Singapore pet owners, businesses call for more regulation after ‘way too many incidents’

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” REALLY, REALLY CERTIFIED”?

Not all cats companies must have licenses, according to the pet industry.

The&nbsp, Animal &amp, Veterinary Service ( AVS), an arm of NParks, licenses veterinary centres, pet shops, farms, pet boarders and producers, which are assessed to have “higher levels of risk” for animal health and welfare, AVS ‘ Industry Standards and Regulatory group director Jessica Kwok said. &nbsp,

For services that do n’t require licensing, groomers can be certified by&nbsp, private organisations like the Singapore Kennel Club, while&nbsp, AVS has a certified dog trainer Scheme. But these are deliberate.

AVS even has a Code of Animal Welfare that lists the best methods for managing and keeping pets. It suggests minimal requirements for producers, suppliers, groomers, boarders, keepers and daycare providers. &nbsp, But failure to comply is not considered an infraction.

Instead, regulators rely on&nbsp, the Animals and Birds Act, which penalises abuse or neglect and covers those working with animals in firms, including animal trails.

As they are entrusted by their clients with the care of the animals, these people are expected to uphold higher standards of animal security, according to Ms. Kwok. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Those found guilty of animal cruelty or to have failed in their duty of care while in an animal-related business face a penalty of up to two years ‘ jail, a fine of S$ 40, 000 ( US$ 30, 193 ) or both. &nbsp,

Some entrepreneurs are now calling for more supervision of animal services, with&nbsp, government-led rules at every step, starting from before a business is set up and allowed to exercise.

” How many of us really know the person handling our dogs are really, truly qualified”? asked Ms Mikela Chen, the owner of four-year-old chi zu Peace.

In addition to regular inspections and police actions, suggestions included the need for a human-to-dog amount and the use of CCTVs.

Techniques for handling disputes would also be useful, said proprietors. &nbsp,

Ms Chen, a company director, said a grooming shop cut off the ideas of Peace’s lips and lacerated his nose in 2021. She continued,” The shop simply offered a refund and refused to provide CCTV images.”

Additionally, owners CNA spoke to support penalties like a lifetime disqualification or demerit point systems to prevent wayward service providers from operating under a different name.

” Some groomers simply close off and can easily start new people”, noted Ms Melisa Quek, who has a one-and-a-half time old chihuahua zu called Enzo. &nbsp,

Basic dog management courses could also be mandated, said Ms Christine Bernadette, the charity representative for security team Factors for Animals. One is not suited to work with species if they are unwilling to go through basic training.

Temasek Polytechnic, for one, has a canine care and management program which is enforced for those seeking a pet store permission. According to the various functions interviewed by CNA, this could also be true for other pet service.

However, according to Ricky Yeo, president of Action for Singapore Dogs, it would be difficult to categorize all animal services under one umbrella. According to &nbsp,” The way to channel them is to assess the risk factors of the business in terms of the pet’s security and well-being.”

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Iswaran’s trial to begin on Sep 10

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SINGAPORE: The trial for former transport minister S Iswaran will begin on Sep 10, &nbsp, the Attorney-General’s Chambers ( AGC ) confirmed in a statement on Monday ( Aug 12 ).

A spokeswoman said the earlier collection of prosecution times, immediately set to begin on Aug 13, “has been vacated on military attorney’s demand”.

This year’s test times for Sep 10 through Sep 13 have been set.

Top Counsel Davinder Singh leads the group of attorneys that represents Iswaran.

He lost his bid to convince the trial to release all testimony from prosecution witnesses to the defense when he was last in open judge in July.

Although most corruption cases are heard in state courts, the prosecution properly applied to hear this one in the High Court in March.

The 62-year-old Singaporean is accused of 35 full crimes, including 32 counts of obtaining goods as a common slave, two counts of problem, and one of obstructing justice.

These involve his relations with Singapore-listed Lum Chang Holdings ‘ managing director, Mr. Lum Kok Seng, and home magnate Ong Beng Seng.

CNA contacted the defense to ask about the new test deadlines, but the defense refused.

If convicted of obtaining a significant factor as a public servant, Iswaran can be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.
 
If convicted of corruptly obtaining gratification under the Prevention of Corruption Act, he can be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to S$ 100, 000 ( US$ 74, 400 ), or both.
 
If convicted of obstructing justice, he may be jailed for up to seven decades, fined, or both.
 

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‘We must accept this result’: Post-Olympics, Malaysia to look at plans to boost sporting performance, says Anwar

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ALLEGED Bullying OF MALAYSIAN Players

Individually, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil stated on Saturday that he was conscious of some of the whines some of the Malaysian Olympic athletes had experienced after being allegedly abused online by users.

Mr. Fahmi did not provide examples of the comments, but he did warn that some of them might be viewed as cybercrime if they had had a negative effect on the mental health of Malaysian athletes.

” I have not yet received the latest report, hence, I do not have the updated information ( on athletes being cyberbullied ).

According to Mr. Fahmi,” I will look into the matter if players feel that their well-being is affected by, for example ( according to such situations ), because we occasionally hear harsh feedback from users, regardless of whether they are coming from fake addresses or not,”

Mr. Fahmi added that there have been cases where players have been criticized online for their behavior.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission does occasionally get information, but it’s important to point out that some bullying offenders conceal themselves behind false addresses. ” Bernama reported him as saying that social media platforms ‘ actions have failed to stop fraudulent transactions.

In response to the death of influential woman Rajeswary Appahu, who allegedly committed abuse, local media had recently reported that there were no particular laws in place to combat bullying in the nation.

Indonesian authorities have since stated that they are considering a plan to alter the country’s penal code to make certain provisions for cyberbullying.

The Indonesian government has even taken a tougher stance against big technology and social media companies in recent days. It had previously stated that all social multimedia and internet communications services with at least eight million registered users in the nation must apply for a class-actions license as of 2025 in order to avoid fines.

Mr. Fahmi had previously stated to CNA that the new school licensing system will strengthen Malaysia’s congressional muscle to make the internet safer for both children and their families.

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Veteran lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam penalised over unredacted transcripts sent to press in molestation case

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In a molestation case, veteran lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam was ordered to pay a fine of S$ 1, 000 ( US$ 755 ) for the distribution of unredacted transcripts to the press.

The plaintiff, a girl who had accused a doctor of molestation, was likely to be identified in the transcripts.

Dr Yeo Sow Nam, next 52, was acquitted of all matters of assaulting the claimant in August 2021&nbsp, after she admitted to lying.

However, it was discovered that the defense team had sent the media unredacted transcripts in violation of the joke order.

The lead lawyer, Mr. Thuraisingam, was subject to disciplinary action in a case brought by the Law Society of Singapore ( LawSoc ), which regulates local attorneys and their conduct.

Mr. Thuraisingam was spared of four counts related to Dr. Yeo’s case, according to a report released by the disciplinary tribunal last Thursday ( Aug 8 ).

These include deceiving the jury, using the court system by challenging the gag order, making submissions in open court before journalists, and mischaracterizing the plaintiff’s behavior.

The court determined that Mr. Thuraisingam was innocent of the four fees because they were false.

The court said the judge’s gag order app was “entirely right” at the time when it was made.

He did but in the interest of empty justice, as well as to justify Dr Yeo, said the judge.

According to Mr. Thuraisingam, he” strongly and fairly believed that it was critical for members of the press and the general public to be informed of the claimant’s perjury.”

By ordering his associate, Mr. Johannes Hadi, to spread the records to the press, Mr. Thuraisingam admitted guilt to one of the charges of publishing the proceedings ‘ records.

WHAT HAPPENED

In February 2020, Dr. Yeo was charged with four counts of rape against the plaintiff, who is still protected by the giggle order.

The press reviews on the situation caused Dr Yeo “much distress”, the judge noted.

Another attorney assisted Dr. Yeo, who will succeed him in soon August 2020.

The situation went to trial in March 2021 before District Judge Ng Peng Hong, taking area “in cameras” or away from the public and press.

At all times, the personality of the claimant was protected by a gag order issued in February 2020, prohibiting the release of her name, address, pictures or any information or item likely to lead to her recognition.

On Mar 5, 2021, a friend and director to Dr Yeo sent an email to Mr Thuraisingam. He said he was” trawling for any inaccurate news reports” on an online forum known as Sammyboy, and said that posts on the forum were “likely to ( have ) come from the complainant’s side”.

Dr. Yeo inquired about what could be done with comments on Sammyboy, and Mr. Hadi advised Dr. Yeo to “ignore the comments on puerile forums like sammyboy.com,” stating that they should “pick ( their ) battles in the media wisely.”

Mr. Thuraisingam demanded Judge Ng’s permission to give the media access to trial transcripts from the in-camera proceedings that time.

He promised the judge that any records that were distributed may be redacted and contain details about the joke order in place.

The judge accepted his request on the grounds that the joke order would not be violated and that the important redactions may be made.

On Mar 16, 2021, Mr Thuraisingam informed Mr Hadi via e-mail to “remember to dark out” the plaintiff’s title, and to remind the media that they could not write her name.

Yet, he did not instruct Mr. Hadi to redact any information that might lead to the complainant’s recognition.

Eventually, Mr Hadi redacted just the claimant’s brand from the records and emailed them to members of the press from Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp.

As a result, the records sent to the press contained unredacted data that could be used to determine the plaintiff, including her time, date of birth, job and boss.

According to the tribunal, this was in violation of Section 7( 4 ) of the State Courts Act, which prohibits the use of a gag order.

The prosecution’s lead prosecutor called Mr. Thuraisingam on June 26, 2021, to inform him that the trial intended to file an indictment discharge application.

Mr. Thuraisingam updated Dr. Yeo and requested his consent for an empty court hearing. The defense team wanted this because they also wanted to have the gag get lifted.

Both parties uploaded their proposals to the joke purchase program. In Mr Thuraisingam’s written submissions, the army group alleged that the claimant was a” self-confessed philanderer” and that she had admitted to knowingly and intentionally lying in jury.

Mr. Thuraisingam gave Mr. Hadi the order to release the defense team’s written submissions for the gag order application as well as some fresh trial transcripts to the press in August 2021.

He declined to request that Mr. Hadi redact information that might have helped the complainant be identified.

On Aug 11, 2021, Mr Hadi emailed the documents to members of the press from Singapore Press Holdings, Mediacorp, the South China Morning Post and others.

Eventually, Mr Thuraisingam did not go ahead with the application to lift the gag order. The prosecution requested that the gag order be upheld.

In April of this year, Mr. Thuraisingam was charged in court with breaking the gag order after information that was made available that could have identified the complainant.

He pleaded guilty and was fined S$ 4, 000 by the court. &nbsp,

The Attorney-General then referred the case to LawSoc for a separate disciplinary inquiry into Mr Thuraisingam’s conduct as a lawyer.

Mr. Thuraisingam should be ordered to pay a fine of S$ 1, 000 in addition to costs and payments of S$ 2, 000, but the tribunal determined there was” no cause of sufficient gravity for disciplinary action” for the uncontested charge. &nbsp,

When CNA got in touch with him, Mr. Thuraisingam declined to comment.

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‘A miracle she pulled through’: Singapore police investigator on ‘slave’ who was nearly tortured to death

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Asia: He has covered several homicide cases in over two years with the Singapore Police Force, but for Deputy Superintendent Chris Lee, it was a wonder when a 27-year-old target survived her almost-fatal accidents.

” Based on the homicide cases I see, it’s a miracle that she actually pulled through” ,&nbsp, DSP Lee told CNA in an interview on the brutal abuse case. ” It was really poor”.

The girl, who turns 34 this time, had sought shelter with a home she considered her individual. The household turned on her after one of her daughters accused her of having sex with her husband.

Over about one-and-a-half centuries from mid-2016, the Ismail home tortured and enslaved the target. She was bitten by hot oil and hot water, fractured her feet, and had her tooth extracted.

By the time one of the girls called an ambulance in January 2018, the target was dying from rot-stained wounds that had rotted throughout her body.

Due to the smell she emitted and the wounds she sustained from being scalded in the personal parts, she was forced to be chained in the bathroom and dragged from the stomach down.

One of the offenders, Hasniza Ismail, called the police on January 16, 2018, according to DSP Lee, the direct investigating officer in the case.

Hasniza claimed that the victim had a disease and was covered in injuries that resembled misuse and had agreed to it.

” The first account provided by Hasniza did not align with the officer’s primary results”, said DSP Lee.

She claimed that the sufferer had been injured before arriving and had only been with the home for two weeks. She added that the victim was “wanted” by the authorities, so she turned down skilled care.

However, according to police investigations, the victim had many trips to Malaysia with the Ismails between 2015 and 2017.

Health reports that came up on the victim’s accidents even contradicted Hasniza’s story.

Hasniza was the first to be arrested. After that, the officers summoned another four family individuals for interviews.

CHALLENGES OF Analysis

To hold the individual interviews simultaneously, DSP Lee needed to mobilise about 10 soldiers.

” They are extremely experienced soldiers, but they knew what I wanted. The sequence of events that we knew caused some disparities in some claims, the 50-year-old official said,” so we started looking into more” after we interviewed.

” One of the sisters reported hearing Haslinda slapping the sufferer,” the sister added. That led us to later detain Haslinda, and Haslinda later revealed Hasmah’s involvement. And that’s how we arrested five – Hasniza was the first, followed by Haslinda, Hasmah, Iski and Iskandar”.

He was referring to mother Hasmah Sulong, another child Haslinda Ismail, and Hasmah’s children, Muhammad Iskandar Ismail and Muhammad Iski Ismail.

Despite the family’s best efforts to create a regular narrative, the researchers discovered contradictions that identified Haslinda as one of the main criminals.

Haslinda afterwards discovered that she had first abused the victim because she believed she had raped her father.

This incident was not confirmed, DSP Lee said.

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Second POFMA order for anti-death penalty activist group Transformative Justice Collective

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The Transformative Justice Collective ( TJC), an activist group that fights the death penalty, has received a&nbsp, Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act ( POFMA ) order for the second time in less than a week.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs ( MHA ) on Sunday ( Aug 11 ), the correction direction applies to posts made by TJC on Facebook, Instagram, and X on August 6.

According to MHA, the posts falsely claim that the condition “uses capital punishment to unilaterally determine whether people live or die” when two Taiwanese death row prisoners were executed on August 2, 2024.

An article on the state fact-checking site Factually&nbsp, explains more why these two arguments are misleading.

On all three social media platforms, TJC has posted the necessary adjustment notices.

Earlier in the week, the team was handed a POFMA get over material regarding&nbsp, the treatment of prisoners on death row. TJC posted adjustment notices on the appropriate platforms in the same way.

Additionally, MHA issued a precise correction order for a post made on August 6 by a” Julie O’Connor” on Sunday. This means LinkedIn is required by law to&nbsp, put a notice against the initial article, with a connection to the president’s explanation.

The post, which had one” Like” as of 4pm on Sunday, has been updated with a revision notice. &nbsp,

CNA has contacted the social media platform,” Julie O’Connor” and TCJ for opinion. &nbsp,

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Historic divorce bill in the Philippines brings hope to aggrieved spouses but meets religious, political opposition

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Because marriage is prohibited, the priest claimed that there have been numerous instances where people have put their differences aside and continue to live together. He claimed that the bill wo n’t help gold miners who are looking for divorce and other possessions get married frequently.

However, according to Mr. Lagman, the proposed regulation now includes a number of safeguards for those who wish to abuse the divorce process.

There are some very stringent conditions that must be satisfied before a newly divorced couple may seek a divorce, including physical abuse, infidelity, or rejection. &nbsp,

” This is not a no-fault marriage. We oppose wives of the kind found in Las Vegas. We do not approve of a notarized marriage, whereby a spouse simply shows up in court and declares their intentions before the judge. He claimed that” we have made very tight provisions to avoid the mistreatment of the law.” &nbsp,

” I JUST WANT TO BE Independent”

Anti-divorce politicians have increased their language in light of the bill’s likely passage into law.

Numerous churches in the Philippines have displayed banners proclaiming” no to marriage” and “what God has united no man is split,” while preaching usually point out that legalizing marriage would violate the sanctity of marriage and would wreak havoc on God. &nbsp,

Some protesters telling CNA that they have been the target of dangers, censure, and criticism on their social media pages are also causing a stir among those who support the bill. &nbsp,

According to Mdm Estoya, who manages the Divorce Pilipinas Coalition social media accounts,” Whenever I posted things about divorce, I may receive numerous feedback saying that it is a great sin, if we die we will go to hell, we only want breakup so we can marry over and over again,” &nbsp,

” Maybe we got into a heated discussion. How about those who were neglected and abandoned, we asked them? How about those who were abused? Do you prefer for us to endure silence until we pass away?

These pro-divorce activists face additional force from their own families and close associates.

” Even my mum, who is in a Catholic organisation, would tell me’ do n’t get involved with that divorce group anymore. ( Legalisation of divorce ) is never going to happen. Keep them ‘”, Mdm Mary Bravo, a 54-year-old mother of three who freely separated from her husband in 2009 for irreconcilable variations, told CNA.

” It was disheartening. But I wo n’t stop. God forbid that my three girls find themselves in my position. ( By legalising divorce ) they wo n’t get trapped. They will be able to leave. That’s what I want to occur. It is for the coming decades. Never for myself”.

There are several lawmakers who have said they will try to block the costs, and the Senate must still consider it before it can move it into law. The Senate may continue to vote on the Absolute Divorce Act, according to Mr. Lagman.

In the event that the bill is approved by the Senate and becomes law, he anticipates the involvement of many organizations to prosecute the case and take it before the Supreme Court.

The senator remarked,” Which is why we are in discussions with the Supreme Court to clarify what the expenses is all about?” &nbsp,

According to Mr. Lagman, the government’s judicial system will need to make a few changes before it can begin hearing divorce situations if the bill is passed into law. &nbsp,

” But it should n’t take long because ( divorce cases ) will just be like any other civil cases”, he said. &nbsp,

Mdm Jessica expressed her hopelessness for the day when her harsh partner may finally be able to marriage. &nbsp,

” I should n’t be trapped in a marriage like this for the rest of my life. She simply stated,” I want justice for what has happened to me.” ” I just want to be free”.

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Commentary: Treasure him, Singapore. In 17-year-old Max Maeder, you have a gem

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AN ELITE Culture

For a state like Singapore, a bronze medal at the Olympics is huge.

Just six players have always stood on the floor at the Games, and Maeder, the youngest of them all, did it on his comeback.

But as Maeder emerged from the Mediterranean, the last of the three finalists, there was definitely a color of sorrow. You see, this is a 17-year-old with great goals.

” I’ll speak the truth and say I have n’t finished sulking, but I’m putting a smile on now”, he said. ” Not because I have to, but because of the way I feel … I still need to process everything that’s going on because, yeah, it’s a lot” .&nbsp,

An athlete with a killer success instinct has to be found beyond the childish appearance and pleasant demeanor. And while Singapore is celebrating his brass, Maeder even has his own objectives.

In the words of his mother, Maeder does n’t compare himself to others, but holds himself to his own standards.

I recall hearing a tale from his early life. Maeder returned home after going down with her four-year-old mountain competitor in a snow race and reflecting on the results. The next day, he was the first one at education. &nbsp,

Maeder wants to win. He has already won various medals, and he will one day have another chance to win the Olympics.

For nowadays, a new planet awaits- more acknowledgement, more joy, more scrutiny. However, Max Maeder is the only swimmer who can manage it all.

Like his two sons, Maeder has a Chinese brand taking after a scholar. In his situation, the student is named after Mozi.

His whole English brand, Maximilian, is derived from the Latin term “maximus”. It means “greatest”.

Matthew Mohan reports for CNA. He specialises in gymnastics reporting, and has covered two Olympic Games, a World Cup, as well as the Eastern Games.

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Residential parcel collection points bring convenience, neighbourly camaraderie; but safety concerns emerge

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The amount of money Mr. Srinivasan and Ms. Erra made in a month was never bothered by this.

According to information on Shopee’s app, collection details that distribute up to 900 boxes a day can make up to S$ 5, 400 quarterly, while 60 items regularly you bring S$ 360. &nbsp,

Mr Srinivasan said he signed up to even consider some” sense of purpose” in his day-to-day.

” If somebody is going to think,’ oh, it’s going to help me make tons of money’, then they are in the wrong spot”, he said. &nbsp,

Ms. Erra even cited tangible advantages, such as a closer connection with her neighbors. &nbsp,

” Ever since I got this Online set stage, I know more about my neighborhood… unexpectedly, I have quite a number of helpful neighbours”, she said. &nbsp,

She claimed that conversations with her about items that come in constantly from her HDB unit in Sengkang have never taken place before.

PROS AND CONS

People who reside close to Shopee private collection points reported to CNA that they favored the convenience.

Raphael Phan, a young college student, said choosing Ms Erra’s set point over porch delivery saved him some pocket money each month.

” If I go ( to a collection point ) five times, that can save me S$ 7, and that is like one meal, which is not bad”, said the 17-year-old, who lives a three-minute walk from Ms Erra. &nbsp,

Aircraft tech Hafiz Ismail, who resides next to Mr. Srinivasan, claimed that doorstep delivery is” simply getting too expensive” and that the collection point has become his preferred method. &nbsp,

” It used to simply get a few cents, but just the highest was S$ 1.99″, said the 33-year-old.

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