Oliver Fricker has been sentenced to 5 months in jail and 3 strokes of the cane
In that light, I would now like everyone to watch this video: HERE.
Now tell me if you think such treatment does not disregard human rights standards. Tell me if you don’t think this is torture, or cruel and inhumane punishment. Tell me if you think this is something that developed and civilised societies do. Tell me if you believe he deserves it.
BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO HIM, JUST BECAUSE HE SPRAYED SOME PAINT ON A MRT.
It is completely sickening. I can’t believe that we are going to inflict such an archaic and utterly barbaric punishment for such a petty crime that did not even hurt anyone (and almost went undetected). It is so completely overblown – and I’m not saying this because he is a foreigner. It is completely overblown as a punishment foranyone, and it disgusts me that my country would do something like this to a person, and think it NECESSARY.
And as if that weren’t enough, this is coming along with the fact that no one in SMRT or our great government seems to be taking the responsibility or getting punished at all. By spray painting the train Fricker unwittingly did us a great service by exposing the flaws in our national security, yet not a single one of our grossly overpaid authorities is being held accountable for it (just like they aren’t being held accountable for the escape of Mas Selamat, or the floods, or anything else that has gone wrong). If we really want to make an example out of Fricker to deter others from trespassing and vandalism, then I believe that it is only fair that someone from SMRT or the government be publicly punished, to serve as an example for other complacent officials or authority figures who might be slacking on the job. Yet that is not happening. Instead, there is this:
Highest paid SMRT CEO
MS SAW Phaik Hwa, 55, was paid $1.67 million last year, including stock options, making her the highest-grossing chief executive that public transport operator SMRT Corp has ever employed.
Her deputy, Mr Yeo Meng Hin, 46, whose responsibilities include safety, emergency planning and security, took home $970,272 – making him the second best paid executive onboard.
The remuneration details were listed in SMRT Corp’s latest annual report. Compared to the year before, Ms Saw’s package was 7.1 per cent higher while Mr Yeo’s grew by 13.3 per cent. Their compensation includes bonuses, benefits and company shares.
Remuneration for the company’s top five executives, excluding Ms Saw’s, totalled $3.2 million – 17.2 per cent higher than the previous year’s. SMRT’s total wage bill grew by 6.3 per cent to $294.8 million over the same period.
While previous annual reports did not provide detailed breakdowns of top-level remuneration, Ms Saw’s predecessors – Mr Boey Tak Hap and Mr Kwek Siew Jin – were paid around $570,000 before share options.
Before share options, Ms Saw’s package last year came up to $1.43 million. This compares favourably with what her counterpart at transport giant ComfortDelGro Corp got. Its chief executive, Mr Kua Hong Pak, 66, was paid between $1.75 million and $1.99 million last year, excluding options.
It is appalling. If the executives are getting such high pay, there is all the more reason for them to be punished and held accountable for the security lapse. It is their responsibility to ensure that the millions of Singaporeans, PRs, foreigners and tourists who take public transport are protected and as safe as possible. It is their job to ensure that all their staff are vigilant, well-informed and on the ball. It is completely inadequate and unacceptable for them to think that we were all safe just because they’d made a video about looking out for terrorists to be played in MRT stations. After all, the public isn’t getting paid millions to ensure the security of the public transport system – they are.
But instead of getting an apology from SMRT or our government (and I mean a proper apology, and not a “regret”), all we Singaporeans got were great performances of tai chi as the blame was pushed around – government suddenly wants nothing to do with SMRT, SMRT and security companies say Singaporeans are getting complacent, etc. A review of the system has been promised, but have we seen any evidence of this review, or received any details of what exactly is going to be done? As far as I can see, the only difference between before and after this incident is that there is now a guy in a vest at my usual MRT station who shouts, “DOOR CLOSING! BE CAREFUL!” as the doors close and the train pulls away. Hardly makes me feel more safe. The only reason I haven’t stopped taking the MRT is because I HAVE NO CHOICE.
And now Singapore is all over the international news, and the whole world is going to read about us caning a guy for graffiti. Once again, we are going to be made a global laughingstock, a tiny country with delusions of grandeur and a mindset that belongs in the 17th century.
Seems like Singapore is a lot closer to being a Torture Hub than a Arts Hub or Business Hub.
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By Kirsten Han
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It will be ashame if the title ” Singapore=Global Torture Hub” goes overseas. It will only invite hostility.
Fricker did not kill a person, Caning is not necessary, for his act was prompted by Art expression.5 months jail is appropriate.
In fact, good that this vandalism has happened, for it went to show that some people are sleeping.For all fairness, Their failure to ensure safety should also amount to some punishment. Any explosive can be planted in the train at depot, while they are still checking bags. How stupid!
The government thru the Shanmugam
mouthpiece has shirk their responsibility of having to give or provide security to MRT depots as it involves cost. If u do a search on the tax they receive for property tax for each station it amounts to millions of dollars. This is a sicko government who wants to collect $$$$ but not take responsibility for security – national security. It best to vote out loud mouths who do nothing. The whole government machinery has gone down the pits – floods, fugitive escape, floods again, overpaid bums and a hibernating PM who hids and hibernates when a issue big arrives, so much for having a mentor or senior around. This place has gone to shitdom
The scariest thing is if this guy had been a terrorist planting a bomb, many innocent people would have died. Like what the author had said, the Swiss guy actually did us all a favour by jolting our attention that this (terrorist attack) could very well happen.
The jail sentence and caning may deter vandals but definitely not the terrorists. After all, they (the terrorists) are often suicidal.
The people who had let this happen should be punished. By not doing so and diluting the real issue, we all have every reason to be very afraid from now on. For the mere fact that our security system at public premises is very inadequate. At least, now the terrorists know we are an easy target.
I wonder how a 32yr old kid could come to our land as a foreign Talent and behaved as if he is still dwelling in his own land and no respect for our laws.Do i care for his well being?NO,NO,NO.He deserves every stroke he gets.
The video of the 20 lashes being meted out to a criminal shows that cruelty and barbarian acts are still characteristic traits of society that claims to have achieved a certain standard of living.
Just like the mandatory death penalty, sometimes the letter and the spirit of the law just gets blurred by the people who wield authority.
I agree criminals should not get off lightly, but to subject them to cruelty and death is unjust.
Compare to USA’s indiscriminate bombing and killing of innocent citizens in Iraq (which, strangely, no one take it up as unjust and cruel), the punishment of sneaky criminals like Olivier, who carefully plan to challenges our law and damage public propeties in the name of fun, are definitely justify. But such are the hypocrisies of those who are always portraying and turning these criminals into victims of their own crimes!
I support the views that we maintain the caning…the law is clearly stated for all to know, and if someone dares to challenge it, they have to face the consequences.
Singapore does not need to subscribe to the hypocrisies of those western countries, who on one hand criticize other countries of human rights offences, but on the other, go round killing people in masses under the false justification of anti-terrorism and war collateral!!!
Once again Singapore is acting as a third world country in sentencing another male to a Barbaric FLOGGING. It proves that the foundation of this unjust government and society is one of dehumanizing cruelty. What is Singapore famous for–NOTHING but TORTURE. Punishment is one thing but deliberate Torture is quite anohter and not acceptable in the modern world. This is not 1994 and the consquences of this pending human rights abuse will do far greater damage to a country’s reputation and image already tarnished in the world. The very ritual of brutal beating (nicely called caning in Singapore)is a sado masochistic and homo erotic act whereby the male is strripped naked, tied up as one would tie an animal to a frame while a sadistic male guard that is hired trained and paid uses a wooden whip soaked in chemicals to beat him over and over and over again until injury and bleeding occurs while other salivating male guards and a male doctor (I use the term loosely) enjoy the whole spectacle until the victim is untied needing medical attention and or hospitalization. Welcome to Singapore’s S/M world of 2010. International human rights organizations have long condemned this and it is against all United Nations statutes against torture, but Singapore continues to defy international law believing it is immune. When will this madness end?
what is barbaric?
A check in the dictionary shows that it doesn’t describe specific acts to be barbaric. For example, it does NOT say that corporeal punishment (which is ‘caning is classified under) to be barbaric.
In fact, its only premise is ‘civility’ which itself is another subjective term.
No, I do not think caning to be barbaric, not when it is a punishment designed to deter UN-civility. A punishment, that is well known, courtesy of Micheal Fay, BEFOREHAND. One doesn’t even need to know law to be aware of the punishment.
Really, if one of the components of civility is the following of law (so that people can live peacefully together), then the only barbaric act, if you follow the definitions, is the ‘act’ committed by Fricker.
You don’t want to call caning Barbaric?
What would you call it? Would you call it cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment? Isn’t it a sadistic perverted ritual? Wouldn’t you call caning the deliberate infliction of severe physical pain on someone for punitive purposes? Wait a minute-why not call caning exactly what it is: TORTURE.
No country has the moral right to inflict any and all kinds of suffering in the name of punishment-Unless they can get away with it. Shamefully, for decades Singapore has gotten away with TORTURING males.
A bunch of self-righteous hypocrites relentlessly defending a vandalism act is utterly ludicrous.
If you truly care about human rights, where were your voices when US imposed the War on Iraq without clear evidence of WMD which resulted in thousands of civilians deaths? What about the innocent victims detained in Guantanamo Bay for many years without trial?
Hypocrites!
Three strokes of the cane .Dude cope it sweet your a twit at your age to be graffating ? maybe the swing is a little harsh but wise up boy … I BET YOU NEVER DO IT AGAIN ? And did you really get caned ? or just sent home ?