SINGAPORE — A 14-year-old girl who ran away from home took refuge in the flat of a man she had met through her cousin as she had nowhere to go. There, the man and his friends plied her with alcohol before taking turns to rape her while she was drunk. Umar Abdul Rahim, then 18 years old and doing national service, was one of the three who gang-raped her in May 2021. Now 21, he was sentenced to 11 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane on Oct 1 by the High Court after he pleaded guilty to a charge of rape. His cousin, Muhammad Uzair Abdul Rahman, 21, was sentenced to 16 years' jail and 20 strokes of the cane in October 2023. He had pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and a count of sexual penetration of a minor under the age of 16. The third man involved in the rape, Noor Asri Mohd Tahil, 37, and another alleged accomplice, Mohammad Shahridzmie Salleh, 21, have not been dealt with yet. The victim, whose identity is protected by a gag order, was placed under a Beyond Parental Control (BPC) order in March 2020.

The body of an 18-year-old man was found at a hostel in the National University of Singapore (NUS) on Thursday (Oct 3). In response to queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at 37 Prince George's Park at about 7.25am. The address belongs to a hostel block in Prince George's Park Residences. The man was found lying motionless at the foot of the building and pronounced dead at scene by a paramedic from the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play. Investigations are ongoing. In response to AsiaOne's queries, NUS shared a memo sent to residents of Helix House. Associate Professor Lee Kooi Cheng, who is master of Helix House, expressed the university's deepest condolences to family and friends of the dorm resident who had died on Thursday morning. «We have been in touch with the family and friends of the resident to provide any support and assistance that they need. We would like to encourage everyone to respect the family's privacy,» said Lee.

In the end, neither the prosecution nor the defence got what they argued for regarding the sentence for the five charges former Transport Minister S Iswaran was convicted for on Sept 24.  The defence, led by Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, asked for no more than eight weeks' jail, while the prosecution, led by Deputy Attorney-General Tai Wei Shyong, pushed for six to seven months then. In court today, Justice Vincent Hoong considered the prosecution's request to be «manifestly inadequate' and, therefore, »appropriate to impose a sentence in excess of both parties' positions".  Why general deterrence assumed centrestage Section 165 of the Penal Code punishes obtaining gifts in public office when there are official business dealings between the parties involved. 

Former transport minister S Iswaran was sentenced to 12 months' jail on Thursday (Oct 3) morning.  He looked grim as Justice Vincent Hoong read out his sentence. The judge asked for Iswaran to surrender himself on Oct 7, 4pm at State Courts 4A. The judge, in his sentencing remarks earlier, said that there were two key issues to be examined. One is what the appropriate sentencing approach should be when a public servant receives a valuable item from a person involved in business transactions. The second pertains to the appropriate reduction in sentence, applying guidelines for guilty pleas when an individual pleads guilty to multiple charges before the start of trial. The higher the office, the greater the level of culpability: Judge On the factors of culpability, Justice Hoong said that the higher the position held by a public servant, the greater their level of culpability. This is due to the significant influence these individuals have and the larger impact they can have on the public interest.

SINGAPORE — A hair salon chain with three outlets is being investigated for suspected unfair trade practices, said the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS). The statutory board made unannounced visits to the branches of HairFun salon located at Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh and Tampines on Oct 2. From Dec 1, 2022, to April 22, 34 complaints concerning sales tactics of the outlets were lodged with the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), said Case president Melvin Yong in a Facebook post on Oct 2. They include practices such as exploiting elderly customers, charging higher prices without prior agreement and the concealing of payment amounts during Nets transactions, said the CCCS and Case in a joint statement on the same day. Case had invited the chain's operator to sign a voluntary compliance agreement to cease unfair trade practices and refund affected customers, but did not receive a response. The matter was subsequently referred to CCCS. 

FairPrice Group will give out a $4 return voucher for every $50 spent in a single receipt starting Thursday (Oct 3). The offer will run till Oct 9, and is valid across all FairPrice stores, including Finest, Xtra and Unity — excluding Unity outlets in Changi Airport. Shoppers can receive up to three return vouchers per transaction, which can be used across all FairPrice outlets throughout October with no minimum spend requirement, the group said on Wednesday. Keeping daily essentials within reach for everyone in Singapore has been their guiding mission for over 50 years, said FairPrice Group CEO Vipul Chawla. «Through the return voucher initiative, we want to assure Singaporeans that we will continue to support them in times of need, and strive to make their daily lives and access to healthy and nutritious food a little better every day,» he said.

A tourist heading back to their Orchard hotel from Marina Bay was befuddled when a cabby quoted him $75 for the short ride. The incident occurred at the passenger pick-up point outside the Fullerton Bay Hotel on Tuesday (Oct 1) afternoon, reported Shin Min Daily News. A man surnamed Wu, who manages the traffic flow at the pick-up point, said the tourist had paid over $20 for a taxi ride from Orchard to the nearby Merlion Park. After being quoted the $75 fare for a ride back to his hotel, the tourist had asked Wu why the fare difference was so great. A check on Google Maps showed that the 5km drive from the hotel to Orchard Road will take approximately 15 minutes. The tourist boarded another taxi after Wu explained to him that taxis in Singapore charge metered fares. Wu said that some taxi drivers would also solicit for passengers at the pick-up point, adding that some allegedly accept only cash payments, and they would choose passengers. A Shin Min reporter who visited the hotel's pick-up point on Wednesday morning noted that most people there were waiting for private-hire vehicles, or chartered rides to pick them up.

SINGAPORE — Customers at HDB Hub in Toa Payoh may experience longer wait times for appointments due to a disruption caused by a fire that broke out in the building on Oct 2, the Housing Board said. «A fire broke out at around noon today in the Basement 3 bin centre of HDB Hub at Toa Payoh Lorong 6,» HDB said in a Facebook post. HDB added that its «foremost consideration is the safety of our staff, customers and members of the public at HDB Hub». «We thank the public for their patience,» it said. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it was alerted to a fire at No. 530 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, the address of HDB Hub, at about 12.25pm. «The fire involved discarded items contained within a skip bin located at Basement 3 of the premises,» SCDF said. It added that the fire had been extinguished using a water jet and that the cause of the fire is under investigation. One person felt unwell and was assessed by an SCDF paramedic at the scene. However, the person declined to be taken to hospital.

A day after the the resumption of train services on the MRT’s East-West Line following a six-day disruption, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that it has commenced regulatory investigations into the disruption.  “The severe disruption to East-West Line service affected a large group of commuters over six days. “It also caused substantial damage to rail infrastructure which required extensive repairs”, said the LTA in a media statement on Wednesday (Oct 2).  Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat also said in a Facebook post today that the investigations will ascertain what happened and identify areas for improvement. 

A new government agency to take on online harms will be formed to support victims and promote responsible behaviour online, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced at the launch of the Smart Nation 2.0 initiative at the Punggol Digital District on Tuesday (Oct 1). This agency will act on behalf of victims to direct perpetrators and online service providers to promptly halt online harm. This agency will also be backed by a new law to improve protection for victims of online harms. Over 200 individuals, including Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean and Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo attended the launch. PM Wong said in his speech that supporting victims would be one of the goals of the Smart Nation initiative, which was launched in 2014 by then-Prime Minister Lee. «All victims of online harm want the damaging content online to be removed quickly and permanently,» he said, reported CNA. «Currently, victims can apply to court for a protection order, or make a police report. But legal and criminal proceedings can take time.»

Singaporeans can look forward to more payouts to tackle cost-of-living concerns in the coming months, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said on Wednesday (Oct 2). In a video shared on his YouTube channel, PM Wong, who is also the finance minister, said that more help will be given to households to offset their utility bills, and up to $600 in cash payouts for every Singaporean. There will also be another $300 in Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers for every household that will be disbursed in January 2025. These measures to cushion the impact of cost of living increases are part of the government-introduced Assurance Package, which has been enhanced three times since 2022, bringing its total to over $10 billion. So far this year, every Singaporean household was given $800 in CDC vouchers, and those living in public housing have received up to $400 in utilities rebates. Eligible Singapore citizens have also received up to $700 in cash payouts.

Dyson conducted a retrenchment exercise on Tuesday (Oct 1), giving the labour union in Singapore only a day's notice of the layoff. The United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries (UWEEI) expressed disappointment with the appliance maker's conduct, saying in a statement on Tuesday that it has «escalated» the matter to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). UWEEI said it was dissatisfied that there was insufficient time for meaningful discussion between the union and Dyson over the retrenchment. The statement did not mention the number of workers affected. A Dyson spokesperson also did not disclose to The Business Times the number of workers that were let go, or the types of roles they had held. The spokesperson said: «We constantly evolve the composition of our teams and take steps to ensure we have the right skills in the right places. Our ambitions in Singapore remain unchanged, and we anticipate that we will continue to grow here in the medium term.»

SINGAPORE — Plans are afoot to equip scientists and students with artificial intelligence (AI) know-how and offer swift remedies to victims traumatised by cyber bullying and deepfakes circulating online, as Singapore charts its next Smart Nation milestones. Announcing the refreshed Smart Nation 2.0 plan on Oct 1, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that Singapore must sharpen its focus on what he described as the «three building blocks» in the next phase of its journey to becoming a technologically enabled nation. The building blocks of growth, community and trust go beyond a narrow focus on digitalisation, the hallmark of Singapore's first Smart Nation plan launched in 2014. «The digital landscape today is vastly different from a decade ago when our first Smart Nation plan was launched,» said PM Wong at the launch held in the Punggol Digital District, which has been earmarked as Singapore's first Smart Nation business district. «Smartphones and social media have become the main ways we communicate with each other. Perhaps the biggest change is the recent breakthroughs in generative AI,» he said.

Victims of phishing scams disguised as advertisements on social media have collectively lost at least $162,000 since Sept 1. In these cases, victims would come across advertisements or sponsored posts on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok promoting heavily discounted items such as personal accessories, electronics, food and cleaning supplies. Clicking links embedded in these posts would lead victims to either a phishing site which prompted them to key in their card details and one-time passwords to pay for the products themselves, or delivery. Victims would only realise they had been scammed when they discover unauthorised transactions charged to their cards or when the items are not delivered. There is a recent uptick in phishing scams, with at least 173 reports lodged in September, said the police on Monday (Sept 30). The police advised the public to take precautions such as setting limits on their cards for online transactions and enabling multi-factor authentication for banks and e-wallets to avoid such situations.

It must be their day off. A condominium resident is unhappy to regularly see maids and their friends dressing scantily and posing provocatively for videos in the condo pool. Stomp contributor IL, who lives in a condo in District 11, shared photos of one such incident, which took place on Sept 22 at around 6pm. «I know there had been controversies with whether domestic helpers are allowed to use condo common facilities,» said the Stomp contributor. «I am not against a domestic helper who is hired by condo resident to use the facility as she is also a resident of the condo herself. »But what happens if every week or alternate week for the past six months, a few of the domestic helpers would invite their friends to the condo, dressing scantily and posing provocatively to take pictures and videos?« The Stomp contributor said the women could be around from late mornings, bring their own lunch and stay until 8pm. »They moved pool furniture around without rearranging it back and showered in the only one shower room before leaving the condo," said the resident.

Cigarette butts were strewn on the floor. The police were called twice because of noisy gatherings in the void deck of Block 22 Hougang Avenue 3. Stomp contributor Daniel shared photos of tables and chairs left behind in the void deck after the gatherings. «Despite numerous attempts at communicating with Aljunied-Hougang Town Council, the table and chairs as highlighted were not removed,» said the Stomp contributor. «These posed a fire hazard and threaten the safety of the residents. Other than this, pails with water were left behind, which is a concern due to mosquito breeding. PHOTO:Stomp »I have compiled the photos since Sept 3 and have been in contact with the town council since August.« The Stomp contributor said: »These illegal gatherings of more than five adults drinking beer, smoking and making loud noises happens almost daily for years."

Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam has responded to Lee Hsien Yang's claims about the $619,335.53 in damages paid to him and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.  In a Facebook post on Sept 29, Lee claimed the amount he paid to the two ministers was «equivalent to 13.6 months' rental for the two Ridout houses».  Pointing out that his «significant asset» in Singapore is 38 Oxley Road, Lee said that he made the payment to honour his late father's wishes in connection with his home. He also did it to allow his ill sister, Wei Ling, to continue living in the house.

There are some things that money can't buy. For Sng Mui Hong, no amount can convince her to sell the land which Kampong Lorong Buangkok — Singapore's last remaining kampung — stands on. She and her four siblings inherited the village from her late father Sng Teow Koon, who bought the 12,248 sq m plot of land in 1956. And despite the land reportedly being valued at a staggering $70 million, Sng remains steadfast in her conviction of holding onto the kampung because of a promise, she said in a TikTok video uploaded by property agents Wan & Zal last Monday (Sept 23). Clad in a checkered shirt and patterned pants while sitting astride a bicycle, the youngest of four children shared that her father had wanted to keep the land for his descendants. https://www.tiktok.com/@wanandzal/video/7417770017309068560 «It's a big sin, since you already promised your father [to keep the land], how can you lie?» She told the duo in Malay. Sng added that the kampung will be left to her relatives in the future, who are aware of the promise and their grandfather's wishes.

SINGAPORE — Three Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) warrant officers are now in trouble with the law after they allegedly disturbed the peace by fighting in a public place in June. Ranger Ng Zhi Wei, 41, who is a second warrant officer, and third warrant officers Kevin Nicholas Simon, 34, and Kelvin Tang Chee Tat, 43, are accused of committing the offence at the Aviary KTV at The Chevrons recreational club in Boon Lay Way shortly after 8pm on June 28. They were each handed an affray charge on Sept 27. The Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Sept 30 that the SAF is aware of the case. Its spokesperson added: “(Mindef) and the SAF will consider taking further disciplinary actions against them, following the conclusion of the court proceedings. As court proceedings are ongoing, Mindef and the SAF are unable to comment further on the case at this juncture. “The SAF holds its service personnel to high standards of discipline and integrity. Service personnel who commit offences will be dealt with in accordance with the law.” The trio are expected to plead guilty on Nov 8.

The sight of a train arriving at Clementi MRT station brought relief to some passengers.  After six days of disruptions on the East-West Line, full train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations resumed on Tuesday morning (Oct 1).  When AsiaOne visited Clementi MRT station at about 5.30am, SMRT service ambassadors could be seen greeting commuters and guiding them when assistance was needed.  An SMRT service ambassador giving directions to a commuter at Clementi MRT station.  PHOTO: AsiaOne/Jasper Lim Operations were also running smoothly, with passenger trains arriving and departing the station according to the scheduled times displayed on the information system panel.