Sabtu, 23 November 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

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Orchard Road lights up for Christmas - in 'safer' colours

Posted:

GREEN, red and gold may be traditional Christmas colours, but they are also similar to the ones on traffic lights.

Given that this could lead to motorists confusing yuletide decorations with traffic signals, the Orchard Road Business Association (Orba) has decided, from this year, to avoid the use of these colours for the shopping belt's annual light-up that it organises.

"While we want to create the festive mood, we have to ensure that motorists will not be distracted by the displays," Orba's executive director Steven Goh said.

He explained that initial plans to use silver and gold - which is similar to the amber signal of traffic lights – for this year's display were altered.

Instead, the panel of senior Orba and STB representatives which plans and chooses the decorations decided to turn Orchard into a winter wonderland with giant diamonds and snowflakes – all blue and white.

Called Christmas on A Great Street, the lights for the 2.2km stretch from Tanglin Mall to Plaza Singapura will be turned on by President Tony Tan Keng Yam tonight in a ceremony at Shaw House Urban Plaza. The light-up will run till Jan 5.

The move follows consultations with government agencies, including the Land Transport Authority and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

STB's director of lifestyle precincts development Tan Yen Nee said event organisers putting up outdoor displays have to consider various guidelines, including those meant to protect road users.

The board will continue to facilitate talks between stakeholders and government agencies on the feasibility of decorations for future events, she said. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

New family policy a beginning

Posted:

A relaxed population policy will contribute to a rise in the fertility rate by a limited degree – it is unlikely to lead to a population explosion.

China's family planning policy is to be eased at long last.

The Third Plenum resolution, released on Friday reveals that China is to allow families in which either of the parents is a single child to have a second child, together with other reform.

The adjustment is considered to be a breakthrough in relaxing China's family planning policy. However, this step should be a beginning, rather than the end, of family planning policy reform.

Compared with the past overriding policy that required most families to have only one child, a relaxed population policy and allowing people to exercise their reproductive rights is a manifestation of greater respect and autonomy for people.

Although more families are choosing to have one child or none for a variety of reasons, such as the rising cost of raising a child, there is no need for China to impose the mandatory one-child policy any longer.

From a broader view, the central authorities' decision to allow more families to have a second child is meant to reverse the already low fertility rate and maintain the country's young labour resources.

A relaxed population policy will contribute to a rise in the fertility rate by a limited degree – it is unlikely to lead to a population explosion.

Based on the trial experience of allowing a second child among four cities – Enshi in Hubei province, Yicheng in Shanxi province, Chengde in Hebei province, and Jiuquan in Gansu province – allowing couples to have a second child only raises the fertility rate to a limited extent.

Even after granting people in the trial cities more chances to have a second child, the fertility rate remained low.

According to the fifth national population census in 2000, the total fertility rate of these four cities was 1.31, a bit higher than the country's overall total fertility rate of 1.22. In 2010, the total fertility rate of the four cities was 1.52 compared with the country's overall rate of 1.18.

China has experienced imbalanced demographic development since the strict family planning policy was introduced in the late 1970s.

The policy, which should have "advocated" one child for most families, has turned out to be a strict birth control policy under which most families are allowed to have only one child.

Since 1992, China's total fertility rate has dropped to under 1.6, well below the replacement level which is widely believed to be 2.1.

Since 2000, the fast development of the market economy has shifted the relationship between the costs and benefits of childrearing, which has discouraged more people from having children.

The fifth national population census in 2000 showed China's fertility rate was 1.22, but the sixth national population census conducted in 2010 showed the figure was only 1.18.

And analysis of data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows China's fertility rate was only 1.05 in 2011.

As a result, China's demographic problem is becoming grave. The ratio of the population aged from 0 to 14 years old in the total Chinese population dropped from 33.6% in 1982 to 16.6% in 2010.

In 2012 for the first time, China saw a drop in the country's working age population, as the number of people between 15 and 59 years old fell by 3.45 million.

What's more, the risks associated with single-child families are manifold: families are bereft of children, as families who observed the family planning policy but later lost their single children are often too old to have a second baby, society is rapidly aging, generation conflicts are becoming more acute and there is a growing gender imbalance and labour shortage.

The National Committee on Aging estimated that there will be more than 200 million people aged 60 or above by the end of 2013, and more than 400 million by 2033.

China's fast aging society will increase the burdens on households as well as society.

The sixth national census showed that in 2010, 118.06 boys were born for every 100 girls.

A normal gender ratio is between 103 to 107 boys for every 100 girls. It is widely reported that by 2020 there may be at least 20 million single men who will be unable to marry because of the gender imbalance, which will be a risk to social stability.

Confronted by these potential risks, China needs to be aware of the fact that the earlier the population policy is eased, the better it will be.

However, the experience of the four pilot cities showed permitting families to have a second child is far from enough, the authorities need to introduce incentives to encourage more qualified families to have a second child.

Changdao county in Shandong province has allowed families to have a second child for nearly 30 years, but it has still experienced negative population growth.

Simply easing the family planning restrictions to allow more families to have a second child is unlikely to increase the fertility rate to the replacement level at which population development is considered to be sustainable.

This is because with the advancement of social and economic development, child-rearing costs are on the rise, too.

Meanwhile, the increasing social and economic engagements also weaken the desire to have children.

The family planning directives have to be accompanied by supporting policy orientations.

To take the example of Changdao county again, even though a second child is permitted, local policy orientations remain the same as those in many other parts that observe the dominant one-child directive.

A benefit-oriented mechanism, such as incentives for those who give up having a second child, discourage people from having a second child.

Thus, many families, in fact only have a single child. Undoubtedly, China should push forward further family planning policy reform.

It is high time that the government grasped the strategic opportunities to promote pro-natalist policies, as well as grant people reproductive choice.

The Reform of the family planning policies should aim to build happy families, as well as social harmony based on respecting people's right to have children.

At the same time, the reform should be aimed at reducing or evading the risks brought by the country's low fertility rate.

Study: Spousal abuse most common

Posted:

SPOUSAL abuse is the most common form of family violence in Singapore, according to a new study by Pave, the leading agency that deals with such cases.

Based on 3,600 cases it has handled over the last 10 years, Pave said the study found that victims who are physically or psychologically abused by their spouses made up 72% of new cases.

Pave executive director Sudha Nair said the high rate may not mean that other forms of violence are not prevalent.

"It is just that other forms of abuse, such as elder or child abuse, often go unreported; these are the victims who can't fend for themselves and do not come forward to seek help," said Dr Nair.

That is why the agency hopes more members of the public can come forward to help identify victims of family violence – whether they are married, children, or elderly.

The worsening problem of family violence can be seen by the rise in the number of such cases that went to court. In 1995, the Family Court heard 978 such cases. By last year, the figure had more than tripled to 3,200.

"I think it is a concern because families have come under increasing pressure and strain," said Senior Minister of State for Law and Education Indranee Rajah who spoke yesterday at a family violence forum organised by Pave.

To tackle this problem, the newly-established Family Justice Committee has issued several recommendations that will be put up for public consultation early next year.

Among them, the committee hopes to strengthen community touch-points, such as schools, hospitals and family service centres, so that family violence victims can get help earlier, before cases escalate to the courts.

"If you want to save the family and try to make sure the family remains intact, you have to go further upstream," said Indranee, who co-chairs the committee.

This means teachers, doctors and lawyers may need to undergo relevant training so they have the skills and knowledge to refer victims for help. Victims could get help at specialist agencies that handle divorce cases or provide mediation services which the committee has suggested setting up.

There are currently three specialist family violence centres here. But they mainly provide counselling for victims and perpetrators and do not offer mediation or divorce-related services.

Pave welcomes the idea, as the proposed agencies could handle family violence cases that are often complex in nature.

For example, its study found that four in five victims have suffered both psychological abuse and physical violence. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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Kerry says nuclear deal makes Mideast nations, Israel safer

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GENEVA (Reuters) - An agreement between Iran and major powers would make it harder for Iran to make a dash to build a nuclear weapon and would make Israel and other U.S. allies safer, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday.

Speaking after the agreement was struck between Iran and six major powers, Kerry also said that while U.S. President Barack Obama would not take off the table the possible use of force against Iran, he believed it was necessary first to exhaust diplomacy.

Addressing one of the most contentious issues in the 10-year nuclear standoff, Kerry said that the deal does not include any recognition of an Iranian "right" to enrich uranium.

(Reporting By Arshad Mohammed)

Iran to get access to billions of dollars under atom deal - U.S.

Posted:

GENEVA (Reuters) - Under a nuclear deal Iran reached with six world powers early on Sunday Tehran can gain access to billions of dollars of revenues from limited sales of oil and petrochemicals and trade in gold and other precious metals, the United States said.

In a fact-sheet the White House distributed on the interim agreement, Iran would receive sanctions relief in exchange for a suspension of some aspects of its nuclear program, including the following:

- Potential access to $1.5 billion in revenue from trade in gold and precious metals and the suspension of some sanctions on Iran's auto sector, and Iran's petrochemical exports;

- Allow purchases of Iranian oil to remain at their currently significantly reduced levels. "$4.2 billion from these sales will be allowed to be transferred in instalments if, and as, Iran fulfils its commitments," the fact-sheet said.

(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau)

Obama says Iran nuclear deal first step toward comprehensive solution

Posted:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Saturday that a deal between Iran and six major powers was an important first step toward a comprehensive solution to Iran's nuclear program.

Obama, in a late-night appearance at the White House, said that if Iran did not meet its commitments during a six-month period, the United States would turn off sanctions relief and "ratchet up the pressure."

Obama said Iran could not use its next-generation centrifuges under the deal and that the substantial limitations under the agreement "cut off Iran's most likely paths to a bomb."

With Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid warning that the Senate will seek additional sanctions on Iran, Obama said his administration would consult closely with Congress, but "now is not the time to move forward on new sanctions."

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Peter Cooney)

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The Star Online: Business

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Spotlight on water stocks

Posted:

Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd's shares closed 14 sen higher to RM3.48 yesterday, its highest in more than four years. Year-to-date, the counter has risen by a whopping 193%.

Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd (KPS) added six sen to RM2.26, while Gamuda Bhd, which has a 40% stake in Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splash), gained eight sen to RM4.89.

The Selangor state government made a fresh offer of about RM9.7bil, similar to the previous takeover offer, to acquire four state water concessionaires – Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), Konsortium Abbas Sdn Bhd, Puncak Niaga and Splash.

AmResearch said the new offer was "not surprising", as the state government had indicated that the terms and pricing would be similar to the previous one.

"We view the move as positive, as the stakeholders take another step closer towards resolving the water impasse," it said, adding that the water assets would eventually be acquired by Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB), while the state government through a special-purpose vehicle licence would lease the assets from PAAB.

"KPS is most likely to agree to the offer, while there have been reports that Puncak Niaga might seek for a higher return on equity (ROE) of 15%. There is also talk that Puncak Niaga might seek an arbitration process for the remaining amount it is seeking," AmResearch said.

Affin Investment Bank Bhd said it would appear that the Selangor state government was falling back to its fourth offer, as this fresh fifth offer continued to price Puncak Niaga's water assets at 12% ROE.

"As such, the total offer for the equity and water assets of the group's 100%-owned Puncak Niaga water treatment plants and 70%-interest in water distributor Syabas amounts to RM5.6bil," it said.

Affin expects Puncak Niaga to "continue to hold out for a higher asset valuation and may potentially turn down this fifth offer", prolonging the attempted consolidation exercise. "Nevertheless, we opine that downside risk from the current share price level is limited, as it is not an overcrowded trade."

On the surface, CIMB Research said the news was a "negative surprise", as it had expected the relaunch of the takeover bid by the state government to be on revised terms. It said the media had recently reported that Puncak Niaga was negotiating for a higher ROE of 15% (versus the state's offer of 12%) for the equity portion. "However, what appears positive at this point is that the new bid also clarified that the takeover of the water assets would also be satisfied via the assumption of the liabilities of Puncak Niaga (RM1.8bil) and Syabas (RM4bil) by PAAB.

"This leaves Puncak Niaga with an implied cash takeover bid of RM1.6bil for both Puncak Niaga and Syabas (70%-owned), net of debt. Based on this methodology, the implied value/share for Puncak Niaga's water assets (excluding the oil and gas business) is RM3.80 (based on the current number of shares) and RM3.01 on a fully diluted basis," it said.

Bernama quoted the Selangor Mentri Besar's office as saying that the offer was the result of a series of discussions between the state government and the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry.

It said the offer letters were sent through Selangor state investment arm Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB) and required a response within 14 days, which is by 5pm the latest on Dec 4.

"The offer also states that KDEB would settle all arrears incurred by the four companies, including the relevant commercial bonds, loans and government loans," Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said.

Puncak Niaga, which owns five water-treatment concessions and a 70% stake in Syabas, said it had received two letters from KDEB offering to acquire the company's water assets for RM5.58bil. The offer valued the group's treatment plants at RM2.47bil and another RM3.12bil for its stake in Syabas.

KPS said it had also received an offer from KDEB to acquire Titisan Modal Sdn Bhd for RM990.2mil. Titisan Modal owns 55% of Kumpulan Abass – the concessionaire for the Sungai Semenyih water supply scheme.

KPS also said that KDEB had offered to pay RM1.83bil for its 30% stake in Splash.

Gamuda, which has a stake in Splash, is also deliberating on the RM1.83bil takeover offer from KDEB. It said that an appropriate announcement would be made to Bursa Malaysia Securities in due course on the outcome of the deliberation.

Can we afford to scrap off 12-year-old cars?

Posted:

IT was last weekend when what I dread happened to me. In my usual commute to Singapore, my car broke down. It was just 2km away from the Ayer Keroh exit along the North South Expressway where my vehicle came to a halt.

The symptoms prior to my 8-year old car failing on me suggests it was the fault of the alternator. It was confirmed later after the car was repaired. The alternator died on me when the car was less than a year old. And that got me thinking about what has been in the papers recently with calls for the scrapping of cars older than 12 years of age.

I know the plan has been scrapped but it's not the first time that proposal has been floated. There is a chance lobbyists will try again.

The premise behind that thinking is that cars older than 12 years of age are unsafe. It was reported that the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) found vehicles more than that age are not roadworthy and could pose risks to drivers.

There is some truth to that. Modern cars with their crumple zones and impact beams protect the interior and the occupants better than older cars. It's down to advance in technology.

As cars get older, they encounter more wear and tear. Statistically, what Miros says is true but the fact is that can be mitigated if regular maintenance and servicing is conducted on vehicles and parts that are important to safety like braking systems and tyres are kept tip top at all times.

The fact that vehicle manufacturers produce spare parts suggests that it is the intention of car manufacturers to have owners of vehicles replace worn out parts when it's time to do so.

In short, as long as the car is well maintained, it should last and be road worthy for a very long time.

The crux of the backlash against the scrapping proposal was obvious. Vehicle owners found that forcing cars to be scrapped is an undue burden. In fact, end-of-life policies for vehicles are generally seen in more developed and well-off countries. With public transport infrastructure still poor and not adequate in most parts of the country, there really isn't a better alternative than owning a car for a lot of Malaysians.

With the cost of a car in Malaysia already high because of taxes, more so if the car is not made in Malaysia, people feel that it's too costly to keep replacing cars every 12 years or so. Surely there would be exemptions to such a rule as the face of that proposal suggests that classic or antique car owners will have to send their prized vehicles to the scrap yard.

One study has shown that the cost of vehicle ownership in Malaysia over say a 7- or 10-year period was actually lower than what most people think.

It was found that the cost of running a car in Malaysia is low after the initial high price of the vehicle as the price of fuel, insurance and cost of maintenance is actually quite low.

But with the price of fuel at the pump set to rise in the future, and with liberalisation of the general insurance industry in the coming years, that means the cost of insuring your vehicle should go up. I doubt liberalisation will mean lower costs of insurance as the industry has been lamenting about how unprofitable motor insurance is. It was reported that motor insurance cost went up from January this year.

Then there is the cost of maintaining your car. With minimum wage now implemented, and with salaries set to go up, surely the labour cost of repairing and maintaing a car will rise too. If the industry is to see the migration of "bawah pokok" workshops to a more structured workshop culture, then that will also mean higher costs.

What can be done to ensure that cars on the road are safe, regulations on mandatory road worthy tests can be drawn up and enforced.

I don't think people will argue against needing to make sure their vehicle is roadworthy. It's for the benefit of all road users that vehicles are sufficiently safe. Just don't force people to scrap their cars under the current circumstances.

Business editor (features) JAGDEV SINGH SIDHU paid RM400 to tow his car back to KL and thinks road safety is also down to the ability and discipline of the driver.

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The Star Online: Nation

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Designer jumps on Villa Nabila bandwagon by coming up with T-shirts

Posted:

JOHOR BARU: A designer has jumped on the Villa Nabila bandwagon by coming up with T-shirts inspired by the widely-reported incident of the boy who "went missing" after visiting an abandoned bungalow in Danga Bay.

Ahmad Fatah Zubir said Malaysians, especially Johoreans, had been following the boy's mysterious disappearance closely even after he was found later.

The 30-year-old said Villa Nabila had become more famous and he decided to ride on the bungalow's fame to make the T-shirts.

"The T-shirts come only in black colour, printed with witty lines to poke fun at the whole incident," he said at his shop called The iPrintings in Taman Perbadanan Islam here yesterday.

He hoped that his work would attract people who were into supernatural events.

"Some people even went as far as saying that the boy was taken by ghosts or spirits and this made Villa Nabila the talk of the town overnight.

"People have been going there and taking pictures, thinking they might see a ghost, and that amuses me," he said.

Besides T-shirts, he has also made more than 50 designs on pants and baseball caps.

It was reported that 16-year-old Mohammad Izzat Izzudin Hussin went to the bungalow with his friends last Saturday.

His mother Norhayati Mohamad, 39, filed a missing persons report after he did not return home.

He was found on Tuesday after spending a night at his girlfriend's house. The bungalow was listed by travel portal Expedia as one of the five most haunted places in Malaysia.

Granny murdered in sundry shop

Posted:

BATU PAHAT: A 74-year-old grandmother was robbed and murdered in her sundry shop at Jalan Jelawat in Taman Banang here yesterday.

The body of Lau Pow Ling was discovered at around 9am by her two sons after they failed to contact her.

District police chief Asst Comm Din Ahmad said the family became concerned after their calls went unanswered since 6.30am.

The two sons broke into the locked premises and found Lau lying in a pool of blood.

ACP Din said that there was a hole in the ceiling and the counter in the shop was ransacked.

He said police were investigating and suspected that robbery was the motive for the brutal killing.

It is learnt that the victim was living alone in the shop after the death of her husband.

Ping Sieu's father dies of blood infection

Posted:

KLUANG: The father of MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu, Gan Chong Chun (pic), passed away on Nov 19. He was 74.

Chong Chun, who was a lifelong MCA activist, died of blood infection.

He is survived by six children and 14 grandchildren. He was buried at a Chinese association cemetery in Kluang yesterday.

Ping Sieu described his father as an easygoing man who enjoyed his daily golf game.

"One thing he taught me at 16 when I was organising a camping trip for my classmates was that to be a leader, you must undertake risks and be the first to assume responsibility for all decisions, and the last to enjoy the fruits of any venture.

"That was my first lesson in leadership," he said.

Ping Sieu said his father involved himself in NGOs, schools, temples and sport bodies in Kluang.

MCA leaders and members, including party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and his deputy Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, were present to pay their last respects to Chong Chun.

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Action against illegal guides

Posted:

Suspected unlicensed tourist guides will be questioned or even hauled to the police station by enforcement officers, under proposed changes to the law to give the Government more teeth to fight the scourge of illegal guides.

Offenders may also face harsher penalties, with plans to double the maximum fine to S$10,000 (RM25,626) for recalcitrants. There are also possible plans for more training and to raise the professionalism among licensed tourist guides.

The proposals come after a year-long review by the Trade and Industry Ministry and the Singapore Tourism Board as they grapple with the growing menace.

These illegal tourist guides are often foreigners accompanying tour groups from overseas. Others may be work pass holders who take on freelance guiding jobs without the requisite licence to be tour guides. They frequently give wrong information and take away business from those who have valid licences.

MTI said in a statement that proposed legislative changes are part of the government's ongoing efforts to raise the quality of tourist guides.

Second Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran said tourist guides are important in promoting Singapore as a choice destination. He added that standards have to be improved and tougher action need to be taken against illegal guides who could "otherwise tarnish Singapore's image and impede the professional development of the tourist guide industry". — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Army officer jailed for five months

Posted:

A 38-year-old army officer was jailed for five months after paying an underage prostitute S$500 (RM1,281) for sex.

Emlyn Thomas Thariyan (pic) is the 28th man to be sentenced in a series of cases involving the same 17-year-old prostitute, who was part of an online vice ring. He is appealing both conviction and punishment – the stiffest to date.

Thariyan committed the offence at Hotel 81 Bencoolen on Feb 18, 2011.

He is the fifth man to be sentenced after claiming trial, following 42-year-old Swiss banker Juerg Buergin, ex-navy engineer Kwa Wee Nam, 34, Indonesian Reyner Desvando Suhar-tono, 29, and business consultant Edward Whistler Goh Ngian Meng, 51.

Kwa, Suhartono and Goh each received four months' jail, while Buergin, a former executive director with UBS, was understood to have left Singapore in August after completing a 19-week jail term.

A total of 51 men were charged last year.

All the 23 other men who have been sentenced had pleaded guilty.

The maximum penalty for the offence is a seven-year jail term and a fine. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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Action against illegal guides

Posted:

Suspected unlicensed tourist guides will be questioned or even hauled to the police station by enforcement officers, under proposed changes to the law to give the Government more teeth to fight the scourge of illegal guides.

Offenders may also face harsher penalties, with plans to double the maximum fine to S$10,000 (RM25,626) for recalcitrants. There are also possible plans for more training and to raise the professionalism among licensed tourist guides.

The proposals come after a year-long review by the Trade and Industry Ministry and the Singapore Tourism Board as they grapple with the growing menace.

These illegal tourist guides are often foreigners accompanying tour groups from overseas. Others may be work pass holders who take on freelance guiding jobs without the requisite licence to be tour guides. They frequently give wrong information and take away business from those who have valid licences.

MTI said in a statement that proposed legislative changes are part of the government's ongoing efforts to raise the quality of tourist guides.

Second Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran said tourist guides are important in promoting Singapore as a choice destination. He added that standards have to be improved and tougher action need to be taken against illegal guides who could "otherwise tarnish Singapore's image and impede the professional development of the tourist guide industry". — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Army officer jailed for five months

Posted:

A 38-year-old army officer was jailed for five months after paying an underage prostitute S$500 (RM1,281) for sex.

Emlyn Thomas Thariyan (pic) is the 28th man to be sentenced in a series of cases involving the same 17-year-old prostitute, who was part of an online vice ring. He is appealing both conviction and punishment – the stiffest to date.

Thariyan committed the offence at Hotel 81 Bencoolen on Feb 18, 2011.

He is the fifth man to be sentenced after claiming trial, following 42-year-old Swiss banker Juerg Buergin, ex-navy engineer Kwa Wee Nam, 34, Indonesian Reyner Desvando Suhar-tono, 29, and business consultant Edward Whistler Goh Ngian Meng, 51.

Kwa, Suhartono and Goh each received four months' jail, while Buergin, a former executive director with UBS, was understood to have left Singapore in August after completing a 19-week jail term.

A total of 51 men were charged last year.

All the 23 other men who have been sentenced had pleaded guilty.

The maximum penalty for the offence is a seven-year jail term and a fine. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

CNB seizes 12kg of heroin worth RM3.1mil

Posted:

Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers seized about 12kg of heroin with a street value of more than S$1.2mil (RM3.1mil) – its largest haul of the drug since Feb 5, 2008 – from a suspected drug trafficker.

The bureau said in a statement on Thursday that had the shipment of heroin flowed onto the streets, it would be enough "to supply one straw of heroin per day to more than 1,300 abusers for a month".

An operation was launched on Wednesday targeting the 46-year-old Singaporean, who was suspected of actively distributing heroin in Singapore. It was believed he would be receiving a fresh consignment of drugs from a neighbouring country.

CNB officers spotted the suspect in his car at around 10.30pm. When they moved in to arrest him, the man tried to escape by driving his car up the side pedestrian curb of the road. In the process, he hit and damaged a few CNB vehicles and a taxi parked along the road. He also put up a violent struggle while being arrested. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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