There was this case, then came news of molesters and serial molesters being arrested, and now there’s another. Just barely a week after it was reported that a serial molester got nabbed, another case surfaced again. The molester admitted laying on top of his maid and kissing her all over her body. Before he could send her back to her country, he was nabbed by the police after the maid’s cousin tipped off the police; and mind you, he’s a secretary of the Punggol Angsana Resident’s Committee.

For that, he got 10 months’ jail and 3 strokes of the cane (*piak piak*).

This morning, there was also mention of the alleged molestation of a blogger that had been spreading in the Internet forums. In the discussion on air, many felt that the girl who was involved in the molestation was asking for it because she apparently sent too many signals - wrong or otherwise. While some were sympathetic with her, many flamed her, calling her names and painting numerous (almost countless) scenarios on what could have happened. Some even when to the extend of stating that she probably asked the guy along for the trip because she could have gotten discounted tickets since the latter was working in SIA. In addition, 1 commenter wondered if it was for the cheaper DFS stuffs that she could lay her hands on.

Reading the comments in the blog, one will realise that talk is indeed free. Whether it hurts someone else is not important. Indeed, many who left flaming comments signed off with pseudonyms that were ridiculous sounding. While there are many variants on the different scenarios, most of them revolve around the girl being cheap and slutty.

The New Paper also ran the story today, with pseudonyms, of course. However, it doesn’t need too much of detective work to figure out who the article was referring to. From that article, it was known that the guy involved was contacted by the papers and that he is currently seeking legal advise. If the guy decides to sue, the consequences may not be as colourful as some would have hoped for. From the circumstances surrounding it, he could sue for defamation and the onus will be on the girl to prove that the event did happen. Now, since it is not possible for her to do that, then there’s no case for her and she may be ordered to pay compensation to the guy. In addition, it seemed like neither the police in Singapore nor South Korea are taking up the complaint, which further proves to be a disadvantage to the girl.

Nonetheless, perhaps John is the real victim here, with his name plastered all over the place. A search on Google returned her post as the first entry. Even if her post is taken down, other copies of the same post may still remain on the Internet for a while. As someone mentioned in the blog:

Your story holds little water, and any reader should not judge the guy. Most of them don’t know you, most of them don’t know him. We thus can only read your story and say, we’re sorry for how you feel. Please, delete his name and apologise to him - face-to-face and publicly. You know it’s partly your fault that this whole thing happened, if it did. John should not be the only person to take the blame.

Indeed, perhaps she should apologise and get on with her life. At best, it’s probably… just an honest mistake.

THREE days after molesting his Indonesian maid, National Environment Agency supervisor Lee Song Koi cancelled her work permit and tried to send her home.

His wife took the 21-year-old domestic worker to the airport but the police, acting on a frantic call from the maid’s cousin, intercepted and stopped the maid from taking her flight home.

Lee, 46, also a secretary of the Punggol Angsana Residents’ Committee, was yesterday sentenced to 10 months’ jail and three strokes of the cane for molesting her.

He is appealing against the sentence and is out on $15,000 bail.

He admitted on Monday to lying on top of the maid and kissing her all over the body at his Hougang flat on July 7 last year.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Elizabeth Lee Liang Mae said that the victim was sleeping in her room when Lee forced himself on her by kissing her face.

He lifted her T-shirt while the victim struggled and told him to stop.

Lee ignored her and continued molesting her.

Before leaving the room, he told her not to tell anyone.

Three days later, police received a 999 call and the Airport Police were alerted to look out for the maid whom they found together with Lee’s wife at Terminal 2.

Lee’s lawyers Subhas Anandan and Sunil Sudheesan said that the father of two made no excuse for his behaviour, and had shown remorse by compensating her $5,000.

That night, he came home drunk after a company dinner and dance and hugged the maid in the living room.

Half an hour later, he went into her bedroom to molest her.

He apologised later that morning, said Mr Anandan, adding that Lee had contributed to society for 10 years as a grassroots leader.

After meting out the sentence, District Judge Wong Choon Ning said the charges were serious ones.

‘As the employer, it is your responsibility to treat her well, and certainly not to commit these offences.’

Lee could have been jailed for up to three years, fined or caned, or received any two such punishments.

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 18th June 2008

ERP charges will be going up soon and 5 more gantries will be added along the banks of the Singapore river, going live from 7th July 2008. LTA has also commented that the timing to increase the ERP charges has nothing to do with the current inflation issue because motorists will be given relieve in other manners, such as lowering of road taxes. An important highlight in the ERP charges is that new gantries will have their charges starting from $2 and future increments will be in multiples of $1.

This is meant to make the motorists feel the pinch (and pain) of driving a car. The public transport system has recorded an all time peak in public transport usage but this is a separate issue from ERP charges. Mr Ong Kian Min, deputy chairman, GPC (Transport) added that if motorists pay to use the road, they will be assured of a smooth ride.

Perhaps they should just peg the ERP charges at $10 - that will definitely ensure a smooth ride. Then again… the motorists might not feel the pinch after a while. Perhaps $20 is better… No? $30? How about a $100?

TOP up that CashCard. Driving into the city is going to cost more.

Five new gantries along the banks of the Singapore River go live from July 7, bringing the total number islandwide to 65.

Gantries in the business district will stay on an extra hour, to 8pm on weekdays, and on Saturdays, Orchard Road gantries will start an hour earlier, at 11am.

Higher Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges kick in, too. Motorists will pay up to $2 more in the most extensive review of tolls since the first gantry went up 10 years ago.

The focus of this review is to speed up city traffic, especially from 6pm to 8pm.

Average speeds along North Bridge Road and South Bridge Road have dropped from about 25kmh in 2002 to 19kmh last month.

To speed things up, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is making three changes, starting with how ERP is charged.

‘When a motorist has paid whatever the going rate is to use the road, we want him to be able to have a smooth journey. The problem now with the average speed measurement is that the majority of people who pay do not get that experience,’ said an LTA spokesman.

From July 7, motorists will get to travel at speeds above 20kmh on arterial roads and at least 45kmh on expressways, at least 85 per cent of the time, up from just half the time now.

The new criteria will be used in the city centre first, before being extended to other gantries over the next seven months.

Another change being made affects the actual ERP charges. All new gantries will start with $2 deductions and as speeds deteriorate, each jump will be $1.

Over the last 10 years, it has become increasingly more difficult to deter motorists with 50-cent jumps. In 2006, it took nine rate hikes to do the job. Last year, 25 adjustments were needed, said LTA.

The last change - adding five new gantries along the Singapore River - is aimed at discouraging motorists from using city roads as a short cut.

These initiatives were first mentioned in January as part of a new transport masterplan aimed at getting more people onto public transport.

Since then, extra train and bus services and higher fuel prices have helped move some motorists off the roads.

Public transport ridership hit a record 4.78 million rides a day in the first three months of this year.

But this is not enough to postpone ERP rate hikes, said LTA. Average speeds along Bras Basah Road, for example, are down from about 30kmh in 2002 to about 22kmh last month.

Higher inflation is also not a reason to put it off.

Mr Cedric Foo, head of the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Transport, said: ‘We should not mix up road usage measures like ERP with means to cope with general inflation.’

LTA added that holding off the ERP changes can lead to bigger economic problems due to congestion.

Motorists will get some relief in the form of lower road tax from next month. Vehicle registration fees were also lowered in March.

Mr Ong Kian Min, deputy chairman, GPC (Transport), added: ‘With the change in how ERP charges are determined, motorists are given the Government’s assurance that if you pay to use the road, you can enjoy a smooth ride.’

mariaa@sph.com.sg

Article obtained from straitstimes.com on 18th June 2008