ICA to review Ong Beng Seng's PR status after he was fined for abetting in obstruction of justice
In response to CNA queries, the ICA said Singapore permanent residents who have been convicted of an offence will have their PR status reviewed.
'ICA will review Mr Ong Beng Seng's PR since he has been convicted and sentenced,' the authority said on Friday.
Ong, 79, was fined S$30,000 (US$23,400) on Friday for abetting former Transport Minister S Iswaran in the obstruction of justice.
Principal District Judge Lee Lit Cheng had agreed with the prosecution and defence that judicial mercy was justified and imposed the maximum fine a district court can give, instead of three months' jail.
She said that imprisonment would carry a high risk of endangering Ong's life since he has incurable malignant cancer - multiple myeloma – and is immunosuppressed and more prone to unusual and severe infections.
The cancer, which has destroyed parts of his skeletal system, has also made him susceptible to falls.
Judge Lee explained that the risks would be increased in prison even if Ong were to be housed in a medical ward, and his fall risk would also be heightened.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
4 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Johor drivers plan to form association over crackdown by Singapore on cross-border ride-hail services, Malaysia News
Ride-hailing and chartered car drivers in Johor are planning to form an association following the recent crackdown by Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) over illegal cross-border services. Sin Chew Daily reported that the goal of the organisation is to get the attention of Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook towards the drivers' plight. One driver, surnamed Lim, told the Malaysian media outlet that documents had already been submitted to the Registrar of Societies to form the association, and that at least 1,000 of the over 4,000 estimated cross-border drivers in Johor had expressed their support. While agreeing that many drivers do operate cross-border services illegally, Lim highlighted the importance of the service to Johor's tourism industry, and added that drivers were willing to comply with regulations should a pathway be provided for them to offer cross-border rides legally. "Once the cross-border transport service is legalised, then we can negotiate with Singapore," Lim said. "The purpose of forming the association is to gather feedback and collective strength to negotiate with the relevant ministries and accelerate the implementation of favourable and friendly policies." [[nid:721305]] Currently, offenders who illegally provide ride-hailing services may be fined up to $3,000 and/or be jailed for up to six months in Singapore. Their vehicles may also be forfeited. Sin Chew also spoke to a tour operator surnamed Lee, who has been a cross-border driver for 15 years and has been detained by enforcement officers four times since 2017. He said: "We hope that through the association, we can meet with Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Johor Menteri Besar (chief minister) Onn Hafiz bin Ghazi to present our ideas to them." Onn Hafiz previously posted on Facebook on Aug 1 that he had discussed a proposal for cross-border e-hailing services during a meeting with Singapore's Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow. But the LTA said that no decision had been made, adding: "While we are open to ideas to improve the cross-border commuting experience, we would like to clarify that LTA has no plan to fully liberalise cross-border point-to-point transport via ride-hail services." Instead, the LTA added that it was exploring ways to enhance its existing cross-border taxi scheme, which allows a licensed fleet of up to 200 taxis from Singapore and Johor Bahru each to ferry passengers between the cities. Singapore-registered vehicles seized in Johor Meanwhile, Johor's Road Transport Department (JPJ) recently announced that it had seized four Singapore-registered vehicles, The Star reported. "The drivers were ferrying tourists from Singapore and other nationalities into Johor during ongoing operations in Johor Bahru starting on Aug 9," said JPJ's director-general Aedy Fadly Ramli. The drivers, who are Singaporeans in their 30s or 40s, did not possess the relevant permit to operate e-hailing services, nor did they have Malaysian road tax or public service vehicle registration, he said. When asked if the seizures were due to LTA's recent crackdown, Aedy Fadly said: "That is the LTA's duty. This is carried out by JPJ with a different modus operandi, not as a reaction to LTA's operations." [[nid:720818]] drimac@
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Trump says he does not believe Xi will act on Taiwan
WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump said on Friday (Aug 15) that Chinese President Xi Jinping told him China would not invade Taiwan while Trump is in office. Trump made the comments in an interview with Fox News, ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. "I will tell you, you know, you have a very similar thing with President Xi of China and Taiwan, but I don't believe there's any way it's going to happen as long as I'm here. We'll see," Trump said during an interview on Fox News' "Special Report". "He told me, 'I will never do it as long as you're president.' President Xi told me that, and I said, 'Well, I appreciate that,' but he also said, 'But I am very patient, and China is very patient.'," Trump said. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump and Xi held their first confirmed call of Trump's second presidential term in June. Trump also said in April that Xi had called him but did not specify when that call took place. China views Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to "reunify" with the democratic and separately governed island, by force if necessary. Taiwan strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims. Although Washington is Taiwan's main arms supplier and international backer, the US - like most countries - has no formal diplomatic ties with the island.
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Made-for-TV pageantry as Trump brings Putin in from the cold
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shaking hands at the end of a press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug 15. ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Stepping foot on Western soil for the first time since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine , Russian President Vladimir Putin basked in choreographed pageantry courtesy of his US counterpart Donald Trump – and also signs of American power. In made-for-television images, the pair each flew in their presidential planes to Elmendorf Air Base, the largest US military installation in Alaska that played a key role in monitoring the Soviet Union. Mr Trump waited in Air Force One until Mr Putin landed and then stepped down to the tarmac, clapping as he saw the Russian leader for the first time since 2019, this time under a frigid slate-grey sky. They then walked toward each other, smiled and shook hands before posing together on a stage that read, 'Alaska 2025'. In a highly unusual move, Mr Putin stepped in 'The Beast,' the ultra-secure US presidential limousine, alongside Mr Trump before they headed into talks that were set to focus on Ukraine. Mr Putin grinned widely and appeared to joke to reporters as the two started their meeting in a room which the American hosts emblazoned with words – written only in English – 'Pursuing Peace'. The reception was a striking contrast to a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February, when Mr Trump and Vice-President JD Vance berated him and accused him of ingratitude. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump says 'great progress' made in meeting with Putin over Ukraine war Singapore Nowhere to run: Why Singapore needs to start protecting its coasts now Singapore Using nature, multi-use structures among solutions being studied to protect Singapore coastlines Singapore ICA to review Ong Beng Seng's PR status after he is fined for abetting obstruction of justice Singapore HSA evaluating rapid urine test kits to enable faster detection of etomidate, found in Kpods Singapore Drug trafficker gets death sentence commuted after President Tharman grants clemency Opinion Revitalise nightlife? Let's get the crowds out first Mr Zelensky was long hailed across the Western world. Mr Putin by contrast has curtailed his travel sharply since he sent troops to invade Ukraine, and he faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court related to the war. Pressing their power Mr Putin was quickly confronted on the war as a reporter repeatedly and loudly shouted out to him, 'When will you stop killing civilians?' The Russian leader did not react. And both aides ahead of the summit sought to press their message, sometimes in unsubtle ways. As Mr Putin walked in, a B-2 stealth bomber – an ultimate symbol of US military power – flew overhead. Mr Sergei Lavrov, the veteran Russian Foreign Minister rarely seen out of a jacket and tie, was photographed arriving ahead of Mr Putin in Alaska in a sweatshirt emblazoned with 'CCCP' – the USSR – in a reminder of the superpower status that Mr Putin has been striving to recreate. Senior Russian officials were temporarily relieved from the severe US sanctions in place since the Ukraine invasion, allowing them not just to arrive in the United States but to carry out day-to-day transactions such as withdrawing money from cash machines. Mr Putin and Mr Trump were not expected to step off the base, but activists held out hope of at least a fleeting protest by posting blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags on roofs that could be in eyesight if either leader stared out of a plane window on their descent. Protesters also taped signs to lampposts and walls near the downtown convention centre where journalists picked up accreditations and the occasional Russian official may have strolled. One sign with a portrait of Mr Putin read, 'This war criminal kidnaps children'. With just a week to prepare since Mr Trump announced the summit, Anchorage was strained to capacity with hotels full of pre-booked tourists on fishing expeditions and coastal cruises who had no warning that their summer destination would become the focus of global diplomacy. Russian journalists, unable to secure accommodation, posted disapproving pictures of staying inside a sporting arena, where they slept on cots partitioned off from one another by black curtains. The US hosts served the Russian journalists a selection of familiar foods – shashlik meat skewers, grilled fish and, in a common dish for Russians that suddenly could take on another meaning, chicken Kiev. AFP
