Since 1989, there have been seven reported attempts by detainees to break out of the Subordinate Courts. All escapees were later apprehended.
# Sept 20, 2007
Names: Mohammad Noorhairy Khairuddin (right), 26, and Rizuwan Roslan, 23
What happened: They slipped away from their guard at the Court 26 dock when he was busy. They later squeezed into a narrow ventilation fan room, but injured themselves when they jumped out of the room and were caught.
# June 8, 2005
Name: Thangevelu Velu, 36
What happened: Bolted from an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority van near the entrance of the underground carpark. He was caught a day later at a Bedok South flat.
# Feb 6, 2003
Name: Muhammad Yusri Hanapi, 20
What happened: He distracted a police officer by asking what time it was while another officer was looking for a switch in a holding room for detainees. He managed to free himself from his handcuffs and ran out. He was caught at his parents' home in Pasir Ris hours later.
# Oct 23, 2000
Name: Oh Chee Kiong, 27
What happened: He was in the holding room when he asked to go to the toilet. He later realised the holding room was empty and walked out and ran up the stairs through a passage. He was nabbed three days later at a house in Upper Serangoon Road.
# April 20, 2000
Name: Chang Kwee, 42
What happened: He escaped from the bail centre when he learnt his supposed bailor could not raise the $6,000 amount. He was re-arrested a few days later.
# Feb 6, 1998
Names: Ong Guek Hong, 35, Lim Hang Liang, 38, and Wong Kwong Weng, 21
What happened: They tried to escape a fifth-floor courtroom after their cases had been dealt with. They were re-arrested outside the courtroom.
# July 24, 1993
Name: Kannan Karunanantham, 22
What happened: He escaped from the lock-up while being taken to the dock in Court 26. He was re-arrested at the old Satay Club near the Padang about a month later.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Shock over court escape bids
June 13, 2008
Escapees were caught but details point to complacency and breach of procedure
By Serene Luo
MEMBERS of Parliament, security experts and ordinary Singaporeans said they were shocked at Wednesday's double escape attempt at the Subordinate Courts, coming just four months after the break-out of Jemaah Islamiah detainee Mas Selamat Kastari.
Details of the escape bid which emerged yesterday pointed to a false sense of security on the part of some police officers. This led MPs to ask if the lessons learnt in the wake of the Mas Selamat episode had filtered down to all levels.
The two men had been in court to face charges relating to robbery with hurt. They had asked for water, then knocked down and beat up a police officer when he opened the cell, in what was a breach of procedure.
The mistake was compounded by that of a second officer, who unlocked the main gate to the lock-up area without verifying the men's identities on closed-circuit television.
When contacted by The Straits Times, the chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law Teo Ho Pin said: 'When Mas Selamat escaped, that was a wake-up call. But I'm not very sure how many people have woken up.
'There must be checks and balances that the message is conveyed down effectively to the last man in the force. Things mentioned at the management level or in the media may not go down to the last man.'
He added: 'Every moment, it must be in each person's mind that (a detainee) can cause hurt or escape. This is basic due diligence.' He said he would 'definitely query the Home Affairs Ministry' at next month's parliamentary sitting.
MP Michael Palmer, who is also a lawyer, called the escape attempt something out of Hollywood. 'You can't imagine that climbing out of a toilet or asking for water and then pouncing on the guards actually happens here,' he said. 'I think we were just lucky this time that neither accused managed to escape.'
Ms Indranee Rajah, another MP and a lawyer, said the sombre environment of the courts may have contributed to a false sense of security: 'That is a concern because any security agency must have the operating mindset that if something can go wrong, it will.'
Agreeing, Security Association (Singapore) president T. Mogan, 49, said: 'Incidents can happen to anybody and good systems should train us to be on our toes all the time.'
Although he said the police were doing a good job in general and 'should not be judged on one or two incidents', he added that more on-the-job and mock-up situational training is needed.
Other experts said more stringent and frequent security audits are needed. Internal third parties should make spot checks 'as often as you can', said the managing director of security consulting at Certis Cisco, Mr Charles Loh, 45, whose officers are responsible for screening members of the public entering the courts.
External parties should review safety procedures at least once a year, he added.
In online forums and interviews, Singaporeans were amazed another escape, though botched, had occurred. Concierge Ali Alsagoff, 36, was concerned that Singapore's reputation had taken another hit: 'It's pretty embarrassing... If I were (the authorities), what kind of explanation can I give now?'
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Life of a Bus Driver
Odd hours, long shifts, but he still has the drive
MAKE ROOM, BUS IS PACKED: On one of his trips, Mr Teo has to get off the driver's seat to ask passengers to move to the rear to make room for others.
Why are so few Singaporeans signing up to be bus drivers? The answer may lie in the long, irregular hours and low pay. SBS Transit senior bus captain Teo Cher Soon, 43, earns $1,700 a month after eight years. Reporter Yeo Ghim Lay tails him through a typical nine-hour day
5am: He has breakfast at a coffee shop near his Serangoon North home. He checks his schedule and learns that he will drive services 94 and 94A today. He has to be at the Eunos interchange to start the first of the day's nine trips by 6.32am.
He and a few other drivers are picked up by a bus for SBS employees and driven to the Braddell Road depot.
5.45am: Mr Teo reports to the office, scans his employee pass and picks up a timesheet, which contains the start and end times for the day's trips. He also picks up a checklist he will use as he inspects the bus he is to drive.
After checking for dents and the fuel and water levels, he is satisfied it is road-worthy. He boards the bus and 'logs on' with his pass. He prints out a sample ticket. The ticket machine is working fine.
6.07am: He drives the service 94 bus to Eunos interchange, the starting point. This service runs to the Republic of Singapore Air Force airbase in Paya Lebar and loops back to the interchange.
6.35am: At the Eunos interchange, more than 10 commuters are waiting. The bus fills up en route. (On his second run an hour later, more than 20 commuters are waiting.)
By the third stop, the bus is packed. Mr Teo has to get off his seat a few times to ask commuters to move to the rear to make room for others. He gives the next few stops a miss.
8.17am: He drops off his last load of passengers at the airbase and drives back to the interchange. After he checks to see that commuters did not leave anything behind, he goes to the interchange office, where he clocks in. Then, a five-minute toilet break.
8.22am: He is back on the bus to drive service 94A (the route is half that of service 94's). It plies between Eunos interchange and the airbase, and makes no stops on the return leg.
9.02am: He gets back to the interchange, slowed down by congestion en route. He takes a two-minute break.
Lunch hour: This comes after his fifth trip of the day. He has 25 minutes to eat - and not much choice by way of food at the interchange canteen. He gulps down mixed vegetables with rice and has a cup of coffee. Another toilet break and it's back on the bus.
2.40pm: He calls it a day at Eunos interchange after four more trips. It has been more than eight hours since he started work. He clocks out at the interchange office, and walks to the bus stop at Eunos MRT station to wait for the bus that will take him home.
En route, he looks at his timetable for the next day's shift, which is longer. He will drive service 63, a three-hour route.
Home!: He lies down for a one-hour nap - 'but only for an hour. If not, I won't be able to fall asleep tonight'.
His single day off a week is usually spent with his wife and daughter, who is in Secondary1.
Over the years, he has met his share of unreasonable commuters - those who take it out on him because they think they have waited too long, even when his bus is on time.
Once, he had a commuter who was so drunk that he vomited and passed out on board. Mr Teo had to call the police, who arrived with an ambulance to check on the man. Mr Teo got home later than usual that night.
Among the 10 drivers who started work the same year he did, about half have left, with most having quit or retired.
Some days, he works 13hours, depending on the shift he is assigned. Overtime pay kicks in after eight hours.
Despite the hours, Mr Teo says he does not mind the job, as he does not bring his work home. Also, the job has given him a stable income and Central Provident Fund savings, which pay for his flat.
'I plan to continue driving as long as I am able to,' he says.
MAKE ROOM, BUS IS PACKED: On one of his trips, Mr Teo has to get off the driver's seat to ask passengers to move to the rear to make room for others.
Why are so few Singaporeans signing up to be bus drivers? The answer may lie in the long, irregular hours and low pay. SBS Transit senior bus captain Teo Cher Soon, 43, earns $1,700 a month after eight years. Reporter Yeo Ghim Lay tails him through a typical nine-hour day
5am: He has breakfast at a coffee shop near his Serangoon North home. He checks his schedule and learns that he will drive services 94 and 94A today. He has to be at the Eunos interchange to start the first of the day's nine trips by 6.32am.
He and a few other drivers are picked up by a bus for SBS employees and driven to the Braddell Road depot.
5.45am: Mr Teo reports to the office, scans his employee pass and picks up a timesheet, which contains the start and end times for the day's trips. He also picks up a checklist he will use as he inspects the bus he is to drive.
After checking for dents and the fuel and water levels, he is satisfied it is road-worthy. He boards the bus and 'logs on' with his pass. He prints out a sample ticket. The ticket machine is working fine.
6.07am: He drives the service 94 bus to Eunos interchange, the starting point. This service runs to the Republic of Singapore Air Force airbase in Paya Lebar and loops back to the interchange.
6.35am: At the Eunos interchange, more than 10 commuters are waiting. The bus fills up en route. (On his second run an hour later, more than 20 commuters are waiting.)
By the third stop, the bus is packed. Mr Teo has to get off his seat a few times to ask commuters to move to the rear to make room for others. He gives the next few stops a miss.
8.17am: He drops off his last load of passengers at the airbase and drives back to the interchange. After he checks to see that commuters did not leave anything behind, he goes to the interchange office, where he clocks in. Then, a five-minute toilet break.
8.22am: He is back on the bus to drive service 94A (the route is half that of service 94's). It plies between Eunos interchange and the airbase, and makes no stops on the return leg.
9.02am: He gets back to the interchange, slowed down by congestion en route. He takes a two-minute break.
Lunch hour: This comes after his fifth trip of the day. He has 25 minutes to eat - and not much choice by way of food at the interchange canteen. He gulps down mixed vegetables with rice and has a cup of coffee. Another toilet break and it's back on the bus.
2.40pm: He calls it a day at Eunos interchange after four more trips. It has been more than eight hours since he started work. He clocks out at the interchange office, and walks to the bus stop at Eunos MRT station to wait for the bus that will take him home.
En route, he looks at his timetable for the next day's shift, which is longer. He will drive service 63, a three-hour route.
Home!: He lies down for a one-hour nap - 'but only for an hour. If not, I won't be able to fall asleep tonight'.
His single day off a week is usually spent with his wife and daughter, who is in Secondary1.
Over the years, he has met his share of unreasonable commuters - those who take it out on him because they think they have waited too long, even when his bus is on time.
Once, he had a commuter who was so drunk that he vomited and passed out on board. Mr Teo had to call the police, who arrived with an ambulance to check on the man. Mr Teo got home later than usual that night.
Among the 10 drivers who started work the same year he did, about half have left, with most having quit or retired.
Some days, he works 13hours, depending on the shift he is assigned. Overtime pay kicks in after eight hours.
Despite the hours, Mr Teo says he does not mind the job, as he does not bring his work home. Also, the job has given him a stable income and Central Provident Fund savings, which pay for his flat.
'I plan to continue driving as long as I am able to,' he says.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Public spirited group foils thief's getaway
7 May 2008
THREE public spirited students and a man nabbed a thief who had stolen nearly $200 from a hawker stall at Block 115 Bukit Merah View on Tuesday.
The suspect had grabbed some cash from a plastic pail at a stall selling mixed vegetable rice at about 1 pm. The 46-year-old stall operator who was serving customers at the tables immediately gave chase and shouted for help.
His cries for help alerted Mr Ng Ek Whye, 41, who was having lunch then. Three secondary school students playing soccer nearby, Muhammad Yusoff Bin Abdul Karim, 14, Muhammad Razin Basit, 15, and Prakash C. Vellu, 16, joined in the chase.
Together with stallholder, the group managed to catch the suspect at an open space in front of Block 112 Bukit Merah View, and handed over to police.
Cash amounting to $192 and a mobile phone valued at about $160 were recovered from the suspect. The phone is believed to have been stolen from a drinks stall operator at Block 85 Redhill Market earlier on Tuesday morning.
The suspect will be charged in court on Thursday for theft, which carries a jail term of three years, a or fine, or both.
THREE public spirited students and a man nabbed a thief who had stolen nearly $200 from a hawker stall at Block 115 Bukit Merah View on Tuesday.
The suspect had grabbed some cash from a plastic pail at a stall selling mixed vegetable rice at about 1 pm. The 46-year-old stall operator who was serving customers at the tables immediately gave chase and shouted for help.
His cries for help alerted Mr Ng Ek Whye, 41, who was having lunch then. Three secondary school students playing soccer nearby, Muhammad Yusoff Bin Abdul Karim, 14, Muhammad Razin Basit, 15, and Prakash C. Vellu, 16, joined in the chase.
Together with stallholder, the group managed to catch the suspect at an open space in front of Block 112 Bukit Merah View, and handed over to police.
Cash amounting to $192 and a mobile phone valued at about $160 were recovered from the suspect. The phone is believed to have been stolen from a drinks stall operator at Block 85 Redhill Market earlier on Tuesday morning.
The suspect will be charged in court on Thursday for theft, which carries a jail term of three years, a or fine, or both.
Serial armed robber arrested
7 May 2008
POLICE have arrested a man believed to be involved in at least five armed robberies targeting women at the vicinity of Rochor Road, Jalan Sultan and Tyrwhitt Road.
He first struck at the car park of Rochor Centre on April 16 April when he entered the car of a 41-year-old Chinese woman and robbed her of S$100 cash, a mobile phone valued at $400 and a cash card with $35 stored value at knifepoint.
He also took an ATM card from the victim and later withdrew $900 from her bank account after demanding she reveal her PIN.
Over the next ten days, he robbed another four women aged between 21 and 55. Each time, he confronted them with a knife or a screwdriver in public areas in the early morning between 1.30am and 6.15am.
The five victims lost their handbags, cash and other property with a total value of about $3,750.
A Special Task Force comprising officers from the Investigation and Intelligence Branches of Central Police Division was formed to track down the culprit.
The Special Task Force had a breakthrough when finger prints were found on the documents kept in the first victim's hand bag which the suspect had rummaged through.
On Tuesday, at about 4.30pm, the Special Task Force caught the man at the back lane of Lorong 19 Geylang.
Three cash cards, an orange paper cutter, two screw drivers, three black jackets and a cap were seized from his car which was parked nearby.
The suspect, a 42-year-old Chinese man, will be charged in court on Thursday for armed robbery.
If convicted, he can be jailed for between three and 14 years, and caned at least 12 strokes.
POLICE have arrested a man believed to be involved in at least five armed robberies targeting women at the vicinity of Rochor Road, Jalan Sultan and Tyrwhitt Road.
He first struck at the car park of Rochor Centre on April 16 April when he entered the car of a 41-year-old Chinese woman and robbed her of S$100 cash, a mobile phone valued at $400 and a cash card with $35 stored value at knifepoint.
He also took an ATM card from the victim and later withdrew $900 from her bank account after demanding she reveal her PIN.
Over the next ten days, he robbed another four women aged between 21 and 55. Each time, he confronted them with a knife or a screwdriver in public areas in the early morning between 1.30am and 6.15am.
The five victims lost their handbags, cash and other property with a total value of about $3,750.
A Special Task Force comprising officers from the Investigation and Intelligence Branches of Central Police Division was formed to track down the culprit.
The Special Task Force had a breakthrough when finger prints were found on the documents kept in the first victim's hand bag which the suspect had rummaged through.
On Tuesday, at about 4.30pm, the Special Task Force caught the man at the back lane of Lorong 19 Geylang.
Three cash cards, an orange paper cutter, two screw drivers, three black jackets and a cap were seized from his car which was parked nearby.
The suspect, a 42-year-old Chinese man, will be charged in court on Thursday for armed robbery.
If convicted, he can be jailed for between three and 14 years, and caned at least 12 strokes.
Quick-thinking cashier locks robber inside 7-Eleven store
7 May 2008
Police use stun gun on knife-wielding man who shows suicidal tendencies
By Carolyn Quek
A MID-AFTERNOON armed robbery attempt at a 7-Eleven outlet was foiled yesterday by a quick- thinking cashier who locked the robber in, then raced to a phone to call the police.
What followed was a standoff between the police and the robber, who had a knife with him.
Ms Fong Mei Mei, a witness to the incident at the 7-Eleven outlet just outside the Braddell MRT station concourse, said the robber did not seem to be aware that he had been locked in.
'He just continued ransacking the store,' said the 17-year-old sales assistant of a nearby clothing store.
By this time, the plucky cashier, who is in his early 30s, had nipped over to a public phone to call the police.
When the robber was ready to make his getaway and realised he had been locked in, he removed the closed-circuit TV camera from its mount near the store's ceiling and hurled it against the glass door.
The door did not give way.
He was still trying to get out of the store when three or four policemen showed up; more officers were at the scene later.
A police spokesman said the officers opened the door and tried to negotiate with the robber.
Ms Fong said the robber then turned his knife towards his stomach, in an apparent gesture that he would kill himself.
She said: 'His face was very pale. The policemen told him to calm down.'
He appeared to soften somewhat.
Then one of the police officers directed a taser electric stun gun at his leg, and he crumpled into a heap.
The police spokesman said that the police team leader had made the call for the taser gun to be used because it appeared that the man had suicidal tendencies.
The robber was then arrested and subsequently taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital by the police.
Ms Fong also told The Straits Times that a friend who was visiting her at her workplace had earlier seen the man - clad in a white shirt and jeans - headed for the 7-Eleven with a handkerchief over his face.
She added: 'My friend did not think he was a robber then. He thought the man had a cold.'
Contacted by The Straits Times, a 7-Eleven spokesman declined comment on a matter now under police investigation.
She said the cashier was unhurt, and that business at the outlet resumed in the evening.
Police use stun gun on knife-wielding man who shows suicidal tendencies
By Carolyn Quek
A MID-AFTERNOON armed robbery attempt at a 7-Eleven outlet was foiled yesterday by a quick- thinking cashier who locked the robber in, then raced to a phone to call the police.
What followed was a standoff between the police and the robber, who had a knife with him.
Ms Fong Mei Mei, a witness to the incident at the 7-Eleven outlet just outside the Braddell MRT station concourse, said the robber did not seem to be aware that he had been locked in.
'He just continued ransacking the store,' said the 17-year-old sales assistant of a nearby clothing store.
By this time, the plucky cashier, who is in his early 30s, had nipped over to a public phone to call the police.
When the robber was ready to make his getaway and realised he had been locked in, he removed the closed-circuit TV camera from its mount near the store's ceiling and hurled it against the glass door.
The door did not give way.
He was still trying to get out of the store when three or four policemen showed up; more officers were at the scene later.
A police spokesman said the officers opened the door and tried to negotiate with the robber.
Ms Fong said the robber then turned his knife towards his stomach, in an apparent gesture that he would kill himself.
She said: 'His face was very pale. The policemen told him to calm down.'
He appeared to soften somewhat.
Then one of the police officers directed a taser electric stun gun at his leg, and he crumpled into a heap.
The police spokesman said that the police team leader had made the call for the taser gun to be used because it appeared that the man had suicidal tendencies.
The robber was then arrested and subsequently taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital by the police.
Ms Fong also told The Straits Times that a friend who was visiting her at her workplace had earlier seen the man - clad in a white shirt and jeans - headed for the 7-Eleven with a handkerchief over his face.
She added: 'My friend did not think he was a robber then. He thought the man had a cold.'
Contacted by The Straits Times, a 7-Eleven spokesman declined comment on a matter now under police investigation.
She said the cashier was unhurt, and that business at the outlet resumed in the evening.
8-year-old boy robbed of handphone!
This piece of news was reported on 7 May 2008.
An eight-year-old boy was robbed of his $200 handphone last Sunday at 10pm.
He was returning from a trip to the provision store at Block 230 Tampines St 23, when a man accosted him and demanded to see his handphone.
The man then grabbed his handphone and ran off.
The suspect is described to be of fair complexion, 1.7m in height, and having a mole under the right side of his lip. He was wearing a cream shirt and long black pants.
Anyone with information can contact the Police at 1800-255-0000.
An eight-year-old boy was robbed of his $200 handphone last Sunday at 10pm.
He was returning from a trip to the provision store at Block 230 Tampines St 23, when a man accosted him and demanded to see his handphone.
The man then grabbed his handphone and ran off.
The suspect is described to be of fair complexion, 1.7m in height, and having a mole under the right side of his lip. He was wearing a cream shirt and long black pants.
Anyone with information can contact the Police at 1800-255-0000.
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