Latest news with #Clementi
Independent Singapore
3 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Four teens tried to rob Carousell seller of $83k Rolex watch
SINGAPORE: Two Carousell users narrowly escaped becoming victims of robbery this week after falling into traps allegedly set by a group of teenagers posing as buyers of luxury watches. The police arrested four male teenagers, aged between 17 and 19, for their suspected involvement in an attempted armed robbery and an attempted robbery on May 27 and 28. In one of the incidents, a Carousell seller had listed a green and gold Rolex Daytona, popularly known as the 'John Mayer' edition, for around $83,000. The victim had arranged to meet a prospective buyer on the afternoon of May 28 at Block 432 Clementi Avenue 3. But when he arrived at the meeting spot, things quickly turned sinister. According to police, two male teenagers allegedly tried to cover the victim's head with a plastic bag. One of them was also armed with a 21cm knife. The victim managed to fight off the attackers and escape, immediately alerting the authorities. See also CNY Toto draw jackpot prize of S$5M attracts long lines of punters The police said they received the call for assistance at about 1.44pm. Officers swiftly identified and arrested the two suspects, 18-year-old Joshua Niteesh Mahesan and 19-year-old Sim De Ren, later that same day. The knife reportedly used in the attack was also recovered after being discarded nearby. Further investigations revealed that the same pair had allegedly attempted a similar robbery just a day earlier, on May 27. This time, they were joined by Darren Chai Jia Le and another unnamed teenage boy. That earlier attempt also involved a seller offering the same model of Rolex watch and being lured to the same HDB block. However, the victim in that case grew suspicious of the setup upon arrival and left before the group could make a move. Chai and the other teenager were also arrested on May 28. Joshua Niteesh and Sim were charged on Friday (May 30) with attempted armed robbery, an offence punishable by imprisonment of between two and seven years, and at least 12 strokes of the cane. Chai faces an attempted robbery charge, which carries the same imprisonment range and a minimum of six strokes of the cane. The unnamed teenager remains under investigation for alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy to commit robbery. In a statement, the police urged members of the public to remain vigilant when transacting with strangers, especially for high-value items. The authorities also advise buyers and sellers to avoid secluded meeting spots, remain alert to their surroundings, and report any suspicious activity without delay.
CNA
4 days ago
- General
- CNA
4 teens arrested over attempted robberies after posing as luxury watch buyers
SINGAPORE: Four men aged 17 to 19 have been arrested for their suspected involvement in two attempted robberies where they targeted victims looking to sell luxury watches. Police said on Thursday (May 29) they received a call for assistance at Block 432 Clementi Avenue 3 at about 1.44pm on Wednesday, after two of the teens allegedly tried to rob a victim. The victim had arranged to meet the two teens to sell a luxury watch. But when the victim arrived, the two teens - one of them armed with a knife - attempted to cover the victim's head with a plastic bag, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a news release. The victim managed to escape and call the police. Police identified and arrested the two teens later that day. The knife, which had earlier been discarded, was recovered. It was then found that the two teens, along with two others, had attempted something similar the previous day. In that incident, the victim was also lured to the same HDB block to sell a luxury watch. "When the victim arrived at the block, he felt suspicious of the circumstances and managed to leave before being robbed," said the police. The two other teens were subsequently arrested on Wednesday. The two teens involved in Wednesday's incident will be charged in court on Friday with attempted armed robbery. One of the teens involved in Tuesday's incident will be charged with attempted robbery, while the other will be investigated for being part of a criminal conspiracy to commit robbery. Those found guilty of attempted armed robbery may be jailed for two to seven years and face at least 12 strokes of the cane. For attempted robbery, the offence is punishable with imprisonment for two to seven years and at least six strokes of the cane. The police advised members of the public to be alert and attentive to their surroundings when meeting potential buyers or sellers or making transactions in person, especially when carrying valuables or large sums of cash. They should also avoid secluded places and report anything suspicious to the police immediately.
CNA
22-05-2025
- Health
- CNA
10 years in Clementi: Tan Wu Meng on politics, family and the sacrifices he had to make
SINGAPORE: 'I never wanted to let you see me cry.' Those words from his then-nine-year-old daughter struck Dr Tan Wu Meng deeply. The former MP was recalling the toll his political career took on his family – particularly during his time as a political office holder, which required frequent overseas travel. 'I felt very sad,' he told CNA in an interview at a coffee shop in Clementi Avenue 5, in the ward he served for a decade. Dr Tan was a People's Action Party (PAP) MP for Jurong GRC from 2015 until this year, when he did not contest the recent election. From 2018 to 2020, when he was also a senior parliamentary secretary for trade and industry and for foreign affairs, he was often abroad. It was only after returning to the backbench that he saw how his absence had affected his daughters. Dr Tan has two daughters, one in Secondary 2 and another in Primary 2. His elder daughter was around four years old when he first entered politics. After he returned to the backbench, she told him: 'Daddy, did you know that when you went for a trip overseas, I would cry quietly. But I never wanted to let you see me cry, because you might feel bad about fighting for Singapore, fighting for companies to bring factories and jobs to Singaporeans.' Dr Tan, an oncologist now with the National Cancer Centre, described such moments as sobering reminders of what public service demands – not just of politicians, but of their families. 'This applies to all young parents who are in politics. The kids don't always tell you the weight of it until afterwards,' he said. During his tenure, Dr Tan averaged five days a week on the ground: meeting residents, attending funerals, visiting markets and coffee shops and holding Meet-The-People Sessions (MPS). One incident that he remembers clearly was helping a grieving mother who was denied compassionate leave after her son died from an infection. Her employer told her she could 'take the three days off, but don't come back to work after that'. 'I was furious," Dr Tan recalled. "Anyone who messes with my resident like that, I have to do everything I can to try and make sure this kind of employer doesn't get a free pass. And some of these stories are what drive you to fight for residents in parliament.' His team took the matter up with the Manpower Ministry. ADJUSTING TO PUBLIC LIFE Dr Tan's political journey began in 2005, nearly a decade before his election, when he started volunteering at the MPS in Ulu Pandan. Mentored by experienced grassroots leaders – including a then-volunteer Tin Pei Ling – Dr Tan soon found himself increasingly involved. 'One thing led to another. I started helping out more in the community. I became the organising secretary of the Young PAP,' he said, referring to the party's youth wing. Eventually, in the lead-up to the 2015 General Election, he was invited to stand as a candidate. He agreed as he 'felt a certain duty to go ahead'. As he stepped into politics, Dr Tan made a conscious choice to shield his children from the public eye. His family live near Clementi, but he would intentionally stay away from their outings in the estate. He didn't want his kids to be known as "the children of an MP", he said. While some MPs chose to involve their families publicly, Dr Tan said each family had to choose what worked for them. For his, maintaining privacy offered stability. The role of an MP can be "quite all-consuming", he said, adding that even during family time, his mind was often on residents and how to improve their lives. 'Anyone who puts themselves forward for election to be an MP, regardless of whichever team you're on, regardless of your political persuasion, regardless of which party – these are folks who really deserve our respect as fellow Singaporeans.' "MY CLEMENTI RESIDENTS" During his time in parliament, Dr Tan became known for opening his speeches with the phrase 'my Clementi residents'. What began organically became a deliberate choice after residents told him it made them feel seen and heard. 'When you're trying to build a more fair and more equal society … sometimes there's also inequalities of whether people feel able to make their concerns heard,' said Dr Tan. 'You want to make sure these residents are heard in what is the highest law-making body in the land, which is parliament.' That sense of connection also shaped his approach to digital engagement, which he said has changed dramatically in the past decade. MPs now deal with residents not just in person, but also through Facebook, Instagram and even TikTok. Still, nothing replaces the intimacy of face-to-face conversations. 'Sometimes, someone shares their story, there's that moment, that pause, and you just kind of know there's something that you need to try and discover a bit more to help that family,' Dr Tan said. 'It's that sense of emotional availability. So if your resident is having a terrible time in life, people can tell you whether you feel for it, people can tell whether your heart is there in that moment.' Not all in-person encounters went smoothly. In 2018, Dr Tan was attacked during an MPS session. A 32-year-old resident rushed into the venue and assaulted him, leaving him with bruises on his arm and abrasions on his neck. His first thought was that he hoped no one else was hurt, since there were also seniors and children at the MPS, he told CNA. The man was apprehended by police, while Dr Tan returned to his MPS duties that same night after getting checked at the National University Hospital. The attacker had a history of drug abuse and was trying to seek help with a pending court case. He was later sentenced to three months' jail for the assault. Dr Tan has not met the attacker since, but has met his mother, who was apologetic. His team later helped the man with an unrelated appeal. SERVING IN GOVERNMENT Dr Tan said his experience as a political office holder helped him become a more effective backbencher. 'You now know how the policy is made, you now know how the policy paper is written, you also know how the PQ – parliamentary question – answer and follow-up is designed,' he said. He believes the backbench offers MPs more freedom to express convictions and represent constituents directly. However, he acknowledged that office holders also advocate for citizens – just through different channels. The range of topics that a backbencher can cover is also broader, Dr Tan said, compared to a political office holder whose focus is typically on things related to the ministries they are appointed to. From his time in government, Dr Tan also came to appreciate the interplay between local concerns and national interests. 'You want to advocate for residents. But at the national level, sometimes there has to be some triage. Agencies have to figure out which towns need help sooner, which towns may need help more urgently. But that's the nature of policy-making,' he said. He added that unlike local issues, which may yield visible outcomes quickly, national-level work is often long-term and less tangible. One such example was the development of the Price Kaki app during his time at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). Launched at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the app – developed in partnership with the Consumers Association of Singapore – lets users crowdsource and compare the retail prices of groceries, household items and hawker food. 'It was one of those ideas where we were able to launch it during my time at MTI, but in a sense, its full fruition came by quite some years later,' said Dr Tan. In March this year, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said Price Kaki had grown to list unit pricing for over 6,000 items, up from more than 1,200 when it was introduced. PLANS MOVING FORWARD Since the May 3 polls, Dr Tan has been supporting his successor in the ward, first-term MP David Hoe, during the transition. Mr Hoe, a charity director, was elected as part of the PAP slate that won Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC with 76.66 per cent of the vote against Red Dot United. 'Some of it was bringing David with me on community activities, helping him get to know residents and also just sharing with him my own thoughts on different situations in Clementi,' said Dr Tan. He has also taken time to brief his successor on families with complex or long-running issues in the ward. 'So it's just really supporting him in whatever way he finds helpful,' Dr Tan added. But he is also giving Mr Hoe 'the space to be his own person', and he is confident that Clementi will be okay under Mr Hoe's charge. As for why he left politics, Dr Tan said the party leadership understood his desire to be more present for his family, particularly his young daughters. While every MP ultimately serves at the discretion of party leadership, individuals can indicate their preferences. 'If you need me, I will continue. But if you don't need me, at this point I'm okay to just return to being an ordinary citizen outside the political arena,' said Dr Tan. 'And so we had a number of conversations, and eventually we came to an understanding that it would be okay for me to retire.' He recalled that a resident once told him: 'When you've got little kids growing up, every day is like a page turning. Except that if you miss those pages, you can't turn the pages back.'
Independent Singapore
22-05-2025
- Independent Singapore
81-year-old assaulted and robbed of $200 near Redhill Close
Photo: Depositphotos/zanuckcalilus(for illustration purposes only) A routine afternoon turned violent for an 81-year-old man who was allegedly assaulted and robbed near Block 86 Redhill Close on Sunday, (May 19). The police said they were alerted to the incident at around 3.45pm. The elderly victim, who sustained injuries during the attack, was conscious when he was taken to Singapore General Hospital for treatment. According to the police's preliminary investigations, the victim was purportedly robbed of $200 in cash. The male assailant fled the scene shortly after the incident. Officers from the Clementi Police Division moved swiftly to investigate and used images from police cameras and nearby CCTVs to track the suspect. Within four hours of the report, they established the identity of a 65-year-old man and arrested him. Police recovered $62 in cash from the suspect. The man was charged in court this week with robbery with hurt. If convicted, he faces a jail term of between five and 20 years and at least 12 strokes of the cane. Investigations are ongoing.
CNA
16-05-2025
- CNA
53-year-old man gets jail for pouring superglue on bus passenger's head and stealing wallet
SINGAPORE: A 53-year-old man was sentenced to 31 days in jail on Friday (May 16) for pouring superglue on a man's head and stealing a student's wallet on a bus. Mr Jimmy Wong Kok Chyn pleaded guilty to one charge of theft and another charge of using criminal force. An additional charge of theft involving a bottle of engine oil worth about S$13.50 was taken into account for his sentencing. Mr Wong was arrested on Apr 15 and released from jail on Friday, given that his sentence was backdated. The superglue incident was 'bizarre to say the least', said District Judge Paul Quan in his sentencing decision, noting that the prosecution sought a jail term for both offences. On Sep 19, 2024, the victim was asleep on bus 33, heading home towards Bedok interchange. Mr Wong boarded the same bus along Clementi Road at about 1pm and sat behind him. At about 1.50pm, the bus was along Victoria Street when the victim woke up abruptly after feeling some liquid substance flowing from the back of his head. He turned around to question Mr Wong, who claimed that he had dropped something. 'Instead of owning up to his actions, Mr Wong was unrepentant and claimed that he had dropped something instead,' said the judge, describing it as an act of violence that was 'completely gratuitous' and uncalled for. The victim touched his hair and discovered that glue had been poured over his head and shirt. He immediately informed the bus captain, but at that point, Mr Wong took the opportunity to alight from the bus with other passengers. The victim called the police and later tried washing away the glue for about 20 minutes. Since Mr Wong had used superglue, the victim eventually had to cut his hair and dispose of his shirt. WALLET THEFT Months prior, on Apr 15, 2024, an 18-year-old student boarded bus 183 at Clementi MRT station at about 8.40pm. She was sitting on the upper deck and had slung her bag to her side before taking a nap. Mr Wong boarded the same bus along Clementi Road about five minutes later. Since there were no other passengers on the upper deck, he 'formed a dishonest intention to steal', the prosecution said on Friday. At about 8.55pm, Mr Wong removed a wallet from the victim's bag. He alighted from the bus about 15 minutes later. The victim later found her wallet missing and lodged a police report. Mr Wong returned the wallet on Jun 2, 2024, while he was under police investigations. Noting that the crime took place on board public transport against an unsuspecting passenger who was asleep, the judge added that the theft of her wallet, which contained her NRIC and student pass, would have caused 'great inconvenience' to her. The judge also noted that Mr Wong is not a first-time offender and has previously been sentenced to jail for theft. By committing the crime on Apr 15, 2024, the last day of an earlier conditional remission order, Mr Wong breached the order, and the judge added an enhanced sentence of one day in prison to account for this. Even though this was less serious than his previous theft offences, Mr Wong's rehabilitative prospects are 'decidedly low', said the judge, noting that he reoffended on the last day of a 16-day remission period. 'He has not been able to rehabilitate himself yet,' the judge added. In mitigation, Mr Wong said: 'I have nothing to say but I know what I did is all wrong. Please forgive me again, thank you.' Mr Wong was fortunate that nothing happened to the male victim, said the judge, noting that the superglue could have affected his eyes or glued his eyelids together. 'You make sure that you don't reoffend again, because you have been reoffending. So you have to find out why this is going on,' he told Mr Wong after confirming his sentence. 'The next time you come and reoffend, the punishment will be more severe.' The punishment for theft is up to three years in prison, a fine, or both.
