A 55-year-old British man, Jonathan Neal, was charged in court earlier today (7 September) for allegedly falsely triggering the fire alarms at Duo Residences, along Fraser Street.

This incident occurred following a dispute with the security officers, all while Neal was under the influence of alcohol.

The Drunken Altercation

At approximately 1 a.m. on July 13, 2023, authorities received a distress call concerning a drunken man causing a commotion at the hotel and residential mixed development located along Fraser Street.

Upon arriving at the scene, preliminary investigations by SPF revealed that Jonathan Neal had engaged in a heated dispute with the security officers stationed at the apartment complex.

This altercation took an alarming turn when Neal allegedly damaged the fire alarm activation panels, inadvertently triggering the fire alarm system.

The repercussions of Neal’s actions were immediate and far-reaching. The false fire alarm resulted in the evacuation of at least 50 hotel guests from Duo Residences.

Panic and confusion gripped the premises as guests and residents hurriedly left the building, unaware that the fire alarm had been falsely triggered.

Jonathan Neal has since sought legal representation and is scheduled to appear in court on October 4.

The Legal Consequences

Jonathan Neal’s actions on that night have not gone without consequences. According to court records, Neal was in Singapore on an employment pass at the time of the incident.

The alleged offenses occurred between 12:56 a.m. and 1:06 a.m. at Duo Residences, 1 Fraser Street, on July 13.

Neal is being charged for allegedly breaking the glass of the emergency door release button on the 2nd floor; denting the activation button of the fire alarm manual call point on the 2nd floor and basement lift lobbies; giving a false alarm to the SCDF by pressing the fire alarm manual call point at the 2nd floor and basement lift lobbies.

Singapore Police Force statement

MAN TO BE CHARGED FOR MISCHIEF AND CAUSING FALSE ALARM OF FIRE

The Police will be charging a 55-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of mischief and causing false alarm of fire.

On 13 July 2023 at about 1am, the Police were alerted to a case of a drunken man allegedly causing trouble at a hotel and residential apartment along Fraser Street.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was believed to have been involved in a dispute with the security officers of the apartment, and had allegedly damaged the fire alarm activation panels which triggered the fire alarm. As a result, at least 50 hotel guests were evacuated from their rooms and inconvenienced by the false alarm of fire. The man was subsequently arrested at scene for his actions.

The man will be charged in court on 7 September 2023 with the offences of mischief and causing false alarm of fire. Anyone found guilty of the offence of committing mischief under Section 426 of the Penal Code 1871 will be liable for an imprisonment term of up to two years, a fine, or both. Anyone found guilty of the offence of causing false alarm of fire under Section 25(1) of the Fire Safety Act 1993 will be liable for an imprisonment term of up to three months, a fine not exceeding $5,000, or both.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
06 September 2023 @ 6:45 PM

In a chilling case that highlights the darkest depths of deception and exploitation, a 23-year-old man was recently sentenced to 18 years, 11 months, and three weeks in prison, along with 16 strokes of the cane, for a series of crimes that included raping a girl to help her “get rid of spirits” under the guise of being a “temple medium, according to a report by The Straits Times.

A Tale of Deceit and Betrayal

The man, who was 20-years-old at the time of the offences, harbored unreciprocated feelings for a female friend, a 22-year-old woman.

Instead of dealing with his emotions maturely, he took a sinister turn. He concocted a bizarre and twisted plan that involved convincing her of the presence of malevolent spirits trailing her, all while posing as a temple medium with the power to rid her of these ethereal tormentors.

Over several days from 22 July to 27 July in 2019, he executed this nefarious plan, masquerading as a spiritual savior, performing fake consecration rituals that gradually escalated from molestation to rape. To make matters worse, he even attempted to make her pregnant, hoping it would coerce her into staying with him.

The Manipulative Web

The perpetrator and the victim had a history that traced back to their time in secondary school, with the victim addressing him as “kor” (elder brother), despite him being younger.

In mid-2019, they rekindled their friendship when he reached out to her on Facebook. He played the role of a concerned friend, driving her to work, sharing meals with her and another friend, all while nursing romantic feelings that she did not reciprocate.

His descent into deceit deepened as he spun a fantastical tale of his involvement with a temple and his status as a medium for the Chinese mythological character Chang Er.

He further cemented his deception by taking her to the temple, setting the stage for his sinister plot.

The Twisted Rituals

The climax of his manipulation revolved around the claim that malevolent spirits were haunting the victim and her sister, with ghosts lurking within their home.

He assured them that he possessed the ability to perform consecration rituals to banish these spirits, offering amulets and talismans as supposed protection.

During these so-called “rituals,” the man would chant prayers and draw talisman markings on the victim’s body with his finger. Initially, she was fully clothed, but he gradually convinced her to disrobe, deceiving her into believing that these explicit acts were an integral part of the rituals.

On July 25, 2019, he went a step further, coercing her into believing that intercourse was a necessary component of the consecration ritual, exploiting her trust and vulnerability.

It was only after the second rape on July 27, 2019, that the victim confided in her friends about the horrors she had endured. Encouraged by her friends, she then proceeded to lodge a police report, leading to the arrest and prosecution of the man.

Presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian, who finished behind eventual President-elect Tharman Shanmugaratnam and 2nd placed Ng Kok Song with 13.88% of the votes, will be putting his presidential campaign posters up for sale on 9 September.

He said in a Facebook post on 4 September that he will be stationed with a friend between Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre and Bedok MRT station on 9 September from 9am to 11am.

They will be selling about 30 of the posters on a first come first served basis for $10 each.

In a Facebook post yesterday morning (6 September), he said that he was told by his campaign manager that he might need to apply for a temporary permit for the sale of the posters.

However, he “searched the Police website and could not find any form to apply for this permit.”

Someone then suggested to him that he had to apply for the permit from NEA but he didn’t think that it was applicable since “I was not selling food”.

He will be proceeding with the sale on Saturday anyway “and see if the police of other(s) harass(ed) me”, as he highlighted how he “cannot understand why it should take so much trouble just to sell the used poster to my supporters.

He also said in his Facebook post that he will be donating the proceeds to a Muslim charity “because the Malay community probably need help more than the other communities” before he removed that part of his statement from his Facebook post. (See screenshot below.)

Tan Kin Lian’s Facebook post

I announced a sale of my used posters at the concourse next to Bedok MRT station.

My campaign manager said that I may have to apply for a “temporary permit” for the sale. I searched the Police website and could not find any form to apply for this permit. I could not even find a form to make an enquiry and ask if the permit was necessary.

Someone suggested that I had to apply for a permit from the National Environment Agency (NEA). But as I was not selling food, I did not think that this was applicable.

I wrote to the Election Department to ask if I needed a permit to sell the election posters. They have not replied to me yet.

My friend told me that the political parties go around to sell their party newspapers. They did not apply for a permit.

I also sell my books from my online bookstore. I did not need a permit either.

A malicious person asked the public to call the NEA hotline and report me for “illegal hawking”. I looked at the definition of hawking. It included the sale of goods, but the peddler had to move from place to place or door to door. I would be staying at a fixed place.

I had earlier announced that the proceeds would go to my friend, who helped me to put up and take down the posters. I have now decided to donate the proceeds to a Muslim charity that takes care of the poor and destitute. This is a small sum anyway.

I chose the Muslim charity because the Malay community probably need help more than the other communities.

I will proceed with the sale on Saturday, and see if the Police or other harassed me. I cannot understand why it should take so much trouble just to sell the used posters to my supporters who wish to keep them as a souvenir.

Tan Kin Lian

In the early hours of September 2, a 52-year-old man named Chew found himself in a life-threatening situation. He was experiencing symptoms of a heart attack and decided to book a Gojek ride to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

However, what should have been a straightforward journey turned into a harrowing ordeal as the driver insisted on taking him to the wrong drop-off point that Chew had mistakenly booked.

Heart attack

Chew had previously survived a heart attack, so when he felt the familiar chest pain and difficulty breathing at 3 am on that day, he knew he had to act swiftly. With trembling hands, he reached for his phone and booked a Gojek ride from his home in Bukit Panjang to Ng Teng Fong Hospital.

As Chew anxiously waited for his ride, he didn’t realize that he had accidentally booked the wrong location on the Gojek app – Tower A instead of Tower B, where the hospital’s A&E department was located. The trouble began when the driver arrived, and Chew tried to correct the course.

Chew explained to the driver, in urgent tones, that he needed to go to Tower B, where the A&E department was situated. However, the driver, seemingly fixated on the app’s instructions, continued driving towards Tower A.

What followed was a heated exchange between the two, with Chew pleading for his life and the driver insisting that Chew had set Tower A as the drop-off point.

Walked over to A&E on foot

To make matters worse, when Chew was finally dropped off at Tower A, he found himself in darkness. The area was deserted, and panic set in as he realized the severity of his situation. The driver’s refusal to adjust the route, despite Chew’s desperate pleas, left him feeling abandoned and vulnerable.

Chew, however, wasn’t ready to give up. Despite the pain and fear, he summoned every ounce of strength left in him and decided to make the journey to Tower B on foot. He knew that his life depended on reaching the A&E department in time for treatment.

Throughout his agonizing journey, Chew couldn’t help but wonder why the driver lacked the empathy to change his route for a passenger in clear distress. He questioned the driver’s decision not to make a simple U-turn that could have saved precious minutes.

In a surprising turn of events, after undergoing angioplasty and receiving medical leave, Chew still tipped the driver the fare of S$18 via the app.

He was under the impression that he had not paid for the trip, but later learned that the payment had already been processed through his linked PayLah account. Despite his disappointment, Chew chose not to owe the driver anything.

Resolution and Lessons

Gojek, in response to the incident, expressed regret over Chew’s condition and pledged to resolve the matter. They said that they were sorry about the incident and wished Chew a smooth recovery.

They also issued a statement advising users to call relevant authorities in cases of life-threatening illnesses or emergencies.