Police to review handling of epileptics

Police to review handling of epileptics - AsiaOne.Com

Mon, Oct 27, 2008
The Straits Times
By Esther Tan

THE police have admitted that officers could have done a better job in handling an epileptic man who was denied his medicine and had a seizure while in custody earlier this month.

The admission came days after The Straits Times reported that Mr Tong Mun Cheong was arrested Oct 1 on suspicion of being drunk after suffering a seizure along Sungei Road, near Jalan Besar. The 34-year-old, who has had epilepsy for more than a decade, was waiting for a cab at the time. While in custody, Mr Tong said officers denied his appeals to contact his mother, who had medicine that would prevent another seizure, and also brushed off requests to send him to the hospital. A police spokesman confirmed that around 9pm that day, about two hours after being arrested, Mr Tong suffered a seizure in custody. After being seen by paramedics, he was eventually released about 5 1/2 hours after his arrest. A police spokesman said the case could have been handled better. 'We fully empathise with (Mr Tong's) family's anxiety and have explained matters to them.'Officers should have quickly put Mr Tong in touch with his family while he was in custody, he added.Also, when the 34-year-old's mother came down to the station with his medicine, they should have consulted a doctor instead of turning her away, the spokesman said. Mr Tong said he told officers at the station that he was suffering from epilepsy, but they did not believe him. The police spokesman confirmed this, but added that when another officer asked him for details, he remained silent. This is the second time since 1999 that Mr Tong has been arrested after suffering a seizure.Police said that since 2004, they have contracted a professional private medical group to develop training packages to help officers identify and manage people with epilepsy. They will now be contacting non-profit Epilepsy Care Group to 'explore their views and ideas as to how procedures can be improved in such situations'.

Hahaha. WTF is the Police doing? I thought they were supposed to Serve and Protect not attempt to kill the public (sorry, I think that one is US police motto. Over here is "intimidate the public". hahaha.) In the first place, why was he being arrested? Is there a crime for being drunk? Was he making a nuisance of himself? Their excuse also damn powerful lah. Mr Tong told them he got epilepsy, but they did not believe him. The police spokesman confirmed this, but added that when another officer asked him for details, he remained silent. Of course remain silent lah. I tell you already you also don't believe. For what I repeat myself? I dying of epilepsy leh. Don't want to waste my breath talking to you man. Then they release him only 5 1/2 hrs later man. Why? Waiting for the breath test to come out to see if he's drunk anot ah? hahaha. Is always like that one lah. Nothing happen, nobody will do anything. Kenna this case then come and review. Mas Selamat same thing. Now toilets all so secured. hahaha. Anyway ah, where is he ah?

If you were a grapefruit, would you be seedless?

According to the reports, if you have trouble answering that question, sorry, but maybe Cambridge isn't for you. So I've decided to give a go to some of the weird questions which universities ask during the admission interviews.

1) Would you rather be a novel or a poem? (English, Oxford)
Neither. I rather be a human. Ok, I rather be a novel because I can't rhyme very well.

2) How many monkeys would you use in an experiment? (Experimental Psychology, Oxford)
Depends what kind of experiment. If it can be conducted on humans, all the better. But I would say I cannot answer that question if I do not know what I was trying to experiment on. Power and sample size is very important in experiments you know. Besides, do I have ethical approval anot?

3) How does Geography relate to A Midsummer Night's Dream? (Geography, Oxford)
WTF? A midsummer Night's dream happened on earth?

4) How do you organise a successful revolution? (History, Oxford)
Never join the PAP. EVER. Change is a bad word.

5) Talk about a light bulb. (Engineering, Oxford)
MPs will never change a one because all they do is promise change. =D

6)What would you do if you were a magpie? (Natural Sciences, Cambridge)
I would be cheering for Newcastle Utd at St James Park/Power Station every wk.

7) Should we have laws for the use of lightbulbs? (Law, Cambridge)
Yes, use when necessary.

8) Instead of politicians, why don't we let the managers of Ikea run the country?
(Social Political Science, Cambridge)
Sure, if you want to confuse your citizens by making your country look like a maze.

9) If I were a grapefruit would I rather be seedless or non-seedless? (Medicine, Cambridge)
I rather be non-seedless. That means I'm natural and healthy right?

I wonder how I fared on the admission test. Hahahaha.

Elderly, retrenched, jobless? Marina IR wants you

Elderly, retrenched, jobless? Marina IR wants you -AsiaOne

IF YOU are a senior citizen, jobless or in a low-wage job, have been retrenched or are a woman looking to work again, Marina Bay Sands wants you.The integrated resort starts its first wave of hiring today, with a focus on rank-and-file operations staff such as housekeepers, security guards, waiters, technicians and cleaners.It did not say how many people it would recruit this time, but the resort's general manager George Tanasijevich said 'as many as possible' would be hired.

Hello Marina IR, do you need mystery gamblers anot? Having mystery gamblers is the first step to having a world class casino! This is to test the standard of your staff and see their proficiency in shuffling cards and counting chips. More importantly, can they make me stay on to part with all my family savings? I will need a float of at least $10,000 a day to make my rounds in the casino to observe how things are going. If I lose money, that's alright because it's your chips anyway. If I win, I get to keep the winnings ok? Just take it as a bonus lah. We all know cannot win from the casino in the long run one. haha. As for the other jobs you have, I don't think I'm suitable. Sorry.

Some Updates: 16 Oct - 19 Oct 08

Sorry for the lack of updates. I got to work you know! Because why? Recession lah. hahaha.

Quite a few things happened since I last updated.

I heard that a man got fined for sleeping on a park bench.
I heard that SMRT and SBS Transit got fined for not meeting service standards.

More importantly, I heard that the fine that SMRT got (per incident) was quite similar to the fine the man got (per incident). $300 and $200 respectively. This is chicken feet/feed when you know how much they earn. They should be fined peanuts insteads! Haha.

WTF! I can't take a nap on the park bench meh! I pay taxes leh! I can't close my eyes and enjoy the breeze and the nature around me ah? Don't use the homeless people sleeping on the benches argument because they are already homeless. Have a heart please!

First, people can't park for free at the parks, now people can't nap in the parks! What the hell is wrong with this country. Actually ah, if I got caught for sleeping on the bench right, I will just run away from them. I think my old legs should be able to outrun those who are trying to catch me as they might be older. If I fail, I will just claim that I was sleep-running. hahahaha.

Activists to be charged for contempt of court

Activists to be charged for contempt of court

Singapore Democrats - 14 Oct 2008

Three activists, including SDP's assistant secretary-general Mr John L Tan, will be charged for contempt of court.

Attorney-General Walter Woon will commence contempt proceedings against Mr Tan, Mr Isrizal Bin Mohamed Isa and Mr Muhammad Shafi'ie for wearing T-shirts with a picture of a kangaroo wearing a judge's robe.

A statement on the AG's Chambers' (AGC) website stated that the three men were photographed wearing the T-shirts outside the Supreme Court during the defamation hearing between Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Lee Hsien Loong and the SDP from 26-28 May 08.

The Singapore Democrats' website is cited by the AGC for reproducing the photograph of the three activists wearing the T-shirts. The photograph appeared in an SDP report of the police investigation. The statement said that the article and photograph were meant to give “wider publicity to the allegation that the Court was a kangaroo court.”

But the photograph and a report first appeared in the Straits Times the day after the activists appeared outside the courthouse. The SDP only reported about the police investigation on 27 Jul 08, a full two months after the Straits Times story was published. But the AGC's statement makes absolutely no mention of the newspaper and its photograph.

For its part, the Straits Times in its report today kept very quiet about the photograph it published on 27 May.

AG Woon adds that Messrs Tan, Isrizal and Shafi'ie “have engaged in a deliberate and calculated course of action to impugn the reputation of and undermine public confidence in the Singapore Judiciary, and to lower its authority in the administration of justice in Singapore.”

The statement also indicated that Mr Tan had said to Mr Lee Kuan Yew: “This is a kangaroo court.”

The AGC took pains to point out that under common (English) law, the courts have the power to punish persons for contempt and added that “unlike in many other countries (including England and Australia), the Attorney-General is not a politician.” In Singapore he is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Aiyoh, T-shirt also cannot wear ah? LOL. What is Singapore coming to. Recession so need to earn more money from defamation suits ah? Hahaha. Good luck. Kangaroo court means no need to fight already. For show only. You want to see what the shirt looks like? There you go.

Credits to Reuters Africa for the picture and the following news report.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Three people who showed up at Singapore's supreme court in T-shirts printed with a kangaroo dressed in a judge's gown will be brought to court for contempt, Singapore's attorney general said on Tuesday.

They had "scandalised the Singapore judiciary by publicly wearing identical white T-shirts, imprinted with a palm-sized picture of a kangaroo dressed in a judge's gown," the attorney general said.

The three, who were not identified, had appeared in court in May to watch an opposition leader cross examine two of Singapore's most powerful leaders after he was found to have defamed them.

Vocal opposition leader Chee Soon Juan cross examined Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father Lee Kuan Yew, founder of modern Singapore, in a three-day hearing that saw the politicians hurl insults at each other.

Singapore bans gatherings and protests in all public areas except Speakers' Corner, the country's equivalent of London's Hyde Park free speech haven.

(Reporting by Koh Gui Qing; Editing by Neil Chatterjee)

HAHAHAHA. Did you see where the news was being reported? It's in Reuters Africa and classified under Oddly Enough. Oh no, will Reuters get sued now? There are making fun of our judicial system by calling this case ODD!

DOWN WITH REUTERS! STOP INTERFERING WITH OUR COUNTRY'S AFFAIRS! THE PEOPLE DON'T WANT DEMOCRACY. HAHAHAHAHA.

No more free parking at West Coast

No more free parking at West Coast

Carpark abuse: NParks acts against free-loading drivers.
Lediati Tan

Sat, Oct 11, 2008
The New Paper

VISITORS to West Coast Park will soon be paying a price for the inconsideration of others, in the form of parking charges.

From early next year, they will no longer be able to park their car for free there.

This is a result of some motorists abusing the free parking lots there.

Citing difficulties in differentiating genuine park visitors from non-park users, the National Parks Board (NParks) has decided to act.

In an e-mail reply to The New Paper, Mr George Tay, deputy director of the Parks Division, said: 'We believe the long-term solution is to implement paid parking to regulate usage and we are preparing to do so by early next year.'

Recalcitrant abusers will also be in for a rude shock the next time they turn up to retrieve their vehicles from the park.

Towing away

Mr Tay warned that if the situation does not improve, NParks 'will be towing away the serious cases of abuse, such as cars without road tax'.

NParks was responding to The New Paper's queries after an irate reader, Mr Chiang Qing Seng, wrote in about carpark abuse in West Coast Park involving second-hand car dealers.

Mr Chiang, a 62-year-old retiree who lives in nearby Teban Gardens, visits the park every day to exercise. He began to have problems finding parking lots there about six months ago.

He said that about 85 per cent of parking lots in Car Park Two of West Coast Park are being used by second-hand car dealers to 'store' their vehicles despite a signboard stating clearly that the carpark is meant only for park visitors.

He said: 'The carpark belongs to NParks, it is not right for people to use it as a warehouse.'

How did he know that second-hand car dealers are responsible?

He noticed that several of the cars parked there are more than 10 years old, based on their registration plates. About nine vehicles did not even have valid road tax. On a number of occasions, he has seen tow-trucks leaving vehicles without valid road tax at the carpark.

He has also seen people driving some vehicles around the carpark, apparently to prevent the car battery from going flat, and then parking them back in the same lots.

He added: 'They even park their vehicles in the disabled lot.'

Mr Chiang said he had alerted NParks to the problem three months ago but was frustrated that no action had been taken.

When told of NParks' plan to charge for parking at West Coast Park, he was still not too impressed.

'If it's just to keep away unauthorised people, then it is not fair for people who really want to use the park,' he said.

Yet another mindless form of problem solving. PAY PAY PAY! Hahahahah! We pay our ministers so much money so that they can solve problems for us by, you guess it, paying more! hahahaa. People want to go "PARK" TOR (go on a date) also must pay. How to have the mood to make babies? All the sperm only thinking about $ and not egg. hahahaha.

My friend in Australia tell me how they do it over there. Almost all public carparks have this system where cars can park for free for a limited time (15 mins for super peak areas and up to 2 hours for not so peak areas). Free parking throughout the country leh! Even in the city!

Wah, then I ask him how can they enforce this rule leh. Coz singaporeans so kiasu, sure park more than 2 hours one mah! He tell me that they send out rangers to the carparks and start marking tyres with chalk. So the ranger arrive at carpark X at 10 a.m and start chalking all the tyres at the lots. Then he will come back at 12 p.m to see if the tyre marks are still there. If yes, means the car never move at all so summon! If not, means people really leave after 2 hours loh. Then I ask him what if people erase the chalk marks, he say not so easy one. Need to drive around abit for the marks to go off. Besides, the 2 hours rule is just to ensure that other cars have a chance to park. So if that place got alot of lots, the cars who want to park more than 2 hours can change lots and park longer.

Wah, I think quite good idea leh. This can create more jobs for Singaporeans leh! All the parking attendants (affectionately known as Fatimahs) sure damn happy one. Can create more job during recession. hahaha. I think I should move to Australia man! Free parking, cheap cars! Relax lifestyle. Yes, people actually have a life there. My friend tell me over there seldom see motorbike one coz cars too cheap liao. hahaha. How Mr P.M, can anot? Don't just everything charge us can anot? We don't have million $ salary like you and your ministers leh!

Motorist caught with tampered fuel gauge

Motorist caught with tampered fuel gauge

This is the third case in three consecutive months. -AsiaOne

Fri, Oct 10, 2008
AsiaOne

Earlier this week on October 7, 2008, Muhammad Ali Putra Bin Hairom was trying to leave Singapore via the Woodlands Checkpoint when it was discovered that the 24-year-old Singaporean's car had a tampered fuel gauge.

Although his vehicle's gauge showed that he had a full tank, the actual amount of fuel was only at the one-quarter mark.

Investigations by Singapore customs offices revealed that Muhammad Ali Putra had used a remote control to change the fuel gauge reading. He also admitted that he was aware of the three-quarter tank rule.

He was charged in court the following say and pleaded guilty to one charge of not having the minimum amount of motor spirit in his fuel tank and one charge of giving false information to an officer inspecting his fuel gauge.

For the two charges, he was sentenced to $500 fine or in default one week's jail, and two weeks' imprisonment respectively.

Tampering with the fuel gauge of the vehicle so that it gives a false reading that the amount of fuel in the fuel tank is three-quarters full is a serious offence. It shows a deliberate intent to cheat the authorities.

This year, Muhammad Ali Putra was the third person convicted for the offence and also the third consecutive case over the past three months.

Under the law, Singapore-registered cars must have at least three-quarter tank of petrol when departing Singapore.

Motorists are advised against any attempts to infringe the rule given the stringent checks at the checkpoints. Those caught with less than three-quarter tank of petrol can be fined up to $500.

Seriously ah, I don't understand this rule leh. Why are they imposing this rule? I think it has been effect for so many years already. They scared you go Malaysia to buy cheap petrol? Ok what, if people want to drive all the way there to pump petrol, then let them lah. Or are they scared that the causeway kenna jam? Freak lah, got Tuas 2nd Link mah. Then what? Errr, they scared that nobody pump petrol in Singapore? If the petrol in Singapore is cheap, surely people will pump here mah. You don't want to be held to ransom right? All the petrol companies price is the same anyway. They might as well all merge together lah. Where is the competition? Consumers given no choice lah. Pump simi sai also same thing. Like the Singtel Fixed Phone line thing, only they have fix phone line so they can raise if they want and you have no choice.

Somemore now Singapore recession. Recession still raise price for everything! The rich get richer loh. No effect for them one. They got so much money, just means that their savings less abit only mah. Or maybe they can switch to local housebrands to save money! hahahaha.

Bus lane offences up since June

Bus lane offences up since June

There were 3,148 offences in July and 2,349 in August. -ST

Tue, Oct 07, 2008
The Straits Times

By Ang Yiying

BUS lane infringements have rebounded since June, despite measures to keep them in check.

There were 3,148 in July and 2,349 in August, going by Land Transport Authority (LTA) figures, which exclude offences captured on cameras on board buses.

Both figures are higher than the 1,619 offences in June, when the number plunged 40 per cent from May's count of 2,677 infringements.

This means that your roads cannot make it lah ok! Pay pay pay still this type of F-up jammed roads! People no choice so use the bus lane loh. Cannot solve ah? Simple! Fine more, give demerit points, put ERP. That's how you solve things mah. Like that, everything sure solve one right? Singaporeans only scared no money. No money nobody even bother about free speech and democracy. Like that I also can be MP. Vote me for next election lah. Can't get any worse! Hahahahaha! At least I complain together with you mah.

SingTel to raise phone rates

SingTel to raise phone rates

Fixed-line telephone customers will soon have to pay an additional $10 a year in subscription rates. -AsiaOne

Mon, Oct 06, 2008
AsiaOne

SingTel fixed-line telephone customers will soon have to pay an additional $10 a year in subscription rates. The revision, starting from 1 January 2009, will represent an increase of 83 cents a month.

This is the first rate revision by Singtel in 18 years for its fixed-line telephone subscription and call charges.

With the revision, residential customers will now pay $110 per annum and business customers will pay $160.

Call charges will increase to 0.8 cents from 0.7 cents per 30-second block during peak hours and per 60-second block during off-peak hours.

To reflect changes in call traffic patterns, peak hours will also be revised to 9am to 7pm from 8am to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays. Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays are off-peak.

The new rates will translate to an additional cost of not more than $1.50 a month for most customers.

Mr Allen Lew, SingTel?s CEO Singapore, said: ?We have held off rate revisions for 18 years despite rising costs. Over the years, the two main cost components, manpower and materials, have increased substantially. The recent rapid increase in utility costs has also pushed up our running costs.??

Mr Lew stressed that with this adjustment, SingTel's charges still remains one of the lowest in the region.

To help households that need financial assistance and cushion the effect of the rate revisions, SingTel will provide $1 million worth of $10 credit vouchers. Residents who need assistance can approach their Citizens? Consultative Committees or People?s Association grassroots leaders.

You know what they're gonna start charging for next? Air. To breathe the nice and clean air (disputable during the haze season) in Singapore, we will need to pay for it. Each breathe will only cost 0.8 cents per lung full. Following that, every heartbeat will be charged at 0.8 cents per beat. Wanna stay alive? You need to pay.

They can give you $1 million worth of credit means they already know how much more they will earn lah. Don't come and act nice leh. I'm not going to fall for all these tricks and gimmicks anymore. Give you a chicken wing but take back a whole chicken. Worst part is that they are the only chickens farmers around. No one can fight. @#$%#@$%. I wonder if everyone cancel phone line how. Hahahaha.

Electricity rates up 21%

I know that this comes late but WHAT THE XXXX!!!! PUBLIC TRANSPORT UP. ELECTRICITY ALSO UP! EVERY TIME AFTER ELECTION THEN CHUT ALL THESE TYPE OF PATTERN! SINGAPOREANS ARE REALLY IDIOTS! WHEN WILL THEY EVER WAKE UP?? ALL BLINDED BY ABIT OF MONEY. THE DOLLAR SIGN REALLY BLOCKING THEIR VISON. $_$

Everytime the pattern same. B4 election, announce that going to raise something, then pretend say not going to raise (or raise less) then all the singaporean say thank you thank you and vote them. Once election over, all your backside kenna buttered and there's nothing you can do.

I think I know why lah. They want to prevent people from using the internet to voice their grievances so increase the rates to discourage unnecessary usage . DAMN SMART LAH! PUI.

The Singaporean 'Citizenship test'

The Singaporean 'Citizenship test' -AsiaOne.com
Fri, Oct 03, 2008

They got test, we also got test!

Q1: What is the special ingredient that is placed in Mee Siam? (10 Marks)

Q2: How much does a peanut cost in Singapore? (600,000 Marks)

Q3: What is NKF, CPF, GST, COE, ERP, PAP? (2 Marks Each, 200 bonus marks if you know the last one)

Q4: Form a sentence which include the following words - Lah, Loh, Hor, Leh, Lau (10 Marks)

Q5: How long can you hold your breath? (5 Marks) Applicants who answered 15 minutes or less need not carry on with the other questions as they would have difficulty getting around on the public transport system.

Q6: Do you own a diamond/gold mine or oil field? (If yes, 50 Marks)

Q7: Do you agree to say yes to whatever policies we implement? (If yes, 20 Marks)

Q8: What is your favourite colour? There is only 1 correct answer. (20 Marks).

If you score 50 marks or more, Congrats! You're on your way to getting your citizenship!

A sad day for democracy

Grand old man of Singaporean politics Jeyaretnam dies

Friends and family grieve for former opposition politician. 'He was a great man and he will be missed' says son. -The Star

Wed, Oct 01, 2008
The Star

Former Singapore opposition leader J.B. Jeyaretnam died without fulfilling his greatest dream of returning to parliament.

Jeyaretnam, 82, had faced a gargantuan struggle in taking on the Singapore government in his twilight years and had been hopeful of returning to parliament, said relatives.

'It was his life, his every breath.

'Why did God take him before he could fulfil that dream?' sobbed relative G.K. Pamela when met at Jeyaretnam's home here.

She said that Jeyaretnam had left his home in Singapore on Sunday evening for a court case the next day and said that he would be back on Thursday.

'He wanted me to make fish curry for him when he returned,' she said.

She said Jeyaretnam had been unwell, but still insisted on seeing a family of Singaporeans who spent an hour with him on Sunday, begging him to help them regain property they claimed to have lost to the Singapore government.

According to Pamela, she had repeatedly told him not to strain himself that day, but he had been resolute in wanting to help the family.

'Despite his age, he would spend three hours in prayer every day, kneeling by the foot of his bed the entire time,?' she said.

He was also devoted to the memory of his late wife, Margaret, and insisted on buying flowers to place by her photograph in the hall every Saturday.

'Last Saturday he was unwell and I offered to buy the flowers for him, but he was adamant that he should buy it for her himself,?' cried Pamela, pointing to a vase of chrysanthemums.

Her daughter, A. Kavinia, 15, said that Jeyaretnam had shown great kindness and affection to her and her mother after taking them into his home.

'He would always support and encourage me in my studies. He was supposed to come back on Thursday and check my essay on road safety,' she said.

When contacted in Singapore, Jeyaretnam's younger son, lawyer Phillip, 44, said that his father was a kind and gentle man who was very forgiving and had supported his children throughout their lives, even when they made mistakes.

'He would expect you to learn your lesson from making the mistake itself, without the need for scolding,' he shared.

Jeyaretnam's elder son, hedge fund manager Kenneth, 49, said that his father who had been staying with him at his apartment in Newton Circus, had asked him to call for an ambulance at 1.30am, but collapsed when the ambulance arrived.

'Despite the hospital's best efforts, he passed away at 2.57am.

'He was a great man and he will be missed,' he said.

I never got to shake his hand. RIP Sir. You will not be forgotten. =(