Main Stories, Top Story, Uncle Leong's corner - Written on Thursday, August 20, 2009 12:56 - 80 Comments

Where’s the compassion in our “fine city”?

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Leong Sze Hian

I refer to the article “Jailed for living in illegal tent” (ST, Aug 18).

It reported:

“Homeless and unemployed, Noor Mohammad Yassin Ismail pitched a canvas tent at East Coast Park in May, 2007, and lived there for almost a month – without a lease or licence to do so. He was discovered on June 26 of that year, after he was apprehended by park rangers.

In court on Tuesday, Noor was asked to produce his Identity Card or passport but he said that he had lost both items.

It prompted District Judge Mr Shaiffudin Saruwan to retort in jest: ‘I suggest you use a bicycle chain to tie yourself to a tree or you may lose yourself as well.’

Pleading for leniency, Noor, who is tanned and skinny, said that he seldom ate, only doing so if friends gave him food. He added that his mother is paralysed and looked after by a younger sibling, while an elder sister does not care about him. He was fined $800 but could not afford to pay the fine so he was jailed four days instead. He could have been fined up to $2,000.”

Is there any other country in the world that sends a homeless person to court because he has to sleep in a park – and then fines him $800? Of course, if you are homeless and hungry, how could you afford to pay the fine? So, you end up in jail, just as Noor did.

In October 2008, the National Parks Board fined a bus driver $200 for sleeping on a bench, saying he had “misused the park facility”. The man had dozed off while taking shelter from the rain.

In Noor’s case, he was told by the judge: “I suggest you use a bicycle chain to tie yourself to a tree or you may lose yourself as well”.

Where is the compassion? Why are our judges making callous and unfeeling remarks towards people who’re down and out?

There have been stories in the media of homeless people having their belongings stolen, while they were sleeping in the open.

The reality may be that if you lose your IC and passport, you will have to pay to get them replaced when you report the loss. So, if you have no money even for food, what do you do?

The homeless shelters in Singapore always have a long waiting list. What this means is that there are always homeless people in Singapore. Media reports have described people living on the beach, in the parks, canals, toilets, etc.

Are there any statistics of how many people are homeless?

Well, even if there are, I believe they have never been published. Maybe some member of parliament could ask?

In the New Paper on 15 August, 2009, there were three stories about people who lost their HDB flats because they could not pay their mortgage, and became homeless (sleeping in a van) or were about to be homeless.

Last year, HDB made 60,000 visits to HDB households who had problems paying for their flats.

How many people have lost their flats already, and how many may lose their flats in the future?

This very sad story got me thinking about the statistics. If there are no statistics on the homeless, what about statistics on how many have been charged with such offences like sleeping in the park without a licence, which I understand are called minor regulatory offences.

According to the article “Pay up promptly or court trouble” (Today, Jun 8), there were four million minor regulatory offences last year, and 90,000 were hauled to night courts for not paying on time.

I believe some of those charged in court were people who could not pay the composition for the offence, rather than deliberate late payers.

In the current economic downturn, I understand that hundreds are charged in court almost every week for Service and Conservancy Charges (S & CC).

I understand that these HDB flat owners are fined in court, and if they are unable to pay the fine, they are jailed for a day or two.

For those who cannot pay their S & CC arrears due to financial difficulties or for that matter offences like sleeping in the park, it is unlikely that they can pay the fine, and thus may be jailed.

How many people were jailed last year for such non-payment of regulatory offences, like this homeless man?

With about one million households in Singapore, does it mean that on the average, each household commits about four minor regulatory offences in a year?

How much is collected in a year from these four million regulatory offences?

Although I understand that Singapore’s “fine city” T-shirt is one of the most popular souvenirs for tourists, surely there ought to be a limit to this unhealthy trend of more and more fines and more people being ever sent to jail.

—–

Related posts:

  1. A fine? Or just a slap on the wrist?
  2. Vui Kong, we care – a day for compassion
  3. City Of Possibilities or Fluff City?
  4. Should S’pore have been named Tiger City instead of Lion City?
  5. An orchestra in fine form?



80 Comments

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Willy M-M
Aug 20, 2009 13:05

everything is FINE, penalty… compassion? the judge should refer this man to social welfare. maybe his multi million dollar pay makes him too comfortable, a lot of people are at their wits’ end, what happen if he does something stupid e.g. jumping into Trains or MRT

there are rising number of homeless, some with 4 or 5 childrens, roaming streets. why? and these childrens dont go to school. when they grow up, they become bigger problems for society later on. why dont the government help them? take their children into welfare homes etc.

just donate 50% of their $6M pay, they would help 1000s of homeless and perhaps their children.

Moe Gan Thai
Aug 20, 2009 13:15

This is a nonsense country, this is a money face govt. If this is the case, those homeless in Mumbai, and many cities in India, New York, will be fine and govt can collect millions of dollars from them. Too many rules and regulations will make the people sick, no wonder many will want to migrate !!!

Let's Flood the Prisons
Aug 20, 2009 13:18

This judge should tie a noose around his neck. People life so miserable already still talk so callously.

If I am down and out I will also not pay such stupid fines. At least they will give me food, shelter and medicine in prison. Plus got books to read also.

Maybe all homeless and poor people should do this to get back at this heartless govt of ours.

Pessimist
Aug 20, 2009 13:29

Whatever happened to the talk about euthanasia? I thought they want to implement it? Then we’ll be free of the homeless and beggars, and we can convert the old folks homes into holiday resorts, and don’t need hospices or prisons anymore. They also can dispense with the C class wards. Think how much they would save! Wah!

Homeless People
Aug 20, 2009 13:29

Dear Moe Gan Thai,Peple who can afford can migrate!!!. People can’t afford just wait to die. There’s many way U can die. Jump!!!!! for High Bldg. Band MRT. I”m from a poor family. During my school Days. No M to pay school fee. Whats my teacher told me! I don’t care either U go to Beg, Borrow or steal, Good Luck!
Take Care. God Bless U

Adrian
Aug 20, 2009 13:32

I have to agree with this one. I think sometimes the District Court judges need to take a little detour away from their big cars and houses and visit the poorer quarters of Singapore. Then they’ll hopefully come down a bit from their ivory towers and realise that there are in fact many people in Singapore that honestly and seriously need help, yet have no idea where to go or how to get it, and they should try to help the person instead.

In fact, this case shouldn’t even have gone before a judge. The park rangers should have referred his case to the CDC or Town Council or someone for them to try and help him out first. Punitive measures aren’t wrong, but they shouldn’t be applied unthinkingly to all situations.

Horror
Aug 20, 2009 13:34

Someone lost USD40bil and still laughing away with golden award. Our president should query but he didn’t. I wonder, is the court under the umbrella of Temasek or is Singapore court part of GLCs? Apparently, all these “establishments” can’t wait to squeeze every drop of blood out of the citizens. It is quite an irony that we were made to recite our plege so many times and everyday but words in those pledge and reality practiced by our govt are different.

AN
Aug 20, 2009 13:36

Another excellent piece of write up Mr Leong. Feel sad for the poor of poorest in our First World and very angry with the judge for making such callous comment.

Its like when one is at the edge of a cliff with nowhere to run, instead of offering a helping hand, you get a push and off you fall to your death!

Is this the kind of First World that MM feels proud to trumpet to the world? In the words of Dr Chee, First World for Whom?

Terrible to be in such a state in our First World and my heartfelt prayers with them. Not meant to preach the Gospel in this forum but felt compelled to share this meaningful bible verse, especially to the poor.

‘It is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle, then for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God’.

noname
Aug 20, 2009 13:37

To Pessimist,

Whatever happened to the talk about euthanasia? I thought they want to implement it?

They are one smart ass. With the voting citizens consisting of more than 50% Abraham faiths, i.e. Islam, Catholic and Christianity.

They won’t be so stupid to implement it even though the savings is siginificant.

Ng E-Jay
Aug 20, 2009 13:39

Rather than haul homeless people to court for minor offences like illegal pitching, which they obviously committed due to the dire straits they were in and not out of wifulness, the Govt should invest in building more facilities and shelters for these people.

This is another example of the Govt refusing to provide adequate safety nets for those who have fallen through the cracks, and then using the strong arm of the law against these poor folks when they run afoul of minor rules. Uncaring, uncompassionate, unconscionable would be the words I use to describe this.

will4
Aug 20, 2009 13:42

I have seen homeless people wondering about in Henderson n some of them seen sleeping on the benches.

Mr. E
Aug 20, 2009 14:15

Did that judge really make such a comment? That is really callous and unprofessional and he certainly justifies the contempt that lawyers and judges have for the singapore system that I have met overseas over the years. Unbelievable.

ST_fan
Aug 20, 2009 14:24

Aiyah…the judge probably said it in a “fatherly” manner like the female MP who “motherly” ask a resident’s son why he not working during Meet-the-Resident session….Sigh

steven
Aug 20, 2009 14:41

Another evidence that our society is in deep trouble. With such a divided gap between the peasants and the elite, it is only a matter of time when riot will strike out.

anakin
Aug 20, 2009 14:58

Yo….Eric Brooks, are you reading this????? Now u know why no beggars in Singapore…….

joke
Aug 20, 2009 15:54

“Yo….Eric Brooks, are you reading this????? Now u know why no beggars in Singapore…….”

and all the social problems are neatly and cleanly erased by laws.

exploited
Aug 20, 2009 16:05

BL
Aug 20, 2009 16:13

Justice is blind – indeed!

Blind to the circumstances that can forced an innocent citizen to commit a minor offence such as pitching a tent on state land.

Blind to the misdemeanours of someone who can flagrantly throw away our reserves into the black hole of the American financial system, and get away scot-free with nary a slap on the wrist.

Terence Goh
Aug 20, 2009 16:19

NOT TRUE THAT THERE IS NO COMPASSION LAH!

Just that compassion is not given to Singaporeans!

Indian National fined $2,000 for outraging the victim’s modesty. See how compassionate our courts are?

http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC090818-0000080/Mistaken-identity-lands-IT-engineer-in-trouble

patriot
Aug 20, 2009 16:27

It is not compassion in this incident that matters.

It is why sleeping(or resting in a lying position?) in park an offence ?

Why pitching tent at the beach is an offence ?

Why smoking in many open(not indoor) places is an office ?

Why having a sweet in the mouth and drinking plain water whilst on public transports is an offence ?

And why fondling and groping in public IS NOT an offence ?

Why swearing and shouting vulgarities ARE NOT OFFENCES ??

Why students smoking in uniforms just outside their schools are common sights ?

patriot

Jail got free food and lodging
Aug 20, 2009 16:28

I read somewhere that in Taiwan (or is it Japan?), some elderly people who are homeless and penniless deliberately commit crimes so that they they can be jailed. This will provide them shelter, food and even medical care.

radlife66
Aug 20, 2009 16:42

and there is a word for this modus operandi:

Gentrification.

Gentrification of Singapore society.

This has been going on since decades in singapore…

and up till Obama’s democratic win in 2008, this process of “gentrification” is also begining to take place in the USA, with 8 years of republicans bushy rule! Introduced by the GOP (republicans), aka capitalist, free market economist, gilded golden age, elitist, meritocracy advocates.

operation clean up!

Social Security – such a waste of national wealth to spend on these scumbags! Consolidate social security (aka CPF, 401K), invest in financial markets & production facilities. Make full use of every dollar in this globalized economy.

Those who can, prosper. Those who can’t, what little you have will be taken away from you.

Sorry, i am just overcome with anger!

anakin
Aug 20, 2009 16:44

hi Patriot

U can add to the list

why non-candidates within 100 metres of the polling stattion in a GE is an offence but GCT shaking hands with voters inside polling station in Cheng san is not an offence.

He who has the gold makes the rules….

radlife66
Aug 20, 2009 16:52

mice is nice
Aug 20, 2009 17:04

what makes compkusory CPF contribution legal? :?

mice is nice
Aug 20, 2009 17:05

what makes compulsory CPF contribution legal? :?

Yang
Aug 20, 2009 17:11

Who is this judge who saying his remark to this poor old man. Any clues??? We should bring this matter up to the Chief judge to give us an explanation. Damn fool judge got no heart and useless. This fellow judge is looking down on poor citizens whom we give them the power.

Kanaji
Aug 20, 2009 17:20

I was told by PAP that GST is supposed to help the poor. Where is GST when you need him?

Some idiot wrote; less GST = less revenue =cannot help the poor.

I think its more like; more GST = more revenue + fine the poor & homeless $800 each = even more revenue = help the greedy (PAP)

ApApA
Aug 20, 2009 18:18

The District Judge Mr Shaiffudin Saruwan’s remarks was uncalled for.

The remarks … ‘I suggest you use a bicycle chain to tie yourself to a tree or you may lose yourself as well.’ did not serve any purpose at all.

He is a judge, not a commentator.

anonymous
Aug 20, 2009 18:28

thank you pap legal system,

u just created another criminal.

when the poor guy is unable to stand up for himself due to the criminal record, what do u think he will do?
who will be his victim and crime? rape? theft? or burn his mp?

well im sure there are many who would love the last to occur.

patriot
Aug 20, 2009 18:29

Hi Anakin # 23:

Thank You for the Addition !

Me likes to add another two:

Why is Gamblings legal and illegal, not the same gamblings meh ?

Why is illegal loan shark’s interest lower than legal loan killer whale’s(financial institutions Banks, Credit Card/ Cash Credit Companies and Finance Companies etc) ???

Where is Justice ???

patriot

Jonah
Aug 20, 2009 18:49

no wonder the jail is filled to the brim these days. so much so that they have to send violent criminals on HOME DETENTION so as to free up space to jail these poor homeless people.

well done, PAP. I’m really starting to get ANGRY!

Abandoned
Aug 20, 2009 18:58

Don’t you know that that’s the culture and identity of Singapore?

It’s a very cold and heartless society, with values of greed amd materialism and very sadly, reinforced by the leaders over the years through.

The toxins of intelorence, disconnect and hardfeelings have poison the hearts of the elites. They cannot feel nor emphatize any more.

mice is nice
Aug 20, 2009 19:00

quick question, so is the judge saying it is legal to tie oneself & his/her belongings to any tree?

anakin
Aug 20, 2009 19:01

Hi Patriot,

Got another one for you

Employee don’t pay workers salary is not illegal but do not pay worker’s levy is illegal.

singaporean
Aug 20, 2009 20:26

MR Tang was given 1 day jail and fine and sent back home because he has money
The judge is not kind and look down on this poor guys and give him 4 days jail because he is poor and also give scarstic remarks

Sink Singapore
Aug 20, 2009 20:41

The truth will be out eventually. The millions which the pap get will shame themselves forever. They are taking the money, boasting to everyone that they have deliver world class result. Look at the past one year, news after news of embarrassment appear to the public.

This remind me of a book called “Wild Swan” about China culture revolution.

Singapore is having its own version of revolution. I hope that the founder father of singapore to realise that it is to nobody good if he continue to be so stubborn.

How i wish that his wife is around to advise him.

tiredsingaporean
Aug 20, 2009 20:47

He was fined $800 but could not afford to pay the fine so he was jailed four days instead. He could have been fined up to $2,000.”

This is nothing new here in Singapore. Do you guys know that there are as many as thousands of those who defaulted their TCs fees and HDB arrears were being summoned to court and being slapped with additional fines, and even send to jail in the last few years back? dunno if this still continues.

tiredsingaporean
Aug 20, 2009 20:50

funny thing in singapore is that when you are down and out, no money and penniless, you are automatically converted into criminals through the court process.

mgby
Aug 20, 2009 20:52

i just feel that our garmen is trying to find all ways to recover the losses caused by some loser!~ :( FINE! fine all u want!!! one fine day you will find that this island has no one else but FTs!

kf
Aug 20, 2009 20:56

For me, the thing that came out with the strongest impression in this article, is the judge’s name. I don’t expect all judges of such cases to have such a big heart as to provide them with monetary means to go on in life, but to add sarcasm above everything is something else. By the time you have judges taking law into their own hands, you have lawlessness.

JustALandNotMyHome
Aug 20, 2009 22:09

mgby.
I think so too.
BTW alot of them, FTs, thought this place is a gold mine until they came lol.
They mistook the FINE for MINE.

tom
Aug 20, 2009 22:50

Spore govt has run out of ideas how to earn $$$. With the casinos delayed & investments gone to DUST, they just have to get small change from the poor.

Beside the poor, the taxi drivers, truck drivers through minor road offences….

ERP, GST…..all these will contribute to make PAP fatter.

As for the poor, ask your children to look after them (if not you can go JB homes).

The poor has CONTRIBUTED to s’pore economy one way or another but now govt treat them like eye sore……Not to be seen or heard.

Instead they have the Reluctant students to go around with the aluminium donation containers almost everyday (MOE will squeeze the schools and the schools will Squeeze the students). The govt is hoping these donation will help the poor instead of the govt.

Govt don’t give a damn about the poor…..PAP is for themselves.

Bila Lila
Aug 20, 2009 23:37

A comment in jest? I fail to see the humour.

Jason
Aug 20, 2009 23:44

“A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” ~ Mahatma Ghandi

FAIL

mice is nice
Aug 20, 2009 23:44

only sick people find sick jokes humourous? like racial, religious “jokes”…

JC
Aug 20, 2009 23:54

Reading this makes me reflect on two things:

1. Somewhere in 2003~2004, there was a public uproar of MPs voting to give themselves a raise. That was the year, if I am not mistaken, when our PM got a huge bump on his paycheck and the public outcry (PM later announced that he would donate his increase to charity) was audible in every paper and the blogosphere was flooded with scorns of their already-exuberant pays. That was the same year the government increased GST by 2%. However, this voting shenanigan masked an earlier vote in parliament that same year (in February) on increasing the monthly benefits to the poor of Singapore – a supposed stipend/allowance to the needies and low-income family in subsidized housing. The motion was obviously voted down by the very same MPs, citing that the current level of subsidy is enough.

2. The Singapore Kindness campaign: so much resources have been poured into these campaign and we still have results illustrated in this blog story. With people in high places (like the MPs, SMs, MMs, PMs) showing us these forms, how do we expect the regular joe’s of Singapore to behave otherwise? I guess these campaigns are meant for “Singaporeans other than the judges, MPs, SMs, etc. who are (in cahoots) with PAP.” Whatever happened to the gracious city we are suppose to project?

Some of the gracious people you (I used “you” instead of “us” because I never gotten a chance to vote in my constituent) voted to “lead” Singapore.

anomymous
Aug 21, 2009 0:24

I was told that our previous Chief Justice owned a luxurious apartment in one of the most upmarket districts of Shanghai that was developed by Capitaland.

Do you think they give a damn about the homeless ?

teo soh lung
Aug 21, 2009 0:40

Judge Mr Shaiffudin Saruwan’s retort is unacceptable. It has done severe damage to the image of our judicial system. For the prosecution to take the case to court is beyond my understanding. And I wonder why the Singapore Law Society Criminal Legal Aid Scheme had failed to represent this poor man. The entire system has fallen apart.

george
Aug 21, 2009 3:56

The ruling elite and the government apparatus are geared toward enforcing the rules and law regardless of the circumstances. Those cases high lighted above were obviuosly due to poverty. Being poor is not a crime but sadly in Sinkapore it is. The entire system is truly rotten and with current recession the poor and disadvantaged beside financial worries had many more problems piled on them by the uncaring PAP regime. Obviously being the highest paid minister in the world do not make them any more human then say the “poorly” paid ministers in UK/Europe/USA. There is only one solution, vote them out but I had a suspicion that the PAP had already a solution in place to address this problem. They will make sure there is no opposition member available to stand in any ward. They will use the judicial system to bar potential candidates from standing.

OriginalResonance
Aug 21, 2009 8:16

“just donate 50% of their $6M pay, they would help 1000s of homeless and perhaps their children.”

What are they? Some kind of philosopher kings? Be careful with what you wish for. Cliched as it may sound, “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys” never sounded more apt. The ethical egoist in me fails to see why 1000s of the weak should receive unconditional aid. We are not a socialist country. We must help these unfortunate folks, of course. But they have to work for it.

The SS
Aug 21, 2009 9:10

How can a society have compassion when they have no real ideals to believe in, follow and plan with? In our case, especially the Elites who know they won’t have to ever come face to face with poverty. How would they know how to empathise with those who live in poverty?

Amused
Aug 21, 2009 9:40

OriginalResonance

“What are they? Some kind of philosopher kings?”

With the kind of money we’re paying them, they’d better be better than that. Now they are only kings with worsening philosophy.

“Be careful with what you wish for.”

If people wish for them to donate 50% of their salary to help the poor, and it somehow happened, what’s so bad about that? You fear they gonna raise costs because they are left with less money? Well then, we see where the problem is don’t we? Oh wait… You don’t.

“Cliched as it may sound, “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys” never sounded more apt.”

We are paying them bananas, and they have morphed into gorillas that’s able to screw us anytime/anyhow they want. Or are you just trying to call people like Mr. Obama (who is paid peanuts ($400k p/a) in the Durai scale ($600k p/a)) a monkey?

“The ethical egoist in me fails to see why 1000s of the weak should receive unconditional aid.”

So you feel morally obliged to act in your own self-interest only? I see where you’re coming from then.

“We are not a socialist country.”

No. Not in the traditional definition. We’re plenty “socialist” to the corporations here though.

“We must help these unfortunate folks, of course. But they have to work for it.”

And if there’s no work/the person can’t work, too bad eh?
(I’d consider working 60 hours a week for $720 per month as “no work” as it is not a living wage in SG)

OriginalResonance
Aug 21, 2009 10:03

Amused

“With the kind of money we’re paying them, they’d better be better than that. Now they are only kings with worsening philosophy.”

I meant the philosopher kings espoused in the Republic where governance is an obligation, a thankless job in other words.

“If people wish for them to donate 50% of their salary to help the poor, and it somehow happened, what’s so bad about that? You fear they gonna raise costs because they are left with less money? Well then, we see where the problem is don’t we? Oh wait… You don’t.”

I fear that competence would be penalized and in the long run, our civilization will be poorer for that.

“We are paying them bananas, and they have morphed into gorillas that’s able to screw us anytime/anyhow they want. Or are you just trying to call people like Mr. Obama (who is paid peanuts ($400k p/a) in the Durai scale ($600k p/a)) a monkey?”

I’m not about to start a critique of President Obama’s governing adeptness, his people are already doing it right now. My point is capitalism is the order of the day in Singapore. The fetishism of money on a general scale here leads me to believe that Singaporeans are more likely to gravitate towards the monetary rewards that politics ensue rather than nationalistic pride per se. A huge pay packet ensures at the very least, in principle, a competition for positions in the government.

“So you feel morally obliged to act in your own self-interest only? I see where you’re coming from then.”

You have to question the veracity of my statement rather than to simply dismiss it based on some moral tenets that you deem self-evident. That would be dogmatic of you, wouldn’t it?

“No. Not in the traditional definition. We’re plenty “socialist” to the corporations here though.”

Semantics really. In order to misrepresent socialism at its very core.

“And if there’s no work/the person can’t work, too bad eh?
(I’d consider working 60 hours a week for $720 per month as “no work” as it is not a living wage in SG)”

Employment isn’t a bestowed right on man. You have to adapt to market demands. And if $720 per month isn’t a living wage in SG, maybe we shouldn’t bother with the pittance that we give to the less fortunate, eh?

Dumb and dumber
Aug 21, 2009 11:09

“i just feel that our garmen is trying to find all ways to recover the losses caused by some loser!~ :( FINE! fine all u want!!! one fine day you will find that this island has no one else but FTs!”

Hypothetically, If there is no more Singaporeans, FW/FTs takes our place : ). They win, and continue to tax anyone residing in this country…

Anyway, don’t confuse law and justice. Law is law, and Justice is justice. Law is and always dedicated by a dedicated few (good and bad ones). Justice, on the other hand, involves moral standards.

Look at Burma, they got law, no justice – based on ASSK’s recent verdict; and you compare that with Singapore… we got law, definitely, justice?

Thinking further…

What is corruption? “Legal” = “no corruption”? Then Burma is definitely clean and white as a piece of blank paper.

Alex the peasant boy
Aug 21, 2009 11:20

Ha, I remember some top brass said that he didnt have a good breakfast!

VoteOutLee
Aug 21, 2009 11:27

This country is getting from bad to worst.
Someone shld be hanged on judgement day…
I hope i live to see this day

Dumb and dumber
Aug 21, 2009 11:36

“District Judge Mr Shaiffudin Saruwan to retort in jest: ‘I suggest you use a bicycle chain to tie yourself to a tree or you may lose yourself as well.’”

It seems the judge is an intellect with no “wisdom”.

1. He should have realized that he should not “waste” the precious court time on someone who wouldn’t care a “shit” on what he says.
2. He should have chided the prosecutor instead for wasting the court’s time. The defendent should be referred to some sort of charity or public assistance scheme instead – which our MPs has been so proud of (I vaguely remember some MPs pro-claiming that we have help for the poor in abundant, yeah right…)
3. He did not realize that by passing the sentence, he is increasing the barrier for the defendent to fend for himself. – i.e. more difficult for him to find a job given the criminal record.
4. On hindsight, it seems that by awarding a prison sentence, the court is providing the defendent lodging, food, work, and medical treatment – albeit only four days – at the expense of tax payers only. The judge should realize that to a person that doesn’t even have a place to sleep and food to eat, putting him in the prison is not a penalty.
5. Based on point 4, I believe the judge has wrongly interpreted the defendent’s situation and he seems to be “rewarding” him to continue his behavior. – I bet the defendent will be continue to sleep in the park – and I bet the next time the park ranger will just ignore him.
6. Based on point 4 & 5, it seems like our judiciary system seems pretty “screwed” up. I am not sure what the defendent will do the next to get back in if his situation does not improve.

The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Daily SG: 21 Aug 2009
Aug 21, 2009 11:36

[...] Truth, Justice, and the Singapore Way – TOC: Where’s the compassion in our “fine city”? [...]

Intellectually Challenged
Aug 21, 2009 11:45

“It seems the judge is an intellect with no “wisdom”.”

Well perhaps that wasn’t the criteria to be a judge.

“Wisdom” is not the ‘merit’ looked for in the presumably meritocratic judicial services. Perhaps it was political correctness was the most meritorious quality.

loop
Aug 21, 2009 11:51

Town Councils, GIC & Temasek should be made to pay for all these fines since they lost so much $.

sturmtruppen
Aug 21, 2009 14:26

folks….what the judge if he actually actuate those demeaning de-humanising words is most un-called for Mr Noor who is already in dire straits.

instead of being funny or witty or being wise at Mr Noor expense, and also giving Mr Noor a criminal record thus making his life become more of a living hell in singapore [with a criminal record, harder to get a job]…

since the past can’t be change unless someone is authority made the changes to help Mr Noor in his situation…

can the judge [since he post-create this unfair and undue scenario] help in a more constructive and more humane way [yeah meals and lodging for 4 days...but wrong way to go about it] once Mr Noor is out of jail by getting him into some kind of public assistance scheme or joh assistance scheme.

whjho
Aug 21, 2009 14:32

I guess the Judge needs to reinforce and make sure that MM Lee’s ” Where are the beggars? Show me.” is proven.

Since this poor little boy violated MM Lee’s vision for Spore, the sandwiched Judge has to find some laws to pluck it.

Adrian
Aug 21, 2009 14:58

Amused – I agree with a lot of what you said, but I disagree that $720 a month (even if it comes at 60 hours a week) isn’t a living wage in Singapore.

I know a lady who supports herself and her son (just the two of them living in a three-room flat) just by selling kueh-kueh and earning some $500 a month. Of course, you can argue that it’s not so bad for her cos she already has a roof over her head, but the point I’m trying to make is really just that $720 a month isn’t really all that bad.

Eureka
Aug 21, 2009 20:03

The main reason why there is a rising number of homeless for the past few years is the high price of the HDB pigeonholes. When you have to pay up to 1/3 of your salary on the HDB mortgage, this puts people in a dangerous situation when they get retrenched when their savings cannot tide them over two years of being jobless. When these people delay their payment to the bank for 3 months, the bank will seize the flat over and resell the flat in the open market. The owners have to be evicted and become homeless. Fining the guy over “illegal” camping in the park is not going to prevent homeless people from seeking refuge in the parks. Please have compassion, his guy is already homeless and can’t afford to pay the fines lah. The kangaroo judge should not chide him by telling him to hang himself over a bike chain in the tree (aka commit suicide). I suggest the government should build more 1 room flats to reserve for those homeless people evicted from home and charge a very cheap rent of $50. This will ensure most homeless people can have temporary place to stay in instead of sleeping in the parks, benches or void deck.

c-p-k
Aug 21, 2009 23:05

Heh Eric Brooks, take a good look at this and learn not to jump to hasty conclusions.
Do Canadian judges fine, jail and chain poor Canadians to trees?!?

Ken
Aug 22, 2009 2:02

‘Judge a man not by how he treats his equals, but by how he treats his inferiors’. Of course, when you have a judge judging his inferiors with contempt, it is a bad sign…

ah kow
Aug 22, 2009 3:13

Our people in the Ministries should not act blur and wait for TV stations/newspapers to respond. example, private schools with cheating intention luring foreign students, foreign workers without work but end up sleeping on road sides. These are inefficencies that we should look deep down at and ask why ? These people will not forget their bad experiences and eventually we hurt ourselves as we are no difference from our neighbours.

anakin
Aug 22, 2009 11:40

Hi Adrian,

“but the point I’m trying to make is really just that $720 a month isn’t really all that bad.”

didn’t you know that Singapore is the 2nd most expensive city in Asia after Tokyo and Japanese and twice the per capital income. Can you survive on such a meagre salary?

hyder
Aug 22, 2009 15:21

I do not understand how slapping an $800 fine on someone who clearly cannot pay makes economic sense.

You fine someone $800, then remand him for 4 days. Who ends up paying for this? Why, the taxpayer of course.

It really seems like a lose-lose situation for everyone: The Defendant gets a tarnished record of sorts, and the taxpayer’s dollars are wasted on the facilities and meals provided by the corrective institutions.

Homeless in Singapore | Uncompassionate Judge « iamspidermonkey speaks!
Aug 22, 2009 16:05

[...] To find out more… check out the on-going debate at The Online Citizen – Where’s the compassion in our “Fine City”? [...]

Ang Tong Hai
Aug 22, 2009 20:02

Is there Compassion in :

“no one owes u a living” ?

NS_khaki_beret_man
Aug 23, 2009 18:33

This judge should be sent to SAF Ranger training for saying something so rude! Wait if he can survived in Thai jungles!

hicknayed
Aug 23, 2009 21:50

Oh my god, the judge actually said that? How callous but not surprising bearing in mind many rich and powerful people including MPs here always say this kind of scathing remarks to kek us commoners. Really no commpasion.

mice is nice
Aug 23, 2009 23:31

with NDP not a too distant past, these are signs of a divided society.

Daniel
Aug 23, 2009 23:42

“It prompted District Judge Mr Shaiffudin Saruwan to retort in jest: ‘I suggest you use a bicycle chain to tie yourself to a tree or you may lose yourself as well.’”

Maybe the judge should also have told Noor to be grateful to the government because not only he doesn’t have to pay the fine if he can’t afford to, he will also be entitled to free accomodation and curry eyes with 24 hours protection for 4 days !

NS_khaki_beret_man
Aug 24, 2009 12:24

Would they send poor and homeless to DB some day if jail is full?

Amused
Aug 24, 2009 12:45

Daniel,

A “living wage” must include the housing component. Rent/Mortgage is a huge expense in SG.

If the lady you mentioned is paying installment on a new HDB flat bought at current rates, (say price of 150k with 20% downpayment), she would have to pay $438 (1.9% p/a 30 years) or $480 (2.6% p/a 30 years) for housing. Note that one is not likely to be able to rent a whole unit 3-room HDB flat at this cost.

That’s why one can’t camp without permit at the parks – no contribution of $$$ to the Govt.

george
Aug 25, 2009 16:19

The Sinkapore judicial system is an extension of the PAP regime. It is there to enforce PAP rules and visions. Being a poor citizen has no place in Sinkapore. Sinkapore PLC is a PAP company to be managed which way that pleases the dictator and its citizens just like employees to be treated just like a digits in a spreadsheet. The true citizens of Singapore rise up and speak your mind for justice and equality. One cannot turned a blind eye to the injustice being perpuatuated by the PAP regime day in and day out for all this years. Do you have to wait your of misfortune before you realised that the a rotten system called the First World is actually a mirage?

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Article 1 «
Dec 13, 2009 3:20

[...] about Singapore? Read this report here. Leave a Comment No Comments Yet so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. [...]

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