She may not have given birth to little Daniel, but she can justifiably claim to know him better, and love him more, than his own mother.

After all, Madam Masita Hussin, 51, was his main caregiver for two years and seven months of his brief life.

Tragically, his own mother was one of two people who made his life a living hell until his death on Nov 23 last year, a month short of his third birthday.

Zaidah, 41, was sentenced to 11 years’ jail yesterday and her boyfriend, Zaini Jamari, 46, to 10 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane for causing Mohamad Daniel Mohamad Nasser’s death after a month of sustained abuse.

The two cleaners had earlier each pleaded guilty to one count of voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Daniel and three counts of ill-treating him.

Madam Masita told The New Paper that the loss of Daniel, whom she cherished as one of her own children, has made this Hari Raya Aidilfitri a solemn occasion.

Instead of joining in the festivities, she will stay home to mourn his passing.

And instead of dressing him up in a new baju kurung, as in previous years (see picture on Page 1), she will visit his grave at Lim Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery this morning to recite him a silent prayer. Madam Masita, who is diabetic and moves around in a wheelchair, broke down more than five times as she spoke about Daniel in her one-room rental flat in Yishun last Monday.

Toddler dies from abuse: First time dad held him was at his funeral

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The New Paper

The housewife took him in when he was just a month old to care for him. And when he learnt to speak, he called her ibu, which is “mother” in Malay.

Madam Masita, who has three grown-up children between 19 and 29 years old, and a two-year-old grandson, said she had longed to care for a toddler again.

“I love children and kids bring joy wherever they go. So I asked around if anybody knew of any children who needed looking after.”

One of her friends, Ms Puspawati Abdul Razat, 50, told her about Zaidah and Daniel. They were then living in a cramped storeroom at an industrial building in Ubi Road, hardly a suitable place to raise an infant.

Madam Masita immediately agreed to be Daniel’s “guardian” and Zaidah handed over her baby in January 2013.

She said: “Zaidah seemed so sweet and polite when we first met. Daniel was swaddled in a blanket and was healthy.

“I was overjoyed to receive him. Zaidah also promised to pay me $250 a month for taking care of her son. But I didn’t care about the money. I just wanted to care for the boy.”

Without her knowledge, Zaidah and Zaini later moved into Ms Puspawati’s one-room rental flat at Block 19, Telok Blangah Crescent.

Madam Masita said Zaidah initially visited Daniel at her home about once a month and to pay her.

But the visits became less frequent over time and the payments became less regular as well.

Madam Masita said she never asked Zaidah to pay her what was due because she was happy to care for Daniel for free.

She said: “He was such a cute boy, very well-behaved, and I doted on him. He never asked for toys, but we bought them for him anyway because we loved him to bits.

“We threw a party to celebrate his first birthday and invited Zaidah, but she did not come. I don’t know anything about her family background.”

REFUSED TO LEAVE

She added: “When Zaidah did show up, she would take Daniel home on Friday afternoon and return him on Sunday evening. I’d tell him she was his mummy.

“But he looked terrified whenever she appeared at my doorstep and refused to go towards her. We had to persuade him to go out with his mother.”

In August last year, Ms Puspawati told Madam Masita that Zaidah wanted her son back because she had stopped working and could care for him.

“I was devastated, but I knew that I had to give him back. Daniel refused to leave with her, and I had to coax him. I didn’t know where they went after that. I wasn’t aware they were living with Puspawati.”

Madam Masita and her family tried to contact Zaidah so they could visit Daniel, but she had changed her phone number and their Facebook messages went unanswered.

After they put up a Facebook post looking for Daniel, Ms Yusnita Mohamed Idrus, 41, who said she was his babysitter, replied to Madam Masita’s second son, Mr Irwan Shah Kasim, 21.

Last September, she took him to their flat for a tearful reunion.

Madam Masita said: “I don’t know why Zaidah refused to let me see Daniel. The visit lasted only a few hours, but I was overjoyed to see him. It was the last time I saw him alive.”

Mr Irwan was at home on Nov 23 last year when a tearful Ms Yusnita called to say that Daniel had died after being abused by Zaidah and Zaini.

He said: “I couldn’t believe my ears and immediately broke down. It seemed unreal, and I passed the phone to my mother.”

HYSTERICAL

Madam Masita said between sobs: “I almost fainted when I received the terrible news. When Daniel was with me, even one mosquito bite was enough to make me worried. I was hysterical and the days that followed passed by in a blur.”

Yesterday, after the couple were sentenced, Madam Masita cried as she clutched Daniel’s favourite pair of shoes and pacifier which she had kept to remember him by.

She told TNP outside court: “I didn’t expect them to abuse him so badly. What kind of mother was she to do that to her own child? Even animals wouldn’t do that to their young. If she did not want him, she could have just returned him to me.”

She finds it very hard to forgive Zaidah and Zaini.

“We Muslims believe in the afterlife. When we meet again one day, I hope that Daniel will still remember me – his ibu who loves him very much,” she added.

Two-year-old Daniel was abused for about a month until his death on Nov 23 last year. This is what happened to him the day before, based on court papers:

Between 10am and noon, Daniel refused to eat when his mother Zaidah tried to feed him.

She slapped his face thrice and passed the bowl of food to Zaini.

As Daniel still refused to eat, they slapped him.

Zaidah hit his back until he fell. When he did not get up, she forcefully stamped on his chest.

She yanked his left arm to make him stand. Daniel swallowed about three spoonfuls of food and refused to eat any more. She ordered him to stand in a corner.

At about 8pm, he was made to stand near the bed. When the tired toddler rested his hand on the bed frame, Zaidah slapped his face several times. Zaini joined in.

DPP Poh said: “The deceased then lay down on the floor and closed his eyes. (Zaini) then took him to the refrigerator and force-fed him two spoonfuls of dried chilli.

“As the deceased was still weak and did not respond, (Zaini) took him to the toilet and washed his mouth. He then punished the deceased again by making him stand in the living room.”

Daniel was still standing about 45 minutes later. He was so tired, he almost fainted.

When Zaidah saw this, she shouted at him, pinched his body and cheeks. She slapped him several times. She thought Daniel was pretending to be weak and told Zaini, who also slapped him several times.

When a blow missed and landed on his daughter, Zaidah got angry. She kicked Daniel’s chest and stomach several times. Zaini also kicked his stomach, and the boy hit his head on the floor when he fell.

Zaini then forced dried chilli down his throat, causing mucus to flow from his nose. He took the toddler to the toilet and washed his face, and ordered him to sleep.

The next morning, he tried to wake Daniel, but he was motionless. He alerted Zaidah. They tried to rouse the boy, but failed.

Ms Puspawati and her niece called an ambulance and Daniel was taken to Singapore General Hospital. He was pronounced dead about an hour later.

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
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A theatre boss being chased for payment by cast members of Singapura: The Musical has finally broken his silence, a year after the production closed without explanation.

Around 30 local musicians have since been seeking payment from Mr Ed Gatchalian, musical director and founder of the Manila-based 4th Wall Theatre Company.

Some even attempted to obtain legal recourse, but failed, while promises of payment never materialised.

But Mr Gatchalian finally responded to attempts to contact him yesterday after 33-year-old keyboardist Jordan Wei, who claimed he is owed more than $1,400 in unpaid wages, posted about the issue on Facebook, bemoaning a lack of “integrity” from the theatre company.

In a copy of an e-mail exchange obtained by The Straits Times, Mr Gatchalian claimed that about 80 per cent of the theatre expenses for the cast and crew have been paid so far – all out of his own pocket, despite him being under “no legal obligation” to make payment.

Mr Wei said: “Contracts were signed and everything was going well. We got paid for all the shows up till about mid-June, that’s when things started going awry.

“The music director, Ed, promised that we would be paid and kept giving explanations. Some musicians and actors believed him, others didn’t as they said the stories didn’t add up.”

The reasons for the show being cancelled were unclear, with organisers blaming fire safety issues. It was later revealed that the wardrobe staff had refused to work because they had not been paid.

Mr Gatchalian cited conflicts with local ticket-seller EventClique and Singapore-based private equity company Asiasons Capital as reasons for the lack of reimbursement. He also said: “You can continue attacking or even suing The 4th Wall Theatre Company as that is your right. But please understand that this is not an exclusively Ed Gatchalian issue.”

Mr Wei responded: “He (Mr Gatchalian) states in the e-mail his reasons (for non-payment), but I find it odd that he chooses to e-mail me out of the blue. Couldn’t he have e-mailed us earlier to let us know what was being done?”

The musical was cancelled abruptly, with rumours that the cast performed at times to an almost empty Capitol Theatre. The show ceased production on July 3 last year after running for about two weeks.

Mr Wei said that while delays in payment are common in the industry, he usually manages to get his money in the end. “But this incident has been the longest so far,” he said.

This article was first published on Jul 06, 2016.
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This year’s Hari Raya Puasa will be a special one for Madam Jurina Johari and her family.

From as early as 9am on Sunday, their one-room rental flat in Sembawang was inundated with well-wishers offering help and donations.

This was due to a video The New Paper posted to its Facebook page on Saturday night.

It was part of a series on breaking fast during Ramadan and it showed Madam Jurina, 42, making a simple version of nasi lemak – without fish or chicken – for iftar.

Tears welled in her eyes as she described how she copes.

Madam Jurina, who has suffered from chronic kidney disease since she was 17, lives with her 60-year-old mother and her two sons. She is in the process of finalising her second divorce.

Mr Muhammad Shafiee Junadi, 22, is serving his national service. Mr Muhammad Shahirul, 21, is autistic.

TNP first spoke to her in May after she had been robbed of her last $50 at the time. That loss meant her family went hungry.

With more than 378,000 views and 6,000 shares, the video also inspired more than 900 people to contact TNP, asking how they could help.

People kept dropping by the home on Sunday. The last guests left at 11pm.

Donations came in the form of cash, bread, eggs and rice.

Items such as curtains, a coffee table, a dining table and even a refrigerator were offered.

Madam Jurina, who had to quit her job as a part-time assistant pharmacist just before Ramadan to care for her autistic son, told TNP: “For the first time, my family will get to bask in the Hari Raya atmosphere that we have longed for.

“I am so moved… I have no words.”

Her voice cracked with emotion as she said: “I can’t wait to cook Hari Raya dishes for my sons and mum.

“I can finally make my house look grand.”

Some gifts like boxes of chicken and beef had to be kept in her neighbour’s refrigerator, as Madam Jurina’s faulty refrigerator door meant it could not chill properly.

The generosity of strangers has left her stunned.

She said: “This has never happened to me before. I was so overwhelmed that I was unable to speak.”

Madam Jurina shared some of her “blessings” with a neighbour whom she is especially close to.

The neighbour, who has five young children, shared food with Madam Jurina in the past.

“This time, I returned her kindness. It’s the least I can do,” she said.

When TNP returned to the flat on Monday, a smiling Madam Jurina said: “So many people came here yesterday. They gave us all this kueh. It looks like I can open a stall at Geylang Bazaar.”

One of the many visitors was Madam Suharti Nazib, 38, who was there with her daughter to donate groceries.

She told TNP: “Even though the (video) was just a short part of her life story, it really touched my heart.”

SADDENED

“It really saddened me to see what she’s been through, especially during the month of Ramadan,” the assistant boutique manager added.

Other parents of autistic children also reached out.

Mr Sarifudin Sapari, 51, whose son is autistic, collected $1,450 from family and friends.

He said that during Ramadan, helping the less fortunate is especially encouraged.

Also stepping up to help was Madam Noreen, 37, who has two children with autism.

“I understand how hard it is as I’ve gone through many obstacles raising my two lovely special kids,” she said.

A special education teacher is also connecting Mr Muhammad Shahirul with the Association for Persons with Special Needs (ASPN) Centre For Adults, to help him find work.

Madam Jurina now hopes to resume her medication for her kidney condition, which she had put off in order to feed her family.

“In the past, I would have to think twice about seeing the doctor. Now I can go with a peace of mind and hope to get better,” she said.

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
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It was a car crash in the dead of night. But it still brought together some residents of Geylang Serai.

Mr Muhamad Rizal, 21, was hanging out with his friend near Block 414, Eunos Road 5, yesterday when he heard a crash at 3am.

A Mazda Biante multi-purpose vehicle had swerved into the left lane to Sims Avenue and hit a counterweight supporting an overhead Hari Raya decorative banner.

The left side of the vehicle was damaged.

Mr Rizal and his friend rushed towards the sound, ready to help any injured victims.

“I have a medic background as I was trained in the army,” said Mr Rizal, a helper at Seah Im Food Centre.

“It was a shocking moment. I thought someone might have been injured,” he said.

Fortunately, the car driver appeared unhurt and told Mr Rizal he was fine.

A police spokesman said a 59-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

Under the law, first-time offenders face disqualification from driving for at least a year and a maximum fine of $5,000 or six months’ jail.

The sound also surprised Ms Nur Aisah, 21, who was at home at Block 414, putting up Hari Raya decorations with her family.

Geylang Serai residents rush to help victims of 3am car crash

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The New Paper

‘SHIVERING’

“I started shivering when I heard the noise,” said Ms Nur Aisah, who ran to the scene with her cousin.

“We wanted to help in case (the driver) was injured,” she said.

The cousins were joined by Mr Ridwan Iskander and his friend Mohd Riduan,who were also alerted by the sound of the crash.

“We just tried to guide the oncoming cars away from the crash,” said Mr Ridwan.

The banner had drooped to the left, obstructing traffic.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) sent a fire engine, a Red Rhino and an ambulance to the scene. Firefighters removed the dangling banner.

An SCDF spokesman said the driver was assessed by paramedics and declined to be taken to the hospital.

This article was first published on July 06, 2016.
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A teenager who admitted to sexually abusing two young boys at a welfare home yesterday pleaded to a court not to send him for reformative training.

The 16-year-old told Principal District Judge Bala Reddy that he had “enemies” at the Reformative Training Centre (RTC) and that he was worried about being involved in fights there.

The thin-looking accused, who was unrepresented, said he did not wish to mix with “bad company” and be like them. Asked by the judge if he knew what RTC was, he said “reformative training”.

The judge replied: “Yes. Those who go there must come out as good persons, reformed.”

Asked why would he fight with people at the centre, the accused said he had heard that there were “many bad people in RTC”.

Earlier, he had said: “Many of the people hate me.”

He asked the court to give him a chance by calling for a probation report so that he could spend Hari Raya with his family. He said he regretted his offences and promised to be a better person in future.

He had been referred to the home by the Ministry of Social and Family Development because his parents, who are divorced, are unable to care for him.

He pleaded guilty to three of nine charges – two of sexually abusing the boys, an 11-year-old and a 12-year-old, as well as committing an obscene act on the older one who has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and borderline IQ.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jesintha Veijayaratnam said the 11-year-old boy was getting ready to sleep on Oct 31 last year when the accused, his dormitory mate, repeatedly signalled to him and pointed at his private parts.

The boy understood the accused wanted him to perform a sexual act. He ignored him but was forced to give in as a result of the accused’s persistence. They went to the toilet where the boy performed sexual acts on the accused.

In the older victim’s case, the court heard that when he went to the toilet one afternoon between September and December 2014, the accused repeatedly called out to him to go to him in the shower area. At first, the victim declined. He eventually gave in out of fear. The accused made the victim perform a sexual act on him.

Between September 2014 and last October, the older victim had performed a total of seven sexual acts on the accused.

The prosecutor had asked for an RTC suitability report to be called. She said the accused had systematically targeted two vulnerable children for his own sexual pleasure.

The offences were committed at a welfare home, which is supposed to be a “safe haven” for young people at risk, she added.

The judge postponed sentencing pending probation and RTC reports.

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
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Incidents of lift getting jammed likely due to objects getting stuck in gap: Town council

Debris left behind by contractors after renovation works could be the reason why an HDB lift malfunctioned and resulted in several residents being trapped inside.

Mr Liu Yu Zhu, 33, who lives in Block 511A, Yishun Street 51, was leaving for work about a week ago when the lift got jammed two floors down from his seventh-floor flat.

He was stuck inside for 20 minutes before another resident managed to help him pull the doors open and get him out.

Nee Soon Town Council (NSTC) said there were two reports filed about the same lift – on June 21 and June 22- getting jammed, though on one of the occasions, the lift was empty.

An NSTC spokesman said the stoppages were likely due to debris or objects getting stuck in the gap separating the lift carriage and the walls.

The Straits Times understands that several flats in Mr Liu’s block are undergoing renovation. Keys were given to residents in April.

This is the third incident in recent weeks where contractors have been linked to issues in new housing blocks. On Sunday, The Straits Times reported how a 61-year-old woman twice found her home in Punggol flooded by sewage, prompting the HDB to advise contractors not to put unwanted materials or debris into waste pipes.

Meanwhile, it was reported last week how rubbish chutes from the second to eighth floors at Block 817A Keat Hong Link were stuffed with litter. The HDB found that refuse handling equipment attached to the central chute on the ground floor had malfunctioned.

An HDB spokesman said the problem was caused by the improper disposal of bulky refuse and renovation debris, which caused the chute to get jammed.

Mr Liu, who works in a meat processing factory, said: “I hope they repair the lift, so that people won’t get trapped in it again.”

Fellow resident Dennis Ang, 43, said the lift at the block malfunctioned on June 21. He saw about 10 people gathered at the lift landing on the ground floor at about 7pm.

Two seniors and two young children seemed to be trapped inside and a few people were trying to pull the doors open, but failed.

Mr Ang said an elderly woman trapped in the lift was “quite hysterical”, pulling at the door and shouting “Let us out” in Mandarin.

Mr Ang went to get help from the management office and four of them were freed about 15 minutes later. “This is a new block and it’s not fully occupied,” said Mr Ang, a father of two young boys who moved into a fifth-floor flat last month.

He said he is worried his children might get trapped in the lift. “What if they shout for help, and there is no one to help them? ” he said.

On Thursday last week, he noticed that the digital information display at the lift said it was overloaded, when it was, in fact, empty.

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Woodlands residents stranded for 4 hours after all 3 lifts break down

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Stomp

See also:

Elderly man dies after falling on his head in lift mishap in Pasir Ris

Woman dies after being trapped in faulty lift for 30 days

The co-founder of socio-political website The Real Singapore (TRS), Yang Kaiheng, began his jail term yesterday.

Yang, who was unaccompanied, surrendered himself at the State Courts at about 10.15am.

The 27-year-old, who started the now-defunct TRS with his wife Ai Takagi, 23, was sentenced to eight months in jail last Tuesday for deliberately sowing discord between Singaporeans and foreigners through a series of online articles.

Yang had asked the court to defer his sentence till yesterday to give him time to settle matters relating to his ramen business and to visit his wife in prison on Monday.

He was charged with six counts of sedition, in what is hitherto the most serious case of sedition in Singapore.

Two more charges – one of uploading a seditious Facebook post, and one of failing to give documents to the police – were taken into consideration during the sentencing.

Takagi, an Australian who had pleaded guilty to four counts of sedition from the start, was sentenced to 10 months in jail.

She was 12 weeks pregnant when she started her sentence in April.

Yang had claimed trial, but pleaded guilty midway.

The Real Singapore duo arrested for sedition

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The New Paper, The Straits Times

His jail sentence is shorter than Takagi’s as she had authored the seditious articles, while he had failed to amend or remove them although he controlled the website and its contents, the district judge had said during the sentencing.

The court also found Yang had exploited nationalistic sentiments by publishing articles that promoted hostility towards foreigners residing or working in Singapore, purely for financial gain.

This article was first published on July 6, 2016.
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