Tag: Singapore

Caught With Fake Branded Items, PR From PRC Told Husband To Hide Rest Of Stash

A woman detained at the airport with fake goods bearing brand names such as Chanel, Cartier and Christian Dior messaged her husband to remove more fakes from her Bugis Village shop. She did not want these spotted by the police.

A district judge, underlining the seriousness of her offence, sentenced Li Na, a permanent resident, to two weeks’ imprisonment for conspiring to obstruct the course of justice. She was separately sentenced to six months’ jail over the fake goods offences.

“She had boldly done so despite the fact she was being detained at the airport after bringing in counterfeit goods from Guangzhou, China,” said District Judge Salina Ishak in her decision grounds released last week.

Li, 40, a China national, was detained on April 29 last year at Changi Airport Terminal 2 at about 7.30am after Customs officials suspected the goods were fakes.

An assortment of almost 500 items were seized, including rings, bangles, wallets, bracelets and earrings with brand names ranging from Hermes to Yves Saint Laurent, among others.

On being alerted by Li, her 53-year-old Singaporean husband, together with a sales assistant, removed “a substantial portion” of goods including Gucci and BVLGARI fakes from her shop. Police later found them in his car boot.

Li pleaded guilty to 13 charges under the Trade Marks and Copyright Act and 26 other charges were taken into consideration in relation to the fakes seized. She had been convicted and fined $12,050 in 2008 for selling fake goods at a shop in Bugis Village and she claimed then to have stopped dealing in fakes.

But three years later, she moved to a new unit there and in 2014 imported counterfeit goods.

The judge noted she was discreet in selling the fake goods, offering them only to regular customers. The counterfeit items were hidden in a black box to avoid detection.

Li’s lawyer Nirmal Singh urged the court to fine her or, at most, jail her for two months, pointing out she was the sole operator of the business, had closed the unit to show remorse and that the 861 items listed in the charges were not “big ticket” items.

He added that the mother of three children had, since 2013, collected food from markets, food centres and wholesale centres for distribution to charity homes.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jonathan Ng sought a jail term, pointing out Li was a repeat offender and had “not learnt her lesson”. He noted the infringing goods involved luxury brands and the 861 items, “although not a large number, is not a small number either”.

The judge held that the items were “not insubstantial” and sentenced Li to six months’ jail for the fake goods offences. The court ordered two of the various jail terms, ranging from a week to four months meted out for each of the fake goods charges, to run consecutively. The remaining terms were to run concurrently. Li is appealing against the total jail term of six months and two weeks.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 29, 2015
Made In Singapore Motorbikes Hit The Roads

A home-grown company has launched a made-in-Singapore scooter, the only one in the market now to be assembled here.

The Alife Air Automobiles’ A bike, which comes in 125cc and 150cc variants and in four designs, is put together at the company’s plant in Bukit Batok Street 23.

It is the first product to roll off the assembly line for the firm, which is the brainchild of entrepreneur Devan Nair, 55.

About 80 per cent of parts are imported from China, Korea and Japan, with the rest sourced from local suppliers. The engine is designed and made in the US.

The scooter was approved for use by the Land Transport Authority earlier this year, said Mr Nair, Alife Air Automobiles’ president and group chief executive officer.

He defied naysayers, who questioned the firm’s viability in an established industry dominated by the likes of Honda and Yamaha, when he started the business two years ago.

He said such big players satisfy a global market and have “set parameters in their designs”. The A bike’s design is simple and can be customised to individual needs, he said.

Its biggest customer so far is SH Cycle, which has ordered 200 bikes, which it will, in turn, supply to clients such as Pizza Hut.

The first 20 machines were delivered on Saturday.

SH Cycle director Royston Ho said: “My business associates and staff have test-ridden the bike and find it good and economical.”

Mr Nair said that for corporate dealers, which need to regularly service motorcycles they lease to clients, the advantage of buying a locally assembled machine is clear.

“We keep ample stock of parts. They can come to our factory for a one-to-one exchange,” he said.

As part of the firm’s contribution to SG50, he said the A bike will be sold at a “big discount” of $4,988 – excluding the Certificate of Entitlement – to Singaporeans and permanent residents. The retail price is over $8,000 for other buyers.

The prices may raise an eyebrow or two, said industry observers, considering that an Indonesian- or Chinese-made scooter can cost under $3,000.

Asked about this, Mr Nair said: “We cannot and will not compromise on the quality of parts and safety in our design. So we do not compete as such… Our price is benchmarked against established European and Japanese brands.”

There are over 20 orders from the public, and some are already on the road, he added.

Asked if he would buy one, research assistant Larry Liew, 34, said: “The bike seems a little pricey, but it appears to have a fast pick-up speed. I’m not so familiar with US-made engines as Japanese ones are more common, so I’ll be eager to see if it is fuel-efficient.”

Alife Air Automobiles is the second firm to make motorcycles in Singapore. Tiger Motors, a now-defunct Singapore firm, had set up an assembly plant in Kallang in 2000.

Mr Tony Yeo, president of the Singapore Motor Cycle Trade Association, said it is hard to make and sell bikes in Singapore as labour costs are high and the market is small.

Mr Nair said the A bike is just the start. The firm is now working to get a rotary engine certified in the US. This will be used in motorcycles sold there and in Singapore. This is a departure from the piston design found in nearly all motorcycles.

“The biggest cause of accidents for motorcycles is engine vibration. The higher the engine capacity, the more the vibration. At high speeds, it’s a very dangerous element.

“We are designing a rotary engine that can give you zero vibration,” said Mr Nair.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 29, 2015
Masagos Bantu Yaacob Ibrahim Dalam Hal Ehwal Melayu/Islam

ENCIK Masagos Zulkifli Masagos Mohamad berkata beliau mahu menggunakan infrastruktur yang tersedia seperti Muis dan Mendaki bagi mendekati dan membantu masyarakat Melayu/Islam Singapura menangani cabaran dari dunia luar seperti fahaman ekstremis.

“Saya telah lama membantu pemerintah mengatasi masalah fahaman ekstremis di kalangan masyarakat kita yang dipengaruhi oleh Internet ataupun dari ajaran-ajaran yang ekstrem, terutama dalam bidang kerja saya di MHA.

“Saya telah mendampingi masyarakat di pelbagai peringkat dan kini saya bekerja dengan Dr Yaacob. Saya akan dapat bekerjasama dengannya melalui infrastruktur seperti Muis dan Mendaki dan meluaskan bahagian di mana kita dapat membentuk masyarakat Melayu/Islam dalam menghadapi cabaran ini – sebagai warga Singapura, juga sebagai sebuah masyarakat, dalam dunia moden ini dan juga bagi masa akan datang,” kata Encik Masagos.

Encik Masagos bakal melepaskan jawatannya sebagai Menteri di Pejabat Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Kedua di Kementerian Ehwal Dalam Negeri (MHA) serta Kementerian Ehwal Luar (MFA).

Beliau turut meluahkan keinginan bekerjasama dengan lebih erat bersama Dr Yaacob dan juga Anggota Parlimen Melayu lain bagi meningkatkan peluang masyarakat Melayu/Islam agar sama-sama maju di Singapura tanpa melupakan identiti sebagai orang Islam dan juga budaya sebagai orang Melayu.

Dalam ucapannya semalam, Encik Lee berkata beliau telah berbincang dengan Dr Yaacob tentang peranan Encik Masagos di Mendaki.

“Saya telah berbincang dengan Dr Yaacob dan beliau akan melantik Masagos sebagai timbalan pengerusi Yayasan Mendaki,” kata Encik Lee.

Mendaki kini dipengerusikan Dr Yaacob yang kekal sebagai Menteri Perhubungan dan Penerangan.

“Saya telah mendampingi masyarakat di pelbagai peringkat dan kini saya bekerja dengan Dr Yaacob. Saya akan dapat bekerjasama dengannya melalui infrastruktur seperti Muis dan Mendaki dan meluaskan bahagian di mana kita dapat membentuk masyarakat Melayu/Islam dalam menghadapi cabaran ini – sebagai warga Singapura, juga sebagai sebuah masyarakat, dalam dunia moden ini dan juga bagi masa akan datang.’’

– Encik Masagos Zulkifli

Source: http://beritaharian.sg

September 29, 2015
Jusuf Kalla: Indonesia Open To Help From Any Country, Including Singapore

JAKARTA — The Indonesian government is open to help from any country, including Singapore, if they wish to assist in fighting the forest fires that are causing the haze in the region, Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said yesterday (Sept 27).

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York, Mr Kalla said the Indonesian government has noted Singapore’s protests against the haze.

“Please come, we are open. Singapore can see for itself. Singapore, please come if you want to help. Don’t just talk,” local news agency Antara News quoted Mr Kalla as saying.

Mr Kalla said Indonesia has explained that it is working hard to put out the forest fires, but it is difficult to solve the problem within a short period of time.

“The forest fires in Indonesia are helped by the dry weather and winds,” he said.

This is not the first time Mr Kalla is inviting Singapore to help. On Sept 15, he appealed to Singapore through local media to help fight the fires, and was quoted as saying: “Singapore, please come. Singapore also knows that the natural disaster can happen anywhere.”

The Singapore Armed Forces had offered to send C-130s for cloud seeding and Chinooks to carry large water buckets to douse the fires.

However, Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar has declined Singapore’s assistance, and said that her country is trying to handle the crisis on its own. Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi also said that she has spoken with her Singaporean counterpart to explain the steps that Jakarta has taken.

“Indonesia is very serious about resolving the fires, and this will be complemented with law enforcement and education,” said Ms Retno.

Source: www.todayonline.com

September 29, 2015
High Court Unmoved By PRC Worker’s Drama, Awards Damages Less Than Amount Offered By Company That Worker Rejected

An injured worker who declined a company’s offer to settle at $50,000 and took the case to court for a bigger sum may end up the “loser” – even though he won the case.

The High Court awarded Mr Wang Jianbin some $37,000 in damages and loss of earnings but as this sum is less than that offered for the settlement, the Chinese national will have to pay the full costs of the defence lawyers.

Mr Wang, 41, a construction worker and sole breadwinner from China’s Hebei province, was injured in the right forearm, neck and forehead by a metal pipe in the course of work in July 2011.

His employer, Hong De Development, and the main contractor accepted 80 per cent of blame for his injury before an Assistant Registrar (AR) in the High Court, who awarded Mr Wang $28,000 for pain and suffering and $2,000 for future medical expenses.

But since this award was less than what he would have got had he not taken the case to court, she also ordered him to pay the full, indemnity costs for the legal fees of the other side. However, she also ordered the defence to pay him $5,500 in legal costs from the time the suit was filed to the time the offer to settle was made in October 2014.

The AR had, among other things, found poor evidence of any permanent disability. The injuries had all healed with no residual handicap except for headaches, giddiness and some numbness in the arm.

She found Mr Wang was “making up evidence in the witness box” and the medical evidence did not rule him out of work. However, he had made no attempt to get a comparable job in China despite having returned there for two years.

Mr Wang, represented by lawyer Eric Liew, appealed to the High Court following the AR’s assessment in July of damages payable.

In examining the items, Justice Choo Han Teck said the AR had been “generous” to have awarded Mr Wang $2,000 for future medical expenses even though she was not satisfied he had shown enough evidence he would incur those costs.

Mr Wang had sought compensation for future medical expenses, claiming they were required for more orthopaedic treatment, physiotherapy and pain medication.

Justice Choo was also not convinced by his claims for loss of future earnings, and agreed with defence lawyer Ramesh Appoo that Mr Wang , “having realised the inadequacies of his evidence and his case, is hoping to overcome them not with evidence but a plea that the court should find it reasonable to accept that many of the missing evidence could and should be assumed”.

The judge rejected Mr Wang’s claims but allowed the appeal for pre-trial loss of earnings for the period he remained in Singapore on medical leave until his repatriation to China.

The additional sum awarded of $7,830 would supplement the $12,313 paid by his employer during the medical leave period .

This raised the overall sum for Mr Wang to $37,830 which at 80 per cent meant he got $30,264.

From this, Mr Wang would have to pay $23,000 in costs for defence lawyer Ramesh Appoo, which leaves him with about $7,000 to sort out the bill for his own lawyer, together with the $5,500 in legal costs awarded earlier by the AR.

Justice Choo noted Mr Wang had spurned a “generous” offer to settle and the AR was right to order indemnity costs.

“The award of costs on that scale is an important aspect of the idea behind the offer to settle. If a litigant believes that he is entitled to more, then he must accept the consequences if he fails,” he wrote.

” If (Mr Wang)’s lawyers will consider waiving their own fees, (he) would have returned to China with a bit of compensation, instead of a substantial debt,” he added.

Justice Choo declined to make any order as to costs for the appeal, acknowledging “this may be unfair to the defendants but they at least had the comfort of obtaining substantial costs before the AR”.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 29, 2015