Singapore passes law removing mandatory minimum penalties for first-time driving offenders
REMOVING IMPORTANT MINIMUM Fines ARE A CONCERN.
Nominated Member of Parliament Razwana Begum and Progress Singapore Party ( PSP) Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa, along with MPs Dennis Tan ( WP-Hougang ), Yip Hon Weng ( PAP-Yio Chu Kang ), and Joan Pereira ( PAP-Tanjong Pagar ), collectively raised questions from the electorate.
When the Bill was announced, Mr Yip noted how some of his people asked whether it was  , sending the wrong information, and if it meant that officials were “going sweet” on criminals.
Even if that is not the intention, the removal of mandatory minimum sentences may unintentionally be interpreted as mercy. He claimed that this could destroy public confidence and destroy years of efforts to promote safer traveling practices.
Mr Yip even asked if lighter words had “embolden difficult behaviour” and result to more repeat offenders.
Ms Pereira said the adjustments to the required minimum phrases were” too liberal, even for first-time violators”.  ,
” We have to bear in mind that in these circumstances, lives have been or could have been lost,” she said. The criminals did engage in dangerous or negligent driving behavior in order to cause the injuries. The sanctions must be serious enough to effectively serve as a valuable deterrent.
Ms Begum suggested that it could be “appropriate” for the adjustments to be accompanied by a public awareness campaign.
” We need to make sure that the people who are affected by these modifications are aware of this,” she continued.
In a time when there are more traffic fatalities and dangerous driving accidents, PSP’s Ms. Poa stated that the celebration was in favor of several different proposed amendments, but she could not support the removal of the requirement for mandatory minimum sentences and the disqualification period for first-time unsafe or thoughtless driving offenders.
In the end, both of PSP’s NCMPs, Ms Poa and Leong Mun Wai, recorded their dissention and voted against the proposed modifications.
In her statement, Ms Poa pointed to what she called an “apparent coverage U-turn” following modifications made in 2019 where MHA reviewed Road Traffic Act crimes.  ,
Race to find survivors after deadly Tibet earthquake
After a strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the area, rescue team are searching for survivors in Tibet.
It killed at least 95 citizens, and many more were injured, according to Chinese state media.
The earthquake that hit Tibet’s holy Shigatse city around 09: 00 local time ( 01: 00 GMT ) had a magnitude of 7.1 and a depth of 10 kilometres ( six miles ), according to data from the US Geological Survey, which also showed a series of aftershocks in the area.
Numbness were even felt in parts of India and Nepal that were close by.
Read more on this story here.
New Singapore communicable diseases agency to be set up in first half of 2025
WHAT MPs SAID
Concerns about the transition and how continuity would be maintained as the new agency consolidates crucial public health functions were raised by members of Parliament Yip Won Heng ( PAP-Yio Chu Kang ) and Wan Rizal ( PAP-Jalan Besar ).  ,
Meanwhile, MP James Lim ( WP-Sengkang ) suggested providing CDA with a broad mandate to address emergencies, including disaster management as well as the aftermath of a bioweapons outbreak.  ,
He further stated that the scope of CDA’s work may include addressing continued communicable diseases like dengue and influenza.  ,
MDMRAHAYU’S RESPONSE
Mdm Rahayu said that MOH has ensured a easy move since the new company was initially announced in March 2023 regarding the issue of ensuring consistency of operations.
This includes establishing an interval CDA as a pre-operations framework in end-2023, where vital functions, including disease surveillance, monitoring and investigations, is gradually transit and continue to operate properly.
She added that regular meetings with staff and unions have been held to share data and get feedback.  ,
Mdm Rahayu said CDA may provide structured learning options to provide soldiers with the necessary skills to successfully perform their jobs.
Mdm Rahayu argued that the new company’s goal is to concentrate on communicable diseases because of Assoc Prof. Lim’s advice to expand the scope of CDA’s mandate to include disaster management.  ,
” For federal man-made tragedies, MOH and other ministers already have the skills to respond to them. CDA will collaborate with these departments and organizations on the arising transferable issues,” she said.
Man admits to cheating ‘sugar babies’ as young as 13 for nude photos and videos
A person in Singapore plotted to defraud women and girls into paying them for explicit pictures and physical service before reneging on what he owed.
Hee Lic Yuan, who was a firm researcher in a bank at the time of his crimes from 2019 to 2021, exploited 31 patients using this method.
He may ask the patients to be his” sugar children” on the internet and offer to pay for obvious photos and videos. Additionally, he sought physical assistance from some of the subjects.
Hee, then 32, faces a full of 59 fees. On Tuesday ( Jan 7 ), he admitted guilt to 15 counts, with the rest of the charges being taken into account.
On February 5, he may go back to judge for punishment.
The trial pursued 15 counts, including sexual infiltration of minors, communicating with minors to obtain physical services, producing child abuse materials, sexual harassment, threatening to deliver romantic images of victims, and obtaining services improperly.
The jury heard particulars of these crimes, which involved 11 different patients aged between 13 and 20 years old.
Hee paid for naked pictures and physical companies with women between the ages of 16 and 20 before 2020. Additionally, he photographed him from his bedroom windows at work, in public transportation, and on the side of the road.
When Hee set out to scam subjects, he created several Instagram, TikTok and Telegram records, and used these to give information to women.
Even though he did not intend to give the victims, he would create as a rich man looking for a sugar child and offer prices for explicit photos or videos.
To keep track of the cash he owed, he promised to pay each survivor on a specific date each month and would post a score to the top of each victim’s Telegram conversation.
SEXUAL Attack
A 15-year-old woman who was identified in court records as V1 was one of Hee’s subjects.
On Mar 10, 2021, V1’s companion showed her a picture of an Instagram talk about a honey child design.
She sent a message to Hee’s Instagram profile as seen in the picture to show her involvement in being a honey child because V1 needed funds.
Hee contacted V1 on Telegram and claimed to give her a monthly salary for nude photos and videos of herself. V1 agreed to this.
He then quoted a price of S$ 200 to S$ 400 for each nude photo. V1 sent him about 10 nude images of herself and was promised S$ 3, 500 in repayment.
The next day, Hee offered V1 S$ 4, 000 for intercourse, and she agreed. He also informed her that because it was a” trial,” he would not be paying her for their first meeting.
V1 went to Hee’s house at night, and he sexually assaulted her while recording video of the works.
Over about the next week, V1 sent about 10 more obvious pictures and nine obvious videos of herself at Hee’s demand.
On Mar 19, 2021, Hee asked V1 to have a” threesome” with him and another man. He told her that if she rejected him, he would never give her.
The following morning, V1 called the police to report that she had been sexually assaulted.
Hee even sexually assaulted another woman V2, who was 15 or 16 years old at the time, in May 2019, after initiating a talk with her on Instagram.
13-year-old VICTIM WAS THE OLDEST VICTIM
A 13-year-old child was the youngest victim of Hee’s youngest attack, according to court records as V7.
Hee asked if she wanted to get his sugar child in a January 2021 Instagram information. V7 told him her time.
Hee asked V7 for skinny photographs in exchange for money. Additionally, he likewise sent her images of various women so she could duplicate their poses.
Hee had promised to pay her several thousand dollars for 20 explicit pictures of herself, and V7 sent them.
Hee said he would never give her and threatened to deliver her naked photos to her Instagram followers when V7 said she did not want to take any more photos.
Distressed and scared, V7 stopped replying to Hee. Two weeks later, he sent her another threatening message, but she still refused to send more photos of herself.
Hee replied to V7 that he had no idea whether to carry out his threat, and their conversation ended.
FOR MORE EXPLICIT IMAGES, REFER TO EXPLOITED VICTIM.
Hee’s threats to distribute intimate images worked on another victim, 16-year-old V11, whom he started talking to on Mar 13, 2021.
Hee removed her top during a video call with V11 during which time.
Hee later sent a screenshot that showed she was topless and threatened to distribute it if she did not comply with his requests when V11 informed him that she was not comfortable with the arrangement.
She carried out numerous explicit photos and videos of V11.
V11 said she did not want to continue and that she would instead offer to introduce him to her friends as his sugar babies. Hee said he would follow up with more requests.
While drunk, Hee responded threateningly for her not to “test my… patience” and also said” I promise on your life”. V11 made a police report on Mar 15, 2021.
CHILD ABUSE MATERIAL, CHEATING OFFENCES
When Hee contacted another young victim on Instagram and inquired if she wanted to be his sugar child, V9, she was 14 years old.
Between Feb 20, 2021 and Mar 27, 2021, V9 sent Hee nude photos and videos of herself.
Hee also made two video calls with V9, where he instructed her on what to do while she was naked. He secretly recorded the video calls, thereby producing child abuse material.
In respect of three victims , – 18-year-old V10, 19-year-old V8 and 20-year-old V6 , – Hee admitted to offences of obtaining services fraudulently.
Hee obtained explicit images from V10 and V6 for which he was supposed to give them S$ 3, 000 and S$ 1, 500 respectively, but he did not make good on the payment.
Hee promised V8 S$ 10, 000 for sexual acts that she performed on him, as well as payment for explicit photos, videos and a video call with her in 2021.
She promised to report Hee to the police when V8 became suspicious that she wouldn’t be able to pay her. He responded with a threat:” If I go down, you will go down too and there will be no case”.
Hee started deleting the messages and eventually his entire Telegram account as soon as V8 began taking screenshots of their conversation history. So she couldn’t locate him.
Missing Chinese actor found in Myanmar, Thai authorities say
A Chinese actor who was reported missing near a Thai border town has been found safe in Myanmar and is now with Thai authorities, according to Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday ( January 7 ).  ,
Wang Xing, also known as Xing Xing, has appeared in supporting roles in movies like Internet Man 3 and appeared in numerous Taiwanese TV plays.  ,
The 31-year-old professional flew to Bangkok on January 3rd after landing a position on a Thai shooting job, according to a social media post Jiajia’s partner shared on Sunday that went viral.  ,
Wang was met by a people claiming to be a part of the film crew when he arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport around 4am, according to Jia.  ,
He was finally driven to the nearby, 500km Thai border area Mae Sot, where he eventually lost touch with Jia at around 12pm.
His disappearance sparked a contentious discussion about Chinese immigrants being lured to Southeast Asian nations on the excuse of high-paying jobs before being forced into slave-like working problems in computer con centers run by legal organizations.
Wang was located in Myanmar on Monday, according to Thai tourism secretary Sorawong Thientong, and was then flown back to Thailand on Tuesday.  ,
Wang had previously been rumored to have entered the village of Myawaddy, which frequently serves as a staging area for computer con ingredients and is the site of fierce fighting between rebel causes and the ruling junta.  ,
” It is nice that he was found”, Sorawong said in remarks carried by Thai media outlets. ” The Thai authorities and tourism department are duty-bound to build trust among visitors”, he added.  ,
Thailand has been trying to revive its economy following the pandemic, but attempts have been hampered by perceived health issues.  ,
Ms. Paetongtarn stated that the Thai government was properly handling the issue in order to prevent any adverse effects on tourism after a regular cabinet meeting.  ,
Without providing additional information, Thatchai Peetaneelabut, inspector-general of the Royal Thai Police, said he had ordered a thorough research into the event because it appeared to be the work of human smugglers.  ,
Wang’s departure went popular on Chinese social media after his wife’s unique Weibo article garnered more than 586, 000 likes and 357, 000 reposts- and attracted the attention of many well-known Chinese actors.  ,
Foreign actors Gong Jun, Lay Zhang, and Qin Lan reshared Jia’s post on their official Weibo accounts and shared well-wishes for Wang’s protection.  ,
E-cigarettes, e-baraku now specifically prohibited for students
PUBLISHED: 7 Jan 2025 at 17: 20
The Ministry of Education proposed four amounts of punishment for students, including electronic cigarettes and digital baraku, as proposed by the government.
The new rules on student behavior under the Child Protection Act were approved at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, according to assistant government official Karom Ponpornklang.
He claimed that e-cigarettes and e-baraku were added to the list of things that were already considered cocaine and were included in the checklist.
The Ministry of Education set four amounts of consequence for students who breach the new regulations - , 1. alert, 2. supervision, 3. calculation of psychological points and 4. activities for behavior modification.
The minister, Pol Gen Permpoon Chidchob, claimed that the ministry had no authority to seize the items, but other legitimate events had to accept responsibility for preventing their spread, Mr. Karom continued.  ,
Although commonly available, e-cigarettes and baraku, or other water pipes used for smoking marijuana, are already prohibited in Thailand. E-baraku is a very new material. It is typically 11 centimeters long by 9 millimeters wide and allows the user to follow smoking a cigarette.
Johor-Singapore SEZ a ‘big plus’ for firms to tap both sides’ different strengths: PM Wong
Frequent CONFERENCES ON BILATERAL ISSUES
As leaders from both sides thrashed out a deal, which Mr. Anwar had described previously on Tuesday as a distinct and uncommon action between two nations working as a team, the JS-SEZ deal has been in development for a year.
Moving forward, Mr. Anwar stated that he and Mr. Wong have agreed to meet quarterly to evaluate progress being made in resolving diplomatic disputes that have remained unresolved. These include places like waters supply, airport management and maritime boundaries.
Mr Wong said in the wrap-up interview on Tuesday that the two sides have made” some development” on these complex issues but have “understandably” never travel to a decision, citing distinctions of opinions.
” So, both Prime Minister Anwar and I are fully committed to continuing the engagement and discussions, and hopefully with the nudging from the prime ministers, with the constant engagements we have, and continued dialogue, we can see some progress by the next leaders ‘ retreat across all three bilateral issues,” he said.
Mr. Wong noted that the leaders are also putting together schedule for the weekly meetings, with plenty of time left until the officials ‘ retreat in Singapore after this year.
” We are discussing a few websites where we might do thus, including perhaps at Johor-Singapore SEZ”, he said.
There will also be some of these that we will consider appropriate goals to gather around and to meet, and when we do therefore, we can use these occasions to review the conversations on the pending international issues and ensure that we keep making progress on that.
Mr. Wong claimed to have met Mr. Anwar on several occasions, including at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) and multilateral forums, and that they have both developed a” good friendship” based on mutual respect and understanding.
He said,” That sets the tone for the entire relationship- the relationship between the ministers and officials- and also for us to work up on bilateral problems.”
” I may say that we are on a really strong basis, starting with the management level. And many of the officials have been interacting with one another on many occasions, including next day and now at the leaders ‘ retreat.
Mr. Wong added that he had also suggested that both sides re-establish the history of holding” legal services game.”
” But, it’s not always about work, it’s not always about leaders coming together to discuss business or deal and to participate on hard issues”, he said.
” But freely as well, there is an option for us to get up, unwind, and get to know one another, and maybe more of these markets can continue to take place across the board.”
Singapore-Malaysia relationship can be ‘building block’ in strengthening ASEAN amid global challenges: PM Wong
A way of focusing and leveraging each other’s strengths is not only in the heart with Singapore, but can also be observed in “many another countries” within ASEAN, said Mr Anwar, highlighting their stance in trying to resolve the “more controversial” Myanmar turmoil.
Since February 2021, Myanmar has experienced turmoil, with the junta struggling to maintain its hold on power as its military seized power and removed a democratically elected government.
” There is that willingness to try and work together as a team, and I believe we can do that as a team,” said Mr. Anwar.” It’s the only thing we may do,” he said.
In order to support Malaysia’s ASEAN chair this year, Mr. Anwar is assembling a team of unofficial counselors. This is a proper effort, according to analysts who have spoken to CNA.
Mr. Wong stated that Singapore fully supports Malaysia’s leadership of ASEAN, adding that” ASEAN will now be more important than ever for it to be strong, included, and united, because the greater opposition we experience isn’t between ourselves within ASEAN, but rather it’s outside the place.”  ,
” The major markets are all talking about re-shoring, on-shoring, near-shoring- they want the important tasks to get nearer to their house economies. But ASEAN needs to come along, examine how to improve our worth proposition, and compete up, according to the prime minister of Singapore.  ,
Also, Mr Anwar emphasised the importance of ASEAN in strengthening itself as a local army, ready to “withstand unexpected pressure” from “other places or groups or regions”.
What we can do is our best right now, to strengthen our foundations and our force, and to work as friendly nations to collaborate with everyone, and that’s the position Malaysia has adopted.
Teenager who fell victim to impersonation scam arrested for cheating elderly woman
A teenager was detained on Sunday ( Jan 5 ) for allegedly abusing an elderly woman in a similar scam, according to the police on Tuesday.
An old lady who was the prey of scams posing as Chinese officials was reported to the police on Sunday. She lost S$ 290, 000 ( US$ 213, 200 ).
The con artists claimed that she had been lied to in China using her name.
Officials from the Anti-Scam Command, Woodlands Police Division and Police Operations Command Centre , established the identity of the 18-year-old and arrested her on the same day.
The student is a student and has a cultural visit pass, according to preliminary investigations. She had been the victim of the same imitation fraud.
According to a police press release,” She was allegedly manipulated into going to Singapore and supporting the scam activities under the false pretense that she was helping with standard studies.”
The student is being investigated for stealing.  , If found guilty, she may be jailed for up to 10 times and fined.
SPF stated that” the authorities get a major position against any individual who may be a victim of fraud, and the offenders will be dealt with in accordance with the law.”
Members of the public should usually decline calls for use of their bank accounts or mobile lines in order to avoid being accused of complicity in acts.
Cambodia ex-PM Hun Sen calls for new law to punish ‘terrorists’
As Cambodia marked the anniversary of the Khmer Rouge’s assassination, influential former leader Hun Sen on Tuesday ( Jan 7 ) called for a new law naming anyone who attempts to overthrow his son’s government as “terrorists.” The ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, installed a reign of terrorContinue Reading