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Three male motorists were disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for a year after they were convicted of providing illegal car or motorcycle pooling services.
The trio were also handed fines of S$1,800 each. The three men were booked during enforcement operations carried out by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on May 3, 2023. Their vehicles were impounded at the time for investigations. First person to be convicted for providing illegal motorcycle-pooling services One of the men, 33-year-old Muhammad Husabullah Rosly, was the first person to be convicted of conveying passengers for hire and reward using a motorcycle. Court documents revealed that Husabullah was around a drop-off point of Block 505D Yishun Street 51 with his motorcycle when he was noticed by an LTA enforcement officer. Even though Hasbullah did not know the passenger who he was about to pick up, he told the enforcement officer that the passenger was a friend. Follow-up investigations also found that Hasbullah's passenger had initially planned to head to ITE College West that day and agreed to pay him S$18 for the trip. Previously, LTA had released a statement that motorcycles were not allowed to be used to convey passengers for hire and reward regardless of booking platforms, citing "safety risks" involved. Other two men provided illegal car-pooling services The other two men, 21-year-old Muhammad Nasrulhaq Shamsulnizam and 36-year-old De Cruz Wayne Randall, were both convicted of providing illegal carpooling services. Nasrulhaq was found to have collected S$24 after ferrying a passenger from Rivervale Drive to Thomson Plaza by car on May 3. Similarly, Randall was also found to have transported a passenger by car from Compassvale Road to Kallang Leisure Park on the same date, even though he did not have a valid vocational licence and his vehicle did not carry a valid public service vehicle licence at the time. Additionally, Randall was handed a charge of using a vehicle without insurance coverage under the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act, as his vehicle's insurance policy did not cover third-party passengers at the time. For each count of providing illegal carpooling services without a vocational licence, or using an unlicensed vehicle, the duo could have been jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$3,000, or both. What kind of car-pooling is allowed? In an earlier statement given to reporters, an LTA spokesperson said that only car-pooling arrangements facilitated through licensed business platforms, such as GrabHitch, and other license-exempt business platforms are currently permitted. There are no restrictions on social car-pooling amongst friends and colleagues. However, car-pooling matched through informal non-business mediums, such as via Telegram groups, continues to be disallowed. There have been multiple reported cases of harassment and injury during such rides. LTA will continue to "monitor and take enforcement action" against those providing illegal car-pooling, as well as car-pooling matching, services, added the spokesperson. An SMRT bus was found to have collided with a lamp post in front of Block 403 Bedok North Ave 3 on the afternoon of Mar. 17, 2024.
The scene was captured by an onlooker who subsequently shared it on the Facebook page, "Professional PHV Drivers Singapore: Grab, Gojek, Tada n Ryde". According to the photo, the lamp post could be seen dangling diagonally to the road as a result of the collision. The bus captain can be seen sitting on the parapet of the pedestrian walkway next to the parked bus. At least two police officers were also present at the scene conducting investigations. SMRT investigating the incident In response to reporters queries, Deputy Managing Director of SMRT Buses, Vincent Gay, confirmed that the incident had taken place on Sunday at around 1:30pm. Gay said that bus service 67 was turning into the bus stop at the aforementioned HDB block when it "collided into a lamp post". There were "no reported injuries" amongst the commuters onboard the bus. "The safety of our commuters is our top priority. Our bus captain facilitated the safe transfer of all 10 commuters onto another bus to continue their journeys," added Gay. SMRT is currently investigating the incident, the statement read. The Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF) on Sunday (Mar. 17) presented a S$6.1 million cheque, raised by the Singapore public in donations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Cheque presentation The cheque was presented at a ceremony in Amman, Jordan, by RLAF CEO Muhammad Faizal Othman to Ben Majekodunmi, the Chief of Staff of UNRWA. Muhammad Faizal shared that this is the highest amount that RLAF has ever raised for a humanitarian effort in the charity's history: "This incredible sum...represents the collective heart of Singapore. We are grateful to everyone who has generously contributed to this worthy cause". The cheque presentation was witnessed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Manpower, Zaqy Mohamed. Present in the ceremony were also Members of Parliament Alex Yam, Gerald Giam, Nadia Ahmad Samdin, Rachel Ong, and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim. Official visit Vivian is making an official visit to the Middle East from Mar. 18 to Mar. 24, 2024. He will be visiting the Palestinian territories, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. He is accompanied by Members of Parliament and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More than S$8.1 million raised so far The RLAF Foundation announced in a press release (Mar.17) that it has raised a total of S$8,114,422 for its humanitarian relief for Gaza appeal to provide aid in the form of health, relief and shelter for communities affected by the dire situation. The initial collection period for the fundraising initiative was from October 19 2023 to October 31 2023. Due to an outpouring of donations, RLAF obtained a two-week extension of permit from the Commissioner of Charities (CoC) for the fundraising to be conducted until November 17 2023. SINGAPORE – A scientist from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) sent messages to foreign mobile phone numbers in 2019 and 2020 in an attempt to arrange for commercial sex with children as young as 12 years old.
Jason Scott Herrin, 49, a principal research fellow at NTU at the time of the offences, was also found to have 31 obscene films and 90 photographs of child abuse after his phone was seized in August 2020. On March 18, 2024, the American pleaded guilty to two charges – communicating with another person for the purpose of obtaining commercial sex with a minor under 18, and another of possessing child abuse material. Another two charges were taken into consideration for sentencing. When Herrin was charged in January 2022, NTU’s website listed him as a staff scientist at the Facility for Analysis, Characterisation, Testing and Simulation. The Earth Observatory of Singapore’s website stated at the time that he was “involved in volcano research and the study of meteorites and asteroid impacts on Earth”. Following Herrin’s criminal charges, NTU said he has been suspended and barred from the campus, pending the outcome of the court proceedings. His profile is no longer available on both websites. The court heard on March 18 that while Herrin was in Singapore on Nov 14, 2019, he sent a WhatsApp message to an Indonesian mobile phone number. He told the recipient of the message to offer 12-year-old girls money in exchange for providing him sexual services. In their conversation, as revealed in court documents, Herrin offered four million rupiah (S$340) for sex, and two million rupiah for a sex act. On Feb 18, 2020, he sent a message to another foreign mobile phone number, telling the recipient to find a “kid” for him for a “high price”. Charge sheets state he intended to procure sexual services from the child. Deputy Public Prosecutor Selene Yap said that after a police report was made regarding an unrelated matter, the police seized Herrin’s mobile phone on Aug 17, 2020, at his residence. She did not elaborate on what the original police report was about. A forensic examiner from the Criminal Investigation Department extracted messages, images and video files from Herrin’s phone, and found 90 photos showing child abuse. DPP Yap said Herrin had downloaded the photos from a few websites, and has been downloading such materials since 2019. His case is scheduled for a hearing on May 17. He is expected to be sentenced after that. NTU said previously in response to The Straits Times’ queries that all members of the university community are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct, and to abide by the law at all times. A NTU spokesman said: “The university will undertake internal disciplinary action after sentencing by the court, in accordance with our policies and procedures. It would be inappropriate to comment further while the case is before the court.” SINGAPORE - A woman, who failed to alert the police despite having reasons to believe that a man had raped her friend, was ordered to undergo probation for a year and nine months on March 18.
The 22-year-old woman had also committed other unrelated offences including cheating. As part of the sentence, she has to remain indoors from 11pm to 6am every day and perform 100 hours of community service. Her mother was also bonded for $5,000 to ensure her good behaviour. The names of all parties linked to this case have been redacted from court documents. On Feb 1, the offender admitted in court that she had failed to immediately give information to the police about the rape. The prosecution said she was legally bound to do so. The woman had also pleaded guilty to cheating and other offences. The woman, the 23-year-old victim, a 19-year-old male teenager and a 20-year-old man were part of a party of eight who had gathered in a room at Hotel Royal in Newton Road during the Covid-19 pandemic on Nov 28, 2021. The teenager was identified in court documents as B1, and the 20-year-old man, B2. The group shared eight bottles of alcoholic drinks. The court documents did not disclose the outcome of the cases involving the man and the teenager. At around midnight, a hotel concierge called the room to tell them they were in breach of Covid-19 regulations. Due to safe management measures, only up to five people could gather in a group at the time. Two people left the room, while six remained. In the wee hours of Nov 29, 2021, the victim felt tipsy and nodded off after downing a last shot of liquor. B2, who was lying next to her on a bed, began hugging her. Some time between 3am and 6am, B1 carried the victim to the bathroom and B2 raped the unresponsive woman. Court documents did not state what the other people in the room were doing at the time. After committing the offence, B2 carried the victim out and placed her back on the bed before falling asleep. When he woke up, he told B1 and the female offender that he had sex with the woman. The trio agreed they would lie to the victim by claiming she had woken up before following the man to the bathroom. The victim woke up later that morning and suspected she had been raped when she felt pain while using the toilet. She later asked the female offender what had happened, and the latter replied that she did not know. At around 9am, all six people left the hotel and the victim lodged a police report on Dec 1, 2021. Separately, in March 2022, the female offender came across an Instagram advertisement for “fast cash”, which directed her to a group on messaging platform Telegram. She communicated with a man known as “London Stark”, who offered her $1,000 to open a bank account. The woman did as she was told before handing over the Internet banking details, such as her password, to him. In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Tan Jing Min said the bank had not authorised her to do so. The woman had also deceived the bank into believing she was the sole operator of the account. Between March 9 and 16, 2022, London Stark used the account to handle the proceeds of a scam. The DPP did not disclose the amount involved. On May 9, 2022, the woman opened another bank account that was also used to handle scam proceeds. A woman living in Singapore threw a dangerous fit when she was upset by her husband.
She brandished a knife and swung it at him — witnessed by their two children, aged three and five. The wife, 33-year-old Lu Ut Em, attributed the incident to her short fuse. Aggressive outburst The episode, which occurred on Dec. 2, 2023, reported CNA. Lu lived with her kids and 61-year-old Singaporean husband in a Teck Whye flat. They also shared the home with other relatives. On the day of the incident, Lu was upset with her husband. Snarling and shrieking at her spouse, she wielded a kitchen knife and repeatedly swung it at him. According to reporters, video footage played in court on Mar. 14, 2024, showed that the man didn't appear to retaliate. Lu's two children and their grandmother also witnessed the moment. When her brother-in-law intervened, Lu re-directed her anger towards him instead. She repeatedly jabbed the knife towards his direction until he retreated towards the kitchen. Threatened husband At one point during the episode, Lu raised the knife and threatened her husband. She said something in Mandarin which included the word "bleed". It was initially thought that she had said, "I want you to bleed", but she denied it in court. When asked what she had meant, Lu replied, "I don't know." Husband eventually left the house During the episode, her husband eventually took up a chopper, hoping to scare his wife into ditching her knife. However, she remained unfazed. The man then left the house before things could get worse. The police were also called to the house, whereupon they arrested Lu. Another similar incident occurred in February 2024, with Lu remanded afterwards. Committed the offence because she was angry "Because I'm very hot-tempered. That's why I did so. Besides that, I am very OK." According to reporters, that was the response Lu gave a district judge when asked how she would ensure such incidents would not happen again. Lu apologised and asked for a fine instead of jail time so that she could care for her kids. She also said repeatedly that she had committed the offence because she was angry. "We're not saying you cannot be angry," the judge told Lu. "We're saying you need to control yourself after being angry and use some other methods to resolve your anger." He suggested she think of her children the next time she gets angry so that she can better control herself. Lu pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal intimidation and threatening her husband. She was sentenced to three months in jail and fined S$2,000. Missing M'sian's body surfaces in S'pore waters hours after car found abandoned on Johor bridge3/15/2024 The body of a 51-year-old Malaysian man has surfaced in Singapore waters.
It was found in the waters off Senoko Way, near Woodlands, on Mar. 11, 2024. The deceased was allegedly a private-hire driver who'd gone missing. Gone missing At around 6am the same day, the man’s car was found abandoned on a bridge in Permas Jaya, Johor. His identification card and mobile phone were left in the vehicle, Johor police told reporters. In an effort to locate him, the man's family used social media to appeal for witnesses and dashboard camera footage from any passing vehicles. Body found The man's body was subsequently uncovered in Singapore waters. Later in the day at around 3:25pm, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call for water rescue assistance at 27 Senoko, the agency told reporters. Upon arrival, SCDF rescuers sighted a body floating in the water. After they retrieved the body, the person was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic. Reporters said that the deceased's family left for Singapore to collect his body after they were notified of the news. Helplines If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear: SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767 Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours) Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children) SHECARES@SCWO: Call: 8001 01 4616 | WhatsApp: 6571 4400 (for targets of online harms) A Singaporean man allegedly assaulted a Thailand traffic police officer after he was fined for riding a motorcycle without a licence and a helmet in Phuket, as reported by local media.
No helmet and licence The 37-year-old, named by The Phuket News and The Thaiger as Lim Jia Jie, was reportedly stopped by Thai traffic police officers at the Cherng Talay Intersection checkpoint in Phuket, Thailand, at around 11:22 a.m. on March 13, 2024 for riding a motorcycle without a licence and a helmet. Thai traffic police officers issued Lim a fine for violating local traffic laws. Thai media outlets said that authorities did not reveal the amount of Lim's fine. Local traffic laws state that individuals may face a fine of up to S$74.6 (2,000 baht) for failing to wear a helmet and a fine of up to S$37.3 (1,000 baht) for riding without a licence. Threw money and punched officer on the head Lim reportedly flung the money at the Thai traffic officer who issued him the fine. He was also said to have grown more agitated and punched the Thai officer on the head after he was asked to leave the police station. As a result, the Thai officer suffered minor injuries. Faces additional charges Lim, who was subsequently restrained by other officers at the scene, was handed additional charges for attacking as well as insulting an on-duty officer. If convicted of attacking an on-duty officer, Lim can be jailed for up to one year, fined up to S$746 (20,000 baht), or both. Lim faces the same punishment if convicted of insulting an on-duty officer. SINGAPORE – A Singapore-Johor Express bus ran over a passenger’s legs after she fell while alighting, resulting in her needing to have them both amputated above the knee later.
Gunaselan R. Subramaniam, 45, who was driving the vehicle at the time, was sentenced to three weeks’ jail on March 15. The Malaysian was disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for two years from his date of release. He was also prohibited from driving any motor vehicles in Singapore for two years from his release date. He had been convicted on March 8 of causing grievous hurt to Ms Tuminah Sapie, who was 74 when the accident occurred, by driving the bus in a negligent manner. Gunaselan was driving the vehicle on June 24, 2019, when it stopped at a Woodlands Checkpoint departure concourse at around 10.45am for passengers to get off. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ariel Tan told the court that Gunaselan had failed to perform checks while Ms Tuminah was alighting from the bus as he was talking on his mobile phone. Another passenger that day had also testified in court that she had heard him talking on the device while passengers were stepping out of the vehicle. Ms Tuminah, who was the last passenger exiting the bus, told District Judge Cheng Yuxi that she was standing on the steps near the rear exit of the vehicle when she felt it moving again. DPP Tan said: “She then testified that she could not control her body when the bus moved suddenly, which resulted in her falling out of the bus. “Thereafter, when she was on the ground, she felt her legs being run over by the bus tyre.” She was rushed to hospital where she was found with injuries including a right lower limb mangled extremity and multiple fractures. She also had degloving injuries to her right groin and left lower limb. A body part is said to be degloved when top layers of skin and tissue are ripped from the underlying muscle or bone. “The injuries that she suffered resulted in bilateral above knee amputations, which constitutes grievous hurt,” said the prosecutor. Gunaselan had admitted in earlier proceedings that he felt his bus “going up a hump” after he closed the doors and drove off a short distance. This was consistent with Ms Tuminah’s evidence that she felt her legs being run over by the rear tyre of the bus, said the prosecutor. The prosecutor added: “A reasonable person would have driven off only after ensuring that all passengers had already alighted safely from his bus, at least by checking his viewing screen and all the mirrors. “We submit that the accused fell short of the requisite standard of care as he failed to conduct the necessary checks before driving off. If he had, he would have observed that Ms Tuminah was still alighting from his bus.” Represented by lawyer A. Revi Shanker, Gunaselan argued during the trial that he had not acted in a negligent manner and could not have endangered Ms Tuminah’s safety. Gunaselan also said that he had checked items including the vehicle’s left mirror before driving off but did not see her. For causing grievous hurt to another person by performing a negligent act, an offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $5,000. SINGAPORE – A male driver was arrested on March 13 after the crane on his lorry hit an overhead bridge in Chinatown.
The police said it was alerted to the accident in Eu Tong Sen Street towards Hill Street at about 11.10am and that the 46-year-old driver suffered minor injuries. He refused to be taken to hospital, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said. The driver was subsequently arrested for driving a heavy motor vehicle exceeding an overall height of 4.5m without being escorted by a police officer or auxiliary police officer. Reporters reported that the lorry was tilted to one side after the incident and its windshield was cracked. The lorry’s door had the company’s name, KH Waste Haulage Services, printed on it. The driver was handcuffed at the scene and taken away in a police car. An eyewitness working at a nearby bakery told reporters that she went out to see what had happened after hearing a loud bang, and saw the driver gripping his waist while exiting the lorry. Another eyewitness working near the accident site said the lorry’s contents had spilt out onto the road. Police investigations are ongoing. |
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