SINGAPORE (TIP): An Indian-origin Singapore police officer was charged on Wednesday, May 21, with forging police statements and documents related to cases he had investigated between 2021 and 2023.
S Vikneshvaran Subramaniam, 35, was handed nine charges of forgery, according to local news channels.
The charges relate to five criminal cases which were ongoing and two concluded cases which did not result in prosecution, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a media release.
“It was discovered that Vikneshvaran had allegedly forged nine documents comprising seven police statements and two acknowledgement slips across seven cases,” SPF said.
According to the charge sheets, in the five ongoing criminal cases at the time, Vikneshvaran allegedly forged the signatures of individuals he interviewed to give the impression that he recorded their statements in person and had them signed.
The police said the alleged forgery came to light after Vikneshvaran was placed on “enhanced supervision” in October 2022 due to his work performance.
A supervisory check of his work was conducted in January 2023, and irregularities relating to case exhibits and document management were detected. Other than the seven cases, no other wrongdoings were uncovered, said the police. Vikneshvaran has been suspended from duty.
He has indicated that he will plead guilty, and the case was adjourned for the parties to make representations. He will return to court on June 18, according to the Channel report.
Tag: Singapore
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Indian-origin Singapore-based police officer charged for forging statements
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Indian-origin Singapore based comedians aim to reconnect with their roots through performances in India
SINGAPORE (TIP) : Indian-origin Singaporean comedian couple wants to reconnect with their roots through performances in India and to expand their base in the country’s large stand-up comedy market.
Rishi Budhrani and Sharul Channa are set to perform in Bengaluru and Chennai this weekend.
“We have to go overseas, especially to India which is a huge market waiting to be tapped,” said Rishi, who has a good fan base in Southeast Asia, but believes he has to expand it to be more successful and enduring.
Rishi, 40, and Sharul, 37, impressed the audience in Cape Town through their performances a few months ago. They believe that they can do the same in India this month. Singapore-born Rishi, whose parents moved here from Mumbai and Jaipur in the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, has previously performed in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Gurugram. This time he is looking forward to performing in Chennai.
“In the north, the Hindi-speaking comedians are more popular. It was difficult to match up to them. But in the south, English is more accepted. So, I’m well-prepared,” he told Singapore’s Indian community serving Friday weekly Tabla, a tabloid for news in India and the nation’s entertainment scene.
“Having grown up in Singapore, I felt like a bit of an outsider in India,” Rishi said. “I now want to reconnect with my roots. I am going with a changed perspective. I will be talking more about Indian heritage and the connections among Indians.” Rishi has been performing in India since 2018 but is “super excited” to do a “double headliner” there for the first time.
Sharul will also have solo shows in Bengaluru and Mumbai.
“The Indian comedy scene, on the other hand, is growing fast. The reach is bigger, there is more money, and I want to establish a base there with Rishi,” said Sharul. -
Indian-origin eighty-one-year-old novelist awarded Singapore’s highest arts accolade
SINGAPORE (TIP): Eighty-one-year-old Indian-origin writer Meira Chand was among the three Singaporeans conferred the Cultural Medallion, the city-state’s most prestigious arts accolade, in recognition of their artistic excellence and contribution to enriching the country’s arts and culture scene.
Chand, fellow novelist Suchen Christine Lim and Malay dance veteran Osman Abdul Hamid received the award from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at a ceremony held at the Istana on Tuesday, media reported.
The award comes with an SGD 80,000 grant for each recipient to support their artistic pursuits.
A Singaporean of Swiss Indian parentage, Chand, along with Lim, is the first English-language female writer to be conferred the award since Ho Minfong in 1997.
Chand is an award-winning novelist known for her depiction of multicultural societies. Her ‘The Painted Cage’ (1986) was longlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize, the report said.
“Each of our three new Cultural Medallion recipients is being recognized for their explorations through life and for inspiring many others, not least the next generation of artists,” President Tharman said in a statement.
From England to Japan, India to Singapore, Chand’s life, according to her website, straddles the world, and her many novels mirror her journey to pin down the experience of these different cultures upon her and her relationship with them.
According to her website, she was born in London to a Swiss mother and Indian father, grew up, and was educated in the UK. In 1962, she went to Japan with her Indian husband, where she taught art at an international school. Leaving Japan for Mumbai in 1971, she lived in India for five years, where she began writing.
Calling India a “life-changing experience”, the novelist said, “For the first time in my life, I met a half of myself I had never known. There was simply no way I could understand that experience but through writing,” according to her website. The Cultural Medallion, instituted in 1979 by late President and then Minister of Culture Ong Teng Cheong, is the city-state’s “highest arts accolade, honoring individuals whose artistic excellence, contribution, and commitment have enriched and distinguished Singapore’s arts and culture scene,” according to the National Arts Council website. It celebrates inspiring local arts practitioners who display professional maturity in their practice through a distinctive body of work, and who have made extraordinary contributions to Singapore’s artistic development, the website said. The award has been conferred on132 artists in the fields of film, literary arts, performing arts, and visual arts, it said.
Last year, 56-year-old Tamilian Hindu Aravinth Kumarasamy was conferred the prestigious award. -
Indian-origin 33-yr-old chef crowned winner of MasterChef Singapore season 4
SINGAPORE (TIP): Inderpal Singh, a 33-year-old Indian-origin Singaporean, has emerged as the winner of ‘MasterChef Singapore’ after winning a three-way competition in the finale.
After weeks of intense competition, Singh won the fourth season of the cooking reality show in the finale aired on Sunday,, October 15 according to media reports.
Singh walked away with SGD 10,000 (approximately Rs 6.7 lakh) in cash and other gifts.
The home-based Food and Beverage (F&B) business owner won the three-way competition with a score of 76.6 out of 90, beating runner-up Tina Amin by 3.6 points and second runner-up Mandy Kee by 8.1 points. In their assessment, the judges praised the outstanding flavor profile across Singh’s dishes that delivered surprises in taste and texture with every bite. In a statement to the press, Singh said, “Proud doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel at this moment.”
“I have dreamt of this moment so many times – and have given myself a reality check that many times, too – but having the trophy in my hands shows that dreams do come true and gives me the validation that I can become a culinary personality,” he said.
“The love and support I have received from family and the friends and connections I have made on this journey will be the fire that fuels my culinary dreams going forward,” he added. -
Indian-origin Tharman Shanmugaratnam wins Singapore presidential election
SINGAPORE (TIP): Registering a landslide victory in Singapore’s presidential election, Tamil-origin economist Tharman Shanmugaratnam said his win is a vote of confidence in the city-state’s future and vowed to build a ‘future of optimism’.
Tharman received a resounding mandate with a whopping 70.4 per cent votes in a three-way contest to elect the city-state’s ninth President on Friday. “I pledge and it will be my duty to use the roles and responsibilities of the President to advance this future of optimism and solidarity among Singaporeans.” Tharman said in his first remarks to the media after his win.
“Once again, let me just say that I am truly humbled, and I will honor the trust that Singaporeans have placed in me and respect all Singaporeans for the views they have expressed, including those who did not vote for me,” Tharman said, as reported by The Straits Times. Tharman’s rivals, Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian, received 15.72 and 13.88 per cent of the vote, respectively.
Congratulating Tharman for winning by a ‘decisive margin’, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the former senior minister would carry out his duties as president with distinction, having had a long and distinguished record of public service.
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Indian-origin UK based professor Jasjit Singh appointed by Singapore National University to internationally raise appreciation of Sikh way of life
SINGAPORE (TIP): The prestigious National University of Singapore on Wednesday, August 23, appointed UK-based Indian-origin academician Jasjit Singh as a visiting faculty to conduct lectures on Sikh beliefs and raise appreciation of the Sikh way of life internationally. Singh, 51, currently an associate professor at the UK’s University of Leeds, is considered a leading authority in Sikh studies.
“With his expertise on British Sikhism, Prof Singh will sharpen our scholarly lens on Sikh beliefs and practices and deepen our students’ knowledge and appreciation of the Sikh way of life not only in Singapore but internationally,” Professor Lionel Wee, Dean at National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), said. He announced Singh’s appointment as the inaugural Central Sikh Gurdwara Board (CSGB) Visiting Professor (Chair) in Sikh Studies on Wednesday. “Singh is a leading authority in Sikh studies, he is also well-regarded as an innovator in his impact-related work as demonstrated by his meaningful engagements with minority ethnic communities and organizations in the UK,” Wee said.
CSGB led the Sikh community here in raising the 1.06 million Singaporean dollars endowment fund, with the Singapore government matching dollar-for-dollar, for setting up with NUS FASS the first visiting professorship (Chair) in Asia, outside the Indian subcontinent.
Singh began his one semester at FASS on August 7, in the new academic year 2023-2024.
Singh is currently teaching an undergraduate course titled ‘Introduction to Sikhism’, where students will be introduced to the foundational tenets of Sikhism and its historical development in pre-colonial and colonial India.
He will also deliver guest lectures on the Sikhs for undergraduate courses, ‘South Asia in Singapore’ and ‘World Religions’. At the NUS FASS South Asian Studies Program, he will also lead research on digital Sikhism – the study of the impact of the digital online environment on the religious lives of Sikhs and specifically how Sikhs in Singapore engage online.
Additionally, Singh will deliver a series of workshops to the Sikh community and a public lecture open to all organized by the CSGB and NUS which are scheduled to take place in November 2023.
Commenting on his appointment, Singh said, “This position provides me with the opportunity to teach students from a different social and cultural context to my own and to learn about how they perceive Sikhs and how these perceptions have been developed. It allows me to research a relatively underexamined but very significant part of the Sikh diaspora.”
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Indian-origin former Singapore minister submits application to qualify for presidential election
SINGAPORE (TIP): Singapore’s Indian-origin former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Monday, August 7, 2023, filed his application for a certificate of eligibility to run in next month’s presidential election.
Shanmugaratnam, 66, formally launched his presidential campaign last month with a pledge to evolve the country’s culture to keep it a “shining spot” in the world.
The 2023 presidential election is due in September, as President Halimah Yacob’s six-year term ends on September 13.
Tharman has submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility, The Straits Times reported. Apart from Shanmugaratnam, three other potential hopefuls, all of Chinese origin, have announced their own submissions.
Former GIC investment chief Ng Kok Song, 75, told the media that he had submitted the forms on August 2 to be considered eligible via the public sector deliberative track.
Entrepreneur George Goh, 63, submitted his eligibility form on August 4.
Former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian, 75, said he has submitted his application for a certificate of eligibility for the upcoming presidential election but has not decided if he will contest, according to a media report.
Tharman, who stepped down from active politics after 22 years in June, during his campaign launch, had cautioned against judging candidates based on past affiliations rather than their track record.
Singapore has stringent criteria for candidates wishing to stand for the post of President.
Under requirements laid out in Singapore’s Constitution, public sector presidential candidates must have held office for at least three years as a minister, chief justice, attorney-general or other high-level posts.
Private sector candidates must have served for at least three years as chief executives of a company with an average of Singapore dollars 500 million in shareholders’ equity.
Tharman was an economist and a civil servant, mainly at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, before joining politics in 2001. He has served as the Minister for Education and Finance and was the Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019. He has also held prominent posts at international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Economic Forum and the United Nations.
Singapore will hold its first presidential election since 2011 after President Halimah announced on May 29 that she will not seek a second term. She is the country’s eighth and first female president. Her six-year term ends on September 13 this year. The 2017 presidential poll was a reserved election in which only members of the Malay community were allowed to contest. Halimah was named president then as there were no other candidates. -
Sikhs in Singapore hailed for their contribution in diverse fields while retaining their culture
SINGAPORE (TIP): Sikhs in Singapore have distinguished themselves in their chosen professions and made significant contributions in diverse fields while retaining their culture, faith and unique identity, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said. He was addressing the 75th anniversary celebration dinner of the Sikh Advisory Board (SAB) on Sunday, July 30, 2023. “You have all distinguished yourselves in your chosen professions and made significant contributions in diverse fields…Crucially, Sikhs have done all this in Singapore while retaining their culture, faith and unique identity,” he told the gathering. “Whether it is in the civil service or the uniformed services, the judiciary, business, sports or many other professions, Sikhs are well represented, excelling and taking on leadership positions,” he told the community.
“From the government’s perspective, we certainly appreciate and value this very close collaboration with the community. Compared to other communities you may be small in number, but your contribution to Singapore is out of proportion to your number,” the minister added.
Lawrence Wong also highlighted the Sikh Advisory Board having been instrumental in advising the state on matters concerning the community, be it religion, customs or overall welfare issues. The Board, he noted, has always been candid, open and forthcoming in sharing perspectives and views on the issues of concern to the community. “So, even though you may be an Advisory Board, I assure you the government listens to your advice and takes it very seriously. “The Board has also been instrumental in mediating disputes as those relating to employment practices to ensure that Sikhs continue to observe the key tenets of their faith,” he underscored.
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Three Indian-origin Singapore based among nine sworn in as nominated members in Parliament
SINGAPORE (TIP): Three Indian-origin Singaporeans were among nine nominated parliamentarians who took oath on Wednesday, August 2. Also sworn in on Wednesday, August 2, was Seah Kian Peng as the new Speaker of Parliament. He replaced Tan Chuan-Jin who resigned over an extramarital affair with fellow People’s Action Party parliamentarian Cheng Li Hui, who has also resigned. Of the nine Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs), this is the second term for Raj Joshua Thomas, an Indian-origin lawyer and president of the Security Association Singapore. All other eight NMPs are first timers.
The NMPs are appointed for a two-and-a-half-year term. The NMP scheme was introduced in 1990 to ensure a wide representation of community views in Parliament. Up to nine NMPs can be appointed in each parliament.
The other two Indian-origin NMPs are Parekh Nimil Rajnikant, chairperson of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and CEO of acquisition firm Pegasus Asia; and Chandradas Usha Ranee, an art historian, tax lawyer and co-founder of Plural Art magazine.
Chua Tiang Choon Keith, vice president of the Singapore Anglican Community Services and executive chairman of food-and-beverage firm ABR Holdings; Mark Lee Kean Phi, CEO of apparel company Sing Lun Holdings; and Ong Hua Han, assistant vice president at Deutsche Bank AG also took oath as NMPs.
The other NMPs were Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim, head of the public safety and security program at the Singapore University of Social Sciences; Jean See Jinli, director of the NTUC Freelancers and Self-employed Unit at NTUC’s Administration Research Unit; Dr Syed Harun Taha Alhabsyi, a consultant psychiatrist. -
Indian-origin Singapore police officer goes on trial for role in death of maid from Myanmar
SINGAPORE (TIP): An Indian-origin police officer went on trial in Singapore on July 20 for his role in the death of a maid from Myanmar for which his former wife and mother-in-law are already serving long-term jail sentences. Kevin Chelvam, 44, the registered employer of Myanmar national Piang Ngaih Don, 24, who died following prolonged and heinous abuse while under his employment, claimed trial to four charges, The Straits Times newspaper reported.
Piang Don started working for Chelvam’s family in May 2015 and died on July 26, 2016. She just weighed 24 kg at the time of her death.
On the night of July 25, 2016, the maid was assaulted by Gaiyathiri and Prema for being too slow in doing laundry.
The next morning, Gaiyathiri and Chelvam checked on her and found her motionless on the floor.
He then left the flat for work.
Chelvam rushed home when his wife called and told him Piang Don was dead.
His charges include voluntarily causing hurt and abetment of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Piang Don by starvation.
He is also contesting one charge of giving false information to a police officer and another of removing the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras from his home which recorded the abuse.
Chelvam was suspended from the police force in August 2016, days after Piang Ngaih Don’s death.
Irritated that his emaciated maid was falling asleep while eating, the husband of a convicted maid abuser allegedly grabbed her by her hair and lifted her off the ground, the charge read, as reported by the Singapore Daily.
As Piang Ngaih Don’s employer, Chelvam was fully aware of the atrocities that occurred under his roof, Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephanie Koh said.
“He was complicit in Gaiyathiri’s and Prema’s offences by his conscious indifference to the deceased’s plight, which he allowed to continue unabated until her death,” Koh said.
Chelvam’s ex-wife, Gaiyathiri Murugayan, 43, was sentenced in June 2021 to 30 years in prison – the longest jail term meted out in a maid abuse case in Singapore.
His mother-in-law Prema S Naraynasamy, 64, who joined her daughter Gaiyathiri in torturing the maid, was sentenced to 14 years in January.
Prema was given three years more of jail term in June after she admitted to one charge of instigating Chelvam to cause evidence of the offences to disappear, bringing her total jail term to 17 years.
Chelvam has two children aged one and four.
He and his wife got divorced in 2020.
Gaiyathiri and Prema are expected to take the stand as prosecution witnesses during the trial.
The prosecution’s list of witnesses also includes investigation officers involved in the case and a forensic pathologist, the report added. (PTI) -
Singapore Minister Iswaran, tycoon Ong arrested, released on bail: CPIB
SINGAPORE (TIP): Singapore’s Indian-origin Transport Minister S Iswaran was arrested on Tuesday and released on bail while his passport was impounded, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) has said.
A CPIB spokesperson on Friday said Iswaran was arrested on the same day as Ong Beng Seng, founder and managing director of Hotel Properties Limited, reported The Straits Times. Ong was also released on bail.
“As part of bail conditions, subjects’ passports are impounded. Subjects on bail can, however, make requests to travel overseas. CPIB will assess such requests on a case-by-case basis,” the Singapore daily quoted the CPIB spokesperson as saying. “CPIB assessed and acceded to Ong’s request to travel overseas. Ong’s bail quantum was also increased to SGD100,000. Upon his return, Ong is required to report to CPIB and surrender his passport to the bureau.” The spokesperson declined to provide further details, citing ongoing investigations.
Iswaran (61), is a senior member of the ruling People’s Action Party and has been on a leave of absence from his official duties, was assisting the CPIB with an investigation into a case it had uncovered.
Iswaran’s political career spans more than 26 years since he was first elected in 1997 as a Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC. Before he was appointed to the Cabinet in 2006, he was on several government parliamentary committees and was the deputy speaker of Parliament from September 2004 to June 2006.
He has been Minister for Transport since May 2021 and has been concurrently minister-in-charge of trade relations at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) since May 2018.
Before his career in politics, Iswaran worked in both the public and private sectors, including at MTI as well as Temasek Holdings. “No charges have been filed against Ong. He will be traveling from July 14 and will be surrendering his passport to CPIB upon his return to Singapore,” Hotel Properties Ltd (HPL) said on Friday.
Ong (77) is a Malaysian based in Singapore and owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix and is chairman of race promoter Singapore GP.
Iswaran has been actively involved in the government’s engagements with F1, including making appearances at press conferences where announcements about the event’s future have been made.
“As this is an ongoing matter, he is unable to provide further details at this point. He has undertaken to provide updates to the board if there are subsequent material developments,” Channel News Asia had HPL as saying of Ong’s current position in the high-profile case related to a possibility of corruption.
The contract for Singapore to host the Formula 1 Grand Prix for another seven years was signed last year – the fourth renewal and longest extension – bringing the event back to Marina Bay in the central business district after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Formula 1 (F1) Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2023 is scheduled for September 15-17.
(Source: PTI) -
Indian man killed in Singapore workplace accident
SINGAPORE (TIP): A 33-year-old Indian worker died after being struck by a reversing vehicle at a worksite in Jurong West industrial region here. The man was preparing his tipper truck for unloading when he was hit by a reversing wheel loader, which is used to lift materials at construction sites, reported The Straits Times, citing the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Wednesday, July 12.
He was a driver employed by BSN Tech Engineering, and was working at the site occupied by Star Ready-Mix.
The Singapore Civil Defense Force said he was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.
The Ministry said the incident occurred at about 3.40pm at 1 Buroh Close, and it is probing the case. It has also instructed Star Ready-Mix to stop all vehicular operations there. “As a general safety measure, employers must implement a proper traffic management plan to minimize the risks from vehicles,” said the Ministry.
It cited examples such as segregating access between vehicles and people, as well as ensuring that incompatible vehicular operations do not occur at the same time in the same place.
The Ministry has raised the maximum fine for breaches of Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) laws that could result in death or serious injury – from SGD 20,000 to SGD 50,000.
There had been 14 workplace deaths in Singapore as on June 21. In 2022, there were 46 – the highest number recorded since 2016, when 66 people died.
(Source: PTI)
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Indian-origin Singaporean climber missing Search under way around Mount Everest Summit
SINGAPORE (TIP): A search and rescue operation involving several teams is under way around the Mount Everest Summit to trace an Indian-origin Singaporean climber who has been missing since Saturday, May 20.
Teams consisting of three Sherpas each have been searching for Shrinivas Sainis Dattatraya (39), according to Prakash Chandra Devkota, the owner of Nepal Guide Treks and Expedition.
Seven Summit Treks, a Nepal-based adventure travel operator, had organized Dattatraya’s Everest ascent.
Devkota also shared photographs of the climber reaching the summit last Friday before he went missing, media reported on Tuesday. In the photos, Dattatraya, a senior manager for software engineering at real estate tech firm JLL Technologies, is seen wearing a bright orange winter wear, sunglasses and an oxygen mask. He is surrounded by colorful prayer flags marking the 8,849 m summit.
He is clutching a rope with his right hand and stands upright on the peak.
In another picture, the climber lies on his back and is surrounded by three others in similar mountain climbing wear. One of them snaps a shot of him with a smartphone.
He last sent a text message to his wife Sushma Soma, 36, on Friday, saying he had reached Everest’s summit. He told her he had high-altitude cerebral oedema — a severe high-altitude illness that could prove fatal — and was not likely to make it back down, according to the media report.
Soma, a musician, learnt at 2 am on Saturday that the two Sherpas he was with, and another climber in the group, made it down from the mountain, but her husband never did.
Devkota said one of the Sherpas, Dendi, had tried to save Dattatraya, but he did not give more details. He added that Dendi had suffered frostbite to his fingers and was hospitalized. -
Two nurses from India shortlisted for Global Nursing Award
LONDON (TIP): Two nurses from India are in the running for a prestigious USD 250,000 Global Nursing Award, organized by Dubai-headquartered private healthcare service provider Aster DM Healthcare to honor the contributions of nurses worldwide.
Shanti Teresa Lakra, who works among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Kerala-born and Ireland-based Jincy Jerry are among 10 worldwide finalists undergoing a public voting process before being evaluated by a grand jury judging panel for the award.
The winner will be awarded at a ceremony in London on May 12, which is marked worldwide as International Nurses Day.
“The Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award was started because we felt a necessity to celebrate the nurses and recognize them,” said Dr Azad Moopen, India-born Founder Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare, which operates healthcare services in India and the Gulf.
“We have about 8,000 nurses in our own organization, and we have seen the way in which they put their heart and soul into serving and saving the patients. Being a doctor, I have seen and appreciated their hard work for the healthcare system at large and most recently over the COVID challenges. They were the frontline soldiers in that fight,” he said.
Shanti Teresa Lakra, from the G.B. Pant Hospital in Port Blair and a Padma Shri recipient for her nursing service over the years, has spent considerable time within the tribal community of Andaman and Nicobar to gain their trust and assist with their healthcare needs.
In 2004, when the tsunami hit the Ongee Island habitat and drove them deep into the jungle, she made her home with them and lived in an open tent. She now works for all the major tribes in the region, something which brought her to the attention of the global award.
“I work as a grassroots level worker in a very remote area and my whole world belongs to the tribals residing in a very interior and isolated part of Andaman and Nicobar islands. To be a finalist in these awards is overwhelming because I never dreamt of it,” said Lakra, in an interview ahead of the award ceremony.
She pointed to language and other socio-economic barriers that make her work on the island quite challenging but fulfilling at the same time. “They are very shy by nature, and it isn’t easy for them to share information about their health problems. I strive to provide the best care I possibly can,” she said. The other nurse from India in the running for the public vote is Jincy Jerry of Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin, who serves as Assistant Director of Nursing for Infection Prevention and Control.
Her work in designing an appropriate software solution to cut down on the potential for human error while collating results from laboratories is among the factors behind her being shortlisted. Jerry, who is also part of the Infection Prevention Society UK, firmly believes that innovation is a way to increase quality and patient safety.
“In 2020, I introduced robotic process automation to the hospital. Our workload was very high at the time, so we introduced the system to counter that. Currently, I am working on around eight projects in the pipeline including work on using artificial intelligence (AI) to assist, train and modify behaviors on hygiene,” said Jerry, whose work has also been recognized by the Irish Healthcare Awards.
“If we have the right technology, we can save so much valuable time. It’s crucial that the nursing profession benefits from it,” she added.
Besides the nurses from India and Ireland, high-achieving nurses from England, the UAE, Kenya, Tanzania, Panama, Singapore, Portugal and the Philippines make up the finalists in the public vote stage of the vote before the winner is announced in London on Friday. Aster DM Healthcare said it chose the UK capital for the 2023 award ceremony for its strong healthcare tradition in the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) and as the birthplace of Florence Nightingale – the founder of modern nursing. -
Singapore Airlines to get 25.1% stake in Air India Group
Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) deal with Tata Sons will inject a further $267 million into Air India. It will give SIA a 25.1% stake in the Air India Group following its takeover by Tata and merger with Vistara Airlines.
The November 2022 deal between SIA and Tata Sons to further inject $267 million into Air India is one of the key strategic initiatives for future growth mentioned in the quarterly financial report.
SIA said, “The merged entity will be four to five times larger compared to Vistara. The proposed merger will bolster SIA’s presence in India, strengthen its multi-hub strategy, and allow it to continue participating directly in this large and fast-growing aviation market.” The airline further said, “Deeper collaboration with like-minded airlines is an integral part of the SIA Group’s partnerships strategy. This enables SIA and its partners to drive more traffic to their hubs, offer more options to customers, and increase the Group’s global footprint.”
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Indian-origin woman in Singapore attacked for not wearing a mask
SINGAPORE (TIP): Almost two years after a man allegedly kicked her in the chest and hurled racial slurs at her, Indian-origin woman Hindocha Nita Vishnubhai said she had not been able to overcome the trauma caused by the incident in Chua Chu Kang housing estate on May 7, 2021.
The 57-year-old was speaking in a district court on Wednesday, January 18, the first day of the trial of the accused, Wong Xing Fong, now aged 32. Wong has denied the allegations against him.
According to court documents, Wong is accused of hurling racial slurs at Hindocha with the deliberate intention of “wounding” her “racial feelings”. He is also accused of voluntarily causing hurt by kicking Hindocha’s chest in an attack aggravated by the racial element.
On Wednesday, Hindocha was called as the prosecution’s first witness, but she broke down as she walked into the courtroom, according to a media report.
It was not clear if she cried on seeing Wong but District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan stood the case down temporarily to allow time for her to compose herself and for a screen to be set up that shielded her from view, the report stated. As the trial resumed about 30 minutes later, Hindocha took the stand to tell the court what happened on the day of the attack.
Hindocha said she typically brisk walks to work as she does not have the time to do any other form of exercise before work and had pulled down her face mask to the chin to breathe more freely.
At the time, Singapore’s covid-19 regulations mandated that everyone keep their face masks on unless they were exercising. As Hindocha was approaching a bus stop beside the Northvale Condominium located along Choa Chu Kang Drive, she heard someone shouting at her from behind, she told the court.
She turned around to see “a couple”, Wong and an unnamed woman, gesturing at her and telling her to mask up. She gestured back to indicate that she was exercising and perspiring. At this point, Wong walked towards her and hurled the racial slur at her, Hindocha claimed. “I don’t like to fight, sir, so I said, ‘God bless you’,” she said, adding that then Wong ran towards her and gave her a “flying kick” in the chest.
The impact, said Hindocha, caused her to fall on her back, leaving her left forearm and palm bleeding.
She alleged that Wong and his female companion then “jogged” away as though nothing had happened.
“I was crying very loudly, sir. I was very scared. Till today, (if) you bring me (to) that road I will cry…I was very scared,” she said. A woman at the bus stop helped her up and gave her a first-aid plaster for her injuries, she said.
Hindocha said she narrated her ordeal to her husband and manager at work and reported the incident to the police only later that evening after she had finished her second job as an English tutor at a tuition center. She had her injuries examined by a doctor at a polyclinic on May 10.
When asked by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Foo how the incident had affected her, Hindocha said she felt both scared and sad. Wong’s lawyer told Hindocha that it was his client’s position that she was not exercising and had no reason to pull her mask down.
He added that Wong had not used vulgarities against her and had also not kicked her in the chest.
Wong also claimed that Hindocha spat at him and told him sarcastically that she was brisk-walking and that he should mind his own business. Hindocha disagreed with all these statements.
During re-examination by DPP Foo, Hindocha said that while she had difficulty remembering the precise location of the attack, she clearly remembers Wong kicking her.
The second witness was the doctor who attended Hindocha.
The trial will continue Thursday and Friday before being adjourned until early February.
Anyone found guilty of voluntarily causing hurt can be jailed for up to three years or fined up to SGD 5,000 or both. However, in cases where the offence is racially or religiously aggravated, the court may sentence the person to 1.5 times the amount of punishment to which he or she would otherwise have been liable.
As for those found guilty of deliberately intending to wound the religious or racial feelings of any person, they can be jailed for up to three years or fined or both.
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UAE, Singapore shut out fliers from India
New Delhi (TIP): At least nine jurisdictions — the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, France, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Oman — have imposed fresh restrictions on travel to and from India on account of the surge in Covid-19 cases.
Experts watching the sector closely said India currently poses the “biggest risk” of exporting new variants of the coronavirus to countries around the world, and that they expected more borders to be closed for travel from India.
The UAE on Thursday, April 22, became the latest country to close its borders for travellers from India, after Singapore imposed a travel ban and Australia announced it will reduce the number of its citizens who would be able to return from India and other red-zone countries.
According to airline sources, UAE authorities on Thursday banned all flights from India for a period of 10 days from Sunday. The suspension is subject to a review after 10 days.
In a travel advisory, Dubai-based airline Emirates said: “Effective 24 April 2021 Saturday, 2359 local time Dubai and for the next 10 days, Emirates flights from India to the UAE will be suspended. Furthermore, passengers who have transited through India in the last 14 days will not be accepted to travel from any other point to the UAE.”
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Indian-origin politician Pritam Singh appointed Singapore’s first Leader of Opposition in Parliament
‘Singapore’s legislatures have never had formally designated Leaders of the Opposition’
SINGAPORE (TIP): Indian-origin politician Pritam Singh was on Tuesday, July 28, designated as the Leader of the Opposition in Singapore, the first such appointment in the history of the city-state.
The 43-year old Singh’s Workers’ Party won 10 parliamentary seats out of the 93 contested in the July 10 general elections held, making it the biggest opposition presence in Singapore’s Parliament.
Singh is the Secretary-General of Workers’ Party.
“Singapore’s legislatures have never had formally designated Leaders of the Opposition, and such a position is not provided for in the Constitution or the Standing Orders of Parliament,” the parliamentary offices said in its statement on Tuesday.
“Singapore’s legislatures have never had formal Leaders of the Opposition, not even in the 1950s and early 1960s when there were substantial numbers of opposition legislative assemblymen,” the Channel News Asia quoted the statement as saying.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s ruling People’s Action Party won 83 seats in the general elections and his government was sworn in on Monday.
Singh will take on more duties and be accorded additional privileges in his role as the Leader of the Opposition, authorities said on Tuesday in a statement, laying out the details of the new post.
“Similar to other Westminster parliamentary systems, Singh will lead the Opposition in presenting alternative views in parliamentary debates on policies, Bills and motions,” said the Office of the Speaker of Parliament and Office of the Leader of the House in a joint statement.
He will also lead and organize the scrutiny of the government’s positions and actions in Parliament, and be consulted on the appointment of opposition members to Select Committees, such as the Public Accounts Committee.
Singh, who is also a lawyer, will receive an annual package of 385,000 Singapore dollars (USD 2,79,025.98) as allowances for his new role.
Prime Minister Lee said on July 11 that Singh will be designated the Leader of the Opposition.
After his swearing-in on Monday, Lee said the election results have shown a strong desire among Singaporeans for a greater diversity of views in politics and that the trend is here to stay.
“We have to give expression to it and evolve our political system to accommodate it while maintaining our cohesion and sense of national purpose,” said Lee.
“As with any new political appointment, the role of the LO (Leader of the Opposition) will evolve as our political system develops,” the statement from Parliament said.
“We look forward to working with the LO to create a robust but stable political system serving the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans,” it said.
The statement added that these duties and privileges have been conveyed to Singh, and the Leader of the House will make a statement in Parliament to formally set out these terms.
Singapore’s 14th Parliament will have its first sitting on August 24.
(Source: PTI)
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Indian-Origin Sikh Lawyer Appointed as the Judicial Commissioner of Singapore’s Apex Court
SINGAPORE(TIP): Dedar Singh Gill, an Indian-origin leading intellectual property lawyer of Singapore has been appointed as a judicial commissioner of the country’s Supreme Court, according to an official statement.
Gill, 59, has been appointed by President Halimah Yacob as the apex court’s judicial commissioner for a period of two years.
Mr Gill will begin his role on August 1 for a period of two years, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said on June 26.
He will be sworn in on August 3.
A graduate of National University of Singapore (1983), Mr. Gill was previously managing director of intellectual property department of the law firm Drew and Napier LLC, where he spent most of his career since graduation.
A lawyer with over 30 years of experience, he is one of Singapore’s top intellectual property (IP) litigators, representing corporate clients who are household names.
He is former president of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association (Singapore Group) and was also appointed as deputy president of the Copyright Tribunal.
With Mr Gill’s appointment, the Supreme Court will now have a total of 21 judges – including four judges of appeal and the chief justice – six judicial commissioners, four senior judges and 15 international judges.
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Indian-Origin Woman allegedly Murdered by Maid in Singapore
SINGAPORE(TIP): A 70-year-old Indian-origin woman, Mehrotra Shashi, has been allegedly murdered at her home in Singapore by a maid from Myanmar, police said. She was found lying motionless in her 12th story unit in the Choa Chu Kang North housing estate on June 25.
Zin Mar Nwe, 23, is accused of killing Mehrotra, as reported.
Nwe appeared via a video-link from the Central Police Division, where she is being held in remand, the report said, adding that she is remanded for psychiatric evaluation for a week and has been denied bail.
The alleged murder was discovered after police received a call, requesting for assistance at the unit. When officers arrived at the unit, they found Mehrotra lying motionless. Doctors pronounced her dead about 30 minutes later. Nwe will be back in court on July 4.
If found guilty of committing murder, she will face the death penalty under the Singaporean law.
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Indian Origin Jailed in Singapore for Spiking Roommate’s Drink to Rape Her
SINGAPORE(TIP): A 28-year-old Indian origin in Singapore has been sentenced by a court there for attempting to spike his flat mate’s drink and subsequently rape her, according to reports.
Annadurai Prabakaran, who worked in Singapore for more than seven years as a private hire bus driver, had earlier started to think of having sex with his 21-year-old flat mate, who is also an Indian origin residing there, court documents suggest.
Prabakaran bought two tablets for two Singapore dollars, of what he assumed to be sleeping pills, to spike his flat mate’s water bottle.
“He planned to drug her and have sexual intercourse with her while she was asleep,” according to a report, citing court documents.
He then carried out a small test by using one of the pills to see whether it would become colorless when dissolved.
Three days later, on December 12, he dissolved the other pill in his flat mate’s bottle, when she left it unattended.
When her 21-year-old flat mate took a sip of water, she spat it out when she realized the water tasted bitter, according to reports.
The woman, upon seeing that the water was cloudy, suspected Prabakaran and called a friend of her uncle’s. Her friend, also a woman, turned up at the apartment with a male friend.
Prabakaran confessed to spiking his flat mate’s water and then pleaded for forgiveness, according to the court documents.
He then grabbed the water bottle from the man, who was holding it at that time, and dropped it on the floor.
The man proceeded to call the police, which sent the bottle to the Health Sciences Authority or HSA for analysis.
A small amount of water had remained in the bottle. The HSA’s toxicology report revealed the spiked water to not have the chemicals inside a sleeping pill, but instead Sildenafil, a drug that is used to treat erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil’s side effects include nausea and headaches.
Prabakaran pleaded guilty for obstructing justice, with his lawyer pleading to the court for Prabakaran to be given the lightest sentence possible.
The court sentence handed out to Prabakaran was for two years and 10 months. He was also sentenced to three strokes of the cane.
Singapore permits judicial caning and its caning laws are said to be one of the most severe in the world.
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Indian Origin Men Jailed In Singapore For Having Sex With Minor
Offenders convicted of having sexual intercourse with a minor below 14 years old can be jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.
SINGAPORE (TIP): Three Indian Origin men have been jailed in Singapore for their involvement in sexual acts with a 13-year-old girl in 2016, a media report said today.
Gill Gurjant Singh, 25, and Surjeet Singh, 29, were each sentenced to 15 months in prison for the crime, The Straits Times reported.
Jugraj Singh, 33, was jailed for eight months for committing an indecent act on the Singaporean minor.
Offenders convicted of having sexual intercourse with a minor below 14 years old can be jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned, according to the report.
All the three men are Indian construction workers, the report said.
They had met the girl in May 2016 in Little India, a precinct of shops, eateries, pubs, motels and hotels, where she was hanging out with her friends, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jesintha Veijayaratnam said.
The girl’s mother approached the police after which a complaint was registered.
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Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines loses court battle in UK, to pay $90m in claims
LONDON/SINGAPORE: Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya has lost another legal battle linked to his now- defunct Kingfisher Airlines after the UK High Court awarded Singapore-based BOC Aviation an estimated $90 million in claims.
The latest case involving the 62-year-old businessman, whose extradition case+ over alleged loan defaults amounting to around Rs 9,000 crores returns to Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on March 16, is related to the leasing of aircraft by Kingfisher Airlines dating back to 2014.
Justice Picken, in a judgment dated February 5 at the Business and Property Courts of the High Court in London, ruled that “the defendants have no real prospect of successfully defending the claim”.
The defendants in the claim brought by BOC Aviation in Singapore and BOC Aviation (Ireland) Ltd have been named as Kingfisher Airlines Ltd and United Breweries (Holdings) Ltd.
“We are pleased with the judgment but would not like to comment further at this stage,” said a spokesperson for BOC Aviation in Singapore.
The legal claim relates to a leasing agreement between Kingfisher Airlines and aircraft leasing company BOC Aviation involving four planes, of which three were delivered.
The delivery of the fourth was reportedly withheld due to unpaid amounts due in advance under the lease arrangement. BOC Aviation claims that the security deposit, which is a course of redress in such matters, was also inadequate to cover the payments that Kingfisher was “contractually bound” to make, resulting in the High Court claim in London.
In his order, Justice Picken awarded BOC Aviation the amount overdue along with interest payments and legal costs, which overall amounts to nearly $90 million.
“The Second Defendant [United Breweries] shall be jointly and severally liable with the First Defendant [Kingfisher Airlines] to pay the Claimants [BOC Aviation] half of the said costs liability,” the court order notes.
(PTI)
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Indian Origin Man On Death Row For Drug Charges Wins Acquittal By Singapore’s Top Court
According to the judgement on February 12th , Gopu Jaya Raman successfully proved that he did not know that controlled drugs were hidden in the motorcycle he was riding.
Singapore (TIP):An Indian origin Malaysian on death row in Singapore for possessing drugs has been acquitted by the country’ top court.
According to the judgement on February 12th , Gopu Jaya Raman successfully proved that he did not know that controlled drugs were hidden in the motorcycle he was riding into Singapore.
On March 24, 2014, Gopu was arrested after he entered Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint on the north with three black bundles of diamorphine hidden in his motorcycle’s fender.
Diamorphine, also known as Heroin, is an opioid most commonly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects.
When immigration officers stopped him and found the drugs, he said he did not know the drugs were hidden in the motorcycle.
Gopu also claimed the motorcycle was not his.
Tay Yong Kwang, the sole dissenting judge in Monday’s judgement, noted that Gopu had trafficked drugs into Singapore on two other occasions before he was caught on March 24, 2014.
He had been trying to repay a 4,000 Malaysian Ringgit loan.
He was not convinced by Gopu’s reasons for entering Singapore or how he came to possess the motorcycle.
He said Gopu’s admission to trafficking drugs into Singapore on the same motorcycle on two other occasions did not bolster his credibility.
After the authorities found the drugs, they got Gopu’s help to try to nab others in the ring who might turn up to collect the drugs, the judgement stated. The operation, however, was called off when no one turned up.
Authorities monitored his conversation with the man who had helped to get him the motorcycle.
After listening to a number of exchanges, officers told Gopu to send a message, indicating that he had no knowledge of the drugs.
In the judgement, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Judge of Appeal Judith Prakash found that Gopu would have missed the drugs when he was checking for them, given the bundles’ “size and dark colour”.
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Indian Origin Man Jailed For Threatening To Kill His Wife
Saying that Mr. Ramachandran was “totally incorrigible”, Community Court Judge Eddy Tham said it was really disturbing that the moment he came out from prison, he started terrorizing his family members.
SINGAPORE (TIP): An Indian origin man, who had threatened to kill his wife irrespective of the consequences, was jailed on February 14th for over an year.
Ramachandran Maniam, 48, will be spending more than one year and two months behind bars, after admitting to criminal intimidation by threatening to harm his estranged wife, reported The Straits Times.
As he had committed the offence in breach of his remission order for an earlier conviction, he was sentenced today to an enhanced punishment of 372 days in jail on top of two months’ jail for criminal intimidation.Mr. Ramachandran was placed on the mandatory aftercare scheme from October 16-27 last year.
He was housed at halfway house under the scheme for inmates released under the conditional remission system and deemed to be at higher risk of recidivism.
The court heard that on October 19, Mr. Ramachandran went to look for his wife. He called out to his son, 21, in a garden near a public housing estate apartment block, and said he wanted to speak to his wife.
When told that she was at work, he insisted on speaking to her and uttered, “I am going to beat your mother one good one and if I will go prison, I don’t mind”.
In a separate incident on October 28, Mr Ramachandran was given time off to go out of the halfway house but had to return by 10pm. But he stayed away for more than 24 hours and returned only at 1.25am on October 30.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Selene Yap said that by failing to remain indoors as required for an accumulative period of more than 24 hours, he had committed a serious breach of his mandatory aftercare conditions.
Saying that Mr. Ramachandran was “totally incorrigible”, Community Court Judge Eddy Tham said it was really disturbing that the moment he came out from prison, he started terrorizing his family members.
Mr. Ramachandran added that his divorce is ongoing and he wanted to spend time with his ailing 75-year-old father.