The charitable organisation received a call from someone who wanted to sponsor a food drive for the needy.

As the donor initially wanted to remain anonymous, Mr Nizar Mohamed Shariff, founder of Free Food For All (FFFA), accepted the donation, and distributed 100 bags of food and necessities worth $5,460 to residents at Block 811, French Road, on Jan 21.

As it turned out, the donor, Mr Francis Lee, 40, is an unlicensed moneylender.

One of the volunteers from FFFA had searched online for Mr Lee’s company’s name, GT Credit, when he asked for the name to appear on T-shirts worn by volunteers at the event.

But a licensed moneylender that also goes by the name of GT Credit popped up during the search. And so Mr Nizar went ahead with the event.

The New Paper received a tip-off about the charity drive by a reader who had spotted the volunteers wearing the T-shirts.

When contacted, Mr Lee told TNP that his moneylending operation is not licensed.

Mr Nizar said he did not know this.

He said: “I was not aware that the sponsorship was from an unlicensed moneylender. It was our third collaboration with external companies and we are fairly new.”

FFFA was founded in November 2014 and registered in February 2015.

When contacted, Mr Lee told TNP: “Chinese New Year was coming and I wanted to give back to society.

“I approached two or three charitable organisations but all of them ignored me.”

He added that he had spent his childhood in the area and wanted to give a helping hand to the residents there.

When TNP visited GT Credit, the licensed moneylender, at its Toa Payoh office, an employee said they are aware of Mr Lee’s company.

Lawyers TNP spoke to said FFFA did not do anything wrong by accepting the sponsorship, as they did not know it came from an unlicensed operation.

“There would not be any consequences if the charitable organisation did not know their donor was an unlicensed moneylender,” said Mr Foo Cheow Ming, a lawyer with Templars Law.

“If the charitable organisation knowingly accepted money from an unlicensed moneylender, then they will be investigated and the money that has been (involved in) crime will be confiscated.”

‘NO OFFENCE’

Mr Ravinderpal Singh, a lawyer with Kalco Law who is also a board member of several charitable organisations like The New Charis Mission, said: “There is nothing illegal. There is no offence. The food drive is not related to moneylending and they did not do it to promote their moneylending activities.

“It will be difficult to try to make it a criminal offence, especially if the event organiser did not know. It is not like they are banks or financial institutions that have to do their due diligence checks.”

But Charity Council chairman Gerard Ee said charitable organisations should do due diligence and conduct background checks on donors or sponsors.

He said: “If the charitable organisations do not have a robust due diligence process, then they will be subject to criticism.

“If they have done their best and could not uncover anything, they should not be faulted.”

Mr Ee added: “Even though they may be unlicensed and their business is not legal, it does not mean the people in the company do not have good hearts.

“If you do know about the organisation’s background then this becomes a judgement call. Some will take a moral stance…

“Every organisation has to decide the values they want to uphold.”

When asked if he thinks accepting the sponsorship from Mr Lee’s business was a mistake, Mr Nizar said no.

“At the end of the day, it is still an act of doing good. We should not judge one’s background because he is doing a good deed.

“I felt that Mr Lee was sincere and not doing it for public attention,” said Mr Nizar.

He said he will be imposing stricter protocols when working with companies in future.

myklim@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Feb 3, 2017.
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The recent culling of chickens by the authorities here highlights the constant tension between animal lovers and those who are less enamoured by them, said Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin yesterday.

“It’s a very real issue. It’s not just about chickens. It’s about dogs, cats and pets in general,” said Mr Tan.

“We live in close proximity… Many people are pet lovers but there are people who also don’t like pets. We need to exercise mutual understanding and give and take.”

He added that some members of the public could be uncomfortable with certain animals due to lack of information, and that more awareness is needed.

He was speaking at an Acres (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society) event to rehome Rahayu, the endangered turtle.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) killed 24 free-roaming chickens in Sin Ming after residents made 20 noise complaints last year.

While some viewed the birds as a nuisance, others were upset to see them go.

The AVA said that Pasir Ris and Thomson residents had also complained last year about noise from free-ranging chickens; and that it would take action whenever it receives noise complaints.

Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC and Acres founder and chief executive officer Louis Ng said yesterday that instead of culling chickens, the authorities should look into other solutions, such as relocating the animals or putting them up for adoption.

“Ultimately, euthanasia is still the worst option,” he said.

“Let’s get an accurate sense of what’s happening on the ground,” he added, pointing out that 20 complaints could have come from one or two people calling repeatedly.

kcarolyn@sph.com.sg

Read also: Keeping close watch on free-ranging chickens

This article was first published on Feb 3, 2017.
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They are new HDB flats with many owners yet to move in, but the lifts at one particular block are already experiencing technical problems.

On Wednesday, some homeowners had just collected their keys to one of the three blocks at Skyline II at Bukit Batok Street 22 and were looking forward to seeing their new home.

But they found that one of the four lifts at the 33-storey building was not working properly.

The lifts are from Sigma Elevator, which has been banned from tendering for new HDB projects since October 2015 due to poor performance and installation delays.

On Wednesday, Facebook user Robin Zhang posted on Skyline I and II’s Facebook page for residents that there were problems when he was using lift D at Block 296B at 10.30am.

He said while going up to the 18th storey, the lift stopped suddenly. After going up and down several times, it stopped at the sixth storey.

When the door opened, he almost fell out as the lift had stopped about 20cm above the landing.

He added: “I was very scared and decided to use the staircase instead.”

When The New Paper team visited the block at 11am yesterday, maintenance workers from Sigma were at the lift lobby.

One of them, who declined to be named, said he was checking if the opening of lift D was in line with the floor level.

He added that the lift buttons on the 15th and 16th storey were not working.

Lift D was then shut down for servicing.

The TNP team used lift C and when we were at the 16th storey, the lift indicated it was at the seventh storey.

Once out of the lift at the 16th storey, we pressed the buttons several times but the doors did not open.

Miss Lulu Mustika, 30, a freelance wedding planner who had just got her keys to a three-room unit on the 30th storey, said she was worried for the safety of her two young children, aged one and six.

She told TNP: “I’m staying on one of the higher floors, so I definitely have to take the lift. For now, it’s ferrying just passengers. When people start moving bulky and heavy items, is there any assurance it can sustain the heavy load and usage?”

Another resident, Miss Maggie Ng, 34, a senior customer service supervisor who owns a four-room unit, was aware of the breakdown incidents Sigma lifts were involved in.

She said: “I think the lift system isn’t reliable. What if the lift breaks down when people are delivering furniture? I have knee problems, what if there’s a sudden drop? HDB shouldn’t release the keys if (the block is) not done properly.”

Bukit Batok Member of Parliament, Mr Murali Pillai, told TNP the HDB and the Building and Construction Authority were investigating the matter urgently and inspecting the site.

He said: “I’m very concerned about what happened to the resident. It was fortunate he did not suffer any injury. I would like a thorough investigation and explanation for this as soon as possible.”

When contacted, Sigma Elevator Singapore said: “We are working to gather more information as quickly as possible. There is nothing more important to Sigma than the safety of our employees, customers and the people who rely on our products and services every day.”

bxliew@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Feb 3, 2017.
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One of the lifts broke down in a new block of flats in Bukit Batok on Wednesday, just days after residents had moved in.

The lift in Skyline II, a 33-storey Housing Board block, went up and down several times before stopping 20cm above the ground.

It is one of the many instances of HDB lifts malfunctioning recently.

To ensure that lifts are well-maintained and replaced on time, the Ministry of National Development (MND) yesterday announced grants of more than $63 million for town councils.

A Lift Maintenance Grant (LMG) will give all 16 town councils $600 for each of their lifts.

The LMG is expected to cost the Government $13 million every year.

The LMG will help the town councils cope with higher lift-related servicing and maintenance costs, said MND.

There is also a matching grant, with the ministry matching half the amount the town councils put into a newly mandated Lift Replacement Fund (LRF).

From April 1, town councils must set aside a minimum of 14 per cent of their income for the LRF, on top of existing sinking fund contributions.

The matching grant is to ensure that there are sufficient funds for the town councils to replace existing lifts, said MND.

The matching grant is expected to cost more than $50 million in the coming year, with the quantum likely to go up as town councils build up their LRFs over time.

Together with the recently announced Lift Enhancement Programme, which will cost an average of $45 million a year, the additional funding for town councils will go above $100 million every year.

This will double the current funding support for town councils under the annual Service and Conservancy Charge operating grants and quarterly Goods and Services Tax subvention, which amounted to $120 million in FY15/16, said MND.

RESPONSIBILITY

Calling the funding support a “substantial package”, the ministry said: “Ultimately, town councils have a statutory responsibility to manage and maintain the common property in HDB estates.”

In December last year, it was announced that the PAP town councils will pump in a total of $45 million to make their lifts safer and more reliable, following the PAP Lift Taskforce’s preliminary study that month.

Separately, the Workers’ Party-run Aljunied-Hougang Town Council said it will spend about $17.5 million over five years – funded mainly through the town council’s sinking fund – to replace ageing lifts.

Said MND: “While the Government is extending significant financial support, town councils still need to do their part to plan ahead and take appropriate and timely steps to ensure that their long-term finances are sustainable.”

fjieying@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Feb 3, 2017.
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When you see foreign objects on MRT tracks, chances are that they are inconspicuous and will not be staring back at you.

Well, that was not the case for Twitter user Ashley Soo.

She posted photos on her account on Jan 31 showing a creepy doll sitting on what looks to be a pipe above the MRT tracks at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station.

The doll had big eyes and was clad in a crumpled and oversized outfit.

The photos caused quite a buzz on Twitter, garnering 1,800 likes and 6,700 retweets.

Ashley tweeted shortly after uploading the photos: “YALL PLS PRAY FOR ME TONIGHT.”

It is unclear who (or what) placed the toy there… assuming that the doll did not get there by itself.

SMRT has since removed the creepy object and is investigating the incident.

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SINGAPORE – A man who evaded national service (NS) for a decade, between Dec 22, 2004, and May 4, 2015, was sentenced on Thursday (Feb 2) to four months’ jail.

On Jan 13, Jonathan Tan Huai En, 28, the elder son of Senior Counsel (SC) Tan Chee Meng, pleaded guilty to two counts of remaining outside Singapore during the period.

Tan, his younger brother, their older sister and their mother had migrated to Canada on Dec 1, 2000, with no intention of returning to Singapore.

However, his father remained here, due to a lack of employment opportunities overseas.

The younger Tan received his Canadian citizenship in early 2005.

Between Dec 1 that year and June 30, 2006, three letters were sent to their Singapore address, asking him to register for NS.

When he failed to turn up, officers from the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) went to the home in October and November of 2006.

In the middle of 2009, SC Tan called CMPB to say his eldest son wanted to renounce his Singapore citizenship.

About two months later, SC Tan sent CMPB a letter from his lawyers, stating his son’s request again.

But CMPB replied that his son had to serve his NS first. It also said Jonathan Tan had been classified as a defaulter and urged him to return as soon as possible.

Tan returned to Singapore on May 5, 2015, and enlisted for NS on Jan 8 last year.

A separate case involving SC Tan’s younger son Isaac Tan Yang En, 25, who has also returned to Singapore after defaulting on NS, is still under investigation.

Jonathan Tan will be appealing against his sentence and was offered $10,000 bail.

The prosecution had asked for a five-month jail term, arguing that Jonathan Tan had reaped the benefit of his Singapore citizenship by completing his primary education here but never took any concrete action to renounce his citizenship, despite moving to Canada and becoming a citizen there.

But the defence urged the court to impose a fine or a community-based sentence, saying he could not return earlier as his mother was suffering from a psychiatric condition.

For remaining out of Singapore without a valid exit permit, he could have been jailed up to three years and fined up to $10,000.

In 2006, then-Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said in a ministerial statement on NS defaulters that the Constitution was amended in 1979 so that those who refused to serve could not escape their NS obligation by simply renouncing their citizenship.

He added: “Only those who have emigrated at a young age and have not enjoyed substantial socio-economic benefits are allowed to renounce their citizenship without serving national service.”

NS REQUIREMENTS

Every Singaporean male must do national service.

Between 13 and 16½ years old

• An exit permit is needed for overseas travel of three months or longer

• A bond of $75,000 or half of the parents’ combined annual gross income for the preceding year, whichever is higher, is required if the child is out of the country for two years or longer.

Older than 16½ but yet to enlist

• Exit permit and bond are required for overseas travel of three months or longer.

At 16½ years old

• A letter will be sent to inform individual about registering via the NS portal. Registration is scheduled by birth date.

• Complete pre-enlistment documentation and book a date for medical screening.

• Prepare and take physical proficiency test before enlistment.

• Apply for deferment if taking the GCE A levels, full-time diploma or equivalent.

Two months before enlistment

• Enlistment notice, with details like reporting time and venue, is sent two months before scheduled enlistment date. Individuals must report to camp on the date of enlistment.

This article was first published on Feb 2, 2017.
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