Man in Singapore on tuition grant and MOE bond used forged documents to extend stay, gets jail
SINGAPORE: A Malaysian who came to Singapore on a Ministry of Education (MOE) tuition grant for his undergraduate studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS) completed his studies and his three-year bond, but wanted to extend his stay.
He used forged documents from NUS and MOE in order to get the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to extend his long-term visit pass, but was foiled when MOE noticed irregularities.
Magendran Muniandy, 34, was jailed for 20 weeks on Friday (Jun 1) for his crimes.
He had claimed trial but was convicted of three charges of using forged documents.
The court heard that Magendran was awarded a tuition grant by MOE in 2008 for a course in Science at NUS. He signed the MOE Tuition Grant Agreement, which required him to serve a bond with MOE upon completion of his undergraduate studies.
He was required to be employed in Singapore for three years.
Magendran obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in June 2011. He worked for the Life Sciences Institute of NUS for three years – between August 2014 and August 2017.
He was given an employment pass that was terminated on Aug 18, 2017, the day his three-year bond ended.
After his employment pass was terminated, Magendran applied for and was given a long-term visit pass for a year. Based on ICA’s records, the pass was issued to him in August 2017 and expired a year later.
In April 2018, Magendran sent an email to MOE asking for a copy of the agreement and a supporting letter from MOE so he could apply for an extension of his long-term visit pass, lying that he had not served his bond.
A senior executive responded to Magendran and asked about his employment history.
In his response, he claimed that he was hired by Proctor & Gamble and sent to Japan to work. He claimed that the plan was for him to work there for one-and-a-half years before returning to Singapore, but claimed that he had to work there for longer due to “organisational changes”.
He then claimed that he quit his job in Japan and returned to Malaysia or Singapore to find employment, but discovered that his bond was “yet to be served”.
“Therefore, I would like to take the initiative to serve my bond asap,” wrote Magendran.
He later lied that he had worked as a research assistant with NUS for only two months in early 2018 – even though he had worked for NUS for three years and effectively completed his bond.
In his bid to extend his long-term visit pass, Magendran used three forged documents as genuine. This includes a “letter of support for extension of long-term visit pass” purportedly issued by MOE, which he gave to ICA.
He also presented an image to MOE which showed the date of issue and date of expiry of a visit pass purportedly issued by ICA. He also showed a letter of acknowledgement purportedly issued by NUS to MOE.
After receiving the forged NUS acknowledgement letter, MOE conducted internal checks on Magendran’s employment history and realised that he had been given an employment pass with NUS for three years.
MOE contacted NUS, who confirmed the same and said the acknowledgement letter that Magendran had provided to MOE was not from them.
The senior executive had missed the irregulaties in the date of issue and expiry in the image Magendran had submitted, but later took a closer look and realised the dates were off.
Because Magendran had already worked in Singapore for three years, MOE discharged him from the bond and informed ICA that MOE would be revoking the original MOE support letter.
ICA later filed a police report.
Magendran had contested the charges, claiming that he had not submitted the forged MOE support letter to ICA, nor the forged NUS acknowledgment letter to MOE.
He said he had submitted the image showing his visit pass to MOE but said he did not know the information was inaccurate.
He pointed the finger at the officers working for MOE and ICA, accusing them of concocting documents to incriminate him.
The penalties for using a forged document as genuine are a jail term of up to four years, a fine, or both.
Japan to issue special bonds aimed at supporting childcare
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday (Jun 1) that the government would issue special bonds aimed at filling a projected funding gap as it boosts childcare support towards 2030. Speaking at a government panel meeting, Kishida also said the government would not take on additional financial burdensContinue Reading
Japan to issue special bonds aimed at supporting child care
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday (Jun 1) that the government would issue special bonds aimed at filling a projected funding gap as it boosts childcare support towards 2030. Speaking at a government panel meeting, Kishida also said the government would not take on additional financial burdensContinue Reading
4 opposition parties form alliance to contest in Singaporeâs next General Election
SINGAPORE: Four opposition parties in Singapore have formed an alliance called the People’s Alliance to contest the next General Election, said lawyer and politician Lim Tean on Thursday (Jun 1).
The four parties consist of the Peoples Voice, Reform Party, People’s Power Party and Democratic Progressive Party.
Singapore’s next General Election must be held by 2025.
Mr Lim, who is the leader of Peoples Voice, added that the four parties had been in discussions to form an alliance since January.
“Past attempts to forge an alliance of the opposition parties, most recently in 2018, when seven parties came together for talks, unfortunately went nowhere,” said Mr Lim in a Facebook post.
“We have heeded the calls of Singaporeans and decided that the time for talking about opposition unity without the formation of an alliance, is long past.”
Acting PM Lawrence Wong to meet Anthony Albanese in Singapore for 8th Annual Leadersâ Meeting
SINGAPORE: Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will make a three-day working visit to Singapore from Jun 1 to Jun 3, during which he will meet Acting Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Mr Albanese will be in Singapore for the 8th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting, said Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday (Jun 1).
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Mr Albanese met in October 2022 in Canberra, where the two countries signed the Singapore-Australia Green Economy Agreement.
Mr Lee said in a Facebook post on Thursday he had tested positive for COVID-19 again due to a “COVID rebound”.
The Prime Minister, who is 71, added that he is still infectious although the risk is not high compared to the initial infection. He said his doctors have advised him to isolate himself until he tests negative using an antigen rapid test.
Mr Lee will recuperate at home, said the Prime Minister’s Office in a statement on Thursday afternoon.
In his absence, Mr Wong, who is Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, will be Acting Prime Minister. He will host Mr Albanese for the 8th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting on Friday.
The Annual Leaders’ Meeting is part of the Singapore-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which was established in 2015.
The meeting is a key platform for both prime ministers to discuss bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and international developments, said MFA in its press release.
Mr Albanese will receive a ceremonial welcome at the Istana on Friday. He will then call on President Halimah Yacob and hold the Annual Leaders’ Meeting with Mr Wong.
Mr Wong will host an official lunch, and Mr Albanese will have a new orchid hybrid named in his honour, said MFA.
Mr Albanese will also deliver the keynote address at the 20th edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies the same evening.
Warm, humid nights expected in first half of June: Met Service
SINGAPORE: Warm weather is expected in the first half of June with the onset of southwest monsoon conditions, the Meteorological Service Singapore (Met Service) said on Thursday (Jun 1). Temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius can be expected during the day, while the temperature may stay above 29 degreesContinue Reading
New nutrition guidelines for children aim to help schools prepare healthy meals in appropriate portions
Serving some 24,000 children each year, the firm said it hopes the new guidelines can further enhance both its in-house and outsourced meals.
“With the new standard, because of stronger understanding and the alignment of expectations, we will be able to find food providers who will be readily able to provide food with the quality that we need,” said the preschool chain’s general manager Thian Ai Ling.
BOOSTING INDUSTRY STANDARDS
Some firms in the catering industry are already gearing up to adopt these guidelines.
The Singapore Manufacturing Federation, which oversees 150 food and beverage providers, said it is actively encouraging members to do so and help boost industry standards.
“For infants and children, food safety is of paramount importance given their vulnerability in this age group,” said the federation’s council member Audrey Yap.
“The standard addresses this by looking at food and beverage (F&B) players who want to get involved with serving these particular needs, and to ensure that (food produced) is age-appropriate.”
Ms Yap said she is confident that caterers will be quick to adopt the guidelines as that would give them an edge in their business.
“With this awareness of (children’s) nutritional needs … consumers could be more selective, more targeted, more specific in what they want to eat, and also looking for a healthier lifestyle,” said Ms Yap.
“Accordingly, F&B businesses that step up to the plate and are able to address this sector very quickly, effectively and efficiently, will see a return on investment.”
900kg of crystal meth seized from fishing trawler
Six arrested with shipment believed destined for Australia on boat off Koh Samet
Authorities have arrested six drug smugglers and seized 909 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, believed to be destined for Australia, from a fishing trawler south of Koh Samet in the Gulf of Thailand.
The seizure was the culmination of a four-month operation that began with an intelligence report from the National Security Council (NSC), according to Wichai Chaimongkhon, secretary-general of the Narcotics Control Board (NCB).
The NSC had learned that transnational drug traffickers were using medium-sized trawlers to deliver shipments of methamphetamine and heroin, weighing about a tonne, to a large liner in the middle of the Gulf. The deliveries took place in international waters, beyond the reach of Thai law enforcement.
The NCB set up a special task force, in cooperation with the Naval Special Warfare Command or SEALs, which spent four months monitoring the activities of the suspected traffickers, said Mr Wichai.
On Tuesday of this week, team members on a stakeout in Rayong spotted the crew of a trawler loading empty stainless steel barrels, fuel and food. At 8.45 that night, a white pickup truck pulled up and the crew loaded several heavy fertiliser sacks onto the trawler before it set out from shore.
The team began following the boat and intercepted it south of Koh Samet in Rayong province, about 20 nautical miles from shore.
Six suspects were arrested with 909 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine seized, Mr Wichai said at a briefing on Thursday at the NCB offices in Din Daeng district of Bangkok.
Officers inspect the fishing trawler on which drugs were seized and six smugglers arrested. (Photo: Narcotics Control Board)
Authorities later searched seven locations — five in Rayong and two in Bangkok. During the search, they seized one fishing trawler, six cars, two motorcycles, bank account passbooks, ATM cards and other assets with a combined worth of at least 5.2 million baht.
Officers also searched a rented house in Rayong that was used as a storage site for drugs. Many empty fertiliser sacks were found there.
During questioning, the suspects admitted to having smuggled the drugs from Bangkok to the fishing trawler in Rayong. A bag of ketamine, for the crew’s personal use, was also found in the vessel.
One of the suspects who was the boat owner said the seized drugs were about to be loaded onto a large liner headed for Australia.
Mr Wichai said the NCB would widen the investigation to seize assets of all those involved in the smuggling operation.
Sacks and barrels containing 909kg of crystal methamphetamine seized from the fishing trawler off Koh Samet are displayed for a briefing on Thursday. (Photo: Narcotics Control Board)
Loafers Lodge fire: Man charged with NZ hostel fire murders
EPANew Zealand police have charged a 48-year-old man with five counts of murder in relation to a deadly hostel fire.
He had already been detained and charged with arson over the blaze in Wellington last month.
Loafers Lodge, a four-storey emergency housing hostel in the capital, burned down on 16 May killing five people.
The incident has renewed debate about New Zealand’s housing crisis as the site had been home to members of vulnerable and marginalised groups.
Located just a block away from Wellington city hospital, many hospital workers had also relied on it for short-term accommodation.
Wellington Police told reporters on Thursday they had informed victims’ families of the prosecution’s charges.
The fatal blaze occurred on 16 May, shortly after midnight local time. Police soon after launched a homicide inquiry, and said they were treating the blaze as an act of arson.
The victims are still yet to be publicly identified, but they were all men aged between 50 and 67, local media reported.
At least 99 residents had been living in the building on the night of the fire.
When it broke out, some were forced to crawl through smoke to safety. Others huddled on the roof while waiting to be rescued.
One lodger, Tala Sili, said he had jumped from his window to escape the flames.
“I was on the top floor, and I couldn’t go through the hallway because there was just too much smoke so I jumped out the window,” he had earlier told national broadcaster RNZ.
“It smelt like poison,” he said.
Amid conflicting accounts from residents, Wellington’s fire authorities last month said they could not confirm whether smoke alarms had gone off in the building.
Many people in New Zealand have been cut out of the housing market due to sky-high property prices, rising rents and a shortage of government-subsidised homes.
Use of emergency housing also skyrocketed in the country during the pandemic. Government data shows the stopgap solution has become a long-term option for many.
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