AHTC case: Town councils ordered to pay about S8,800 in costs, disbursements to WP leaders and others

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SINGAPORE: The two town councils that sued three Workers’ Party (WP) leaders and town councillors for allegedly misusing public funds have been ordered to pay costs and disbursements of about S$388,800 (US$292,000) in total for the appeals in the case.

This is the latest development in the long-running civil suits by Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) and Sengkang Town Council (SKTC) against eight defendants: WP leaders Ms Sylvia Lim, Mr Low Thia Khiang and Mr Pritam Singh, as well as their former managing agent FMSS and four other former town councillors or employees.

Of the S$388,800, AHTC has to pay S$176,241.11 in costs and disbursements to the town councillors, employees and FMSS for two appeals. 

SKTC has to pay a total of S$212,543.52 in costs and disbursements to the town councillors, employees and FMSS for three appeals.

In a 38-page judgment released on Wednesday (Nov 29), the Court of Appeal outlined why the two councils had to pay costs.

Costs are usually awarded to the party that wins, and in this case, the town councillors and employees had succeeded substantially in their appeals, overturning several of the trial judge’s findings, the Apex court said.

Between AHTC and SKTC, SKTC was more successful in the appeals, added the five-judge panel comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Judith Prakash, Justice Tay Yong Kwang, Judge of the Appellate Division Woo Bih Li and Senior Judge Andrew Phang.

In their judgment, the judges said that a successful party in litigation is entitled to recover costs of the litigation from the unsuccessful party.

SKTC had accepted that the town councillors, employees and FMSS succeeded on more key issues. However, AHTC had argued that costs should go to AHTC, as the defendants had not succeeded substantially in their appeals. 

The court rejected AHTC’s argument that it should be seen as the successful party in the appeals and therefore entitled to costs.

The court said most of the issues in the appeals were not found in AHTC’s favour.

Even though AHTC did “enjoy some success” against the town councillors and employees, with liability for some serious breaches established, it is clear that the defendants were successful in overturning the outcome given by the trial court, the Apex Court said.

The cost orders come some four months after the Court of Appeal gave its ruling on the parties’ liability over the handling of town council funds.

Costs for the actual trial itself have not been settled and will be decided only after damages have been assessed.

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Huawei Thailand wins ‘Thailand Corporate Excellence Awards 2023’

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Huawei recognized as a leader at the forefront of accelerating competitiveness and sustainably steering Thailand towards the digital era

PUBLISHED : 29 Nov 2023 at 16:27

Huawei Thailand wins 'Thailand Corporate Excellence Awards 2023'

Mr. David Li, Chief Executive Officer, Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd., receives the prestigious HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Trophy, in front of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s image, as Huawei is named the winner of the ‘Thailand Corporate Excellence Awards 2023’ for the ‘Product/Service Excellence’ category.

Bangkok, 29 November 2023 – Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd. was honored today with the prestigious HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Trophy at the ‘Thailand Corporate Excellence Awards 2023’ in the ‘Product/Service Excellence’ Category by the Thailand Management Association in collaboration with the Sasin Graduate Institute of the Business Administration (Sasin School of Management) at Chulalongkorn University. The presentation of the royal award was arranged in front of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s image and made to Mr. David Li, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Thailand. On this occasion, Privy Councilor Jirayu Isarangkul na Ayudhya presided over the ceremony, together with Mr. Nithi Patarachoke, President of the Thailand Management Association (TMA), and Professor Ian Fenwick, Ph.D., Director of the Sasin School of Management. This honorary award reflects Huawei Thailand’s decades of devotion to product and service research and development, contributions towards improving Thailand’s infrastructure, and digital talent cultivation and inclusivity initiatives, with the aim of steering Thailand towards a fully realized and sustainable ICT ecosystem that will establish Thailand as a future digital hub of ASEAN.

Privy Councilor Jirayu Isarangkul na Ayudhya delivered a speech during the ceremony: “The ‘Thailand Corporate Excellence Awards’ by the Thailand Management Association, in collaboration with the Sasin Graduate Institute of the Business Administration (Sasin School of Management) at Chulalongkorn University, is a prestigious accolade presented to Thailand’s leading corporations for their exemplary dedication to excellence. The awards do not only serve to recognize standout corporations for their achievements, but also to encourage other organizations to steer towards more effective business development and management strategies. At its core, the awards reflect the commitment from Thailand’s leading organizations towards comprehensive business management and will inspire all organizations to further develop their businesses and accelerate their overall competitiveness, thereby creating better standards and sustainable growth for organizations in Thailand.”

Mr. Nithi Patarachoke, President of TMA, also spoke during the ceremony: “Due to the rapid changes and advancements in technology that are directly impacting businesses around the world, it is more important than ever for Thai organizations to leverage their competitiveness. The TMA Excellence Awards were initially started by the TMA, with the ‘Thailand Corporate Excellence Awards’ being established 21 years ago. The awards signify TMA’s commitment towards supporting the private sector in developing a solid foundation that can drive the country’s economic growth in both a tangible and sustainable way. The winning organizations were selected by an honorable committee and showcase perspectives on corporate excellence and business management that will help the country accelerate its competitiveness in the future”.

Mr. David Li, Chief Executive Officer, Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Added: Huawei Thailand is honored to receive a royal award at the ‘Thailand Corporate Excellence Awards 2023’ for the ‘Product/Service Excellence’ category. This award reflects our commitment to propel Thailand and Thai society towards digital transformation in line with our mission to ‘Grow in Thailand, Contribute to Thailand’. Over the past 23 years, Huawei has remained steadfast in its commitment to ‘quality as the lifeblood of our enterprise’. This has subsequently won us the trust of our customers and partners, building Huawei into the success it is today. Facing the future, Huawei is committed to providing customers with high-quality products and services by strongly investing in the development of new and advanced products and services through cutting edge technologies such as 5G, Cloud, AI, IoT, Digital Power, and Cybersecurity. Huawei continues to work with its partners to develop industry-friendly solutions and stands as one of the country’s leading partners for digital, intelligent, and green transformation across all industries and helping our customers achieve their business successes.”

This year marks another successful year for Huawei Thailand as the company has been named the winner of the royal ‘Thailand Corporate Excellence Awards’ for the second consecutive year: the winner in the ‘Product/Service Excellence’ category in 2023 and the winner of ‘Thailand Corporate Excellence Award’ in the ‘Innovation Excellence’ category in 2022. These prestigious awards stand as proof of Huawei’s dedication to supporting new and intelligent technologies, digital power, and digital transformation around the world. With regards to Thailand, Huawei is also fully committed to its mission to “Grow in Thailand, Contribute to Thailand” to drive Thailand towards becoming a sustainable future digital hub in ASEAN.

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Four BTS members to begin South Korean military service mid-December

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The remaining four members of K-pop supergroup BTS will begin their military service in mid-December, joining the three who are already serving, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday (Nov 29), citing music industry sources.

The seven-member group is on a temporary break while members carry out South Korea’s mandatory military service.

South Korea has one of the world’s largest active armies to defend against North Korea, with all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 required to serve between 18 and 21 months.

There has, however, been public debate over whether BTS members should be given exemptions considering their contributions to the lucrative K-pop industry.

The group’s main rapper and leader RM and vocalist V will enlist on Dec 11, while Jimin and Jung Kook will follow suit the next day, Yonhap reported.

After initial training, the four will serve as active-duty army soldiers for 18 months, according to another report in the entertainment media outlet Star News.

BTS’ management agency HYBE, which has said the four had begun the process of enlistment, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this month, Jung Kook announced in a blog post he would serve in the military in December.

Jin, 30, the group’s oldest member, is set to be discharged from military service in June.

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Losing the ‘Hawaii of Singapore’: ‘Long Island’ project off East Coast worries sea sports lovers

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“THE ONLY PLACE LEFT”

East Coast Park is currently home to water sports facilities like Constant Wind Sports Centre, PAssion Wave @ East Coast, and Aloha Sea Sports Centre.

Constant Wind director Ho Kah Soon started sailing as a teen in 1975, and sea sports have been a fixture of his life since then. The 64-year-old now does stand-up paddling weekly, and also windsurfs.

While Constant Wind has not been engaged by the authorities on development plans, Mr Ho expects it to be affected by the reclamation, based on images of Long Island published in the media. The centre is located close to Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.

“We’re so sad that this is going to happen,” he said. “This is like a Hawaii of Singapore. And this is the only place left, and it’s going to be taken away.”

The east coast is the only place in Singapore where activities like sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing can be done, according to Mr Ho. This is because it is free of sea lane traffic, and the waters are safe and clean.

He contrasted this with Singapore’s north-west coast, where there are crocodiles, and the south-west coast, where port facilities limit the sea area that can be used for recreational use.

Occupational therapist Chen Changwu, 46, who windsurfs every week, said that while wind-propelled sports can be done off Changi Beach, it does not have facilities to store equipment. It is also good for only one of Singapore’s two monsoon seasons, when wind speeds pick up.

Sentosa is not suitable due to strong currents around the island, he added.

Aloha Sea Sports assistant general manager Max Ong said that the wind tends to be disrupted in a closed reservoir as opposed to the open sea.

To his knowledge, there is currently no freshwater catchment area in Singapore that allows windsurfing and stand-up paddling.

There are also concerns that Long Island could affect the sailing community.

Singapore’s national sailors have excelled in recent competitions, picking up three gold medals at this year’s SEA Games, and two silvers and two bronzes at the Asian Games.

President of Singapore Sailing Dr Lincoln Chee, whose federation is also located at East Coast Park, said the Long Island project can have a “significant impact” on the sport.

While the sailing community is supportive of measures to protect Singapore’s coastline, the east coast is the “most accessible area” for recreational sailing and national training, he said. It is also “critical” from the perspective of accessibility, safety, reasonable winds and currents.

“Sailing requires open waters and beyond the Long Island are shipping lines which may be a danger and a conflict,” he said.

Dr Chee stressed the need for early and deep consultations on Long Island with various water sports communities.

“We look forward to discussions with the various agencies to creatively find a way to meet national security and the health and well-being of our maritime traditions,” he said.

“After all being decades away, perhaps there will be technological advancements, which we can’t know now, that would allow the current attributes of east coast to be preserved without us being too dogmatic or inflexible to adapt.”

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Why Hamas releases Thai hostages before others

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BANGKOK – Buddhist-majority Thailand gained the release of at least 19 Thai hostages from Hamas, the most foreigners freed as of Wednesday, after Bangkok boldly began direct negotiations with the Palestinian militant group’s representatives in Iran nearly two months ago.

How did Thailand succeed while many of the other foreign hostages have still not been freed? Thailand’s quiet, bold, and direct diplomacy appeared to be a big key to their success.

This Southeast Asian nation did have the most foreigners employed near the Israel-Gaza border so the numbers were in their favor when Hamas decided to include foreign hostages in the releases.

Initial reports said 15 Argentinians were seized alongside 12 Americans, a dozen Germans, six French, and six Russians, plus about 35 other foreign nationals. The Thais were mostly impoverished agricultural and factory laborers contracted to the vulnerable desert zones.

Bangkok, meanwhile, also networked with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar and others for their freedom.

The October 7 assault on Israel by Hamas killed more than 1,400 Israelis and foreigners including at least 39 Thais, mostly agricultural laborers contracted to desert zones along the Israel-Gaza border.

Additionally, Hamas seized at least 240 hostages – mostly Israelis – and imprisoned them in Gaza at gunpoint including at least 32 Thais.

In small batches, Hamas has released a total of 60 Israelis, 19 Thais and only a handful of other countries’ hostages. As of Wednesday, Hamas and other Palestinian militants still held about 160 hostages, including at least 13 Thais.

Media image of a Thai hostage held by Hamas in Gaza. Image: Twitter

“The timely initiative of the speaker of the Thai House of Representatives, Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, to send a delegation of Sunni and Shia leaders to Tehran and negotiate with Iran and Hamas directly, contributed substantially to this success,” a former Thai foreign minister, Kantathi Suphamongkhon, said in an interview.

“The direct channel of communication with Hamas in Iran was useful,” Kantathi said.

The three-man Thai delegation flew to Iran on October 27. The delegates were led by House Speaker Wan’s Sunni Muslim representative. About 99% of Thailand’s seven million Muslims are Sunni. One percent are Shia.

The delegation included Lerpong Syed representing his brother Saiyid Sulaiman Husaini who leads Thailand’s Shia community.

Areepen Uttarsin, a former member of parliament from southern Thailand’s Muslim-majority Narathiwat province, was also a delegate.

The three delegates landed in Tehran and were invited to “the headquarters of the Hamas envoy in Tehran, Iran,” Saiyid Husaini’s Facebook page said.

Meanwhile, “[Thai] Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin sent Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara to the UAE and Egypt,” Kantathi said.

“Parnpree also met with the Iranians while in the UAE. An emphasis was made that Thailand was not an enemy to any party. Thailand was not a part of the conflict.

“Thailand has good relations with the United States, Israel, Iran, as well as the Palestinians,” Kantathi said.

Paul Chambers, a Naresuan University lecturer in Southeast Asian affairs, agreed.

“Officially, Thailand has tried to stay neutral between Israel on one side, and Iran/Hamas on the other,” Chambers said in an interview. “The efforts of this [Thai Muslim delegation] team were mostly responsible for the Thai hostages’ release.”

Despite the polarizing international politics on all sides of the Palestinian conflict, “Bangkok will likely continue to try to balance its relations between Israel and Muslim countries of the Middle East,” Chambers said.

Prime Minister Srettha said on October 29, “Thailand is a neutral country and not part of the conflict. We only want our people to be safe, and the hostages released as soon as possible.”

Earlier, shortly after the Hamas assault, Thailand’s foreign ministry said: “Thailand calls upon all parties involved to refrain from any actions that would further escalate tensions, and joins the international community in condemning any use of violence and indiscriminate attacks.”

“I’m so happy, I’m so glad, I can’t describe my feeling at all,” Thongkoon Onkaew told Reuters on Sunday (November 26) after seeing her son among the four latest Thai hostages released by Hamas on Saturday (November 25), along with 13 more Israelis and one Filipino.

“That’s my son! My son!” Thongkoon said when she saw Natthaporn Onkaew smiling along with several others in a van, in a photo displayed by Hamas.

Thai House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, a Sunni Muslim, has been instrumental in the Thai hostages’ release. Image: Twitter Screengrab

“All they wanted was to take a shower and call their relatives,” Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on X, formerly Twitter.

“They were admitted to [Israel’s] Shamir Medical Center Hospital. Thanks must go to the foreign ministry and our security agencies,” Srettha said.

Many of the Thais working on farms and in factories in Israel were in debt to Thai money lenders to pay various fees to arrange their contracts and other expenses.

The Thai government said it would help finance their return and alleviate their debts.

Richard S Ehrlich is a Bangkok-based American foreign correspondent reporting from Asia since 1978. Excerpts from his two new nonfiction books, “Rituals. Killers. Wars. & Sex. — Tibet, India, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka & New York” and “Apocalyptic Tribes, Smugglers & Freaks” are available here.

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US military aircraft crashes in western Japan with eight onboard

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TOKYO: A US military V-22 Osprey aircraft crashed near an island in western Japan on Wednesday (Nov 29) with eight people onboard, Japan’s coast guard said. A spokesperson for the Coast Guard said it had deployed patrol boats and aircraft to the site off Japan’s Yakushima island, but had no further details of the incident, including the status of those onboard. A spokesperson for US forcesContinue Reading

Police seize B100m in assets from drugs gang

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PUBLISHED : 29 Nov 2023 at 15:24

Police seize B100m in assets from drugs gang
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhob Bhuridej, commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, handles weapons seized from the drug network, at a press conference on Wednesday. Assets worth about 100 million baht were also impounded from the alleged gang leader and his associates. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)

Police seized assets worth almost 100 million baht from a drug network following the arrest of its leader and seven associates in Pathum Thani and Yala provinces.

Pol Lt Gen Jirabhob Bhuridej, chief of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), said on Wednesday that alleged gang leader Charoen Rattanawan, 32, and the seven other suspects were arrested at six locations in Pathum Thani and one in Yala on Tuesday.

They were wanted under arrest warrants issued by the Yala Provincial Court on charges of supporting or helping those involved in drug trafficking and colluding in money laundering, the CIB chief told reporters.

During the raids, police seized 80,000 methamphetamine pills and nine guns, including war weapons, and 262 rounds of ammunition. Authorities also impounded, for examination, assets with a combined worth of almost 100 million baht. They included apartments, a car garage, 27 cars and three motorcycles, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhob said.

Mr Charoen, alias Jack Sam Mor, allegedly ordered his associates to open bank accounts to receive money transfers from the drug trade. This money was later transferred to other bank accounts of other network  members. The suspects allegedly sent parcels containing drugs to customers via private logistics firms.

Crime Suppression Division (CSD) sub-division 6 commander Pol Col Pongpanot Chukaew said Mr Charoen and the other suspects had moved to Pathum Thani province and set up businesses including rental apartments, a racing car garage and a marijuana café as fronts for the illegal drug trade. The gang also sold illegal cars, he said.

The suspects had rented apartment rooms in nearby areas for many years to store illicit drugs pending delivery to customers. They had acquired assets worth about 100 million baht with profits from illegal trading in drugs, Pol Col Pongpanot said.

During questioning, all suspects confessed to the charges, according to police. They were handed over to CSD investigators for legal proceedings.

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Dog handler charged with beating dog cruelly at K9 Connection training centre

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SINGAPORE: A dog handler linked to a video of a dog being abused was charged in court on Wednesday (Nov 29) with animal cruelty.

Ng Zhaohui Matthew, a 39-year-old Singaporean man, is accused of beating a dog cruelly at 450 MacPherson Road at about 10.45pm on Mar 20 last year.

He is accused of striking the dog with a metal bowl when he was a licensee of K9 Connection, the charge sheet stated.

A video posted on Facebook page Chained Dog Awareness in Singapore in July 2022 showed a dog cowering as he is struck by a person wielding a metal bowl.

In the video, a person is heard telling the dog: “Welcome to hell, my friend. Four weeks of hell.”

The chained dog bares his teeth in reaction to the swipes, but loses its balance in the video clip and is later shown curled up in a corner.

The Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) said at the time that it had suspended the handler involved from a list of accredited dog trainers.

The AVS said the dog was safe and returned to its owner after the incident.

On Wednesday, a prosecutor with the National Parks Board (NParks) said he did not have a confirmed sentencing position but would be seeking a fine.

Ng’s lawyer said the charge was slightly different from the charge that was shown to her client.

The previous charge named the dog involved and alleged that Ng kicked the dog. It also did not state the capacity in which Ng was charged, as a licensee.

The defence lawyer was told to take instructions from her client and make representations on behalf of her client over the differences in the two charges.

The case will be heard again in January.

If convicted of animal cruelty in the course of an animal-related business, Ng can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$40,000 (US$30,000), or both.

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Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: The story behind this heart-warming father-son kiss

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Chaudhary with his son ManjeetSilkyara PRO
By Anant Zanane in Uttarakhand and Cherylann Mollan in Mumbai
BBC News

A picture of one of the workers, who was rescued from a collapsed tunnel after 17 days, being kissed by his father has won many hearts in India.

Manjit Chaudhary was among 41 workers who were trapped in the tunnel since 12 November after a landslide.

Mr Chaudhary, 50, who goes by only one name, had travelled 600km (372 miles) from his village in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, to be closer to his son.

On Tuesday, he was waiting outside as rescuers pulled out his son.

The workers got trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand state while they were working on constructing it. A thick pile of debris – full of rocks and metal objects – blocked their exit way, preventing them from leaving the tunnel.

Rescue officials soon established contact with the men and began supplying them with food, oxygen and water.

However, it took a little over two weeks to pull out the men from the tunnel. The rescue operation was a complicated one, and involved the use of excavators, drilling machines and several personnel.

When the men finally emerged from the tunnel on Tuesday evening, their friends, colleagues and family members were filled with joy.

Mr Chaudhary, who had lost one of his sons to a construction accident in Mumbai earlier, was among those waiting outside the tunnel to welcome his son.

As soon as he saw Manjit, he pulled him into an embrace and gave him a kiss. This touching moment was captured by photographers, and has since gone viral online.

Mr Chaudhary told the BBC that seeing his son emerge safe and sound from the tunnel was “nothing short of a miracle”.

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“My dreams have finally come true. God accepted my prayers and delivered my son to us safely,” he said.

Mr Chaudhary also said that he blessed his son with a long life after Manjit touched his feet – a gesture of respect for family elders in India.

“I told him I don’t want to see him enter another tunnel, but let’s see, he may insist on going back,” he said and added that if it wasn’t his son, someone else’s son would have to do this risky work.

Mr Chaudhary had earlier told the BBC that he’d mortgaged his wife’s jewellery to gather funds to travel to Uttarakhand state.

His wife told BBC Hindi that she was devastated when she heard about the accident.

On Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights that was celebrated on 12 November this year, she said her house was in darkness as she was worried about Manjit.

“I’d already lost one son to a construction accident, I didn’t want to lose another,” she said, adding that the family would now celebrate Diwali since Manjit had been rescued safely.

While still trapped in the tunnel, workers could have short conversations with family members on two-way radios that were sent in through pipes inserted into the debris.

“Manjit would start telling me about the tunnel and that would worry me, so he would change the topic to lighten the mood,” his mother said.

Additional reporting by Prashant Pandey.

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