The Maid - Boyfriending @ Geylang (2)

The suggestion of granting domestic helpers a rest day every week has literally made many employers jumped.

Singapore was among 63 voters which abstained from voting on the new International Labour Organisation convention in Geneva from granting domestic workers greater protection from exploitation.

Yet Madam Halimah Yacob, the Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports said Singapore should consider legislation that makes employers give their domestic helpers a weekly rest day.

She said giving maids their weekly offdays might help to minimise stress and overwork issues.
They are just like other workers who need to rest, should not be made to work excessive hours that could affect their health and well-being.

Madam Halimah expressed hope that Singapore would 'take stock of its laws and policies and progressively make changes' to be in line with the convention since the country takes its international obligations seriously.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in the meantime, is reviewing the call for the government to implement a weekly rest day as MOM recognises the benefits of rest days to the well-being and productivity of foreign domestic maids.
It will consult with various stakeholders including employers, employment agencies and non-governmental organisations.
Members of the public are advised to email their views and suggestions to mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg.

MOM would continue to review the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers, and would sign the new treaty when it was sure it could implement it here.

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Should the suggestion turn into law?
Then it becomes one size law fits all employers' policies.

Imagine getting paid at least six times higher than back home...
Free lodging, amenities, food, toiletries ...
Free weekends...
Free compulsory six-monthly medical check up...
Free return home with air ticket paid for...

Can't imagine what's the next best thing in life beside free...

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Although it cannot be denied that some of these maids were abused and some tend to overwork, but not all of them are squeezed dry of their energy.

While their government impose all kinds of rule for their 'daughters' welfare working abroad, but bear in mind, we also travel to their country, went to their households to see first hand, how their 'daughters' in their own country are usually the lesser mortal.

******

Those with domestic helpers in their house, should know why.
Those with helpers for many years, know it best.

Although some Indonesian house-helpers have no off day, their nationality are all over the island.
They will often meet and get together with other domestic workers while sending and fetching their employers' children to schools.

I had once came across newspaper article, reminding these domestic helpers, not to take up the whole area of available spot at mosques while waiting for their employers' kids in kindergartens.
That shows their big presence.

Once, a six-year old came up to Me, saying he was absent from class the day before, because his father suddenly wanted to return home.
Upon opening the front door, the maid was asked to put on her clothing in her room, while the Bangladeshi man, who was then doing the painting job at his block, remained at the hall.
The boy claimed he could see the Bangladeshi's legs...

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My friend had a hard time telling her maid not to feed her baby, of all place, at the bus-stop.
My friend was not too sure what the maid was up to, but given her friendly nature...

Some employers always want to be different from the rest.
They often feel sorry for their maids' living condition back home.
Thus they wanted to provide the best for their employees.

But it is not few employers that their trust were betrayed, their sympathy exploited.
Especially when these maids are provided with handphones, and they are unable to self control of using and abusing it.
The phone is a great distraction.
And even without off days, these maids can still managed to get boyfriends.

******

A brother had no other choice except to get a helper when his wife met an accident.
The helper's main duty was to look after their six children, especially the youngest, who was less than two years old then.

The helper, married with children, claimed did no know how to cook despite being married with children in Indonesia, and in her late 30s.
The brother cooked whatever he could for his family.

But there was once, when he was in a hurry to go to work, that he just put aside the ingredients for the helper to fry rice.
He did not believe his wife when told that the garlic and onion used was not peeled off the skin...

Luckily he believed his own eyes and ears when at his in-laws' place, the maid went downstairs to make a phone call to his wife's younger brother, wanting to know the young man better...

******

Suri* was given the choice of enjoying her once a month off day outside home, or be paid to stay home during her off day.
She chose the latter.

But in the end, she get to go out every weekends for the whole day attending classes in Orchard Road.
Every Ramadhan, she went to the mosque alone nightly for her terawih.

She had travelled to many states in Malaysia.
She had been to Batam, China and Thailand.
And, she is one of the 88% Indonesian domestic helpers who do not enjoy their off days.

Who cares?
She did not care.
She could not be bothered too.

Not all employers are without sympathy.
And employers who trust their maids, they can make a wise decision concerning off days.

But to make compulsory and lawful weekend offdays, the government is waging more social ills in our already colourful society.

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A survey by non-governmental organisations here has found that few Indonesian maids get days off, with only 38 per cent having at least one day off a month. This is in contrast to 85 per cent of Filipino maids getting at least one day off a month. -- PHOTO: COURTESY OF MUNIFAH

Those employers who had experience enough nonsense brought by their one after another problematic maids would definitely choose to OFF the OFF day.
The risk is simply too high.

Most employers treat their maids well.
Despite that, give these workers an inch, they expect a foot.
Before long, they jolly well demand a yard.

******

An acquaintance's Indonesian maid was given once a month off day, just like her friends from her home village.

But there was once, she was requested not to take or to postpone her off day, as it was the first day of Hari Raya. 
Better for her celebrating the festival with the family and usually, she will receive packets of monies from relatives.

But the maid, in her 30s, with children back home, insisted as she had planned a picnic at Sentosa.
If all her friends can have their off day, why not her?

But all her friends were working for Chinese families.

After all, it was not appropriate to celebrated the first day of Hari Raya at the beach.

******

Imagine...
A just arrived maid is given her off day in her first week.
She goes out looking for friends...

Big groups of migrant workers, men and women gathering at shopping centres on weekends, the government must really think of the social impact and its consequences. 

Just walk down Peninsula Plaza in North Bridge Road, a favourite spot for Myanmar, Lucky Plaza in Orchard Road for Filipinos, the Little Thailand Golden Mile Complex at Beach Road, Katong Shopping Centre at Mountbatten Road for Chinese national and City Plaza at Geylang. 

All these foreign workers just know where is the next best spot to spend in Singapore beside working place.

******

I was once asked by a Batam friend to find her niece living in Lampung, on the southern tip of Sumatra that borders Bengkulu, who had worked in Singapore for four years. 
She called her mother staying in their village, informing her she worked in Bukit Merah. 

My Batam friend believed her niece was being abused and tortured as that was the only upon arrival call she ever made. 
She insisted since we are the best of friend, sure I will 'save' her niece by knocking at every doors at all the blocks of flats in Bukit Merah. 

To show her that indeed we are the best of friend, her persistent request led Me to bring her here to see things with her own eyes, as did not believe that Singapore law is always pro-maids rather than their employers.

Media reports on Indonesian maids are quick to report about abuse, violence and death.
So stories of these girls and women of not only meeting friends, but boyfriends, are but all sounds alien and great distant away from her.

Singaporean females to her, are all bossy, fierce lots and proud of themselves, including Myself.
We are just too proud being Singaporeans.
That's the reason to her, why there are many Singapore men buying terrace houses around her residence, staying with their young Indonesian wives.

Yes, I used to see households in her neighbourhood was usually void of men on weekdays.
Not only daytime, but nighttime too.
But come weekends, Singaporean husbands aplenty in her neighbourhood.

She even encouraged Me to get a house opposite hers, since we are the best of friend...

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I fetched her from Batam to go to Bukit Merah on one Sunday last year.
We went to a playground.

She was taken for an initial shock seeing all maids with handphones gathering together while waiting for children at play.
A number of them were with fast texting fingers and some with ear pieces.

She went to them asking for her niece but nobody ever heard her name before.

She asked them if was possible for her to find her niece in one of the households.
One of them said, she must be out of her mind - Walking a block of flat is like walking around a whole village in Indonesia.
She was asked to count how many blocks were, just in front of her...

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We then took a taxi to City Plaza, a hotspot for Indonesians, since about five years ago.
I requested the driver to drive slowly, and to make double turning around the shopping centre.

City Plaza was like a shopping centre in Jakarta to my friend.

These mostly domestic helpers, supposed to be simple-minded, many were all dolled-up, with make-up, and many were with revealing clothing with jewellery.
She realised, these Indonesians are not up to innocently nothing with their what she think of them, being simple- minded.

They were transformers.
They went all out for their elaborate physical transformation. 

Most sit on the steps or grass patches outside the mall to chat or having a picnic with their friends and male Bangladeshi construction workers.
She was told, male workers from Indonesia, Myanmar, and Sabah frequent the place too.

Their public behaviour awed my Batam friend and left her speechless.

She went up to few maids who were standing around in the nearby shopping place, Tanjong Katong Complex.
She asked them of their feelings after leaving families behind.
Many answered, although they missed them, but there was not much they can do.
They have to stay focus in their job, and own families back home could not swayed their minds.

Some preferred not to return home even after their three to seven years in Singapore.
Some even claimed families had faded in their memories.

Some sent home part of their salary, and a few she talked to, had broken their links.

******

We then walked pass Lion City Hotel.

I told my Batam friend, it was at the traffic light in front of the hotel that when I was waiting for the green man to cross the road, I saw an Indonesian woman crossing the road from Tanjong Katong Complex, outstretched her right hand to shake hand an old man directly in front of Me.

The man was shocked when the woman's left hand went behind his waist, holding him tight.
I stopped Myself from crossing the road, to see what she will do to the man.
He was then led to a bench in front of Lion City Hotel where the woman talked softly into his ears, and he kept nodding his head, with her left hand remained tightly behind the man's waist...

******

We then walked in front of the Haig Road Hawker Centre.

Although social divider with locals is strictly enforced by the law, forbidding foreign maids from marrying Singaporeans, we saw many old Malay men, chico pek men with Indonesians...  
These Indonesians did stand out, their facial features and dressing gave way from local residents.

Just too bad that Haig Road lies between Joo Chiat and Geylang.
Haig Road has been attracting seedy characters for quite some time.
Bad influence had crept in.
The housing estate has earned a reputation among foreigners too.

There is the open display of affection showing how bold these women can be.
Sometimes, residents can even catch occasional illicit, passionate moments in full view...

Just walk across behind it, Joo Chiat, many Indonesians were standing around the hotel wall although solicitors for prostitution can be fined up to S$1,000 or jailed up to six months.
They enticed local men and... youths.
Now, some refers it as ‘Little Batam’.

The nearby Joo Chiat Complex, especially the nearby eating place behind it, is a favorite spot for old, old local men and their young foreign partners.
I used to pass there, never fail to purposely staring at these old, old men with their odd partners.
These old, old men did not mind letting these as young as their daughters and granddaughters to sit on their lap...

******

The seeing is believing, been there, seen up close of not all maids in Singapore are facing what's printed in papers, led to many more trip of My Batam friend to Singapore.
And she kept exploring Geylang and its neighbourhood.

She knew now, being housemaids in Singapore is not about working 24/7.
She knew now, maids have had their own lifestyle to maintain. 

She get to know of married maids having relationship with Bangladeshi workers.
She get to know maids from her own country having affairs with multiple Singaporean partners who could support them, providing them cash, topping-up their phonecards...

******

Then, one day, My good Batam friend said she wanted to become a study mama.
She wanted her eldest daughter to study here.

I reminded her sternly, since we are the best friend, she is not allowed to appear at any of My Siblings' doors should one day, she truly become a study mama...

Yes, Singaporean females are all bossy, fierce lots and proud of themselves, including Myself.
We are just too proud being Singaporeans...

The best of friend indeed...

President? George Yeo Yong-Boon

Papers had reported 15 representatives of former Foreign Minister George Yeo, between the age of 16 and 41, were at the Elections Department at about 1pm yesterday, to collect forms for a certificate of eligibility for him to contest the Presidential Elections. 

The supporters said they are hopeful Mr Yeo will run for the Presidential Election.
The youths are very comfortable with Mr Yeo's brand of leadership as he has devoted a considerable amount of time interacting with young people.
He had often speak and listen to them in informal groups and organised dialogues.  
Thus, they believe Mr Yeo is the type of leader the younger generation will rally around, since he had made an earlier promise to engage the younger generation. 

The promise had made him more appealing to them, and these youths really wish for a free-spirited Mr President who will be able to communicate openly and very open to new ideas when meeting new people, from all walks of life. 
Mr Yeo is known to have attended and supports many youth driven community projects and events.
He is said to be "energised" by the younger generation and "constantly learns from them". 

Mr Yeo is known to be close to the people on the ground, the very most important essence to these youths, someone who is able to have a sense of the people.

A 36-year-old Lien We King said he received a phone call from Mr Yeo on Sunday evening, asking him to help collect the forms on his behalf.

Mr Yeo had left for Taiwan yesterday morning, to offer his gratitude and thanks in person to the Tzu Chi Stem Cell Center for saving the life of his leukemia patient son. 
The stem cell centre had given his son a bone marrow transplant.

He is expected to return to Singapore in 10 days time. 
The forms will then be passed on to him. 

****** 

Mr Yeo was the first Singaporean Minister to start blogging, and he had blogged since August 2006
.
He then moved on to Facebook and is one of the most active Singaporean politician on it, with over 85,000 friends and supporters. 

On Sunday, on his Facebook page, Mr Yeo wrote,
'In case the presidential election writ is issued while I'm away, some young friends will collect the eligibility forms for me.
'It is a big decision which I hope to make two weeks from now after taking in views n advice from many people. I ask for your patience n understanding.'

Mr Yeo had earlier ruled himself out as a presidential candidate, despite numerous calls for him to run after he lost his seat in Parliament in the recent General Election.
His People's Action Party (PAP) team was defeated by the Workers' Party in Aljunied GRC.

After 23-years in politics, and following his intended exit, Mr George Yeo finally spoke the unspoken that there is a deep resentment among Singaporeans towards the ruling party.
He called on the PAP to listen harder, and to take into account people’s unease over the pace of change driven by globalisation.

Mr George Yeo is considered one of the more liberal-minded ministers in the PAP.
He feedbacked the ground sentiments to PM Lee that not just the question about policies, not just the minds, but the hearts needed address too.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong then frankly apologise publicly for the regime’s mistakes during a lunchtime rally at UOB.

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Earlier, when asked about running for president, Mr Yeo told a press conference on May 10 that he did not think he was 'temperamentally suited for such a job' as he considered himself 'a free spirit'.

However, he sparked off online discussion after announcing on Wednesday, June 1, that he was 'thinking hard' about reconsidering running for President.

His just two short lines posted,  
'Many Singaporeans from different walks of life, young and old, have asked me to reconsider my decision on the Presidency, some impassionately,' he wrote.

About reconsidering running for President, 'Thinking hard about it and praying for wisdom.' 

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If Mr Yeo does contest in the Presidential Election, he would be the second candidate from the PAP to do so.

His Facebook post had attracted more than 2,000 'likes' and more than 700 comments from netizens, most of whom supported him being a candidate in the upcoming presidential election.
He is set to be the more popular choice for President.

His experience in different ministries will be useful in carrying out presidential duties, since he had established diplomatic foreign relationships with important politicians of other countries.

Mr Yeo was part of the People's Action Party (PAP) team which contested in the recent May 7 General Election.
PAP team lost the Aljunied GRC constituency to The Workers’ Party team, with 54.71% of the votes.

In the recent General Elections, many voters has shown unhappiness with the ruling party, but this negative sentiment does not seem to extend to Mr Yeo.
The former Foreign Minister is still very popular and many have lamented that he is a victim of the Group Representative Constituency (GRC) Scheme.

In a twist of an event, now, Mr George Yeo Yong-Boon has a very definite advantage of he running for President. 

The first person to contest in the presidential Election is the former MP Tan Cheng Bock. 
Unlike Mr George Yeo who is still a member of the ruling party's central executive committee, Dr Tan has since resigned from the PAP. 

****** ****** ****** 

George Yeo: A Man Of All Season  

As Singapore’s Foreign Minister of nearly seven years, Mr George Yeo will leave a legacy of strategic thinking, cultural diplomacy and friendship, writes Professor Tommy Koh

ONE of my hopes for the 2011 General Elections was that those who won would be magnanimous and those who lost would be gracious.
Foreign Minister George Yeo was gracious in defeat. In his concession speech, he congratulated Mr Low Thia Khiang and his Workers’ Party team on their victory and wished them success. Of the other defeated candidates, only Mr Desmond Choo of the People’s Action Party and Ms Nicole Seah of the National Solidarity Party were just as gracious.
A man’s character can be gleaned from his conduct, both in victory and in defeat. Mr Yeo is a gentleman and an honourable man, whatever the conditions.
I have had the pleasure of working under his leadership in three of his ministerial portfolios. He was our first minister of the then Ministry of Information and the Arts, or Mita. During nine years at Mita, he changed Singapore from a so-called cultural desert to a cultural oasis.
He appointed Mr Tan Chin Nam chairman of the newly created National Library Board-and Mr Tan, together with Mr Christopher Chia, revolutionised our library system and made it one of the best in the world. Mr Yeo also appointed Mr Lim Chee Onn chairman of the National Heritage Board, and me, chairman of the National Arts Council.
It was under his leadership that the Esplanade was built, the Asian Civilisations Museum was envisioned, the Arts Festival was made an annual event, the LaSalle College of the Arts took off, and the Government agreed, for the first time, to subsidise arts education. Today, Singaporeans enjoy a rich and varied cultural life. They should not forget the person who planted the seeds that have blossomed.
Mr Yeo brought the same energy, imagination and enthusiasm to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He realised that because trade is Singapore’s life blood, it should play a proactive leadership role in global trade forums like the World Trade Organisation (WTO). He quickly won the admiration and trust of his peers. They asked him to chair the negotiations on agriculture, one of the most contentious issues. WTO director-general Pascal Lamy is an admirer of Mr Yeo.
In order to enlarge Singapore’s economic space, Mr Yeo championed the idea of linking Singapore’s economy with other economies by way of free trade agreements (FTAs) and comprehensive economic partnership (CEP) agreements. During his watch, he launched more than a dozen FTA and CEP negotiations.
He appointed me chief negotiator in our negotiations with the United States. During the journey of two years, we encountered many difficulties. Throughout, Mr Yeo remained calm, optimistic and creative. He worked relentlessly with the different stakeholders in the US to earn their support and to find acceptable solutions to the difficulties. In the final stage of the negotiations, there was a shortlist of issues that the two chief negotiators could not resolve. Those issues were finally resolved by Mr Yeo and his American counterpart, Mr Robert Zoellick, in a marathon negotiating session that extended through the night without dinner and ended successfully at dawn. Members of the Singapore delegation were deeply impressed by the cool and masterly way in which Mr Yeo had negotiated with Mr Zoellick.
Mr Yeo has been Singapore’s Foreign Minister for nearly seven years now. He inherited a ministry in good order as a result of the legacy of Mr S. Rajaratnam, Mr S. Dhanabalan, Mr Wong Kan Seng and Professor S. Jayakumar. What contributions did Mr Yeo make to that heritage? I would single out three.
First, he taught us to think strategically and to prioritise. He constantly asked his staff to ensure that our most important bilateral relationships were in excellent order. He scanned the horizon for new opportunities - such as in the Middle East and Latin America.
Second, he was the first foreign minister to use history and culture as instruments of diplomacy. He persuaded the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to restore the Sun Yat Sen Villa and to turn it into a historic site linking Singapore, China and Taiwan. He requested that the National Heritage Board restore the memorial to Subhas Chandra Bose, who is celebrated in India as a nationalist and independence fighter. It was due to the leadership of Mr Yeo, a Roman Catholic, and of former Indian president Abdul Kalam, a Muslim, that the ancient Buddhist university at Nalanda, Bihar is being reincarnated.
Third, Mr Yeo believes in the importance of friendship in diplomacy. He often invited his foreign guests to his home to have dinner with him and his family. He went out of his way to show warmth and friendship to his foreign interlocutors. When Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar was Malaysia’s foreign minister, Mr Yeo visited him in his constituency in Malaysia to pay his respects during Hari Raya.
Mr Yeo is blessed with high IQ, EQ and CQ - cultural intelligence. He is an exceptionally gifted man. Although an engineer by training and a soldier by profession, he is also a philosopher and historian. Although a devout Roman Catholic, he is a champion of inter-faith dialogue and understanding. Mr George Yeo is ideally qualified to play a leadership role on the global stage, and I sincerely hope he will do so.

The writer is special adviser to the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore.

Source: News Today - May 11, 2011

Towards Lesser Crime In JB (11)

Snatch Theft (2)

Mat Dugong Held For Over 50 Snatch Thefts

JOHOR BARU: Months of using the same motorcycle and modus operandi to snatch the belongings of his victims proved to be the downfall for a notorious snatch thief known as "Mat Dugong" here on Friday.

The 25-year-old man, who used a black Kawasaki Kips, had been under police surveillance for several weeks and was believed to be linked to about 50 cases of snatch thefts in the city.

His hefty physique, which had been described by his victims in their reports, gave him the nickname Mat Dugong, after the large marine mammal.

It is learnt that the man, who had a 24-year-old accomplice, usually targeted people carrying expensive gadgets such as iPhones, Acer notebooks and DSLR cameras.

The man was arrested at a house in Kempas early Friday by a criminal investigation team from the Johor Baru (north) district police headquarters about 8.30am.

In the house, police found mobile phones, smartphones, wristwatches, wallets, cameras and portable wireless broadband devices. These were believed to have been taken from the suspect's victims.

His accomplice was later picked up at a house in Jalan Puchung, Taman Perling, the same day.

Police also seized a motorcycle believed to have been used by the duo, as well as a Proton Iswara.

Initial investigations revealed that the suspect and his accomplice had used the same modus operandi for more than six months.

Both suspects would wear overalls to give the impression that they were factory hands working in Singapore.

They would target pedestrians, mainly young people in their 20s and 30s.

Some Singaporeans had also fallen victim to the two suspects.

The duo's target areas were mainly busy roads such as Jalan Skudai and also the Taman Perling residential area.

The suspects were also believed to have snatched the belongings of other motorcycle riders.

Source: New Straits Times - October 24, 2010

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Man Becomes A Victim Of Snatch Theft And Shooting

JOHOR BARU: After allegedly losing more than RM5,000 to a snatch thief, another misfortune hit the victim – he was shot twice during an argument with a security guard here.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaacob said the incident happened at a moneychanger’s shop in Jalan Harimau Tarom at 5pm yesterday.
Relating the events that led to the shooting, ACP Zainuddin said the victim had earlier gone to the shop with his brother to exchange some cash.
However, the money totalling more than RM5,000 was allegedly lost to a snatch thief at Taman Majidee while they were on their way home.
The man reported the matter at the Majidee police station and returned to the moneychanger’s shop to try to view a closed-circuit TV footage that might show if anyone had followed him.
“The man spoke to the security guard who was reluctant to show him the footage,” said ACP Zainuddin, adding that an argument broke out between the two.
In a scuffle that followed, the guard allegedly fired two shots from his handgun, both of which hit the complainant in the waist.
ACP Zainuddin said the victim had been warded at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital while the guard had surrendered his weapon and turned himself in.

Source: The Star - Sunday, July 18, 2010

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A snatch theft and robbery gang in Johor Bahru is halted with the arrests of six members between the ages of 19 and 26, who were high on the wanted list.

Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar Shariff said the gang members were notorious and had been active in JB for the last three months before they were caught here in early February, 2011.

"Three of the six suspects also had prior convictions for vehicle theft and extortion."

The authorities also recovered stolen vehicles, computers, digital cameras, hand-phones and cash in local and Singapore currencies during a raid at a house in Skudai Kiri.

They also seized two packets of amphetamine-type stimulants from the gang, whose members were also tested positive for syabu.

In a separate case two weeks earlier, in January, police were tracking down members of another notorious robbery gang linked to at least 17 cases of wayside robberies and snatch thefts.

Its 22-year-old leader was nabbed in Jalan Meldrum and was detained under preventive laws.

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Volunteer Loses Life Chronicles To Snatch Thief

JOHOR BARU: An Australian volunteer may have lost 25 years of her life chronicles as a volunteer among orphans in Timor Leste after her handbag was snatched at a shopping mall here on Tuesday.

Lala Noronha (pic), 55, who is writing about her experience after spending much of her life among orphans, lost her passport, a digital camera, three USB drives and a recording device, which she had used to dictate her experiences.
The woman said the incident happened while she was having her breakfast at a fast food outlet in City Square Johor Baru shopping mall here at 8.30am on that day.
“I was shocked when a well-dressed man who was sitting a few tables behind me suddenly snatched my handbag,” she added.
Noronha added that without her pictures and recording device, she was not sure how she could continue writing her autobiography.
“I began writing the book two years ago and it is now only 70% completed.
“I am supposed to finish writing the book and have it published by Novem-ber,” she said in between sobs.
Noronha said her autobiography would detail her life experiences in working closely with the Malaysian army and police in their peacekeeping mission in Timor Leste.
“My only hope is to retrieve my recording device and USB pen drives, which contain most of the pictures and journals chronicling my work in Timor Leste and Malaysia.
“I would like to appeal to the man responsible to return these items,” she said, adding that the he could keep the cash.
When contacted, Johor Baru (south) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob confirmed the case.

Source:  The Star - Sunday, January 31, 2010

Towards Lesser Crime In JB (10)

Snatch Theft 

Snatch Thieves Meek As Mice Before Men In Blue

THEY may look tough while threatening a woman with a parang to hand over her handbag, but when faced with the men in blue, two snatch-thieves turned pale.

The suspects in their 20s had merely minutes earlier stopped a woman, who was walking along Jalan Sri Lanang in Johor Baru at about 1.30am on April 26.

Armed with a parang, they forced the victim to hand over her handbag, before fleeing the scene on a motorcycle.

However, the victim’s boyfriend, who witnessed the incident, gave chase on his motorcycle while the victim called the Johor police hotline and relayed the description of the suspects and their motorcycle to the officer in charge.

Johor Baru (south) police chief ACP Zainuddin Yaacob said a mobile police crime prevention patrol unit in the vicinity was alerted by the Central Monitoring Centre based at the Johor police contingent here.

Within minutes of the alert, the policemen had spotted and intercepted the suspects.

The suspects meekly handed over the handbag without the slightest struggle.

Zainuddin said the handbag was found to belong to the victim.

It contained her identification documents, ATM bankcards and mobile phone.

He said the suspects in custody were believed to be members of a snatch-theft group that had been active since the beginning of the year.

The thieves worked in pairs and targeted women in the area.

Initial investigations revealed that the suspects’ modus operandi included stopping motorcyclists with female pillion riders under the pretext of asking for directions.

While one asked for directions, the accomplice would snatch the woman’s handbag.

Force or weapons were used when faced with feisty victims.

The suspects have previous criminal records for petty crime and drug abuse.

They have been remanded under Section 395/397 of the Penal Code for gang and armed robbery and face a 20-year imprisonment term and whippings if found guilty.

Source: New Straits Times - May 9, 2011

****** ****** ******

Police arrested 14 men, all in their 20s and 30s, in connection with the death of a woman during a botched snatch theft here on Friday February 24, 2011.

They were picked up by a special team from the Johor police contingent headquarters.

Police also raided several budget hotels and three known drug haunts in the Tampoi area, where they believed the wanted suspects were hiding, in the district-wide effort to arrest those responsible.
A police source said the suspects included some foreigners.

"The suspects, mainly motorcyclists, are believed to be repeat robbers and snatch thieves as some have prior records."
"All have also tested positive for drugs after their arrests," said the source.

The source said snatch theft gangs were rampant along some busy stretches in the city.
 

Police forensic personnel examining the spot at Km8.9 of Jalan Skudai, Johor Baru, where a pillion rider was killed. — Photo Source: New Straits Times - February 25, 2011

On Friday morning, February 24, 2011, 52-year old Alamelu Ramasamy was killed at Km8.9 Jalan Skudai during a snatch theft attempt by two men on separate motorcycles.

In the 6am incident at Km8.9 of Jalan Skudai, three men, believed to be foreigners, each riding a motorcycle, allegedly boxed in D. Ganesh, 36, and his sister-in-law, Alamelu Ramasamy, 52, who was pillion riding.

One of the men was said to have tried to snatch Alamelu's pouch bag, causing her to fell backwards and Ganesh to lose control of his machine.

Alamelu died on the spot after falling off a motorcycle during the robbery attempt.

Ganesh, who stays with his brother and sister-in-law in Taman Universiti here, was sending Alamelu to the JB Sentral bus station to take a bus to Singapore, where she worked as a cleaner, when the incident happened.

The incident caused a traffic jam as motorists slowed down to catch a glimpse of what had happened.
Police forensic personnel were seen collecting evidence at the scene.

Earlier, Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar Shariff said police were trying to ascertain if the incident was a snatch theft case because,

"The victim's belongings were intact and there are reasonable doubts as the victim was said to have a history of breathing difficulties and asthma," he said.

"There is a possibility that Alamelu died of cardiopulmonary arrest or in layman's term, a heart attack."

******

Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar Shariff, in confirming the 14 men's arrests said:

"The order has been out to all district police chiefs to aggressively monitor various areas in the state to curb and prevent snatch thefts."

"All police districts will deploy their regular police patrol, plainclothes crime prevention teams, motorcycle Ninja squads and also mobile police vehicles to actively monitor urban roads and residential areas."

Traffic police personnel will assist in the efforts by concentrating their policing on the roads during peak hours in the morning and evenings.

Police had mounted roadblocks in several high density stretches in the Tampoi area where the incident took place.

Jalan Skudai saw minor traffic congestion as police personnel screened motorcyclists.

Snatch theft gangs were rampant along the stretch between 5.45am and 7.30am, targetting the thousands of motorcyclists heading for their workplace in Singapore.

****** ****** ****** 

Enforcement Lacking In Johor Baru

I REFER to the report ‘Shahrir chides blogger over ‘sin city’ JB, (The Star, April 27).
The United States based Malaysian blogger Dr Azly Rahman seems better informed than our own Member of Parliament!
Elected persons should walk with the common folk to gauge the problems in the city.
Sitting in five-star hotels and coffeehouses will not help! It is a different plain altogether.
A mere walk along the backlane between Jalan Wong Ah Fook and Meldrum in the evening will lend support to Dr Azly’s views.
The backlane in the city centre where hawkers ply their trade is infested with overfed rats and cockroaches and the manholes are not covered and pose a danger to pedestrians, especially senior citizens and children.
It seems reports have been made by hawkers but no action taken.
And for a gateway city to have such despicable backlanes is a shame.
The other evening as I sat dining at the Peking Restaurant in Sentosa, a group of Singaporean diners paid their bill and went to the car park but soon came back exclaiming that their car had been stolen!
Claims by authorities that the crime rate has fallen may be an incorrect assertion. It may be correct to say that reports of crime has fallen because victims don’t report cases as they feel nothing will come out of it.
In this country we have numerous laws and regulations but we are lackadaisical in our inspection and enforcement.
At times we are selective in what we do.
S. BALARAJAH,
Johor Baru.

Source: The Star - Friday, April 29, 2011 

******

Proactive Measures Need To Be Taken

I REFER to “Enforcement lacking in Johor Baru” and "Students at mercy of snatch thieves" (The Star, April 29).
Instead of taking action to tackle the problems highlighted by the public, the authorities chose to remain in a state of denial, either by publishing statistics that paint a rosy picture or by dismissing public complaints as baseless.
The authorities need to keep in mind it is their responsibility to change negative perceptions that locals or foreigners have towards the cities. This task cannot be accomplished by mere words without substantial actions.
Proactive measures need to be taken to curb crime and to improve the physical amenities.
The intended outcome would be having the residents wholeheartedly agreeing with the authorities that their cities are a great place to live in.
WANG SU MEI,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star - Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Towards Lesser Crime In JB (9)

Robbery

Suspected Robber Dies In Car Chase

TANGKAK: A suspected robber was killed after his car skidded into a canal during a high-speed chase of his intended victim in Kampung Parit Keliling near Kesang here.
A man had just left his workplace near Bakri and was driving home when he spotted a Proton Waja trailing him at about 3.30am yesterday.
He sped away after he crossed the Muar River, but the Proton followed him into Kampung Parit Keliling in Kesang.
The man managed to lose the Proton after a sharp bend, but was shocked when his father told him later in the morning that there was a car in the canal.
He rushed to the spot and saw the car was the Proton Waja that had trailed him earlier, with the driver dead.
The man and his father then informed police about the car and the dead man in the canal.
Ledang police chief Supt. Harun Idris confirmed the incident, and said the police were investigating the case.

Source: The Star - Wednesday, May 4, 2011

******

Beware Of JB 'Syringe Robber': He Threatens To Jab You With 'AIDS-Tainted Blood'

A man approached STOMPer Tommi with a syringe and demanded money from him at a Johor Bahru petrol kiosk today (May 2).

The man claimed that he was infected with AIDS, and the syringe was filled with his blood.

STOMPer Tommi relates the harrowing incident:

"Drivers to JB beware! The old AIDS stunt is back.

"Last week my friend met an approximately 40-year-old small-built Chinese man at the Shell petrol kiosk beside the customs.

"He claimed that he had AIDS and held a syringe with some blood in it.

"He would demand that you handed over your cash.

"My friend handed over 100 plus ringgit to him.

"Today I personally met a man at the same petrol kiosk trying to pull the same stunt.

"He waited for me to get into my car and before I could close the door he approached me.

"He said the same things but before he could react I slammed my door against his head and gave him a kick. I then slammed my door shut.

"I sounded my horn to attract attention.

"He calmly stood up and walked off.

"I wanted to get down to alert other fellow Singaporeans there and the kiosk attendant but my wife saw him signalling to some people across the road.

"Worried for our own safety, we decided to drove off.

"Drivers please beware."

STOMP understands that there were similar robberies in the past that involved syringe-wielding men targeting Singaporeans visiting Johor Baru.

Source: Singapore Seen. Stomp - Tuesday, May 2, 2011

******

'Eggstra' Careful

Johor police chief DCP Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said end of last month, a chain of text message about eggs thrown at windscreens in Johor Bahru so motorists could be robbed when they stop is untrue.

This particular SMS has been circulating for several months and has resurfaced. 

Police officers had not received a single report lodged on such an incident.

They had not received any report of people falling victim to a text message that had been circulating in Johor Bahru.

The message, widely circulated through SMS and also by email, says:   

“Message from PDRM — 

cautioned motorists about robbers who divert their attention with an “egg attack”. 

It says:  

“If you are driving at night and are attacked with eggs, 

do not operate the wiper or spray any water. 

You can drive until you reach a safer place because eggs, 

when mixed with water, 

become milky and block your vision up to 92.5 per cent. 

Then you are forced to stop at the road side and become a victim of robbers.”

"This is a new technique used by robbers in Johor Baru. 

Please inform your friends and relatives.” 

Police said it was probably the work of a mischievous individual among the public.

The SMS was an irresponsible act who wanted to create confusion and fear.

However, people must always be careful and alert of their surroundings.

The people could check with the police if they came across such SMSes to ascertain the truth.

****** 

A Close Shave For A Librarian In Permas Jaya 
by Goh Siew Mei

Two robbers drove away in silver Honda City, which belongs to a high school library supervisor at Permas Jaya yesterday.
The incident took place around 6.25am at Jalan Permas 12/21, while Chai was reversing his car out his porch to pick up his neighbours son before sending him to school.
Chai, who works at the Foon Yew High school said he saw a car approaching very fast from the side as he was reversing his car. As soon he saw two person in the car wielding parang, he ran out of the car and asked his neighbour’s son to run inside the house.
“I was lucky as the robbers only managed to take the car and not hurting us,” said a shaken Chai.
According to him, he lost his briefcase, some documents, a cheque book and some of his student’s record books.
The car was later recovered at 10.00 am, when it was spotted by a parent, who is on the way to send his child to school. The car’s drivers side door and passengers door was slightly dented and the documents were intact.
Chai later lodged a police report at both Johor Jaya and Permas Jaya police station.

Source: Komuniti Kini - April 4, 2011

******

Two men, who are part of a gang involved in attempting to break-in into a factory at the Plentong Industrial Area factory, were detained during an operation in Plentong industrial area.

Johor police received information about the suspicious behaviour of 10 men in the area at 4.14am on Monday, April 11.

When the men saw the police, two of them who were in a car tried to reverse into the officers, who then, had to shoot at the tyres before arresting the two who were in the said getaway car.

One of the suspects had a previous conviction for dishonestly receiving stolen property in a gang robbery.

A third suspect fled in a Perodua Kancil with the registration number JGK 468. 

The fleeing car rammed into three police motorcycles before fleeing the scene.  

Eight others managed to escape into the darkness.

Police seized a Yamaha motorcycle and a Proton Waja belonging to the robbers, along with a paper cutter, a bunch of Allen keys, watches and screwdrivers. 

In another case on Saturday, police arrested a man, in his 40s, who was involved in stealing and dismantling of lorries at Bandar Seri Alam. 

He had seven previous police records, which included theft and drugs abuse.

Police seized a Suzuki lorry, a Honda motorcycle and a host of spare parts.

In yet another case on the same day, police arrested three men, one of them had three previous police records, aged between 20 and 47 at the Perling- Pasir Gudang Highway for possession of a fake pistol. 

They were in a Proton Waja, which the chassis number and engine of the Proton car was found to have been altered.

Towards Lesser Crime In JB (6)

Singaporeans And Drug

Drug Bust: Five Filipino Women And Two Children Among Those Arrested
by Steven Chen


In a drug bust conducted on April 19 in Jalan Yahya Awal, Johor Bahru, police arrested five Filipino women, two Singaporean men and two children who are suspected to be involved in drug trafficking.
Police suspects that the Filipino women are being used as drug couriers by the two Singaporean men.
Investigation is still ongoing, said Zainuddin Yaakob, the south Johor Bahru police chief.
He said police found the drug suspected to be syabu with a street value of RM140,000 in a room of a house where the suspects are staying.
The Filipino women together with two children age two and a half and nine months do not have any identifications with them.
Zainuddin said the suspects will be investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952 and the Immigration Act 1959.
In another unrelated case, police arrested five men age between 16 to 88 including a woman who are suspected to be involved in trafficking drug in Felda Ulu Tebrau on April 20.
They suspects were arrested in two separate places.
The drug believe to be heroin worth RM24,000 was confiscated.
Three motorcycles and unspecified amount of cash were also confiscated during the two raids.
One of the suspects was tested drug positive and he has previous record of drug related cases.
The case will be investigated under Section 39B of the dangerous drug Act 1952, Zainuddin said.

Source: Komunitikini - April 29, 2011

******

In February 2011, Malaysian police arrested a 41-year old Singaporean suspected drug dealer. 

A drug laboratory in a rented house in Taman Sentosa was busted.

The 6.30pm police raid, they seized some RM 60,000 (US$19,800) worth of illicit drugs which included 1.8kg of ketamin, 71 ecstasy pills, five eramin pills and several drug processing utensils.in Malaysia's southern state of Johore.

Police said that the suspected 41-year-old man was believed to have been distributing illicit drugs around the border city of Johor Bahru since six months ago.
They said the suspect had a clean criminal record.

Deputy OCPD Johor Bahru (South), Superintendant Abdul Samad Salleh said, two luxury cars worth about RM180,000, believed to be used for the drug trade, were also confiscated.

The suspect was tested positive for drugs.

Under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for drug trafficking, it carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

******

S'porean Fined For Drug Offences

JOHOR BARU - A SINGAPOREAN businessman was fined RM17,500 (S$7,543) by a magistrate's court in Malaysia after he pleaded guilty to seven counts of drug offences and one count of identification fraud.
Tan Kim Chai, 54, pleaded guilty to possessing drugs such as 0.01g of nimetazepam and 0.16g of heroin, at a house in Taman Daya as well as at an apartment unit in the city on Jan 8 this year and Aug 24, 2008.
Magistrate Mazana Sinin fined Tan a total of RM15,700 for all the drug possession charges.
The accused was also fined a further RM3,000 for possessing a fake identification card at an apartment in the city at 5.20pm on Aug 24, 2008.
Magistrate Mazana set May 3 next year for trial and no bail was offered as the accused is facing similar charges in other courts.

Source: Straits Times - September 5, 2010 

The Maid - Why A No Malaysia, And A No - Yes, Singapore

Where Have S'pore's Indonesian Maids Gone? 
Radha Basu

It makes for an unlikely dream factory. At a whitewashed house on the outskirts of Jakarta, 120 Indonesian women are striving to fulfill a cherished migrant ambition.

They are training to be maids and to look after other people's homes in affluent parts of the region. It is often their only ticket out of penury.

Singapore has long been a coveted destination. But its allure is fading fast.

Ask how many want to work in Taiwan and 66 hands promptly shoot skywards. Another 39 favor Hong Kong, but only 15 cite Singapore as their dream destination.

Why is that, you ask. Singapore is safe, clean and so close to home. Why do they not want to work there?

"Money not enough, Ma'am," the women intone in unison. "Taiwan, Hong Kong got higher salary."

The labor squeeze that has long been a by-product of globalization and booming Asian economies seems to have reached the lower strata of the job market. Women, even from desperately poor backgrounds, can afford to be a bit choosier these days, as maid recruiters in Indonesia are finding out.

This group of women is being trained by Sejahtera Eka Pratama (SEP), an employment agency in Bekasi, near Jakarta.

A similar story is playing out in Pangkalan, a sleepy West Java hamlet about 250km away. Of the 5,000 families living there, at least 4,000 have a son or a daughter working in a low-paying job overseas. The hamlet's dirt roads are accessible only via motorbike.

Sukarma Mahmud, 50, a village recruiter who supplies Indonesian employment agencies with women willing to work as domestic labor overseas, is doing his rounds.

He is making his pitch to Kesih Suta, 23, as she sits on a mat in her parents' two-room home. She returned to her village last December after seven years away working as a maid in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

"You will earn more than you did for sure," he promises the petite woman whose last pay was around $320 per month. "You may even get four days off a month."

But Kesih, the eldest child of an odd-job worker and a farmer, looks unconvinced. "I can earn even more in Taiwan,' she says in Bahasa.

Sukarma changes tack. "You help me and I help you," he cajoles.

"You pay me something then?" she counters, as her two younger siblings - both under 10 - play nearby. "My parents could use the money.

Would 2 million rupiah (S$290) be enough, he asks.

'I'll think about it,' she smiles. 'No promises.'

Low pay, high qualifications
Indonesia is Singapore's biggest supplier of foreign domestic workers, with at least 90,000 of its citizens working in the Republic.

But a number of factors are taking the gloss off Singapore as a destination, as The Straits Times discovered during a recent visit to training centers and kampungs near Jakarta.

Interviews with 10 Jakarta-based employment agencies and dozens of women who have worked or plan to work as maids overseas found that low pay, high eligibility criteria and the surge in demand from Taiwan, where the women can earn twice what they can here, are undermining Singapore's appeal.

The relatively low wages that Singaporean employers pay for domestic help compared with rates in Hong Kong or Taiwan are by far the biggest disincentive.

An Indonesian maid with no experience who comes to Singapore gets around S$380 a month, though some recruiters are trying to increase that to S$450, with at least one day off.

With wage levels left strictly to market forces and individual employers and maids to determine, some earn even less. Some agencies in Indonesia still recruit maids for S$350 a month or less. Some of these operators are unlicensed.

In Hong Kong, where minimum wage laws are in place, a maid earns at least HK$3,580 (S$581), with at least one day off a week. Unlike in Singapore, domestic workers there are also covered by employment laws and entitled to all public holidays off plus paid annual leave.

Maids in Taiwan can command at least NT$15,840 ($678), with four days off a month. They are also paid extra for working on days off.

Malaysia used to be at the bottom of the table when it came to paying Indonesian maids, but the Jakarta government banned its maids from working there last year after a rise in alleged cases of abuse. Maids in the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the Middle East still receive S$350, or less, but the employers absorb all recruitment costs, unlike in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Also, typically, better-off Middle Eastern households employ a few maids each, so the individual workload is lighter.

While Singapore employers generally pay less than those in Hong Kong and Taiwan, the eligibility criteria are the highest.

A worker has to be at least 23 years old and have at least eight years' education to come here. Taiwan and Hong Kong only require domestic workers to be 21 or over. There are no official education criteria, though maids generally have at least primary-level education.

Nurfaizi Suwandi, chairman of Apjati, the Indonesian Manpower Services Association, says: "Twenty-three-year-olds might find it hard to want to work in Singapore for S$380 or S$400, when 21-year-olds are getting close to S$700 in Taiwan."

The body has 330 members, making it Indonesia's largest association for employment agencies.

"The 19- and 20-year-olds who want to come and work in Singapore don't stand a chance."

A few years ago, domestic workers fresh from their villages initially went to Malaysia or Singapore to gain experience, before moving on to higher-paid jobs elsewhere. As Singapore provided an important training ground, it seemed fair that maids were paid less, say agents.

For instance, when Titin Kartini, 26, the eldest of three children of penniless West Java farmers, decided to work overseas a decade ago, she chose Singapore. She earned S$230 a month and worked for a family with three young children.

She had no days off and was not allowed to go out on her own, but she did not mind. "I just focused on learning how to cook and clean, and I also picked up Mandarin," she says. "All I wanted was to move to Hong Kong."

She did so in 2004, and worked there until 2008 for around S$600 a month.

Titin has spent the past three years teaching English at a village school, but is now keen to be off again, this time to Taiwan. "I have always had good employers, but I really want to earn more," says the articulate and confident woman, who can cook for up to 30 people at a time.

Taiwan is attractive not just for the $700 salary.

Unlike in Hong Kong, where she says she was forced to take four days off a month by law - and in doing so spending precious money - she says Taiwan allows her to work on her days off.

By working three Sundays a month, she can earn an additional $70, she calculates.

Opportunities elsewhere
But experienced workers like Titin are not the only ones flocking to Taiwan and Hong Kong these days, says Charles Butar Butar, who heads SEP. Increasingly, even Indonesians with limited or no experience also prefer to start out there.

His agency now supplies around 120 maids to Taiwan and 100 to Hong Kong every month, up from around 80 and 50, respectively, five years ago. There has been a corresponding decrease in supply to Singapore, with only 20 or so of his maids headed here, down from 100 five years ago.

Said Butar Butar: "The Indonesians are increasingly seen to be more obedient and willing to fit into the Chinese culture. And Taiwan and Hong Kong employers don't mind if they have little or no experience."

The Singapore market is getting hit by another factor as well - a depleting supply of Filipino domestic workers, who have long been the Indonesians' rivals in the region.

"For some reason, Filipinas are not coming in the numbers they used to be," says the agency boss. "Indonesians are taking their place."

Filipino maids are increasingly turning down Singapore jobs unless they are paid a Philippine government-stipulated minimum salary of US$400 ($506). This has led to a surge in demand for Indonesians here.

The Philippine Embassy in Singapore confirms that the supply of Filipina domestic workers in the region has been falling in recent years.

More of them prefer to work as retail assistants and factory workers, or go further afield for higher-paying jobs as domestic workers in Canada, Spain and Italy or factory workers in Taiwan, its labor attache Rodolfo Sabulao told The Straits Times.

Indonesians, too, are navigating hitherto unexplored fields, points out Nurfaizi. They are finding jobs on cruise ships in the United States and Europe, and - through a government-to-government program - as health-care workers in Japan.

Even bribes do not work

In a region flush with opportunity, it is small wonder then that many young women in Indonesian villages are reluctant to come to Singapore.

After failing to convince Kesih, Sukarma, the village recruiter, drops in on Zubaidah Nono Suoyana, 27, a former factory worker now planning to work overseas as a maid.

Zubaidah has two young children, including a month-old son, and her husband's pay as an odd-job laborer is not enough for the family. She says she heard on the radio that girls willing to go to Singapore stand to gain an advance payment of 4 million rupiah.

As she has no experience as a maid - a stint in Saudi Arabia was aborted last year when her employer sent her home within a month - Zubaidah initially agrees to work for anything above $350 a month.

But the moment she learns that she might have to live on only $20 a month - or possibly even $10 - for up to nine months while she pays off the recruitment costs, she lets out a small shriek. "I won't even be able to breathe on that money. No way I could survive."

She says her Saudi employer's wife sent her back because she believed her husband was paying her too much attention.

"In Saudi Arabia, there were no deductions," she says. "How do maids survive in Singapore for so long with so little money?"

As he leaves her home, Sukarma claims that he increasingly has to pay maids and their families up to 5 million rupiah to coax them to even consider Singapore.

Recruiters emphasize that the supply of maids from Indonesia has not dried up. But there is a definite crunch in the supply of quality maids.

Says recruitment agent Rudy Hart: "There will always be some who want to go, but their quality is in question." He knows of women who take the "ang pow" money and come to Singapore, only to find that the work is too hard for them. "They then run away and return home," he says. "The agents try to chase them for refunds, but often they don't get any."

Dreaded English test
Singapore's supply is further depleted by the exacting entrance requirements, say Indonesian agents. In April 2005, Singapore introduced a compulsory test in English for all maids that radically changed the game, says Butar Butar.

With better-educated women generally gunning for higher-paying jobs in Hong Kong and Taiwan or other professions elsewhere - and Malaysia out of bounds due to the Indonesian government ban - Singapore is increasingly becoming the place for those who cannot really go anywhere else.

Even if they have completed the mandatory eight years of schooling that Singapore requires, they hardly know any English, points out Antony Rais, who teaches English at Sumber Kencana Sejahtera, a large employment agency on the outskirts of Jakarta.

Although statistics from Singapore's Ministry of Manpower show that nearly 95 per cent of all domestic workers pass the test, Indonesian agents say the number for Indonesians is lower.

Says Mr Hart: "The 95 per cent includes Filipinos, who probably find the test easy." In his agency, which supplies around 50 girls to Singapore every month, about a third fail the test.

In Butar Butar's agency, the pass rate sometimes falls even lower. "Just last week, I sent nine girls to Singapore and six returned after failing the test," he says.

One sultry afternoon earlier this month,  Antony coached a class of 40.

The women prepare for the class by memorizing the answers to 400 questions similar to those found in the Singapore test, with a Bahasa-English dictionary at their side.

The questions are framed in such a way that the women learn not only the basics of English, but also information directly relevant to their work as domestic workers. They also learn about their rights.

"Where in Singapore can you work?" asks Mr Antony, first in English and then in Bahasa. "Only in my employer's house," choruses the class, picking the correct answer from the list of four options.

Later, they learn what a "three-in-one" coffee mix is, how Indonesian helpers should be given at least one day off a month when they work in Singapore and how they can call their agent, embassy or a hotline run by the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore) if they are not paid.

But learning by rote in a group setting is not always effective. As the class progresses, some play with their pencils or stare at the corridor outside, lost in thought.

Tough employers
While novices are eager to work in Singapore, some returnees are reluctant to go back.

Many narrate stories of how Singaporeans can be tough employers, unlike those in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Many rue what they call their lack of freedom.

From June 2009, when Siti Nurjanah Surjono left Jakarta to go to Singapore to work, till October last year, her parents did not hear from her even once.

Then, on Hari Raya last year, she called her mother. "It was like she came back from the dead," recounts her mother, Julekha Sutana, 45.

Nurjanah, 24, claims that from the time she began working for a family of five adults in Jurong, she was not allowed to leave her employer's home on her own, or even to make a phone call. Her primary duty was to look after the ailing matriarch of the family. She also claims that both she and the elderly woman were not given enough to eat.

Shortly after her first phone call home - 16 months later - the elderly woman died. Nurjanah was returned to the agency and asked to be sent back home.

Meanwhile, her sister Marfuah Surjono, 27, spent eight years working for two families in Hong Kong without incident. She was given enough food, had regular days off and the keys to the house. "My employers even took me to Ocean Park," she beams, referring to a theme park.

Marfuah, who now works as a Cantonese teacher to trainee maids, says she frequently shares her story - and that of her sister's - with prospective maids: "They need to be informed about the risks before they can make choices."

But Singapore still retains its attraction for one group of women who would work here again in a heartbeat - maids who have had fair employers and enjoyed their stints in the Lion City.

Siti Sopiah, 28, a farmer's wife with a one-year-old son worked for the same Bukit Timah family - a married couple, their son and the child's elderly grandmother - for seven years.

She said her employers were concerned about her well-being, frequently asking her if she was happy. They also bought her clothes and gave her generous ang pows during Chinese New Year.

When she left - she says she wanted to "take a rest and get married" - they gave her four gold chains. "All my time there, I only received kindness," she says. "And I tried to pay it back by working hard."

She is now training to return to Singapore. "It's clean, safe and the people are kind," she adds.

The best part, she says, is that her agency is negotiating a salary of at least S$450. "I am really looking forward to going back."

Source: The Jakarta Globe - March 27, 2011

Towards Lesser Crime In JB (4)

Abduction

Businessman Abducted During Lunch

JOHOR BARU: Three masked gunmen abducted a businessman while he was having lunch at a coffeeshop in Jalan Beladau in Taman Puteri Wangsa here yesterday.
The three entered the shop and fired at least one shot into the air before bundling the victim into a waiting car at about 1.45pm.
Sources said three of the victim’s friends tried to help him but they were stopped by one gunman who told them to sit down.
It is learnt that the victim, in his 40s, owned several businesses including entertainment outlets.
At press time, no motive has been established for the abduction or whether the victim’s family had received ransom demands.

Source: The Star - Friday, April 22. 2011

****** 

Abducted Woman Assaulted And Traumatised
by Steven Chen

Yuen Mei Kien, 49, a mother of three was robbed, beaten, abducted and was held captive for 2 days before being released yesterday morning.
The incident happened at 6am when she was parking her family car near a fast food outlet in Taman Bukit Indah.
She was waiting to take a lift from her friend to go to work in Singapore where she works as an administrator in a private company.
Relating the incident, she said as she was alighting from her parked car, two men suddenly rushed forward and snatched her car keys and pushed her into the back seat of her car.
Yuen said, the abductors covered her face then strangled her neck, launched a series on punches on her face, tied her up and pushed her into the back seat of the car.
“The more I resist, the more I got assaulted and I have to obey what the abductors say just to protect my own safety” she added.
The abductors then forced her to reveal her ATM card pin numbers and when she refused to do so, she was punch on the face till the whole face was all swollen up especially on her eyes.
She finally relented to reveal her ATM card pin numbers to the abductors and some RM10,000 was withdrawn from her ATM account during the 2 days when she was held captive by the two abductors in a dark room of an unknown vicinity.
She added that, she was also kept in the back seat of the car for ten hours.
During the two days ordeal, she was not given any food or drink. In between sob, she said, the treatment she received was worse than that of a prisoner.
The abductors intended to throw her into a drain as initially planned but on seeing her being so weak, they decided to abandon her by the road side yesterday morning at around 2.30pm at Jalan 1/3 in Taman Bukit Indah.
Yuen was traumatised with the whole incident and appealed to the public to look out for her family car, a Toyota Vios model bearing registration JMA 8713, which was driven away by the abductors.
Meanwhile, Nusajaya OCPD, Abdul Aziz Ahmad confirmed receiving the report and said that the victim also lost RM500 and $1,000 Singapore dollars and a hand-phone besides the car and the RM10,000 taken from her ATM account.
The case will be investigated under Section 392/397 of the penal code for robbery and Section 363 for kidnapping.
He said the police will be recording a statement from the victim and will try to resolve the case as soon as possible.

Source: KomunitiKini - March 21, 2011

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Cops Looking For M’sian Duo Over RM20mil Kidnap Case 
By DESIREE TRESA GASPER and SRI VIGASHINI
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

Wanted men: Sam and Liew (below)

JOHOR BARU: Police are looking for two men over the recent kidnapping of a Singaporean family in which S$9mil (RM20.7mil) in ransom was allegedly paid.
The millionaire’s wife, daughter and maid were abducted in Permas Jaya here last month.
Johor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Shariff said they were on the hunt for Sam Meng Yeow @ Ah Sam and Liew Chee Wei @ William.
Both are Malaysians aged 31.

“We have formed a special task force to investigate the kidnapping and will be working closely with other authorities, including the Singapore police, to nab the culprits,” he told reporters at the state police headquarters here yesterday.
DCP Mohd Mokhtar declined to comment on how many suspects there were in the kidnapping, saying it could jeopardise their investigations.
It was reported on Saturday that the businessman’s family and maid were on their way home when their vehicle was forced off the road by the kidnappers.
Their abductors then took over the wheel and drove them to an undisclosed location.
The three were released unharmed several days after the ransom was paid.
The amount is said to be one of the highest ransoms paid in the country in recent years.

Source: The Star - Thursday, March 3, 2011

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Singapore Trader Pays RM21m To Ransom Family

Reports say that this may be the largest ransom payment in Malaysia in recent years and despite government claims that crime in Malaysia has dropped by 16 per cent, this latest episode will mar public confidence in crime prevention.
Police sources said that the kidnappers sent a picture via MMS of the three victims being held at gunpoint before demanding a whopping SGD50 million (RM115 million) in ransom.
They also warned the man not to alert the police but after negotiations, the kidnappers agreed to SGD9 million in large denominations of Singaporean currency.
The businessman, who is involved in real estate and gaming, was reported to have driven to a plantation in Kulaijaya to drop off the money.
Sources said that the victims were only released two days after the ransom was paid and were blindfolded and gagged during the ordeal.
However, they were eventually returned unharmed around Danga Bay.
A police taskforce has launched a manhunt for the kidnappers, who are believed to have been involved in similar cases around the country.
Interpol has also been roped in to help with the investigations as police believe that the suspects could have fled the country.
The government has been working hard to reduce crime in hot spots like Johor.
Over 14,000 police officers were mobilised last year to 50 areas in Johor, Penang and the Klang Valley along with the installation of 496 CCTV cameras.
The government claims that crime fell by 16 per cent last year but high profile cases like these continue to weigh heavily in the minds of the public and authorities concede that many people are still not convinced that crime has been reduced.
From January till November 2010, crime has dropped to 157,000 recorded cases from the 180,000 during the corresponding period last year.

Source: The Malaysian Insider - February 27, 2011

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Four Boys Arrested For Abducting And Beating A Teenager
By AUSTIN CAMOENS

JOHOR BARU: Four form five students have been detained in connection with the abduction and beating of another student who wanted to quit a gang last Friday.
Johor Police Chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the four boys who were supposed to sit for their SPM exams this year were detained to facilitate investigations over the abduction and beating of Lim Bing Li, 17.
“We arrested the boys during several raids at Taman Molek, Taman Setia Indah and Stulang Laut,” he told a press conference at the state police headquarters on Tuesday.
DCP Mohd Mokhtar said police have also identified the gang involved in the case and would be making more arrests soon.
“Students should not get involved in gangs,” he said adding that the police here would not tolerate gang related crimes and would use all available laws to catch those involved in the activity.
It was reported that Bing Li had been confronted by about 30 men outside his school at Foon Yew High School in Stulang Laut before he was abducted and brought to a secluded area near Senibong.
There he was met by the gang leader who assaulted him with a fishing rod and wooden sticks for leaving the gang.
In an unrelated case, DCP Mohd Mokhtar said police raided 194 spa outlets and massage parlours here and detained 75 people for various offences including, immigration offences and prostitution.

Source: The Star - Tuesday, July 13, 2010

The Maid - When Society Stood By Them

Parents Spoiling Children With Chaperon ‘Services’  
By MARIAM NIHAL

JEDDAH: Parents and teachers have criticized the treatment of maids forced to accompany children to school and act as their personal assistants or chaperons.

They told Arab News it is a disturbing trend and demeaning to the maids.
Samah Bukhary, a teacher at an international school in Jeddah, feels maids are abused and disrespected when they are made to do everyday chores children can do themselves.
“As soon as students leave their classes, maids are usually seen waiting outside to carry children’s bags to the cars and often they even carry their drinks. It would be an understatement to say this is a little too supercilious.”
Most upper and middle class families in Saudi Arabia keep maids. Most parents argue they provide maids to escort their children to schools on safety grounds.
“Since I cannot drop my child off to school every morning, she has to go with a driver who I cannot trust completely, So I send my maid along. If my maid has to wait, then she does and that is that,” said Ghada Amdar, 34.
Others feel this is only an excuse for the way parents spoil their children.
“It is impractical. What about other countries or even children in the same school who do not have chaperons? It is lame to believe this safety theory. Children can hold their own belongings and look after themselves. That is exactly what they are supposed to be learning,” Ali Nadeem, 35, told Arab News.
Maids usually assemble before school ends to pick up children and help escort them home.
Sana Mahmoud, 25, thinks it is a chance for maids to get together and enjoy time off work.
“They enjoy the gatherings. I usually send my maid an hour before it is home time for the kids so she can hang out with her friends. She does not mind the wait.”
Private tutors say the idea of using maids is bizarre. “The girls always bring along maids who sit for three hours doing nothing. I have witnessed outrageous incidents where the student uses the washroom and the maid goes in to flush it and clean up after her because her majesty could not be bothered to do so. That is just shameful,” said one of them.
Mahira Awais, a 34-year-old parent, believes maids can hinder a child’s development.
“If this is the way then how would we instill a sense of responsibility in children? They leave trash lying around after break time but this is not their home and the maids should not clean up their mess. Except, with their personal maids at schools too, parents ignore the bigger picture.”
Maher Atallah, a 46-year-old father, believes it is a trend that happens at local schools only. “International schools do not tolerate bad behavior, it is against their ethos. Children need to develop independent traits and look after themselves as that helps build confidence.”

Source: Arab News - April 15, 2011
 

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The article above reminded Me of one in Stomp - March 27, 2011, picked up by other papers, foreign too, bloggers, became topic for days, and turned into hot issue.
It's here.

NSmen Trained To Be Fit, Strong Soldiers -- Yet This One Makes Maid Carry Backpack

STOMPer Zhivago was shocked to find this photo on Facebook, apparently showing a national serviceman making his maid carry his backpack.

Said the STOMPer:

"This photo is taken off Facebook with the caption 'Why we need foreign talents in Singapore!'

"It was taken near Tanah Merah MRT."

STOMPer totallyshocked who also received this picture said:

"Our new generation of NSmen.

"I received this photo from a friend.

"As you can see, he was busy SMSing away while his helper carried his field pack.

"Ah boy, might as well bring her to war next time too."

STOMPer iffin said:

"Is army discipline getting worse nowadays?

"Here is an army boy asking his maid to carry his field pack for him.

"Maybe he is not manly enough to carry in his own?"

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Three days later, those with artistic talent came up with these...

Sedia! Here Comes The SAF Maid Platoon

The story on the NSman who made his maid carry his field pack has sparked a series of parodies by netizens, proving that Singaporeans do have a quirky sense of humour.

One person with an obvious artistic talent even drew a spoof of the incident.

The original photo was first sent in by STOMPer Zhivago, who said that it was taken near Tanah Merah MRT station.

STOMPer Platoon Leader, who sent in pictures of these parodies, said:

"I had a great laugh when I saw these parodies!

"It's good to know that Singaporeans look at the lighter side of things, and laugh at ourselves.

"My favourite picture has to be the one showing the 'maid platoon' marching out of the parade square."

 

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Recruit Who Made Maid Carry Field Pack Owns Up: Mindef

The SAF serviceman who was photographed with his maid carrying his field pack has identified himself to his Commander and has been counselled, says Mindef.

The photographed was posted in STOMP on Mar 27 and had ignited an uproar among netizens, who questioned if youths today are too 'spoilt' and 'pampered'.

In a letter to The Straits Times Forum Page, Colonel Desmond Tan, Director of Mindef Public Affairs, said:

"The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has completed its investigation into the recent case of a serviceman who was photographed with his domestic helper carrying his field pack (“Deafening silence in army backpack saga’’ by Mr Patrick Tan; Saturday).

"The serviceman concerned has identified himself to his Commander.

"He was a recruit undergoing the Physical Training Preparatory phase prior to the Basic Military Training phase.

"The recruit is remorseful for his actions and realises that it was wrong for him to have allowed this.

"He has been counselled and continues his training. The SAF has reminded all servicemen to be mindful of their conduct in public."

Source: Singapore Seen. Stomp - April 4, 2011

The Crime - Cars Broken Into, In JB (2)

How Did Thieves Break Into Car? 
by Zaihan Md Yusof

HE'S the sort of driver who would "go the extra mile" to keep his car safe and secure.
Whenever Mr Abdul Rahman Majid, 49, parks his car, he makes sure that it's in an area with human traffic.
He also parks his car "head in" and turns the front wheels to one side.
This is to make it difficult for thieves to tow away his $120,000 Honda Odyssey.
He also uses steering and brake pedal locks.
The Singaporean real estate agent did all these when he visited Tebrau City in Johor Baru on 24 Jan.
Before leaving his car, he also made sure that his central locking and alarm system were on.
Yet, 25 minutes later, he was shocked to find that his car had been broken into.
And Mr Abdul Rahman has no idea how the thieves did it because there were no signs of forced entry.
"I was so confident that nobody could penetrate the car's security system," he said.
Mr Abdul Rahman and his family had gone to the mall, which is about a 20-minute drive from the Causeway, to return a faulty cleaning apparatus.
When they returned to his car, he was surprised to see that its glove compartment was open.
When Mr Abdul Rahman tried to disarm the car's alarm, the windows began moving up and down.
"I knew something was wrong because when I tried to deactivate my car alarm, I didn't hear the usual beeping sound."
His daughter's laptop, which was inside a bag on the back seat, was gone.
His GPS system, which was inside the glove compartment, a haversack and a handphone were also missing.
Mr Abdul Rahman, who estimated his loss at $3,000, made police reports in Johor Baru and Singapore.
When he checked with the carpark security guard, he was surprised to learn that his car alarm had not gone off.
"It's amazing that the thieves were able to get into my car despite me having all these security features. I don't know how they did it,"he said.
So how did the thieves do it?
One possible way is by using an electronic gadget that sends a radio frequency similar to the car's alarm system, said an expert who deals with car theft cases in Malaysia and declined to be named.
This enables thieves to open the car doors without tripping the alarm or by using force.
Those in the car industry will know where to get the device, which he said can even be found on the Internet.
"We've come across the use of this device in Malaysia, but it's not that rampant. It's more commonly used in Europe and Eastern Europe as a favoured method of breaking into a car cleanly," he said.
Car thieves are also known to "neutralise" the alarm system by short-circuiting wires in the signal lights.
Then they enter the car using a master key.
Tell-tale signs
But such a method would usually leave tell-tale signs, such as a damaged signal light or some drilled holes.
In Mr Rahman's case, there were no such indications.
Four Malaysian car accessory shops told The New Paper that they had not heard of the latest method of breaking into cars.
A spokesman for Mega Champion Automart in Johor Baru, who gave her name as Lisa, said: "When a car is broken into, there will always be some clues or sign that the car has been tampered with."
But she added that car thieves are "getting better", so car owners should install better quality alarm systems.
The Malaysian authorities are also seeing another worrying trend.
Last December, Malaysian newspaper The Malay Mail reported the existence of a new device that can override a car's security system, enabling the thief to disconnect the car alarm and drive the car away.
The device is known as TKM (Toyota Key Maker) and is believed to have been used mainly to steal Toyota cars.
The report said the TKM can be bought at some car workshops or online for as little as RM300($124).
Car theft syndicates in Malaysia have been known to steal cars using the TKM in just a few minutes.
According to the report, Toyota is the most popular foreign make targeted by thieves in Malaysia from January to October last year.
Of the 3,600 car theft cases, 1,575 involved the marque, with the most sought-after models being the Camry, Fortuner and Hilux.
As for Mr Abdul Rahman, he believes he didn't lose his car because of the steering lock and brake pedal lock.
He said: "Can you imagine how fast and easy it could have been for the thieves to drive my car off if I didn't have these locks to slow them down?"
And he's not taking anymore chances.
He has installed a $500 alarm system which will alert him via a small pager-sized device if someone is trying to break into his car.
"As long as I'm within a 3km radius of my car, I will instantly know if something happens to my car. This will give me time to dash back." 

This article was first published in The New Paper - March 1, 2010 

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Car Windows Smashed In JB, Same Items Stolen

THESE two Singaporeans have more in common than just their names.
The men, who are both called Mr Mohd Rizal, went to the same mall in Johor Baru (JB) last Saturday evening.
They both had their car windows smashed and their performance gauges stolen from their vehicles.The two men did not know each other before the incident, which took place at the carpark of the Aeon Bukit Indah Shopping Centre.
The mall, a 20-minute drive away from Tuas Checkpoint, is popular with Singaporeans.
Mr Mohd Rizal, 32, a technical officer, and his wife went shopping after parking his four-year-old Kia Rio at the mall's carpark at 5.30pm.
At 9.05pm, the couple returned to the car - only to find the driver's window smashed. His performance gauge, an Apexi S-AFC, was missing.
Mr Mohd Rizal, who goes to JB twice a month, told The New Paper: "Someone had cut the cable to the gauge."
He had bought it for $400 from a car accessories shop in Singapore two years ago.
The device is popular among motorists who wish to lower their fuel consumption.
Mr Mohd Rizal said he alerted the security officer and filed a report with the mall's management.
As it turns out, he was not the only victim.
Mr Mohd Rizal said: "The security guard told me he saw that the window of another car had also been smashed, but they did not know who the owner was."
He later found out that the car's owner was another Singaporean with the same name.
The other Mr Mohd Rizal, a 37-year-old senior process technician, was also shopping at the mall with his wife and three family members.
When they returned to the carpark at 9.45pm after three hours at the mall, they saw two security officers standing around their Subaru Impreza.
The car's $600 gauge, also an Apexi S-AFC, was gone.
The thieves had smashed the driver's window to steal the gauge. Although he wasn't concealing it on purpose, Mr Mohd Rizal said he had put his baseball cap over the gauge.
"I don't understand how (the thieves) saw the gauge. Perhaps they saw it before I covered it," he said.
He too, filed a report with the mall's management.
So who were the culprits?
The older Mr Mohd Rizal said: "The security guard told me he saw the thief from a distance. But he could not stop him and his accomplice, who was on a motorcycle, from speeding away."
He did not make a police report as he felt it "would not do any good", but the younger Mr Mohd Rizal did.
The technical officer said he asked police officers to check his car's dashboard where the gauge was placed for fingerprints, but they did not find any.
Still, he is baffled how someone could have smashed the car window and steal the gauge without being detected.
"I parked at an open-air carpark and there were many other cars parked nearby. There was even a footpath nearby," he said.
He added that he parked his car headfirst into the parking lot and had locked his steering wheel to deter car thieves.
Deactivated alarm
"I think the thief prised open the window frame to deactivate the car alarm before smashing the window," he said.
However, the incident will not stop him from going to the mall, where he often buys baby products for his 7-month old daughter.
The older Mr Mohd Rizal, on the other hand, who visits the mall three to four times a month, said he intends to cut down on the number of visits.
An assistant manager in a Singapore car accessories shop, who wanted to be known only as Mr Yeo, told The New Paper that the Apexi S-AFC can fetch up to RM1,000 ($400) on the black market.
Last November, The New Paper reported that a Singaporean's car was stolen from the Aeon Tebrau City Shopping Centre, a 30-minute drive from the Aeon Bukit Indah Shopping Centre.
The 29-year-old woman's Mitsubishi Colt Plus was stolen in the 10 minutes that she left it to pay the parking fee.
In May 2008, a car radio was stolen from a Singapore-registered Honda Stream left at an open-air carpark at the Aeon Tebrau City Shopping Centre. The owner found his car window smashed.

Nurul Asyikin Mohd Nasir, newsroom intern

This article was first published in The New Paper - January 9, 2010