referred to in the charge.

A pre-trial conference is scheduled for April 27.

If convicted under the Protection from Harassment Act, Goh can be fined up to $5,000 and jailed for up to 12 months

Source: www.straitstimes.com

March 16, 2016
Re-Entry Issue For Singaporean With UK Passport

Orthopaedic surgeon Ang Swee Chai is due to be inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame on Friday for her work in Palestinian refugee camps in the 1980s and 1990s.

However, she is struggling to obtain the clearance she requires to enter the country.

Dr Ang, 67, is the widow of alleged communist activist Francis Khoo. She has spent the last 39 years overseas but has not been able to secure a special travel document to come to Singapore from London, where she lives.

She needs the special papers because she holds both British and Singapore citizenship and does not want to give up either.

“I can come into Singapore with a British passport, but unless there is assurance that the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will not strip me of my Singapore citizenship, I must not risk it,” she told The Straits Times in an e-mail.

“The ICA has pointed that out to me… I stand to lose my citizenship if I do so,” she added.

Dr Ang is due to be feted at a gala dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel. The Women’s Hall of Fame is administered by the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) and counts among its 133 honourees women such as war heroine Elizabeth Choy, who helped British internees during World War II.

Dr Ang returned to Singapore once, in 2012, on a Singapore Travel Document, to bring home her husband’s ashes but a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesman said it was a “one-off” approval based on compassionate grounds.

Mr Khoo lived in exile after he fled Singapore in 1977 to avoid questioning by the Internal Security Department during a security sweep targeted at communists. He died in 2011 in Britain.

An MHA spokesman said the Government does not allow citizens to hold dual citizenship, and will not issue travel documents if they have not renounced their foreign citizenship. She said Dr Ang’s 2012 travel document was issued with a “clear understanding that she would resolve her dual citizenship status expeditiously”.

Since then, ICA has reminded Dr Ang to do so four times – the last reminder was last month, on Feb 4, a spokesman said. “ICA will process her request for such a document, once she shows proof she has started the process of renouncing her British citizenship.”

But in an e-mail to SCWO, Dr Ang wrote: “My right of abode and right to work as a surgeon in the UK is conditional on British citizenship.”

SCWO general manager Selina Gan said: “We’re always disappointed when an inductee cannot come to the induction dinner but, of course, they will still be inducted, and they will be represented by a relative or friend.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

March 16, 2016
Damanhuri Abas: Bukit Batok Residents Have Critical Responsibility To Improve Parliamentary Democracy In Singapore

Dr Chee and Dr Paul meeting residences of Bukit Batok SMC. SDP is serious about making into parliament with this God-sent opportunity.

The alternative voice for the people in parliamentary debates on policies will be richer with SDP involved.

A boost to Parliamentary Democracy.

Our love for this land we call home can be better served with more robust parliamentary debates for the sake of improving our collective conditions.

Bukit Batok residences will be instrumental to this.

Source: Damanhuri Abas

March 16, 2016
Today In Singapore’s History: Hotel New World Collapse – Rescuers Dug With Bare Hands

It was nearly midnight on March 15, 1986 when Ms Helen Tan was carried out of the rubble, her body wrapped in a blanket.

At about 11.25am that day, the building she was in had collapsed, trapping 50 people and ultimately claiming the lives of 33, in what was to be one of the worst disasters in post-war Singapore.

Better known as Hotel New World, the Lian Yak Building at the junction of Owen and Serangoon roads housed a bank on the first level and a nightclub on its second level. The other four levels were occupied by the 67-room hotel.

More than 500 personnel from the police, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the now defunct Singapore Fire Service (SFS), and Singapore Armed Forces took part in a five-dayrescue operation that saved 17 people including Ms Tan.

She had SCDF Senior Warrant Officers (SWO) Jimmy Tan, Mohd Salleh Ali and Isnin Ghani to thank.

Then in their 20s, they were firemen in the SFS’ MRT task force, and had undergone rescue training in the MRT tunnels that were under construction.

The training came in handy, they told The Straits Times yesterday on the eve of the tragedy’s 30th anniversary, but what they lacked was equipment.

After hearing Ms Tan’s cries for help, “we had to use our bare hands and emergency tools to dig a tunnel through 6m to 8m to reach her”, said SWO Tan, 58.

They took turns to crawl through the narrow passageway, struggling to breathe through the thick dust and hoping that the tunnel would not collapse on them.

A basin that separated the rescuers from Ms Tan then had to be chipped away with a small hammer before she was finally freed.

Nine survivors were rescued on the first day, and Ms Tan was the last that day.

On Wednesday morning, after several tests using a noise detector found no signs of life, the rescue operations were called off.

Madam Chua Kim Choo was the last to be rescued, after being trapped for 83 hours, or more than three days.

Rescuers worked until Saturday to recover the remaining bodies.

“Once we heard the order to stand down, we were relieved. Our bodies also started to feel the ache,” said SWO Salleh, 58.

Investigations later found that the building had collapsed due to structural faults and shoddy construction, as well as strain from new installations on the roof.

Following the tragedy, more frequent spot checks on buildings were put in place, as well aslegislation to enforce stricter maintenance checks.

The Government also merged the Singapore Fire Service and the Singapore Civil Defence Force in 1989, to ensure better coordination for rescue work, especially during disasters.

The three officers were among 94 people presented awards by then President Wee Kim Wee.

“Sometimes the juniors will ask what’s this triangle badge,” said SWO Tan, pointing to his uniform.

“I tell them it’s a rescue badge for Hotel New World. We try to share our experience with them, so they can learn.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

March 15, 2016
MUIS, MBMF And Tranparency

The last few days, there have been some murmurings about MUIS’ decision to increase the amount that every Muslim contributes to the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF).

Beginning from 1st June, MBMF contributions will increase between $1-10.

There are of course, several perspectives to this issue.

First, MBMF helps the community to build masjid and run Mendaki activities.

Mendaki also contributes a portion of the funds to other Muslim organisations it supports.

Second, MBMF is a very efficient way to collect funds. Rather than wait for Muslims to send in their donations or organise standing orders to deduct part of their salary, MBMF reverses method. Muslims are assumed to agree to donate and only opt-out if they do not want to contribute. This ensures maximum contribution.

However, while there is benefit to the system, there are certainly obvious flaws.

The main flaws are centred on the lack of transparency and consultation.

First, it removes the intention from the donor. The donor do not decide to contribute. The money is taken from him.

That donors can opt-out does not negate the fact that those who remain may not necessarily intend to donate.

or even if they agree, that decision was taken away from them from the beginning.

Second, and more importantly, is the lack of transparency and consultation.

While we can appreciate some of the work done by MUIS and Mendaki, there is still a lot of problems with regard to its institutional and functional designs.

Both organisations’s finances are primarily supported by the Muslim community.

Whether it is through MBMF, zakat harta, fitrah, waqf etc, the bulk of financial support comes from the Muslim community.

And yet, they are not accountable to the community.

When was the last time MUIS held a consultation session with the Muslim community to seek our input in their performance and actions?

When did the Muslim community, the body that pays for MUIS and Mendaki’s main expenses, appoint the leaders of these two organisations?

MUIS and Mendaki leaders are appointed by the government.

They report to the government.

But we pay their expenses.

And when the government discriminate against Muslims, both organisations have taken the government’s position.

And there have been quite a number of reports on how some Muslims in need were turned away by MUIS and Mendaki.

We pay their expenses, support their programs and help them operate…but are not consulted.

Instead, they reported to and are appointed by the government.

And turn away some in need.

Yes, Muslim organisations need support.

But the support should come with accountability.

And at times, it may be better to use the money that is deducted for MUIS and Mendaki to help those we know are truly in need.

Source: Almakhazin SG

March 15, 2016