6 female inmates, 5 things to watch for in their tell-all about life in Singapore’s women’s prison

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SINGAPORE: When Nur Joanna Zulkepeli learnt that her captivity launch meeting had been pushed back by close to two weeks, she was quietly “quite happy”.

” Because if ( it’s ) deferred, I get to stay here and see my mum”, she said.

Joanna, 22, and her family, Juliana Baba, 52, are both individuals in Singapore’s even children’s prison, serving time in different cell for individual drug crimes.

But as with other individuals, who may receive two trips a fortnight from loved ones, they are simply permitted a 30-minute call and a 20-minute face-to-face program, or two 30-minute teleconferences.

They are not allowed to touch each other, not even during special events like one that CNA witnessed.

” Content day, Mummy! Happy birthday to you”, Joanna sang as she passed her mom a hand-drawn cards while seated across from her.

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Soh Rui Yong’s former lawyer sues runner for defamation, seeks S0,000 in damages

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SINGAPORE: A attorney who previously represented regional athlete Soh Rui Yong in two distinct defamation suit has sued the skater over a Facebook post published last month, saying the claims made were “false, slanderous and detrimental” to his popularity.

According to court documents seen by CNA, Mr Clarence Lun alleged that Mr Soh defamed him when he&nbsp, posted on his Facebook page on Aug 25, 2024 about three “dishonest, incompetent lawyers” he had to deal with.

Mr Lun initially represented Mr Soh in his defamation suit mounted by Ashley Liew, before the runner opted to switch to lawyers led by Mr Eugene Thuraisingam.

Though the post, which was made public, did not directly name Mr Lun, the plaintiff argued that he could be identified as Mr Soh went on to state that one of the three lawyers had previously been suspended from practice. &nbsp,

Mr Lun was handed an 18-month suspension on Oct 10, 2022, for acting as supervising solicitor to two practice trainees when he was not qualified.

He further argued that he could be identified in the post as Mr Soh had, on multiple occasions in the past, mentioned him on his Facebook page, saying that he was his lawyer. &nbsp,

The lawyer also claimed Mr Soh’s post was defamatory due to the&nbsp, “malicious intent in making unwarranted personal attacks” against him, by referring to his poor health and marital problems. &nbsp,

In his claim, Mr Lun listed some of his professional accolades and mentioned several high-value commercial trade cases he had worked on, such as&nbsp, advising and acting for the liquidator of Castlewood Group in a S$ 98 million ( US$ 73 million ) insolvency dispute.

According to the website of Fervent Chambers, he is the founder of the law firm, and is its director and head of dispute resolution and international arbitration.

Mr Lun claimed that&nbsp, his reputation had been” seriously damaged” and he had” suffered hurt, distress and embarrassment” due to the post.

He pointed out that the Court of Three Judges did not find that he was “dishonest in respect of the misconduct which led to the suspension”. &nbsp,

A letter of demand via Fervent Chambers was sent to Mr Soh in September 2024. &nbsp,

However, the marathoner did not respond to the letter, prompting Mr Lun to take legal action.

The plaintiff is seeking S$ 180, 000 in damages, a court order to remove the Facebook post and an injunction restraining Mr Soh from repeating what was said in the post. As of January 2025, Mr Soh’s Facebook page had about 19, 000 followers, and the post had garnered a number of likes, comments and shares, Mr Lun’s claim noted.

Mr Lun represented Mr Soh in his defamation suit against former Singapore Athletic Association ( SAA ) executive director Malik Aljunied. Mr Soh lost that suit in June 2022. &nbsp,

The 10, 000m silver medallist at the 2023 SEA Games also had to pay Dr Liew, a chiropractor and fellow runner, S$ 180, 000 in damages, after a High Court judge dismissed his appeal in March 2022.

SOH DENIES ALL ALLEGATIONS

In a court filing dated Apr 2, a lawyer acting for Mr Soh, Akesh Abhilash from Silvester Legal, &nbsp, denied all of the allegations made by Mr Lun.

Referring to the post that said” Today, 1 of them has been charged by the Law Society”, Mr Abhilash, who leads the disputes practice team at his firm, said Mr Lun could not be identified as the first lawyer as he was not charged on Aug 25, 2024.

He added that no comments on the post made reference to Mr Lun, and previous mentions of him were made on the Facebook page in 2020 and 2021, while the post was made on Aug 25, 2024.

” Readers of Facebook posts do not subject them to close analysis”, he said.

Mr Abhilash argued the&nbsp, post, when read in context, was understood to mean Mr Soh “had dealt with unnamed dishonest and/or incompetent lawyers in the past”.

As part of the defence’s filing, Mr Soh&nbsp, claimed Mr Lun had made a series of “dishonest” statements to him- either in person or via WhatsApp- during the course of their solicitor-client relationship from&nbsp, August 2019 to May 2021.

These included “false statements scandalising members of the judiciary and the Bar” to explain why&nbsp, legal applications in the lawsuit involving Dr Liew had been dismissed.

According to court documents, Mr Soh referenced comments allegedly made by Mr Lun about the competence of the judge presiding over the case and how the court was biased.

The runner also brought up other purported instances of Mr Lun’s “incompetent conduct”, such as failing to clear a media statement before sending it to the press, his” constant stammering” in court and filing a request to remove the judge when there had been no grounds to do so or a history of successful applications.

As for Mr Lun’s professional accolades and some of the&nbsp, prominent cases he had been involved in, Mr Soh said those matters were not within his&nbsp, knowledge.

On the letter of demand, he added that it was served while he was out of Singapore.

The court heard he had recently graduated with a law degree, with Mr Soh posting on Facebook in September last year pictures of his convocation ceremony at University College London (UCL ) in the UK. &nbsp,

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GE2025: S2m rejuvenation plan for Chua Chu Kang Town Council unveiled; ex-perm sec Jeffrey Siow spotted at launch event

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SINGAPORE: A S$ 212 million rejuvenation plan was unveiled for Chua Chu Kang Town at a community event on Saturday ( Apr 5 ), where recently retired senior civil servant Jeffrey Siow, was spotted together with incumbent Members of Parliament ( MPs ) in the area.

Mr Siow, 46, the past second permanent secretary at the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Trade and Industry, is the most top ranking civil servant to have resigned thus far in the lead-up to the future General Election.

He  retired with result from Apr 2  after 24 years in public services.

The S$ 212 million rejuvenation program for Chua Chu Kang Town includes new sheltered linkways and buildings in the village, the repainting of about 400 people cover prevents comprising some 40,000 families and improving works which are set to benefit 8,800 households under the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme.

At the occasion, the Lawmakers also drew attention to various up-and-coming innovations that are set to include community spaces and enhance communication for residents.

These include six innovative MRT stations along the Jurong Regional Line and a 700-seater food judge at the new Central Manpower Base  ( CMPB) in Bukit Gombak.

New channels on the Jurong Regional Line are set to open in three phases from 2027 to 2029, while the CMPB is slated to open in stages starting from this year.

Speaking to the media after the start of the masterplan, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said:” At the same time, it’s not just about equipment, facilities and services, it is also about application, social service as well as programs.

” That’s why we also may be rolling out some social initiatives to continue to help our people, our citizens, particularly those who are more prone,” added Mr Gan, who is also MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC.

Chua Chu Kang Town Council manages five areas under the existing Chua Chu Kang GRC and Hong Kah North SMC.

All five MPs from the two constituencies – Mr Gan, Senior Ministers of State Amy Khor and Low Yen Ling, as well as Mr Don Wee and Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim – were present at the launch event on Saturday.

Under the new electoral boundaries announced last month, parts of Hong Kah North SMC will be absorbed into Chua Chu Kang GRC moving forward.

Also in attendance was university academic, Dr Choo Pei Ling, who has been spotted since March last year at community events in Marine Parade but has also been recently spotted in Chua Chu Kang.

The community event on Saturday at Keat Hong ,  where Mr Siow was spotted, was the first covered by the media since his retirement.

Speaking to the media after the launch of the masterplan, Mr Gan said that the plans were developed by the Chua Chu Kang Town Council team, taking into account the feedback gathered from residents there.

Asked by CNA if the materialisation of the plans was contingent on the incumbent People’s Action Party ( PAP ) members being voted in at the next General Election, Mr Gan reiterated that the plan was developed by the incumbent Chua Chu Kang Town Council team.

” So it depends on who … is in charge of the town,” said Mr Gan. ” And if there’s a new team, the new team may have different ideas, they have different things that they want to do. “

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GE2025: PAP’s potential East Coast GRC team shaping up as ex-AIC chief, former TV host join walkabout

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Taking PRIOR EXPERIENCE TO EAST COAST&nbsp,

In response to CNA’s issue to Mr Dinesh and Mdm Hazlina on their experience with East Coast GRC, both said the welcome by people in East Coast had been hot. They also spoke to investigators about their priorities and reasons for wanting to provide people there.

Mr Dinesh stepped down as CEO of AIC, which coordinates top care services, on Mar 27.

” While I’m a newcomer, ( East Coast ) is not really a new place for me, because I’ve spent time on the ground, not just walking around and understanding what the residents ‘ concerns are, but to also understand the senior landscape”, said Mr Dinesh, 50.

He added that he has visited effective age areas in the East Coast region and understands the concerns of an ageing community in East Coast and in public. &nbsp,

” I hope to bring in new skills, new suggestions, to help the people in East Coast, especially our elders and more significantly, our caretakers as well”, said Mr Dinesh. &nbsp,

Mdm Hazlina, 40, is also the former chief executive of Make-A-Wish Singapore and the president of Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura ( PPIS ) or Singapore Muslim Women’s Association from 2020 to 2024. She has also been helping out MP Tin Pei Ling in MacPherson SMC.

Aside from her job as a reporter and news director at Mediacorp, Mdm Hazlina was formerly the US ministry’s public affairs assistant in Singapore before moving to the cultural influence sector. &nbsp, Mdm Hazlina highlighted her experience in a social service agency which has centres” ( mostly ) on the east side” and said that it had been “quite meaningful” to interact with residents more closely.
 

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Elderly woman arrested over cheating cases after victims saw documentary featuring her as a scammer

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SINGAPORE: An 84-year-old American woman was arrested for her suspected involvement in a series of cheating situations after her reported subjects saw she had been featured as a scam in a video, the officers said on Friday ( Apr 4).

CNA understands that the film was Netflix’s Con Mum, a crime documentary about a restaurant whose existence “is upended when a jet-setting, champagne-sipping, hotel-hopping person claims to be his family”, according to its description.

The Singapore Police Force ( SPF ) said it had received several reports since Mar 28 from victims who were allegedly cheated by the woman through purported investment opportunities and a claimed inheritance.

As part of the agreement to collect monies from the possibilities and legacy, the victims were asked to exchange money for legal fees and the starting of international bank accounts.

The woman reportedly promised the subjects that they would be reimbursed through her estate.

The sufferers, believing that the possibilities and estate were real, made several transfers to her.

” The victims only realised that they ( had ) been cheated after the woman was found to be featured as a scammer in a documentary”, SPF said.

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ECDA scraps proposal to close preschools on Mondays after Saturday public holidays due to parents’ objections

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Kids CITE CAREGIVING Disturbance

Families who CNA spoke to expressed concerns about how mandated Monday closures may affect their ability to control care, especially when different treatment options were limited.

Mr Rachel Lee, a full-time officer, &nbsp, said she would have been less affected as she has a private companion, but she sympathised with families in more perilous caring conditions.

Her 22-month-old boy goes to kindergarten at a school every day. Ms Lee takes him that two to three days a year, and if she is absent, her home helper takes him to college.

” If we did not have home aid, we did not have a caretaker… things could be very difficult for us, because we still need to work”, said Ms Lee.

In daycare, children fall ill often and for long periods of time, said the 35-year-old. &nbsp, Most working parents currently use many of their childcare left when children are away from school due to illnesses and do battle with more disruptions if preschools were to shut on Mondays, she added.

Mr Tan Jian Rong, who has three kids aged three, seven and 13, echoed related issues. &nbsp,

His youngest child is in Hospital 1, while his older children recently attended child care and kindergarten. &nbsp,

Most families would prefer to keep their leave time for more important occasions, the 39-year-old added. &nbsp,

” For workers, parents who have planned discussions that cannot be changed on Monday, and in the event that their work do not have covering … due to the nature of the work, then that would be extremely impactful”, said Mr Tan. &nbsp,

Not all families opposed the idea. &nbsp, Ms Felicia Ang, who has two babies in child care and hospital, said she supported the proposal. &nbsp,

Both Ms Ang and her husband job full-time, and the community has no domestic helper. But as the couple may depend on extended family for help, they would be able to manage school closures. &nbsp,

If the ECDA had implemented it, she or her father would make caregiving plans with their families – equivalent to when their children fall ill. &nbsp,

” It’s fine for them (teachers ) to have a break as well, because they really work long hours and it’s not an easy job”, Ms Ang said.

Many preschool teachers are passionate but leave the industry because their jobs are too taxing on them and their families, she added. &nbsp,

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Oil patches spotted along Changi Beach after Johor leak

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At Changi, a group of about 90 individuals and four professors were left disappointed after a anticipated vacation to the tidal corridor there was cancelled.

” The kids were really excited and actually brought another pair of shoes to shift into. But we still decided to come as there was a plan B to exhibit them objects of sea animals instead”, a professor who declined to become named told CNA.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore ( MPA ), NEA, National Parks Board ( NParks ) and Singapore Food Agency ( SFA ) said in a joint statement that booms will be deployed at Chek Jawa Wetlands in Pulau Ubin as a precautionary measure to protect biodiversity-sensitive areas.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said in a Facebook post on Friday that the Public Utilities Board ( PUB) is closely monitoring seawater intakes for any abnormalities. &nbsp,

SFA is even working with fish farms in the East Johor Islands to take precautionary measures and MPA said in a Facebook post on Thursday evening that it was in contact with the Johor Port Authority.

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We stayed at Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree – here’s what to expect

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Now, I consider myself a nature and animal lover … in theory. But when it comes to actual wildlife encounters (especially monkeys ), I tend to be a bit more cautious. I’m obviously rather jumpy, so well, I startled at monkey shrieks, rustling bushes, and yet a rogue rat making a surprise appearance at the rooftop garden. The hotel does include pest control, but let’s be honest – you’re living in character, not only near it.

That said, when I made it safely back to my room, it was hard not to feel completely at peace. The view of the reservoir, the lush greenery and the absence of noise ( aside from nature’s soundtrack ).

It turns out, you can experience the exotic without sacrificing convenience. &nbsp,

CNA Lifestyle stayed at Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree&nbsp, at the proposal of Banyan Tree.

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Hong Kong sees surge in startups; entrepreneurs say climate remains competitive

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RECORD HIGH STARTUPS

Uncle2 is among a surge of new firms shaping Hong Kong’s entrepreneurs environment. &nbsp,

Last year, the town saw 4, 694 new companies, up 40 per cent from about 3, 400 in 2020.

These companies employed 17, 651 employees, a 65 per cent leap from four years ago, according to a record by InvestHK, a government agency that helps organizations set up in Hong Kong. &nbsp,

Officials have touted the state’s corporate site as a gateway to Asia, particularly mainland China, for the record number of startups. &nbsp,

Another important attractions for investors included a small income level, accessibility to funding and an accessible pool of bilingual talent, the report said.

The best sectors with new ventures were generally modern – monetary technology, information technologies and e-commerce. There has also been progress in the health and medical area, as well as the conservation sector. &nbsp,

Hong Kong citizens made up 72 per share of the business owners. Among foreign members, 40 per cent were from mainland China, followed by the United Kingdom, United States, France and Australia. &nbsp,

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