Netizens slam City Harvest's Sun Ho for blaming God on her involvement in Crossover Project

Yahoo! News Singapore, 14 Oct 2014
Sun Ho has acknowledged for the first time in public that she herself was having trouble reconciling the image of a pastor’s wife with her pop music persona as the “Chinese Geisha”.
Referring to the Crossover Project — the church’s mission to evangelise using secular pop music — the 42-year-old wife of City Harvest founder Kong Hee said, "There were moments during the Crossover, when I felt alone and I seldom talk about this, of course I had my US team, but it was just a hard mission".
“Many times, I asked God how long more I had to do it”, she said, before revealing she felt like “giving up” several times throughout the Project.
As part of the project, which started in 2002, Ho worked with music performers and producers like Wyclef Jean and Diane Warren. She released several songs including the reggae hip-hop number, “China Wine”, where she adopted the persona of a gyrating scantily-clad “ Chinese Geisha” in the music video which cost US$1 million to produce.
The music video quickly drew a barrage of scorn and criticism from netizens, who questioned how such music could support the church’s mission. Full story

What is so special about this FT accountant from Myanmar that she should received such a light sentence for abusing her maid? What message is the court sending to all FT maid employers with such lenient punishment?

Singsupplies.com, 13 Oct 2024
SINGAPORE - An accountant who abused her maid and got her to perform humiliating acts on camera was fined more than $12,000 on Monday.
Permanent resident May Thu San Kyaw Nyein, 34, began abusing the 25-year-old woman from Myanmar barely a week into her employment in October 2012. After accusing her of not washing a prayer vase and milk bottle properly, she ordered her to do 80 squats.
Later Nyein, also from Myanmar, slapped the maid's head and pulled her hair at her home in Tanglin Road.
A Community Court heard Nyein would film the helper on CCTV and later show her footage of things she had apparently done wrong. Link

FT to start replacing local judges soon

Bloomberg, 7 Oct 2014
Singapore’s move to allow foreign judges to hear commercial cases may boost its standing against regional rival Hong Kong where concerns have mounted that its judicial independence is being undermined by China.
While the commercial court will “absolutely” boost Singapore’s reputation, those with a negative perception of the country’s judiciary aren’t going to change their minds, according to Law Minister K. Shanmugam, whose previous clients as a lawyer included government leaders who successfully sued opposition politicians for libel.
Singapore pushed ahead with its legal services reform despite concerns from some that it might lead to foreign law firms dominating the market as they do in Hong Kong. Full story

OPINION: Lawyer Andre Arul was fined $50k for overcharging his client. Will action be taken against PAP MP Alvin Yeo too?

The Alternative View Facebook, 3 Oct 2014


Link

Related:

1. Singapore lawyer fined $50,000 for overcharging client - Thenewsynewsblog.blogspot.sg
2. COURT RULES THAT LAWYER, PAP MP ALVIN YEO OVERCHARGED $1 MILLION IN LEGAL FEES - The Real Singapore
3. Singapore Medical Council overcharged Susan Lim: Courts - The Online Citizen

Singapore CJ Sundaresh Menon overruled Appeal Court and spares reformative training for Indian drug trafficker

Hardwarezone Forum, 29 May 2014
A drugs trafficker was spared reformative training even after an appeals court found that it had been wrong to just sentence him to probation.
As Adith Sarvotham, 18, had already served a good part of his probation term by the time his appeal was heard in April, it would have been unfair to re-sentence him.
Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said there would be an "element of double punishment".
Adith had pleaded guilty last year to consuming and growing cannabis as well as trafficking. He was sentenced by the district court to three years' probation, which included 240 hours of community service and 12 months' residence at a prescribed hostel.
Prosecutors appealed to the High Court arguing that the probation order was inadequate and called for reformative training instead. Such trainees spend up to 36 months behind bars under a special regime for offenders aged under 21. Full story

Related:
INDIAN NATIONAL GREW TWO POTS OF CANNABIS AT YISHUN HOME AFTER LEARNING IT ONLINE - Hardwarezone Forum

Two Indian-origin Singapore businessmen charged for match-fixing in UK non-league games - report

Supersport.com, 19 May2014
Players and businessmen in the Far East allegedly conspired to fix matches by placing huge bets on non-league matches in England, a court heard on Monday.
The matches were targeted because non-league competitions are under far less scrutiny than professional games, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
Prosecution lawyer Robert Davies said Sankaran and Ganeshan were "central figures" in the alleged conspiracy, while the other three men were "willing recruits".
He said the men had come to Britain from Singapore intending to target non-league conference football competitions, which he described as a match-fixers' "Goldilocks scenario". Full story

Related:

1. One of the two Singaporeans charged in UK for match-fixing has dual-citizenship. Singapore Government now allows dual nationality?
2. Why Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan got dual citizenship? - Hardwarezone Forum
3. Two Singaporeans charged in UK match-fixing investigation - South China Morning Post

Indian Supreme Court instructs PR to scramble back to Singapore and face legal custody battle in local court

The Times Of India, 18 May 2014
In a ruling that will affect NRIs involved in legal custody battle for children, the Supreme Court has directed a mother to return to Singapore with her autistic child and subject herself to jurisdiction of the foreign court.
A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and V Gopala Gowda, however, directed the husband, who has initiated proceedings against the wife in Singapore, to fund her and the child's air ticket and also withdraw any contempt filed against her in the Singapore court.
The apex court's direction came after a petition filed by the father accusing his estranged wife of illegally spiriting away their child to India despite an order of the Singapore high court, directing she return with the child. Full story

Singapore attorney general allegedly pressured Lawrence Bernard Wee into withdrawing workplace discrimination plea - report

LGBT Weekly, 23 Apr 2014
SINGAPORE — A former executive of a multinational department store has withdrawn his appeal of workplace discrimination after the attorney general called his plea frivolous and vexatious, reports GayAsiaNews.com.
Lawrence Bernard Wee, 40, who was suing former employer Robinsons, has ended his quest to have the courts declare workplace discrimination against gay men unconstitutional by withdrawing his case April 21, the attorney general’s Chambers said in a media statement.
Last August, Wee had sought a court declaration that Article 12 of Singapore’s Constitution provided for equal protection of the law and prohibited workplace discrimination of gay men, according to todayonline.com.
Following that the attorney general’s Chambers applied to have this struck out on the basis that it was not sustainable in law, was frivolous and vexatious or was otherwise an abuse of the court process. Wee will have to pay costs to the attorney general for withdrawing the appeal. Full story

Former NUS law professor Tey Tsun Hang wrongly sacked and jailed as Singapore High Court overturns sex-for-favors conviction

Rappler.com, 28 Feb 2014
Singapore's High Court has overturned the conviction of a law professor jailed for obtaining sexual favors and gifts from a female student in exchange for better grades, his lawyer said Friday, February 28.
Former National University of Singapore (NUS) law professor Tey Tsun Hang, 42, served a five-month sentence last year after he was found guilty by a district court of six charges of corruption over his relationship with his then-student Darinne Ko in 2010.
The district court ruled that he had "exploited" the female student by obtaining sexual favors from her and also receiving gifts that included tailored shirts and a limited-edition pen.
But Tey's lawyer Peter Low said Friday that High Court Justice Woo Bih Li "allowed an appeal and overturned the conviction," five months after he completed his prison sentence. Full story

Related:

1. Singapore High Court overturns sex-for-favor conviction - Inquirer.net
2. Singapore High Court overturns sex-for-favours conviction - XIN MSN News 
3. Former Singapore professor wins appeal in sex-for-grades case - Freedistrict.com

Workers' Party to challenge NEA's summon in court

The Online Citizen, 18 Feb 2014
Statement from Workers’ Party chairman, Sylvia Lim:
“Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council is facing a summons from NEA in relation to this Lunar New Year Community and Floral Fair that we held recently at the Hougang Central Park.”
“So today was the first mention and through our lawyers we told the court that we intend to claim trial to the charge, and we intend to mount a defence and seek justice from the court.”
“I would also like to clarify that the lawyers we have hired are from the same firm that I am associated with.”
“But, we will not be touching any town council’s funds to mount this defence. We will be raising funds from elsewhere.”
“Neither me nor any Workers’ Party members will have any share in any fees that are paid to the law firm.”
Link

India sends senior diplomat to Singapore after learning Singaporean bus driver will not face any charges in Little India riot

Yahoo! News India, 12 Feb 2014
Senior Indian diplomat Anil Wadhwa is to travel to Singapore on Friday to discuss bilateral matters as well as the rioting that took place in December last year in the 'Little India' area.
The visit of Wadhwa, who is secretary, east in the ministry of external affairs, also comes as Singapore's Attorney General's office has said that a bus driver involved in the Dec 8 fatal accident of an Indian national, Sakthivel Kumaravelu, that sparked Singapore's worst riot in 40 years, will not face any legal action.
"We are in contact with the Singapore side to ensure that the facts of the case are fully investigated and due action is taken. Secretary (East) will be travelling to Singapore soon to discuss bilateral issues, including the incident of riots in Little India." Full story

India warns Singapore government it is closely watching the trial of it's citizens in Little India riot case

Livemint, 12 Feb 2014
India is in touch with authorities in Singapore to ensure that an Indian national found guilty of rioting in the city-state’s Little India district in December receives legal assistance and that the due process of law is followed, an Indian official said on Tuesday.
“We are in contact with the Singapore side to ensure that the facts of the case are fully investigated and due action is taken. A senior Indian diplomat (secretary, East) Anil Wadhwa will be travelling to Singapore shortly to discuss bilateral issues including matters relating to the riots,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said. Full story

Related:
Senior Indian diplomat to visit Singapore over 'Little India' riots - Yahoo! News India

British expat gets rare jail term for attacking 65-year-old Singaporean cab driver

TR Emeritus, 6 Feb 2014
A technical manager was jailed for two weeks by the court today (6 Feb) for pushing a taxi driver on the head in a road rage incident.
Briton Christopher Gordon Sang, 43, pleaded guilty to causing hurt to taxi driver Liu San Chuang, 65, outside the entrance of Dahlia Park condominium in Upper Changi on 19 Jul last year.
In mitigation, Sang’s lawyer said his client was “very remorseful” and “regretted the offence” which was “completely out of character”.
Sang could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000 for causing hurt.
According to LinkedIn information, Sang appears to be working as a technical manager at Hallin Marine in the oil and energy industry [Link]. Full story

Jealous 80-year-old man jailed and fined in Singapore for fight over a lady at Glad Tidings Church

NDTV.com, 3 Feb 2014
A jealous 80-year-old church caretaker in Singapore was today jailed for a day and fined for a brawl with his girlfriend's landlord inside the church.
Lim Song Chong, who suspected his girlfriend was in a relationship with her 65-year-old landlord Cheong Yee Mun, threw a kitchen knife at him in a brawl on holy ground.
He hurled the 20 cm-long knife at Cheong, who escaped being hit by hiding behind a pillar at the Glad Tidings Church. Full story

Little India rioter agrees to plead guilty to lesser charge after plea bargain deal with Singapore AGC desperate to avoid court proceeding

NDTV.com, 24 Jan 2014
A 32-year-old Indian national, one of the 25 people accused of taking part in Singapore's worst riots in over 40 years, is expected to be the first person to plead guilty to a reduced charge, a media report said today.
Chinnappa Vijayaragunatha Poopathi is among 25 Indian nationals facing charges relating to last month's riot which left 39 police officers and civil defence staff injured and 25 vehicles, including 16 police cars, damaged.
The prosecution told the court today that it has agreed to reduce the charge against Chinnappa to allegedly being involved in an unlawful assembly of at least five persons despite having been ordered to disperse.
This came about after Chinnappa's lawyer Sunil Sudheesan made representations to the Attorney-General's Chambers. Full story

Related:
Little India riot: Indian to plead guilty to lesser charge - The Times Of India

Singapore lawyer seeks quashing of deportation of Indian worker acquitted by court

The Indian Express, 26 Dec 2013
Singapore activist lawyer M Ravi has applied to the High Court to quash the deportation order of one of the 57 foreign workers sent home for their alleged involvement in the December 8 riot in the city-state.
Ravi is also asking for Rajendran Ranjan's work permit to be reinstated, so that the 22-year-old Indian can continue working in Singapore, The Straits Times reported on Wednesday.
Ranjan had initially been accused of being part of a group of seven men who used a wooden stick, a dustbin and a metal drain cover to smash the windscreen of a private bus which had knocked down an Indian, leading to his death in Little India area in the city.
After the prosecution withdrew the charges, District Judge Lim Tse Haw ruled that the seven men had been given a discharge amounting to an acquittal. Full story

AGC Singapore responds to statement supporting Alex Au

Freedistrict.com, 5 Dec 2013
The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) on Thursday responded to a statement supporting blogger Alex Au purportedly signed by 170 academics, civil activists and artists, and sent to the media on November 29, 2013.
The “Statement on AGC Action against Alex Au”, expresses concerns over the AGC being granted permission by the High Court to take legal action against Mr Au for one of his blog articles, citing the constitutional right to freedom of expression.
The AGC statement said the allegations severely undermined the judicial officers’ standing, and the authority of the judiciary as a whole.
The statement said, “if Mr Au has erred, then his claims should be rebutted in public.” Full story

Singapore court denies bail to man charged with government website hacking; credits Malaysian police for his arrest

NDTV.com, 5 Dec 2013
An Indian-origin man charged with hacking three official websites, including those of the Singapore premier's office and the presidential palace, was today denied bail by a court here.
James Raj Arokiasamy, 35, was charged on November 12 with hacking the Ang Mo Kio district website, whose MPs include Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and posting the image of a Guy Fawkes Mask used by Anonymous - a global network of hackers.
District judge Soh Tze Bian today said James Raj should not be granted bail because he previously jumped bail and fled to Malaysia after being slapped with illegal drugs consumption charges in 2011.
"If not for the efforts of Malaysian police, he'd still be in Malaysia," the The Straits Times quoted the judge as saying. Full story

Madras high court steps in to block Singapore court's summon for Janata Party leader Dr Subramanian Swamy to appear in the republic

The Times Of India, 10 Oct 2013
CHENNAI: Giving a respite to Dr Subramanian Swamy, on whom a Singapore court has slapped notices for defamation proceedings, the Madras high court restrained a Chennai-based consultancy firm from initiating any legal proceedings in any place other than Chennai.
The matter relates to a press conference held by Swamy at New Delhi on April 26, 2012. During the meet, he had commented on the alleged irregularities in the spectrum allocation and the Aircel-Maxis deal, which too forms part of the 25 scam.
Noting that the press conference was held in Delhi, and that he as well as the holding company, Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited, were from Chennai, Swamy said the natural jurisdiction/forum for the defamation proceedings was India, and not Singapore. Full story

Related:

1. Swamy now wants wider CBI probe in Aircel-Maxis deal - The Hindu
2. Injunction on Singapore firm in Swamy case - The New Indian Express

Singapore judge throws out latest challenge against anti-gay law

theSundaydaily, 2 Oct 2013
Singapore's High Court on Wednesday dismissed a constitutional challenge against an archaic law criminalising sex between men, the second such petition turned down this year.
In a written judgment, the court reiterated an earlier ruling that it was up to Parliament to repeal the provision in the penal code, known as Section 377A.
"Parliament has the mandate under our Constitution and system of law to make decisions on and surrounding controversial issues," Judge Quentin Loh said in his verdict on the challenge, launched by a man who was arrested after being caught with a male partner in a public toilet cubicle in 2010. Full story