In an unusual show of disdain for the ‘veterans’ at Geylang and Joo Chiat, a multi-agency task force swooped down on Thursday to evict the area of 108 persons involved in “illegal gambling activities, secret society involvement, peddling contraband cigarettes, vice-related activities, trafficking and drug-related offences” (according to TODAY). Then, on Saturday, another 138 persons were removed (according to MyPaper) just to make certain the message got across.
As if the authorities only just became aware of these activities over the past and not anytime in the previous decades of operation, more than 200 mostly-underpaid civil servants from “the Singapore Police Force, Central Narcotics Bureau and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority together with Singapore Customs” were robbed of a good night’s sleep (at least) to round up the alleged criminals. It is highly probable that many of the same officers would have been robbed of a perfectly good Saturday night as well to be involved in the second operation. This is not considering the countless man-hours that will be now spent in the coming weeks investigating and prosecuting the 246 alleged criminals – all at the expense of taxpayer dollars and considerable (unpaid) overtime by several of the aforementioned underpaid civil servants.
Apparently, the authorities will continue with the enforcement action as “such criminal activities cannot be tolerated”, according to CID director, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Ng Boon Gay. He did not clarify if the past decades of allowing the Geylang and Joo Chiat areas to thrive in these very criminal activities was due to blissful ignorance then.
One source who has no intimate knowledge of the situation and is by no stretch of the imagination an expert on the subject (but who nonetheless enjoys being critical of Singapore and talking loudly) suggested that the opening of the Integrated Resorts (IRs) would necessitate all gambling addicts and vice-related ‘activists’ to move or adapt their operations to the IR vicinity to boost patronage there. Alluding to the IRs as a “cannot fail project”, our source looked over his shoulder before suggesting that it was obvious that the authorities would start to come down hard on the illegal gambling sector, now that the option to generate revenue legally from gambling is available to the government.
And as if to corroborate this speculation, MyPaper tells us today that Ang Mo Kio Police Division has got into the act as well and raided a “condominium at midnight last Friday, and arrested 13 men and two women, aged between 21 and 27.” The most telling piece of information is the Acting Commander, Superintendent Manimaran Pushpanathan’s ‘friendly’ advice that “(i)llegal gambling operators are sadly mistaken if they think they can escape detection by operating under the cover of funeral wakes or private premises.” Again, this good actor overlooked clarifying why such funeral-gambling was not addressed before – since it is safe to assume people have been dying since time immemorial.
Meanwhile our source, citing the years of money-making schemes economy enhancing policies that the Singapore Government is famed for, was confident that the increased clampdown on illegal gambling was no coincidence with the opening of the IRs, and is sure that the purpose is to dissuade patrons from visiting illegal gambling dens and instead simply ‘donate’ the $100 to the IR and waste their money there (not to mention, enjoy the better toilet facilities).
In any case, whilst having no experience with the subject matter but using the all-powerful commonsense, we tend to agree that the enhanced vice-raids will consequently improve the patronage at the IRs by (a) scaring patrons (i.e. divert demand), and (b) putting the illegal gambling den operators out of business (i.e. reduce competitive supply).
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This reminds me of the Singapore Pool advertisement…something that goes:
“Bet responsibly, do not bet illegally” Instead of asking people to bet less or really responsibly, they equate responsible betting as legal betting….well, guess that it is the case since any money that enter their coffer is always welcome
timely to ask ourselves – in what way is the gambling in condo and funeral wakes ”illegal” while gambling in IR is not only considered legal but even given positive publicity ?
The difference is that in one, the government gets a cut of the $ while the other is carried out without any “contribution” to the government.
As long as the government does not have the opportunity to get a cut of the $, it is deemed “illegal”. If they get a cut, then it is ok.
pathetic isn’t it ?
classic case of hypocrisy
put your money in my pocket is never against the “LAW”
why not “BAN” all gambling, stupid.
“BAN” all smoking too, stupid.
“BAN” all cars too, detrimental to all health, environment, and unnecessary comsumption of oil, pollution too, waste of tax payers money for building of roads, highways, etc etc
collect all $$$ above for the poor, but most likely will end up in someone’s pocket …….who else, million of dollars ministers….
Too farnee!! :D
Just the same as publically announced salary of millions for the ministers is not corrupted……
allow me to continue…
think about it – there are many examples of situations which suddenly becomes “legal” just because government gets a cut of $.
Eg.
(a) foreign workers. If not paying foreign workers levy, they are illegal workers. If pay, then ok.
(b) Selling 4D. If private 4D sellers, they are illegal. But if buy from government, then ok.
(c) Lorry carrying passengers. If they pay license and get a green sticker to put behind the lorry, then ok, lorry can carry passengers. If not, then traffic offence and police will fine.
(d) Geylang prostitution. Those houses with red lanterns, ok can. But those prostitutes who roam the streets, get arrested because “illegal” vice activities.
many more situations, but i think everyone understands my point, right?
@joe,
IR projects our Singapore image leh….Dunno if LVS will gets its license ????
Im sure they WILL.. :P
hi disgust…errr… sorry, ah .. si mee is “LVS” ??
:-) to protect the monopoly of IR?
las vegas sands idiot.
Well I wish all Singaporeans and Tourist who go to IR have the bestest of lady luck by their side.
Win everything you play, hopefully you’ll drain out the resources of IR and make it shut down for good.
Let our government come out with lame excuses like, “Gambling epidemic causes IR to close for good: PM Lee”
To curlyhar,
Oh gee, thanks for pointing it out to me.
I do apologise for my ignorance. I have always thought the one in Singapore is called Marina Bay Sands
IR is gov last trump card. after it fails, next would be prostitution and drugs somehow leegalised…
money first, ethnics last, peasant no care … papaya motto.
ir give ma da more business, justifying our tax dollars in their salaries. such brilliant economics, pap!
Mmm…since we have started with once vice, let’s do more…to promote economic growth
maybe we can have an Adult Video industry in Singapore next? Of course, restriction will be placed on Singaporeans while foreigners will get free-rein…look at Japan, it is a billion dollar industry…does that pique your interest, our dear leader?
OK, let’s put it this way, Geylang is for the poor people while Orchard Towers, Brix, Living Room and the IR’s are for the rich people.
As such, you will find that our police will spend all their efforts in places like Geylang because we want to ensure that the moral fiber of society remains firm and resolute against vice and other naughty things that could be bad for you.
However, we don’t want to disturb people the people doing naughty things in places like Orchard Towers and Brix because its called fueling the economy. Nice foreign people should not be disturbed from demonstrating that they are as prone to regular vices as the other Joes.
One of the most interesting scenes in my life was watching the bouncers at Brix remove a drunken Caucasian who thought he was Sir Galahad for a few of the working girls. For doing their jobs, the bouncers got told off.
I have always been a supporter of TOC but this piece is an example of bad journalism. The Writer’s personal assumption lacks objectivity and empiricism, mirroring what I read in TR. There’s a good reason why TOC is TOC and TR is TR. Don’t blur the lines.
“more than 200 mostly-underpaid civil servants from “the Singapore Police Force, Central Narcotics Bureau and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority together with Singapore Customs” were robbed of a good night’s sleep (at least)”
The clue is ‘The Satirist Says’ and the fact that this is listed under ‘TOC Lite’ & ‘On A Lighter Note’, enjoy…
oops… sorry ganga!
Well as the blogger points out
http://atans1.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/genting-spore-help-needed/
Genting got problems.
And ToC pointed out MS got triad issues.
So help is appreciated by these investors. Need them to employ FTs.
Another factor is the coming elections. The police has been constantly criticised for allowing vice to flourish and spread to other places like Kovan.
The Home Affairs ministry has to be seen to be doing some high profile work once in a while.
After elections it will be business as usual.
Life is all about gambling. When you elect a gov’t into office, you are taking a gamble. Sometimes it pays, sometimes you lose your bet.
The gov’t took a gamble and brought in the IR’s. I bet (see what I did there?) the gov’t was fully aware of the repercussions of this: more interest in gambling and hence more gambling activity (legal or otherwise), more revenue for the gov’t one way or another.
When the next elections come, where are you going to place your bet?
which is owned by LVS dear joe.
@curlyhar
Wow! thanks. i am so enlightened.
Yet another example of how an activity becomes “legal” when gahment gets $ :
If hawkers apply and pay for license, then it is legal. If no license (did not pay $ to gahment), it is illegal hawking.
How long should singaporeans tahan this kind of nonsense ??
@joe
yes joe, when you get a tummy ache or better – food poisoning and noone is responsible, then I’ll laugh. Your statements are ridiculous. Its like in the US, get a license then can own a gun. Get a license then can hunt for deer. Which nation doesnt practise this? Licensing is for accountability.
“See, we are anti vice/gambling and doing our jobs, the two IRs/casinos are exceptions and legit.”
Doing something visible to placate the anti-casino crowd… AFTER TWO casinos have been built. And just before impending elections. Great timing. How expedient.
Anyhow, I am keeping a close eye on the developments on the alleged triad links to Sands. Let’s see how the Casino Regulatory Authority sanitizes the gaming industry and keep the thugs away. Or will the govt close one eye, look the other way, cover up, explain away, grant the casino license and reap the profitable gaming taxes.
Stay tuned.
@peppy
Yeah, i understand now. Paying for TV license, radio license, factory license, boat license, dog license, retail license, business registration license, etc.. is to hold the people accountable.
Wow, these are so important activities and the only way to hold them accountable is through licensing. Wow, I understand now, I really understand now.
TV n radio license is obviously for the ownership and usage. Dog, retail and business registration is accountability. Without registration, how are we to hold pple accountable? Like sunshine empire and such. Business is not important? wait til you get swindled and cheated, and seriously, all these licenses are so much enough for you to complain? Most are mere administrative costs, biz reg license imho is so low that they cant even recoup the website costs, much less the remaining administrative costs such as HR etc.
So according to joe, we should scrap licenses, let anyone just cook and sell food, especially those who cut cost and use old pots and pans, do not have any sense of hygiene etc. Let us have no need of driver’s license, let a 8 yo drive a car.
People like joe expects everything free, want to own but refuse to pay, so who will pay for the costs in the end?
let me tell you a lon sad sob story…this happenned a few years back..nothin to do with ir resort gamblin but still got somethin to do with pap government greedieness for money from the poor peasants..
remember the cigarettes smokin/advertisement campaign? all the mumble/jumble bout health consious to the present situation where 1 even cannot smoked in open spaces? if you think this is bad..more to come..liked i said few years back.. the greedy government banned the sales of smaller packets liked 5 sticks/10 sticks thinggie…(remembered in the good ole day when 1 can even buy 1 stick from your local friendly mama shop @ 0.05cts/stick) so i make a simple enquiry..who changed this law? if somebody want to smoke less by buyin a 5 sticks pack..it their smokin habit..the government spokeman replied…………
by forcin the smoker to buy a big 20 sticks packet it would deter them from smokin…
HA! HA! HA!… what a joke.. the government believed by taxin a 5 sticks packet it not worth their time and effort…might as well taxed a 20 sticks packet.. and if you are goin to buy a large 20 sticks packet..ain’t you goin to light up MORE?
@myviewsarestillbetter
It is the same story with coe and high car prices.. Who would want to spend tons of $ to buy a car and then park it at home?
Of course, we would want to use it as much as possible, seeing that the car only has a “life-span” of 10 years…
@peppy
And why do we need to pay an “adminstration” fee when we use our own medisave?
What do you expect our enforcement officers to do? To raid and arrest the criminals and thugs in Geylang also wrong. Don’t raid and arrest them also wrong. It appears whatever our enforcement officers do are all wrong except those who are clever to criticises are always right. It is ridiculous!
Toolang 15 April 2010
What do you expect our enforcement officers to do? To raid and arrest the criminals and thugs in Geylang also wrong. Don’t raid and arrest them also wrong. It appears whatever our enforcement officers do are all wrong except those who are clever to criticises are always right. It is ridiculous!
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good question indeed..why do you allowed your ministers/mps to flourish in your grc wards?
a) you worked for them?
b) you are related to them?
or c) polled the audiences for a lifeline?
myviewsarestillbetter
I do not work for anybody except myself to earn an honest living. I am not related to anyone of them. I do not owe any person any living except to speak rationally and logically. What do you expect our enforcement officers to do? To be at your beck and call?
people can be so well conditioned and brainwashed by the gahment that sometimes they can’t think out of the box and they simply regurgitate what they have been taught and told. Peppy is one good example.
sad and pathetic
Toolang 15 April 2010
myviewsarestillbetter
What do you expect our enforcement officers to do? To be at your beck and call?
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and you and your colleagues are workin as?
remembered you says OUR enforecment officers…
maybe you are expectin a cushy job liked sittin in a hawker centre tarekin your teh tarek while waitin for the pipe piper rats to appear again?
and you still havn’t answered me why you allowed so many eatricewasteseeds ministers/mps to be in charged…
myviewsarestill better 16 April 2010
As I said above “I do not work for anybody except myself ” means I work alone. No colleagues and support. I pay taxes for you and our enforcement officers to have free lunches on my generousity unless of course you are non-Singaporeans. The Ministers/MPs are appointed by you and your family members because you all voted them in during the last GE. Why complain now when they are in charge?
Toolang
As I said above “I do not work for anybody except myself ” means I work alone. I pay taxes for you and our enforcement officers to have free lunches The Ministers/MPs are appointed by you and your family members
…………………………………………
you worked for yourself? yet you complaint liked hell when we terkan the ministers/mp/mcys official…
now you are here to booast that you are a TOWGAY employin ALL of us? who you think you are?
leekuanyew himself? you sound liked him you act liked him…
ole yes we all know that leekuanyew himself don’t needs to vote @ all because you confirmed here that you didn’t vote for any minister/mps…YET you still pay taxes?
wow! you pay taxes on me too? why i perform sex on your behalf with your spouse?
whaw! you must be wearin a giant green hat hor…
which department of your permanent secrectariatships are you? the election boards perhaps?
Hotel Charged For Vice Activities
IN THE first case of its kind, police have brought charges against a budget hotel licensee for knowingly facilitating vice activities within the hotel’s premises, in a signal to errant hotel operators to clean up their act.
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wow! wongcan’tsink i am proud of you..very very proud of you..you are ineed the world number 1 home affair minister..you cannot control the foreign import streetwalkers..you penalised the local innkeepers.. hav you ever tried swoopin on tanjong pagar/chinatown hotel 18/81 groups as well…
i am sured there too hav a few streetwalkers to the extend of tiong bahru ole flats converted into new dormintories..
p.s. who run tanjong pagar GRCs?…..