SINGAPORE – Former tour guide Yang Yin was sentenced to six years’ jail on Friday (Sept 30) for misappropriating $1.1 million entrusted to him by a wealthy Singaporean widow.

Yang, 42, from China, befriended Madam Chung Khin Chun when he was her tour guide and moved to Singapore to live at her Gerald Crescent bungalow off Yio Chu Kang Road in 2009. He had pleaded guilty in August to two charges of misappropriating $500,000 in 2010 and $600,000 in 2012 from her. The 89-year-old was diagnosed with dementia in April 2014.

Yang was given 32 months for the first charge and 40 months for the second charge.

The prosecution had asked for a jail term of 10 to 12 years as a deterrent sentence in order to send a message that any misuse of funds entrusted by vulnerable persons will be severely dealt with.

At the start of Friday’s hearing, Principal District Judge Bala Reddy said the sentence meted out must be one that reflects the total amount of money misappropriated, as well as one that takes into account various aggravating factors of the case.

The 10 to 12 years’ jail term that the prosecution asked for would be “particularly crushing”, said the judge, citing past cases where the jail terms handed out were lower than that even though larger amounts were misappropriated.

The prosecution has two weeks to appeal the verdict.

On Thursday (Sept 29), Yang was sentenced to 26 months’ jail for a slew of offences, mostly related to falsifying payment receipts to his bogus company Young Music and Dance Studio in his bid to dupe the authorities into granting him permanent resident status. The 26 months’ jail term was backdated to include his time in remand. Yang has been in remand since October 2014.

The two sentences will run consecutively.

Speaking to reporters after the sentencing, Madam Chung’s niece, Hedy Mok, said she was “totally disappointed”. She plans to appeal the verdict but said she would check with her lawyer first.

“What he stole was not only money… he actually took away the dignity,” she said. “He didn’t do what he was supposed to do, (that is) look after her. He didn’t do that… he didn’t look into her welfare and it’s totally disappointing.”

She added: “The message out to the public now is to really look after the old, vulnerable and lonely.”

Yang’s lawyer Irving Choh said his client was “relieved” after the sentencing.

“Although the sentence is longer than what we asked for… I am pleased. But I will be visiting my client to see whether he will want to appeal.”

He added: “Prior to the sentencing, he was nervous. But after the sentencing, he was relieved.”

His lawyer had asked for a jail term not exceeding three years.

Yang had said that Madam Chung looked upon him as her ‘grandson’ and that he had moved into her home to look after her. Madam Chung’s husband died in 2007 and the couple have no children.

Tussle over widow’s $40m assets: A look at Madam Chung’s bungalow

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, Raymond Tan

But the prosecution has argued that he moved to Singapore to take advantage of her and had schemed to get his hands on her money.

In January 2010, he persuaded Madam Chung to give him $500,000 to buy her a horse painting by renowned Chinese artist Xu Beihong. The painting was later said by an art expert to be a $200 fake.

He also tried to conceal his misappropriation of $600,000 by lying to the police that he had used the money to buy five paintings for her. The five paintings were evaluated by an expert to be worth $2,000 to $3,000 in total. Until today, the two sums of money remain unaccounted for.

From the time Yang moved into Madam Chung’s bungalow in 2009 to his arrest in 2014, her cash savings went from $2.7 million to $10,000.

This article was first published on September 30, 2016.
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SINGAPORE – A man who allegedly held a two-year-old boy hostage in a Sembawang flat in a dramatic 17 hour-stand-off with police was on Friday (Sept 30) hauled to court.

Muhammad Iskandah Suhaimi was charged with having a knuckle duster without permission. Knuckle dusters are also known as brass knuckles.

District Judge Christopher Goh granted the police prosecutor’s request for Iskandah to be remanded for psychiatric evaluation, even as police investigations regarding his involvement in other possible crimes are still ongoing. The case will be mentioned again on Oct 14.

Iskandah was arrested at around noon on Wednesday (Sept 28), after policemen broke into the fifth floor flat at Block 462, Sembawang Drive, where he had locked himself in. Some officers entered the unit through its windows.

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Hostage situation at Sembawang Drive

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Police said the arrest was for wrongful confinement of a two-year-old boy and for suspected drug-related offences.

Iskandah had reportedly fought with the boy’s mother, and then locked himself inside the flat with the boy on Tuesday night.

The police activated its Crisis Negotiation Unit and Special Operations Command, while the Singapore Civil Defence Force dispatched its Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, among other resources.

The boy was not harmed and has been placed in the custody of the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

His mother, who seemed to have fought with Iskandah before the stand-off began, has also been arrested for suspected drug offences.

The punishment for unlawful possession of a scheduled weapon is a jail term of up to five years, with at least six strokes of the cane, for a first conviction. The penalty for the crime for subsequent convictions is a jail term of between two and eight years, with at least six strokes of the cane.

Under the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act, all kinds of knuckle dusters are considered weapons.

This article was first published on September 30, 2016.
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SINGAPORE – Overseas Singaporeans should remain covered under MediShield Life, the MediShield Life Council (MLC) has recommended.

However, a small and distinct group of overseas Singaporeans who live abroad permanently can ask for MediShield premium collection to be suspended, if they meet the eligibility criteria.

The Council’s recommendations were accepted by the Ministry of Health.

In its review, the MLC sought inputs from both OS and locally-based Singaporeans. The final recommendations reflect the MLC’s assessment after “extensive deliberations and careful consideration of the many good ideas and suggestions received”.

Council chairman Mrs Fang Ai Lian said, “This was a complex issue and the Council took into consideration the varying circumstances of different groups of Singaporeans. Ultimately, our aim is to ensure that MediShield Life continues to meet the healthcare needs of all Singaporeans.”

The Council said that everyone should contribute to the scheme “as part of collective responsibility”.

Overseas Singaporeans, who remain covered under MediShield Life, can benefit from the coverage whenever they seek medical treatment in Singapore.

However, it recognised that there is a small and distinct group of OS who have chosen to live abroad permanently and feel that they will not benefit from it.

For them, the Council recommended they apply for suspension of the premium collection.

These Singaporeans are eligible if they live abroad permanently with no intention to reside in Singapore, based on the following supporting indicators:

• Possess a valid permanent residency permit in their country of residence;

• Resided outside Singapore for at least five years immediately preceding their application for suspension of premium collection, except for short visits; and

• Able to afford healthcare treatment in their country of residence, and declare that they do not need to rely on MediShield Life in Singapore. Should they choose to relocate back to Singapore or no longer meet the eligibility criteria for suspension of premium collection, they will have to pay the accumulated sum of premiums not paid previously, with compound interest.

They would not need to pay additional premiums for health conditions that they had developed during the suspension of premium collection.

Should they seek medical treatment in Singapore during suspension of premium collection (for instance while visiting), they can still choose to claim and benefit from the payouts.

Once he does so, his suspension of MSHL premium collection will cease and he will have to pay the full sum of the premiums not paid previously, with compound interest.

Those who meet the eligibility criteria may apply to the CPF Board for suspension of MediShield Life premium collection from Oct 7.

This article was first published on September 30, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.