In a heart-wrenching incident, a 14-year-old boy lost his life after being hit by a BMW driven by Firhan Aqil Mohamad Amran in Punggol on Oct. 10, 2022, around 11.35 am, at a pedestrian crossing along Sumang Walk towards Sumang Link.

He was charged with dangerous driving causing the death of 14-year-old Adriel Choo.

The Accident

Adriel Choo, a Secondary 2 student, was crossing the road at the pedestrian crossing while the green man signal was showing, indicating it was safe to proceed.

Unfortunately, at that very moment, Firhan Aqil Mohamad Amran allegedly ran a red light and collided with the young boy. The impact of the collision caused severe injuries to Adriel, rendering him unconscious.

Immediately after the accident, Adriel was rushed to the hospital for medical attention. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, his injuries were critical, and he succumbed to his injuries three weeks later, marking a tragic end to a young life.

Legal Proceedings

Firhan Aqil Mohamad Amran now faces serious legal consequences for his alleged dangerous driving. According to court records, he intends to engage legal counsel to represent him in the case. His court hearing has been adjourned to Aug. 22, 2023.

The charges against Firhan are related to dangerous driving causing death. If found guilty, he could face imprisonment for a period ranging from two to eight years. Furthermore, he may also be disqualified from driving, highlighting the gravity of the offense.

Recap

A BMW had allegedly beat a red light at Sumang Walk in Punggol and ran over a 14-year-old schoolboy on 10 October at about 11.20am.

The netizen who posted videos of the aftermath, Vicknkesh Saravanan, shared that he and his wife got down to check on the victim after the accident and a lady who was with the boy, recounted what happened.

The boy was apparently crossing the road when the traffic light was green and signalling for pedestrians to cross when the errant BMW hit him.

The boy hit the car’s windscreen and fell onto the road.

The boy subsequently died from his injuries and the police also said that the driver had been arrested for dangerous driving causing hurt.

In February 2022, the incident involving Soo Cheow Wee, a 50-year-old man shot by the police in Clementi, shocked the nation.

Recently, his jail term was reduced from 33 months to 27 months after a successful appeal.

The event unfolded when Soo Cheow Wee charged at the police with a knife, leading to the use of lethal force by the officers. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 33 months in jail by the district judge.

Appeals from Prosecution and Defense

Both the prosecution and Soo’s lawyer, Chooi Jing Yen, filed appeals against the initial sentence, each seeking different outcomes. The prosecution urged for at least five years of corrective training or between 57 and 63 months of imprisonment. On the other hand, Soo’s defense counsel asked for a reduction to not more than 23 months in jail.

On Jul. 31, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon delivered the verdict, reducing Soo’s sentence following the appeal. The High Court found that the district judge had not adequately considered Soo’s mental conditions while imposing the original jail term.

Soo’s Mental Conditions

Reports from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) revealed that Soo Cheow Wee suffered from three mental conditions: schizophrenia, polysubstance dependence, and psychosis. These conditions significantly impacted his mental state and behavior.

Psychosis is described as a state in which a person loses touch with reality, experiencing disturbances in perception and judgment. It is not a specific illness but a syndrome that affects a person’s thoughts, feelings, communication, and behavior.

According to the reports, Soo’s psychosis was believed to be triggered by his use of drugs and other substances that exacerbated his mental health issues.

Recap

Soo was accused of slashing a 41 year old man who is a stranger to him along Block 402A Clementi Avenue 1 on 17 Feb at around 8:40pm.

He then took a taxi to Clementi Police Division and charged forward with the intention of attacking a 20 year old man with a knife.

Despite repeated attempts at getting him to drop the weapon, Soo refused and charged at an officer with the knife in his hand.

The officer then opened fire at Soo, hitting him on his left arm.

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The Police have observed the resurgence of social media impersonation scams involving fake campaigns. From 1 January to 26 July 2023, at least 124 victims have fallen prey to this variant, with total losses amounting to at least $330,000.

The scam works in the following ways:

1. Victims are approached on social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook on the pretext of joining, or voting in fake campaigns allegedly organised by local brands (e.g. Lazada, Grab, Shopee). Unknown to the victims, these social media accounts have either been taken over by scammers or were spoofed by culprits impersonating as victims’ relatives or friends.
   
2. The scammers would then ask victims for their phone numbers and/or One-Time Passwords (OTPs) sent out from various platforms (e.g. Microsoft, Grab, Google) in order to receive gift vouchers or monies “won” from the “campaign”.
   
3. The OTPs provided by the victims would be abused by the scammers to approve transactions from the victims’ linked bank accounts/cards to e-wallets (e.g. Grab Activation Code). Victims may also lose access to their Instagram/Facebook accounts after giving away OTPs that were meant to reset their account passwords.
   
4. In some variants, victims may lose access to their Instagram/Facebook accounts after clicking on links that were meant to reset their account passwords or to change the email addresses linked to their accounts.

Apart from requests for phone numbers and OTPs, victims may be asked for their debit/credit card details, internet banking credentials and/or OTPs on the pretext of receiving gift vouchers or monies “won” from the “campaign”. Victims would receive a link leading them to a website fraudulently bearing the DBS logo which would be used to phish for their banking credentials. Victims would later discover unauthorised transactions made to their banking accounts and/or unauthorised charges made to their handphone bills.

The Police would also like to advise members of the public to adopt the following precautionary measures:

1. ADD – ScamShield App and set security features (e.g., enable two-factor (2FA) or multifactor authentication for banks, social media, Singpass accounts; set transaction limits on internet banking transactions, including PayNow/PayLah).
   
2. CHECK – for scam signs with official sources (e.g., visit www.scamalert.sg, call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688 or check with the platforms on the authenticity of the campaigns). Be wary of unexpected requests or offers from social media contacts, especially those related to campaigns or contests. Never disclose your personal details, banking credentials and OTPs to anyone.
   
3. TELL – authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank and telecommunications company immediately. If your social media account has been compromised, report this to the platform and inform your friends so that they do not fall prey to scammers who may use your social media account to impersonate you.

If you have any information relating to such crimes or if you are in doubt, please call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community.

The Police have arrested a 52-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of voluntarily causing hurt in the vicinity of Orchard MRT.

On 26 July 2023 at about 4.50pm, the Police were alerted to a case of assault at the concourse of Orchard MRT. One victim complained of being allegedly assaulted on the head, while the other reported being allegedly punched on the right arm. Both victims did not know the assailant and had reported the matter to the Police on the same day.

Through extensive ground enquiries and with the aid of images from Police cameras and CCTVs, Police officers from Tanglin Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 1 August 2023.

The man will be charged in court on 3 August 2023 with public nuisance under Section 290 of the Penal Code 1871 and voluntarily causing hurt under Section 323 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence of public nuisance carries an imprisonment term of up to three months, a fine of up to $2,000, or both. The offence of voluntarily causing hurt carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

The Police will spare no effort to track down those who commit such brazen acts of violence and will take firm action against them in accordance with the law.

The hanging of flags plays a significant role in displaying patriotism, unity, and cultural pride in Singapore. However, a recent incident at Block 477B in Yishun has stirred controversy and raised questions about cultural sensitivity and respect.

What happened?

The incident in question revolves around an individual or group of people hanging a Chelsea FC flag alongside the Singapore flag on a public building in Yishun.

The act was noticed by the residents and soon became a topic of discussion online, with more than 800 shares in just 1 day.

Some saw it as an innocent display of football fandom, while others expressed concern about the disregard for Singapore’s flag etiquette.

The incident in Yishun has sparked mixed reactions from the community. Some argue that it was harmless and merely displayed support for a football team, while others believe it showed a lack of awareness and respect for local customs.

The incident in Yishun can be seen as an example of perplexity in Singaporean culture. Perplexity refers to situations that deviate from established norms or expectations, causing confusion or surprise. It is part of what makes Singapore’s cultural landscape unique and dynamic.

Burstiness, on the other hand, refers to unexpected events or incidents that disrupt the norm. In this case, the sudden appearance of the Chelsea FC flag alongside the Singapore flag was a burst of surprise for the community, leading to various reactions.

Netizens’ comments

1. At least Chelsea bring him more joy than Singapore did.
2. His house lower levels, put Chelsea flag correct what. Chelsea doesn’t belong to the higher positions.
3. U better stay jungle ar. Hang football club also cannot. Mai kpkb la
4. Why so busy body kanina mind your own business lah. People want hang underwear or what so ever what is going to do with you