Today ran this story on 12 May 2009:
Who wants to be an NMP? They do...
By Derrick Paulo and Ong Dai Lin
Additional reporting by Genevieve Loh
SHE was unsuccessful two years ago, but Ms Jolyn Chua is reapplying to be a Nominated Member of Parliament.
The honorary secretary of crime awareness group Crime Library walked in to Parliament House yesterday with her forms and the same passion that motivated her at her first attempt. “I’m looking to have Singapore become more supportive of crime victims.
“There’s no comprehensive package to service them. ... In terms of consoling and support groups, (the support) is zero,” said the 43-year-old. She was one of several who submitted their names as the 4.30pm deadline loomed.
Today counted 11 - in addition to those being nominated by six groups from different sectors of society - who turned up on a rainy afternoon, including theatre practitioner Beatrice Chia-Richmond.
The last person to make it, businessman Lim Beng Cheng, had five minutes to spare as his taxi arrived outside Parliament House.
“I was quite anxious … I was afraid I had missed the deadline, as I was busy attending to other matters before this,” said the 48-year-old who identified the environment and energy as areas of interest.
The silver population had its proponent in Mr Chia Sze Soon, president of the Active Retirees’ Association and a former business editor of Lianhe Zaobao. But the 65-year-old conceded his chances of becoming NMP were “very slim”. “It’s very competitive … I hope that whoever gets in, someone will speak on the behalf of the old people.”
That person could still come from social and community service organisations, for which National Council of Social Service CEO Ang Bee Lian is the coordinator to submit names to Parliament.
NCSS, however, referred Today to the Parliament Secretariat, which was unable to reply by press time about the final tally of applications.
For its part, coordinator for the professions, The Academy of Medicine Singapore, said it considered eight individuals and was nominating two who have “skills and context in the areas we feel are important and relevant in the current climate, namely healthcare and IT”.
Business and industry will have three names for the Special Select Committee, chaired by Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi. The Singapore Business Federation convened a meeting as early as April 23 to discuss the potential candidates with the local business chambers and trade associations.
The labour movement nominee is almost certain to be Terry Lee, president of the Singapore Insurance Employees Union and a central committee member of the National Trades Union Congress.
But it is not known who from the tertiary educational institutions could join him. Today was unable to get through to incumbent NMP, law professor Thio Li-ann, 41, who had been earlier undecided about re-applying.
But Mr Siew Kum Hong, 34, was at Parliament yesterday to re-apply.
And along with her theatre peers Audrey Wong and Loretta Chen, Ms Chia-Richmond, 34, finally threw her name in the hat after discussing the matter with her family.
Asked what she would raise in Parliament, she said, “First and foremost, I’m a citizen of Singapore, a working artist and a young mother and wife. This would serve me well.”
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Labour Chief: The Storm Isn't Over Yet
News radio station 938LIVE ran this story on 11 May 2009:
The storm isn't over yet, says labour chief
SINGAPORE: Labour chief Lim Swee Say has warned workers to brace themselves for a possible second wave of retrenchments.
He was speaking to reporters at a job fair on Monday.
"I think the first quarter was very bad for the manufacturing sector. The second quarter, we saw some positive signs. The question is, whether these positive signs can last through the third quarter and beyond. We are holding our breaths in looking at what's happening in the second quarter. But our greater concerns are the third and fourth quarters," he said.
Some 9,000 workers in the manufacturing sector lost their jobs in the first quarter, mainly from the electronics industry with the unemployment rate rising to 3.2 per cent.
Mr Lim stressed that the local labour movement does not believe the recession is ending soon, despite some experts saying that the economy may have gone through its worst patch.
"We continue to see job losses in USA. We continue to see unemployment rates going up in USA. While the world may be starting to gamble with their money in the stock market, here in Singapore, we cannot afford to gamble the job of workers. What we have to do is to continue to stay on course. We continue to commit to this policy of retrenchments as a last resort," he said.
He added that these gloomy times also present the best opportunity for businesses to expand.
Not only is it now more cost effective to do so, Mr Lim said, the recession has also made it easier for companies look out for suitable candidates to join their payroll.
The storm isn't over yet, says labour chief
SINGAPORE: Labour chief Lim Swee Say has warned workers to brace themselves for a possible second wave of retrenchments.
He was speaking to reporters at a job fair on Monday.
"I think the first quarter was very bad for the manufacturing sector. The second quarter, we saw some positive signs. The question is, whether these positive signs can last through the third quarter and beyond. We are holding our breaths in looking at what's happening in the second quarter. But our greater concerns are the third and fourth quarters," he said.
Some 9,000 workers in the manufacturing sector lost their jobs in the first quarter, mainly from the electronics industry with the unemployment rate rising to 3.2 per cent.
Mr Lim stressed that the local labour movement does not believe the recession is ending soon, despite some experts saying that the economy may have gone through its worst patch.
"We continue to see job losses in USA. We continue to see unemployment rates going up in USA. While the world may be starting to gamble with their money in the stock market, here in Singapore, we cannot afford to gamble the job of workers. What we have to do is to continue to stay on course. We continue to commit to this policy of retrenchments as a last resort," he said.
He added that these gloomy times also present the best opportunity for businesses to expand.
Not only is it now more cost effective to do so, Mr Lim said, the recession has also made it easier for companies look out for suitable candidates to join their payroll.
Mas Selamat Hid in Small Village in Johor
ChannelNewsAsia ran this story on 11 May 2009:
Mas Selamat hid in small village in Johor
By Zaki Amrullah
Mas Selamat lived in a picturesque traditional stilted house, surrounded by fruit trees, in a tiny village in Johor state
SKUDAI, JOHOR BAHRU: Residents in Malaysia's Johor town of Skudai who came into contact with Jemaah Islamiyah leader Mas Selamat Kastari have painted differing profiles of the man.
Some described him as aloof while others said he was polite and easy to talk to.
It seems that Mas Selamat had found the perfect hiding place in Malaysia after his escape from Singapore's Whitley Road Detention Centre in February last year.
The fugitive stayed in a secluded village in Malaysia's south before he was recaptured on 1 April.
The village, called Kampong Tawakal, is about 10 kilometres off the North-South Highway near the Kempas exit.
The village has less than 100 people.
Neighbours said Mas Selamat arrived last August and stayed at an un-numbered house.
"He was like an ordinary person. He seemed very pious. You must understand, a pious man doesn't want to mix around nor discuss trivialities. When we met, he only greeted us with "May peace be upon you, Haji." We were headed to the prayer hall. We also didn't ask who he was," said neighbour Jamian Simin.
But there was another side to Mas Selamat. Some described him as a respectful person who loved to fish at a nearby canal.
"He was a nice guy, his attitude was good. He was soft-spoken and respectful to me. I called him 'elder brother'. But when we spoke, he wouldn't face me but looked left, right and up. He wouldn't look me in the eye," said a resident.
During his stay in the village, Mas Selamat did odd jobs and laid low.
He trimmed vegetation, planted banana trees and tapioca and bathed from a well nearby.
Mas Selamat hid in small village in Johor
By Zaki Amrullah
Mas Selamat lived in a picturesque traditional stilted house, surrounded by fruit trees, in a tiny village in Johor stateSKUDAI, JOHOR BAHRU: Residents in Malaysia's Johor town of Skudai who came into contact with Jemaah Islamiyah leader Mas Selamat Kastari have painted differing profiles of the man.
Some described him as aloof while others said he was polite and easy to talk to.
It seems that Mas Selamat had found the perfect hiding place in Malaysia after his escape from Singapore's Whitley Road Detention Centre in February last year.
The fugitive stayed in a secluded village in Malaysia's south before he was recaptured on 1 April.
The village, called Kampong Tawakal, is about 10 kilometres off the North-South Highway near the Kempas exit.
The village has less than 100 people.
Neighbours said Mas Selamat arrived last August and stayed at an un-numbered house.
"He was like an ordinary person. He seemed very pious. You must understand, a pious man doesn't want to mix around nor discuss trivialities. When we met, he only greeted us with "May peace be upon you, Haji." We were headed to the prayer hall. We also didn't ask who he was," said neighbour Jamian Simin.
But there was another side to Mas Selamat. Some described him as a respectful person who loved to fish at a nearby canal.
"He was a nice guy, his attitude was good. He was soft-spoken and respectful to me. I called him 'elder brother'. But when we spoke, he wouldn't face me but looked left, right and up. He wouldn't look me in the eye," said a resident.
During his stay in the village, Mas Selamat did odd jobs and laid low.
He trimmed vegetation, planted banana trees and tapioca and bathed from a well nearby.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Singapore Government Confirms Arrest of Mas Selamat
ChannelNewsAsia ran this story on 8 May 2009:
Singapore government confirms arrest of Mas Selamat
By Asha Popatlal
SINGAPORE: The Singapore government has confirmed the arrest of fugitive Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari who escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre more than a year ago.
In a statement on Friday, Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry said: "Mas Selamat has been arrested by the Malaysian Special Branch (MSB) in a joint operation between the MSB and the Internal Security Department (ISD)."
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said Singapore is happy that Mas Selamat has been arrested.
Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD) had worked hard and looked at every lead, sharing information with its Malaysian counterpart.
Mr Wong, who was speaking to reporters at the Home Affairs Ministry on Friday, added that the Malaysian Special Branch has done excellent work.
Both parties have a longstanding cordial relationship which resulted in the arrest of Mas Selamat on April 1.
For now, the JI leader will remain in Malaysia as the authorities there want to continue interviewing him.
The deputy prime minister said Singaporeans must maintain vigilance and not let their guard down following Mas Selamat's arrest as the terror threat is real and Singapore is a prime target.
With Singapore's long coastline, Mr Wong said Singaporeans must not assume the country is safe as there are other JI members who have not been detained.
He said Mas Selamat will be sent to the Whitley Road Detention Centre again when he is brought back to Singapore.
Mr Wong added that the centre is now a different place compared to what it was when the JI leader escaped on February 27 last year.
He also revealed that Mas Selamat had used an improvised flotation device to escape from the north shore of Singapore to Johor Bahru.
Separately, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said the arrest of Mas Salamat is a welcome piece of news to Singaporeans.
He said the JI leader's arrest speaks highly of security forces involved in the operation.
"It's a tribute to the professionalism of the intelligence agencies. They worked across borders with their partners to secure his eventual arrest."
Singapore government confirms arrest of Mas Selamat
By Asha Popatlal
SINGAPORE: The Singapore government has confirmed the arrest of fugitive Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari who escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre more than a year ago.
In a statement on Friday, Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry said: "Mas Selamat has been arrested by the Malaysian Special Branch (MSB) in a joint operation between the MSB and the Internal Security Department (ISD)."
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said Singapore is happy that Mas Selamat has been arrested.
Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD) had worked hard and looked at every lead, sharing information with its Malaysian counterpart.
Mr Wong, who was speaking to reporters at the Home Affairs Ministry on Friday, added that the Malaysian Special Branch has done excellent work.
Both parties have a longstanding cordial relationship which resulted in the arrest of Mas Selamat on April 1.
For now, the JI leader will remain in Malaysia as the authorities there want to continue interviewing him.
The deputy prime minister said Singaporeans must maintain vigilance and not let their guard down following Mas Selamat's arrest as the terror threat is real and Singapore is a prime target.
With Singapore's long coastline, Mr Wong said Singaporeans must not assume the country is safe as there are other JI members who have not been detained.
He said Mas Selamat will be sent to the Whitley Road Detention Centre again when he is brought back to Singapore.
Mr Wong added that the centre is now a different place compared to what it was when the JI leader escaped on February 27 last year.
He also revealed that Mas Selamat had used an improvised flotation device to escape from the north shore of Singapore to Johor Bahru.
Separately, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said the arrest of Mas Salamat is a welcome piece of news to Singaporeans.
He said the JI leader's arrest speaks highly of security forces involved in the operation.
"It's a tribute to the professionalism of the intelligence agencies. They worked across borders with their partners to secure his eventual arrest."
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Most Accept MOM's Settlement Offer
The New Paper ran this story on 6 May 2009:
Most accept MOM's settlement offer
FOR these unhappy workers, their six-hour wait last week seems to have paid off - to some extent.
Yesterday, the workers claimed that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has paid more than $1,000 and provided a ticket back to China to each of them.
The New Paper reported last Tuesday that about 200 Chinese workers had gathered outside the MOM building at Havelock Road on Monday.
The workers, who were mainly from three companies, Hokh Contract Services, Raffles Contractors and Neo-Built, had gathered there to demand their outstanding wages.
They were also unhappy that their work permits were terminated without prior notice on 13 Apr.
MOM had revoked the permits of the workers from the three companies as the companies had failed to pay the foreign worker levy, failed to produce documents and physically produce their workers.
As a result of the termination, many workers had to forfeit part of the money they had paid their companies for 'expenses'.
About 400 workers who turned up at a meeting held at the MOM office at Kim Seng Road yesterday left the place with mixed feelings.
Eighty per cent of them accepted the offer of settlement, the MOM told The New Paper without going into details.
A former worker from Hokh Contract Services, who only wanted to be known as Mr Xu, said he was satisfied with the outcome.
The 30-year-old said: 'I cannot ask for more. They have done what they could. I know that some of my friends are not happy but it is not easy to satisfy all of us.'
Mr Zhou Degui, 50, felt that the sum offered was too small.
Mr Zhou, formerly from Neo-Built, said that the sum offered was small compared to what he was owed by the company.
A former Hokh Contract Services worker, Mr Fan Cheng Gui, 42, said that even though he was not satisfied, there is nothing he can do.
He said: 'And I've only been here for one month. You can just say that we are unlucky.'
According to a former Raffles Contractors employee, Mr Wang Yu, 37, each worker has to pay the companies amounts varying between $5,000 and $6,000 every year.
This sum would cover the total monthly expenses, such as insurance.
At the gathering last Monday, MOM officers had scheduled a meeting with the workers at the MOM office at Kim Seng Road yesterday so the matter could be discussed further.
The meeting, which started at 9am, lasted for about three hours.
The New Paper also understands that each worker was handled individually by the MOM officers.
More workers
Meanwhile, the New Paper saw another batch of workers from two other companies gathered outside the MOM premises yesterday.
Claiming to be from construction and engineering companies, they claimed they also faced the same problem of non-payment of wages.
Mr Wang Yu Shan, 42, a worker who was there with the new group, showed The New Paper four namecards from four companies which had the same addresses and telephone numbers.
Another worker from this group told The New Paper that the MOM had asked them to to come back tomorrow .
It is understood that the MOM will be releasing the details of the settlement of the cases in due course.
Most accept MOM's settlement offer
FOR these unhappy workers, their six-hour wait last week seems to have paid off - to some extent.
Yesterday, the workers claimed that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has paid more than $1,000 and provided a ticket back to China to each of them.
The New Paper reported last Tuesday that about 200 Chinese workers had gathered outside the MOM building at Havelock Road on Monday.
The workers, who were mainly from three companies, Hokh Contract Services, Raffles Contractors and Neo-Built, had gathered there to demand their outstanding wages.
They were also unhappy that their work permits were terminated without prior notice on 13 Apr.
MOM had revoked the permits of the workers from the three companies as the companies had failed to pay the foreign worker levy, failed to produce documents and physically produce their workers.
As a result of the termination, many workers had to forfeit part of the money they had paid their companies for 'expenses'.
About 400 workers who turned up at a meeting held at the MOM office at Kim Seng Road yesterday left the place with mixed feelings.
Eighty per cent of them accepted the offer of settlement, the MOM told The New Paper without going into details.
A former worker from Hokh Contract Services, who only wanted to be known as Mr Xu, said he was satisfied with the outcome.
The 30-year-old said: 'I cannot ask for more. They have done what they could. I know that some of my friends are not happy but it is not easy to satisfy all of us.'
Mr Zhou Degui, 50, felt that the sum offered was too small.
Mr Zhou, formerly from Neo-Built, said that the sum offered was small compared to what he was owed by the company.
A former Hokh Contract Services worker, Mr Fan Cheng Gui, 42, said that even though he was not satisfied, there is nothing he can do.
He said: 'And I've only been here for one month. You can just say that we are unlucky.'
According to a former Raffles Contractors employee, Mr Wang Yu, 37, each worker has to pay the companies amounts varying between $5,000 and $6,000 every year.
This sum would cover the total monthly expenses, such as insurance.
At the gathering last Monday, MOM officers had scheduled a meeting with the workers at the MOM office at Kim Seng Road yesterday so the matter could be discussed further.
The meeting, which started at 9am, lasted for about three hours.
The New Paper also understands that each worker was handled individually by the MOM officers.
More workers
Meanwhile, the New Paper saw another batch of workers from two other companies gathered outside the MOM premises yesterday.
Claiming to be from construction and engineering companies, they claimed they also faced the same problem of non-payment of wages.
Mr Wang Yu Shan, 42, a worker who was there with the new group, showed The New Paper four namecards from four companies which had the same addresses and telephone numbers.
Another worker from this group told The New Paper that the MOM had asked them to to come back tomorrow .
It is understood that the MOM will be releasing the details of the settlement of the cases in due course.
Teen Arrested for Violence at MP's Office
The New Paper ran this story on 6 May 2009:
TEEN ARRESTED FOR VIOLENCE AT MP'S OFFICE
I'M SORRY
By Ng Tze Yong
A YOUTH with low IQ has been arrested by police after flying into a rage at a Meet-the-People Session (MPS), upset at what he felt was his MP's cold-shoulder treatment of his mother's financial plight.
The 17-year-old boy hoisted an aluminium foldable chair over his head and slammed it against a glass door seconds after walking out of MP Cynthia Phua's Serangoon North office with his mother.
The boy, who has been released on bail, has been told to report back to the police on 12 May, where he may be charged with committing a rash act.
The offence carries a jail term of up to six months and a fine of up to $2,500.
The youth cannot be named because of impending court proceedings.
This is the third incident in recent months involving MPs and their constituents.
The boy and his mother, 53, are familiar faces to the grassroots volunteers at the MPS.
The unwed mother with Primary 6 education gets by on a $400 monthly salary as a part-time cleaner.
He attended a special school and suffers from thalassemia, a blood disorder that renders him weak and sickly.
The mother said that things went from bad to worse in November 2004 when the boy's father disappeared and stopped paying the $300 monthly maintenance due to her.
As a result, she visited the MPS about once a month for the past few years to request for various kinds of financial aid.
January this year saw a crisis unfold in their lives, when the mother broke her wrist after falling off a chair while cleaning a fan. She hasn't worked since.
She said the HDB was then in the middle of repossessing her flat and giving her a rental unit, but she was unable to pay the $138 in rental deposit and stamp duty.
So last Monday, she went to the office at Block 125, Serangoon North Ave 1, where MP Lim Hwee Hua holds her MPS, hoping to have her sign an appeal letter for HDB.
But that day, Mrs Lim, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister's Office, was abroad. Fellow Aljunied GRC MP Cynthia Phua stood in for her.
The mother's request was granted - Madam Phua signed the letter - but mother and son left fuming, claiming that Madam Phua had put them down.
She claimed that shortly after they had entered the office, Madam Phua asked her son a series of questions:
'She asked him, 'Who are you? What are you doing? Why aren't you working?' she claimed.
The mother said she wanted to explain her son's condition, but wasn't given a chance.
'I felt like we were being scolded,' she said.
The meeting ended after two or three minutes, she said.
As they were walking out, the son snapped.
His outburst with the chair - two blows against the glass door, which didn't break - was 'strong enough to get someone killed', said the Serangoon PAP branch secretary, Mr Poon Mun Wai.
As grassroots volunteers scrambled to calm down the teenager, his mother begged a neighbour to whisk him home immediately.
Later that night, the police arrived at their flat and arrested him. He was released on bail at about 1am.
When contacted, Madam Phua contradicted the mother's version of events, saying she felt that their conversation 'went well'.
She said: 'Like any normal case at MPS, I have to try to understand the case first of all...
'I had to ask some pointed questions about his employment status to understand the root cause of the problem, so that I can be more effective in helping them.'
During the one week after the incident, the mother pondered what to do.
She got her son to shave off his shoulder-length orange-dyed hair to get rid of bad luck.
For days, she said, he couldn't find the courage to face himself in the mirror. He also decided to put on hold a long-time dream to audition for Singapore Idol.
Two days ago, she returned to the MPS again alone and clutching a handwritten letter of apology from her son.
'Please fodgive me for what I dad I am sinelely truely I'm sorry (sic),' the teenager had written in big, neat handwriting.
The apology, however, was not acceptable to Mrs Lim, who was back chairing the MPS after returning from abroad.
'I made it very clear to (the mother) that this is unacceptable behaviour. It is not justifiable in any circumstance. There's no excuse to be violent,' Mrs Lim told The New Paper.
She also explained that she was not in a position to excuse or forgive the boy.
'I was not present and the police are investigating into the matter. I believe the police will take into consideration the mitigating factors,' said Mrs Lim.
'From what I understand, Madam Phua was being very motherly and very helpful inside the room with them.'
Mrs Lim's response surprised the mother, who had spoken fondly of her throughout the interview with The New Paper just a day before.
She said: 'I know what my son did was wrong. But how can I not defend him? He is my son, he is not well and he has a problem with his temper.
'I don't want him to go to jail and have his future ruined.'
TEEN ARRESTED FOR VIOLENCE AT MP'S OFFICE
I'M SORRY
By Ng Tze Yong
A YOUTH with low IQ has been arrested by police after flying into a rage at a Meet-the-People Session (MPS), upset at what he felt was his MP's cold-shoulder treatment of his mother's financial plight.
The 17-year-old boy hoisted an aluminium foldable chair over his head and slammed it against a glass door seconds after walking out of MP Cynthia Phua's Serangoon North office with his mother.
The boy, who has been released on bail, has been told to report back to the police on 12 May, where he may be charged with committing a rash act.
The offence carries a jail term of up to six months and a fine of up to $2,500.
The youth cannot be named because of impending court proceedings.
This is the third incident in recent months involving MPs and their constituents.
The boy and his mother, 53, are familiar faces to the grassroots volunteers at the MPS.
The unwed mother with Primary 6 education gets by on a $400 monthly salary as a part-time cleaner.
He attended a special school and suffers from thalassemia, a blood disorder that renders him weak and sickly.
The mother said that things went from bad to worse in November 2004 when the boy's father disappeared and stopped paying the $300 monthly maintenance due to her.
As a result, she visited the MPS about once a month for the past few years to request for various kinds of financial aid.
January this year saw a crisis unfold in their lives, when the mother broke her wrist after falling off a chair while cleaning a fan. She hasn't worked since.
She said the HDB was then in the middle of repossessing her flat and giving her a rental unit, but she was unable to pay the $138 in rental deposit and stamp duty.
So last Monday, she went to the office at Block 125, Serangoon North Ave 1, where MP Lim Hwee Hua holds her MPS, hoping to have her sign an appeal letter for HDB.
But that day, Mrs Lim, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister's Office, was abroad. Fellow Aljunied GRC MP Cynthia Phua stood in for her.
The mother's request was granted - Madam Phua signed the letter - but mother and son left fuming, claiming that Madam Phua had put them down.
She claimed that shortly after they had entered the office, Madam Phua asked her son a series of questions:
'She asked him, 'Who are you? What are you doing? Why aren't you working?' she claimed.
The mother said she wanted to explain her son's condition, but wasn't given a chance.
'I felt like we were being scolded,' she said.
The meeting ended after two or three minutes, she said.
As they were walking out, the son snapped.
His outburst with the chair - two blows against the glass door, which didn't break - was 'strong enough to get someone killed', said the Serangoon PAP branch secretary, Mr Poon Mun Wai.
As grassroots volunteers scrambled to calm down the teenager, his mother begged a neighbour to whisk him home immediately.
Later that night, the police arrived at their flat and arrested him. He was released on bail at about 1am.
When contacted, Madam Phua contradicted the mother's version of events, saying she felt that their conversation 'went well'.
She said: 'Like any normal case at MPS, I have to try to understand the case first of all...
'I had to ask some pointed questions about his employment status to understand the root cause of the problem, so that I can be more effective in helping them.'
During the one week after the incident, the mother pondered what to do.
She got her son to shave off his shoulder-length orange-dyed hair to get rid of bad luck.
For days, she said, he couldn't find the courage to face himself in the mirror. He also decided to put on hold a long-time dream to audition for Singapore Idol.
Two days ago, she returned to the MPS again alone and clutching a handwritten letter of apology from her son.
'Please fodgive me for what I dad I am sinelely truely I'm sorry (sic),' the teenager had written in big, neat handwriting.
The apology, however, was not acceptable to Mrs Lim, who was back chairing the MPS after returning from abroad.
'I made it very clear to (the mother) that this is unacceptable behaviour. It is not justifiable in any circumstance. There's no excuse to be violent,' Mrs Lim told The New Paper.
She also explained that she was not in a position to excuse or forgive the boy.
'I was not present and the police are investigating into the matter. I believe the police will take into consideration the mitigating factors,' said Mrs Lim.
'From what I understand, Madam Phua was being very motherly and very helpful inside the room with them.'
Mrs Lim's response surprised the mother, who had spoken fondly of her throughout the interview with The New Paper just a day before.
She said: 'I know what my son did was wrong. But how can I not defend him? He is my son, he is not well and he has a problem with his temper.
'I don't want him to go to jail and have his future ruined.'
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Booted Out, But Josie Lau's Team Will Stay On
The Straits Times ran this story on 3 May 2009:
Booted out, but Josie Lau's team will stay on
They were booted out, but the executive committee headed by Josie Lau said last night that they would remain members of Aware.
In fact, they would even be willing to serve as volunteers if the newly elected executive committee would have them, they said.
Ms Lau, 48, and her team members Jenica Chua, 35, Lois Ng, 44, Sally Ang, 60, Irene Yee, 38, Maureen Ong, 55, and Charlotte Wong, 63, received an overwhelming vote of no-confidence from the 3,000 people at the extraordinary general meeting.
Outnumbered and out-talked
Overwhelmed in terms of numbers and words, exco opts for a graceful exit
They started the meeting brisk and business-like, but just minutes into the extraordinary general meeting (EGM), it was clear that Ms Josie Lau's team was no match for the old guard and its supporters, who outnumbered and outspoke them.
First, executive committee (exco) member Lois Ng, who was the master of ceremony, tried to assert herself by requesting Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong, who was seated among the women, to join the men on the other side of the auditorium.
Her request was met with loud protests by several old guard, who went up to the microphone to say that Mr Siew was their legal adviser and should be allowed to sit with them.
'Feminist mentor' responds to jibes
Senior lawyer Thio Su Mien stood up to respond to the jibes on why she had declared herself the 'feminist mentor' of the women who seized control of the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) in March.
She had called herself that when she revealed on April 23 her key role in bringing about Aware's sudden leadership change.
Dr Thio, Ms Josie Lau and five others on the executive committee booted out yesterday all attend the Anglican Church of Our Saviour in Margaret Drive.
Yesterday, amid loud boos and objections, she held up a 2007 book that Aware had published on the women's movement here and pointed out that she was mentioned as the first woman dean of the Law Faculty - from 1969 to 1971 - at the then-University of Singapore.
New team spends $90,000 in five weeks
Wearing a black dress and a string of pearls, lawyer Karen Teoh, 30, queued up patiently, and when her turn came to speak, articulated a question that was already being muttered on many lips.
'How much money have you spent so far?' she asked the Josie Lau team.
Honorary treasurer Maureen Ong gave a long and detailed explanation of how Aware's skyrocketing membership numbers - which had gone from about 300 five weeks ago to nearly 3,000 last Friday - had prompted several venue changes.
Booted out, but Josie Lau's team will stay on
They were booted out, but the executive committee headed by Josie Lau said last night that they would remain members of Aware.
In fact, they would even be willing to serve as volunteers if the newly elected executive committee would have them, they said.
Ms Lau, 48, and her team members Jenica Chua, 35, Lois Ng, 44, Sally Ang, 60, Irene Yee, 38, Maureen Ong, 55, and Charlotte Wong, 63, received an overwhelming vote of no-confidence from the 3,000 people at the extraordinary general meeting.
Outnumbered and out-talked
Overwhelmed in terms of numbers and words, exco opts for a graceful exit
They started the meeting brisk and business-like, but just minutes into the extraordinary general meeting (EGM), it was clear that Ms Josie Lau's team was no match for the old guard and its supporters, who outnumbered and outspoke them.
First, executive committee (exco) member Lois Ng, who was the master of ceremony, tried to assert herself by requesting Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong, who was seated among the women, to join the men on the other side of the auditorium.
Her request was met with loud protests by several old guard, who went up to the microphone to say that Mr Siew was their legal adviser and should be allowed to sit with them.
'Feminist mentor' responds to jibes
Senior lawyer Thio Su Mien stood up to respond to the jibes on why she had declared herself the 'feminist mentor' of the women who seized control of the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) in March.
She had called herself that when she revealed on April 23 her key role in bringing about Aware's sudden leadership change.
Dr Thio, Ms Josie Lau and five others on the executive committee booted out yesterday all attend the Anglican Church of Our Saviour in Margaret Drive.
Yesterday, amid loud boos and objections, she held up a 2007 book that Aware had published on the women's movement here and pointed out that she was mentioned as the first woman dean of the Law Faculty - from 1969 to 1971 - at the then-University of Singapore.
New team spends $90,000 in five weeks
Wearing a black dress and a string of pearls, lawyer Karen Teoh, 30, queued up patiently, and when her turn came to speak, articulated a question that was already being muttered on many lips.
'How much money have you spent so far?' she asked the Josie Lau team.
Honorary treasurer Maureen Ong gave a long and detailed explanation of how Aware's skyrocketing membership numbers - which had gone from about 300 five weeks ago to nearly 3,000 last Friday - had prompted several venue changes.
RAZORTV's Coverage of AWARE's EGM
Watch the coverage by RAZORTV (www.razortv.com.sg).
Josie Lau and team's press conference after stepping down as AWARE's exco.
AWARE EGM Part 1
AWARE EGM Part 2
AWARE EGM Part 3
Josie Lau and team's press conference after stepping down as AWARE's exco.
AWARE EGM Part 1
AWARE EGM Part 2
AWARE EGM Part 3
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