South-East Asia (Page 1,597)

SENIOR CITIZENS DISCOUNT EXTENDED

Sheng Siong will also extend its 4 per cent discount for senior citizens to the end of next year.

Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 60 are entitled to the discount when they present their NRIC, Pioneer Generation or Merdeka Generation cards on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

A spending limit of S$200 (US$150) a receipt will apply.

“During the pandemic, exceptions were made for family members running grocery errands on behalf of seniors to benefit from the senior citizen discount programme,” said Sheng Siong.

This arrangement will continue, it added.

Pioneer Generation refers to those who were born on or before Dec 31, 1949, and became Singapore citizens on or before Dec 31, 1986.

Merdeka Generation seniors include those born between Jan 1, 1950, and Dec 31, 1959, and became Singapore citizens on or before Dec 31, 1996.

Singapore’s core inflation had risen to 5.5 per cent in January and February this year, a 14-year high, before trending downwards. Core inflation came in at 3.3 per cent in October.

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SINGAPORE: A woman who sustained burns and scars all over her body from an explosion at a hotpot restaurant in Beach Road in 2015 has been awarded around S$110,500 in damages.

Thai national Najai Benchawan was only 29 when she suffered the “horrific incident that would change the course of her life”, said a deputy registrar in a judgment released earlier this week.

An exploding gas cartridge in a neighbouring stove at Chong Qing (Origin) Steamboat at 87 Beach Road launched a torrent of hot soup and ingredients towards her, inflicting first and second-degree burns on her upper body and thigh, and injuring her eyes.

Ms Najai underwent surgery and therapy over several months to nurse her wounds and subdue her pain. She gave up her “budding career as a performance artist in Singapore” and eventually settled as a tour guide in her native Thailand.

She then sued the restaurant, its insurer Liberty Insurance and Swee Huat Engineering – the company that supplied the gas cartridges – to recover damages for her injuries.

According to the judgment by Deputy Registrar Vince Gui, Ms Najai came to Singapore on a short-term work permit in 2015 and was a performance artist at Douhan Omesia in Cuppage Plaza.

THE EXPLOSION

On her third visit to Chong Qing (Origin) on Apr 4, 2015, Ms Najai met a friend for supper at around 4am.

Customers were given portable hotpots on portable cooker stoves with gas cartridges to heat up the food.

Ms Najai was going to wash her hands near the end of her meal when her friend told her to have more food so they could leave together.

Minutes later, the gas cartridge of the stove on a table adjacent to them exploded. The explosion launched the soup and ingredients towards Ms Najai, who instinctively raised her hands to shield her face and turned away from the blast.

The hot liquid landed on her face, hands and back, sending a searing pain through Ms Najai. She went to the toilet to douse herself with cold water and was taken to hospital. According to past reports, another four women were injured by the blast.

Ms Najai suffered open wounds and was discharged about 10 days after the blast, returning to hospital for treatment for about six months. She developed permanent keloids over her shoulder and wrist, which she said caused her pain.

The explosion also injured her eyes, with full recovery made on her eyesight only in June 2015.

She was given two months of paid medical leave, but returned to Thailand shortly after.

THE IMPACT ON HER

In Ms Najai’s suit, she said the injuries put her through significant pain and suffering throughout the years, incurring about S$19,500 in medical expenses in Singapore alone.

She said the scars on her face and body prevented her from continuing to work in the entertainment industry, where beauty and image are important.

According to a doctor in Bangkok, Ms Najai said she needed regular injections every month to ease the pain from her scars.

A medical expert testified that Ms Najai would have to live with her permanent scars for the rest of her life, with laser treatment unlikely to yield positive results.

Ms Najai moved to Japan about three years ago, marrying a Japanese man and working as a sales assistant at a clothing store.

However, she did not get fresh employment after giving birth.

Deputy Registrar Vince Gui said he was of the view that Ms Najai “had undervalued her claim”, asking for only S$55,000 in general damages for pain and suffering.

After his suggestion to review the relevant previous cases, Ms Najai revised her claim for general damages to S$70,000.

The insurer, which represented the restaurant in the case, said she should get only S$13,000 in general damages for pain and suffering.

Responding to a submission of damages for burn injuries, Mr Gui said the insurer’s submission of S$10,000 was “outrageously low”.

He said Ms Najai’s burn injuries were “serious and extensive”, with scaly scar marks visible and likely to persist for the rest of her life.

In total, the court awarded Ms Najai S$110,489.38. This includes S$70,000 for pain and suffering and loss of amenities, S$20,000 for loss of earning capacity, and another S$20,489.38 in special damages for undisputed medical expenses in Singapore as well as other medical expenses incurred in Thailand.

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SINGAPORE: After being released on remission for similar offences of theft and mischief, a repeat offender felt frustrated as he could not find a job.

To relieve his stress, he went to various supermarkets around Singapore, where he ripped open packets of snacks with his hands and slashed open bags of rice with a blade.

Ng Peng Soon, a 51-year-old Singaporean, was sentenced to 22 months’ jail on Friday (Dec 15), with an additional 210 days for breaching remission.

He pleaded guilty to eight charges of theft and mischief, with another six charges taken into consideration.

The court heard that Ng has been in and out of jail since 1994. 

Most recently, he was sentenced to 34 months’ jail in 2021 for similar offences.

When Ng was released from jail on remission in September 2022, he stole a box of toothpaste from retailer Watsons, said Mr Ryan David Lim, his lawyer from the Public Defender’s Office (PDO).

He also stole a bra from a supermarket in Tampines, placing it in his pocket before walking out.

In July 2023, Ng went to various supermarkets, including the Giant supermarket at Suntec City, the FairPrice Xtra outlet at Nex shopping mall and an NTUC FairPrice outlet in Bedok North.

He used his hands to rip open hundreds of packets of snacks such as candies, potato chips and chocolates, and used a penknife to cut open packets of rice.

Various supermarket staff members noticed the damaged goods during stock-taking and lodged police reports.

The highest number of snacks Ng “rendered unsellable” was 100 at the Nex supermarket on Jul 16, while he opened 50 packets of rice in one sitting at Jurong Point’s supermarket on Jul 19, the court heard.

In total, he opened 294 packets of snacks and 202 packets of rice, causing losses of about S$5,800 to the supermarkets involved.

Ng was arrested on Jul 20 and has been remanded since.

LONG STRING OF PAST CONVICTIONS

On Friday, State Prosecuting Officer Ng Chee Wee said Ng was liable to enhanced sentences since he had breached his conditional remission orders.

He also has a long string of convictions since 1994, with his most recent three convictions in 2015, 2018 and 2021 for similar offences of theft and mischief.

Ng was handed 18, 23 and 34 months’ jail on those respective occasions, with the jail terms increasing each time.

In total, the prosecution sought about 18 months’ jail, asking the court to apply a further uplift at its own discretion, as well as additional jail for breaching remission.

He said Ng was undeterred despite his previous incarceration.

MITIGATION

PDO lawyer Mr Lim asked for no more than 16 months’ jail and an additional term for breaching remission.

“Mr Ng is 51 years old,” said the lawyer. “When he was young, he failed PSLE twice and studied up to Primary 8.”

He said Ng was assessed to have a borderline IQ of 77.

He cited a report from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), which showed Ng had “poor frustration tolerance”, which manifests in a coping mechanism where he opens food packaging to feel better.

Mr Lim said Ng took a box of toothpaste the day after being released from prison in September 2022.

There were no more offences until about nine months later in May 2023, when Ng had difficulty securing employment.

Frustrated, Ng committed the remainder of his offences, said the lawyer.

He argued against a higher jail term, saying that “simply put, a lesson conveyed by increasingly hefty punishment can only be learnt if the accused is capable of learning”.

He said Ng was not such a person.

The judge said the IMH report did not exactly support the defence’s arguments, as the report stated Ng did not have any mental illness or intellectual disability, and there was no contributory link between any condition and the offences.

Mr Lim responded that Ng’s conviction record and the fact that the prosecution said Ng was undeterred shows that long imprisonment terms do not deter Ng.

“In fact, IMH has said that he’s likely to reoffend,” said Mr Lim.

He said he had spoken to Ng about which agencies he could approach for help, including for obtaining psychotherapy, so Ng “knows what to do when he comes out”.

The public defender also spoke to Ng’s sister, who said she would make sure Ng attended his psychotherapy sessions.

“Mr Ng wants to get better,” concluded Mr Lim. “He doesn’t want to come before the court again.”

The judge declined to order compensation from Ng, noting that he did not have the necessary financial means to do so.

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