South-East Asia (Page 1,981)

SINGAPORE: Three children were taken to the hospital after a fire broke out at a Housing Board flat on Monday (Aug 14) morning. 

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at Block 71 Redhill Road at about 7.20am. 

Upon their arrival, residents alerted the firefighters that there were occupants trapped inside a unit on the seventh floor. The firefighters “conducted forcible entry” by breaking the padlock of the metal gate. 

The fire was located at the corner of the living room and was extinguished with several buckets of water, said SCDF. 

While the fire was being extinguished, another team of firefighters searching the premises found three children inside a toilet at the back of the kitchen, it added. 

They were carried out of the unit by the firefighters and assessed by an ambulance crew. All three children were later taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital for smoke inhalation.

According to SCDF, a preliminary investigation showed the fire had likely originated from the batteries of two personal mobility devices (PMDs) that were charging in the living room. 

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SINGAPORE: A hawker who suffered injuries in a traffic accident and had to give up his food stall to become an insurance agent was awarded about S$128,000 (US$94,500) in damages after suing the driver.

The court found the case “rather novel” as the question arose as to whether the former hawker could claim for a loss of earning capacity, even though he earned more after the accident.

In a judgment made available on Saturday (Aug 12), Deputy Registrar Loh Hui-min found that he could.

The accident occurred on Jul 30, 2018 when the plaintiff’s motorcycle was hit by a vehicle driven by the defendant, Mr Yap Choon Lye.

The accident left the plaintiff, Mr Shawn Tan Shin Han, with leg lacerations that required surgery, a skin graft and physiotherapy to walk without aid. 

As a result, Mr Tan had a permanently stiff knee and an abnormal gait that would mean he was likely unable to resume his job as a hawker.

The driver, Mr Yap, was found to be 90 per cent liable for the accident.

Thus, Mr Tan was awarded S$128,471, which was 90 per cent of the total amount of S$142,746 assessed by the court.

The total damages Ms Loh awarded to Mr Tan include S$27,000 for right leg lacerations, S$16,000 for multiple scarring, S$33,000 for future medical expenses, S$700 for his damaged motorcycle and loss of use, and about S$767 for loss of the equipment he bought for his hawker business.

LOSS OF EARNING CAPACITY

After the accident, Mr Tan gave up his job as a hawker running a western food stall because of the injuries he suffered. 

He claimed that he was forced to give up his dream of being a successful hawker and business owner, saying that business was doing well and making a profit some three months in. It had also attracted “glittering reviews on social media”, he said.

He said he had lost out on business expansion and franchising opportunities, which would have given him an income of S$10,000 to S$20,000 a month.

However, Ms Loh found no credible evidence of the business’ alleged prospects. The stall had not been operating for a long time enough for the court to find that it would have continued successfully in the long term, she said.

In fact, his business partner had said a month before the accident that he wanted to leave.

After the accident, Mr Tan found a job as an insurance agent and earned more than he did before the accident – an average of S$3,612 a month in 2019 and 2020. 

However, because of his disabilities, he had to take breaks more frequently to rest or stretch at roadshows or meeting potential clients, impacting his work.

Ms Loh accepted that there was “a real risk” that Mr Tan might lose his job as an insurance agent. Mr Tan was 31 years old at the time of assessment and had a long working lifespan ahead of him, in a highly competitive industry where he is still a rookie trying to build up his clientele, she said.

“Work as an insurance agent is also heavily reliant on the plaintiff’s ability to network and meet clients, and his permanent disabilities will continue to impact his ability to do so,” said Ms Loh. 

She said Mr Tan would be at a disadvantage in competing for jobs as an insurance agent or other roles that require him to walk or stand for extended periods of time. 

On whether Mr Tan could claim for loss of earning capacity since he was earning more now compared with his pre-accident job, Ms Loh said that the purpose of such a claim was to compensate the claimant for the financial harm brought on by the competitive disadvantage caused by his injuries.

The fact that Mr Tan’s post-accident income was more than his pre-accident income would not be a bar to such a claim, she said, awarding Mr Tan S$40,000 for loss of earning capacity.

Ms Loh also awarded about S$13,900 for Mr Tan’s pre-trial loss of earnings. This was based on a figure of S$966.08 per month he made as a hawker.

FAILED CLAIMS

Mr Tan had tried to claim S$6,000 for his loss of marriage prospects due to his scarring and how the accident affected his ability to have a stable career, but the court rejected this.

Previous cases where claimants were awarded damages for loss of marriage prospects were for incurable terminal cancer and severe disability, said Ms Loh.

She added that “running a hawker business was by no means more stable an income source than being an insurance agent”. 

“In fact, by his own admission, the plaintiff has better working hours as an insurance agent which gives him more time to date seriously,” she said.

Mr Tan had also tried to claim for the cost of a car he bought after the accident, that he had said was necessary as he could no longer ride a motorcycle.

The court rejected this after Mr Tan failed to explain why he could not rent a car instead or take taxis or Grab. Mr Tan also admitted that he had always intended to buy a car.

The defendant was separately ordered to pay Mr Tan costs of S$25,000.

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SINGAPORE: A man conspired with his friend from National Service, who worked for Singapore Airlines (SIA), to solicit bribes of more than S$207,000 (US$153,000) from a vendor for SIA projects.

Rex Zhang Jiahao, 38, pleaded guilty on Monday (Aug 14) to one count of conspiring to receive gratification under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Another two charges will be considered in sentencing.

The court heard that Zhang, a freelance interior designer, got to know co-accused Lionel Low Jun Jie, 36, through their reservist duties.

Low was an assistant manager of properties development at SIA, and managed ad-hoc renovation projects for the airline. 

He would conduct quotation or tender exercises and shortlist contractors for interviews, before recommending the contractor to be awarded the project.

Low had been with SIA for six to seven years when he went for a reservist stint with Zhang in 2018.

Low was looking for building contractors for an SIA project, involving the construction of a two-storey building for classrooms to be used for training. 

He asked Zhang for recommendations, suggesting that the designer could tell the contractor that he had an SIA contact – without revealing Low’s identity – who could help secure the tender.

On this basis, Zhang could then ask for a commission from the contractor, Low added.

Zhang agreed, and the pair said they would split the commission equally between the two of them.

He managed to find a contractor, 51-year-old Joseph Ang Kok Leng, manager of LIN ID and LIN Builders, who was interested but unsure if he could meet SIA’s requirements.

Zhang then told Ang that he could help him qualify for the project by speaking to his SIA contact.

THE CONSPIRACY

To help Ang in preparing documents for a bid, Zhang passed on confidential information about the project, that he had obtained from Low. This included SIA’s S$2.5 million budget for the classroom project, as well as expected timelines and milestones.

Before Ang submitted his quotation to SIA, he sent it to Zhang, who discussed with Low and told Ang what to change.

Ang offered to give Zhang 5 per cent of the contract amount of S$1.4 million as a “commission”.

The project was eventually awarded to Ang’s company for about S$2.2 million, including a construction fee of S$1.5 million and other costs.

Ang gave Zhang a “commission” of S$177,000 for this project. He later gave him another sum of about S$30,000 for his help in securing a contract supplying furniture for the classrooms.

The entire project was the largest that Ang’s company LIN ID had won and completed as of April 2021.

SIA paid LIN ID progressively, and Ang gave a total of S$207,535 in gratification to Zhang, across six occasions in 2019. Zhang split the money equally with Low, as agreed.

Zhang later said he knew it was wrong of him and Low to ask for a commission from Ang, in exchange for help to secure the contracts.

He said he did it because he needed money for his wedding and for renovating his new house. He spent the bribes on wedding, holiday and living expenses as well as his wife’s maternity bills.

Zhang will return to court for mitigation and sentencing in September.

The cases for Low and Ang are pending.

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