The Singapore Police Force arrested a 52-year-old man for loanshark activities, they were alerted the case of loanshark harassment on Wednesday and when police officers arrived at the scene, they saw the man painting a gate of a unit that was locked with a bicycle lock.

According to the police’s preliminary investigations, the man responded to a job ad online to provide “painting services” for $150, and that the loansharks had hired him to harass their debtors.

S’pore Police Force’s statement

MAN ARRESTED FOR LOANSHARK HARASSMENT

The Police have arrested a 52-year-old man for his suspected involvement in loansharking activities.

On 30 August 2023, the Police were alerted to a case of loanshark harassment at a residential unit along Bendemeer Road. Upon the arrival of police officers, the man was seen painting a gate of a unit with the gate being secured with a bicycle lock.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had responded to a job offer on an advertisement on a social media platform to provide painting services for a fee of $150. Investigations further revealed that his services were directed by an unlicensed moneylender to harass debtors.

The man will be charged in court on 31 August 2023 under the Moneylenders Act 2008. For first time offenders, the offence of loanshark harassment carries a fine of not less than $5,000, and not more than $50,000, with imprisonment of up to five years, and caning of up to six strokes.

The Police would like to remind members of the public to exercise caution when taking up part-time jobs, especially those promising quick and easy money. The Police have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment activities. Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance and disruption to public safety and security, will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.

Members of the public are advised to stay away from loansharks and not work with or assist the loansharks in any way. The public can call the Police at ‘999’ or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664 if they suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in loansharking activities.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
31 August 2023 @ 11:45 AM

Following leaked videos of a preschool teacher mistreating some of the toddlers under her care, the Woodlands Mart branch of Kinderland has seen some intense backlash from netizens.

Kinderland issued a public statement on 31 August, saying that they have since “removed” the current principal of the Woodlands Mart branch “from her current duties”.

The general manager of Kinderland Singapore, Seet Lee Kiang, spoke to the Straits Times and said that the principal, Mahirah Yasid, will also not be allowed to take part in activities related to children, and that she has been redeployed to other roles in their company.

Kinderland’s statement

Kinderland would like to apologise for the worry and anxiety that the recent videos have caused to parents and the public. Child safety and well-being remain our utmost priority.

Kinderland remains accountable to our parents and our communication channels remain open for parents and the public to contact us at any point in time. These include face-to-face meetings for our parents, emails, texts, phone calls and messages on our online channels.

Kinderland is monitoring the well-being of the affected children. Counselling and additional support will be offered to the parents of the affected classes.

Pending the outcome of the investigations by the relevant authorities and our own Disciplinary Inquiry for both centres, the Principal of Woodlands Mart has been removed from her current duties. We sincerely appeal to the public to refrain from speculation – we will share updates along the way.

We thank the public and parents who have shown us their support over the last few days and given us helpful comments. These will assist us in closing the gaps and present better care and education to our children.

To contact Kinderland, you may do so via phone at +65 6881 8818, email to [email protected] or Facebook/Instagram.

Affected parents issue statement

Recap

Singaporeans eagerly await the outcome of the presidential election, and the Elections Department (ELD) has introduced a new feature that offers an early indication of the results even before the final tally. This feature, known as the sample count, aims to provide clarity, prevent speculation, and ensure transparency during the election process.

The Sample Count: An Introduction

The sample count is a pivotal aspect of Singapore’s presidential election process. It involves publishing a preliminary result based on a subset of votes, offering citizens an early glimpse into the potential outcome. This count is conducted promptly after polling concludes, around two to three hours after the polls close at 8pm.

Reasons for Having a Sample Count

A primary reason for conducting a sample count is to counteract misinformation and speculation that might arise from unofficial sources during the vote-counting phase. The ELD website emphasizes that this approach maintains accuracy and reduces confusion, especially when the election results are expected to take several hours to finalize. Additionally, the sample count acts as a point of reference for election officials to verify the final tally.

The Sample Count Process

Step 1: Random Selection

The sample count process commences at the start of the vote-counting procedure. A counting assistant selects a random bundle of 100 ballot papers from the votes cast at a specific polling station. This action is carried out in the presence of candidates and counting agents.

Step 2: Calculating the Votes

Votes for each candidate are meticulously added up, providing a preliminary estimate of their support. The tally from each polling station is adjusted to account for varying numbers of votes cast. This adjustment ensures fairness by giving more weight to polling stations with higher voter turnout.

Step 3: Validity and Exclusions

The sample count only considers valid votes and excludes spoilt ballots. It also disregards votes from nursing homes, a novel approach introduced in the 2023 Presidential Election to facilitate elderly residents’ voting.

Accuracy of Sample Counts

The accuracy of the sample count is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the election process.

Confidence Rate and Margin of Error

Singapore’s sample count boasts a 95 percent confidence rate, with a margin of error of 4 percentage points. This means that the sample count estimate should not deviate by more than 4 percent from the actual voting result for 95 percent of the estimates made.

Results – When?

As the polling stations cease their operations on the upcoming Friday, the 1st of September, an early glimpse into the verdict of the presidential election will be unveiled to the people of Singapore, likely between the hours of 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm. This preliminary insight will be made accessible courtesy of the Elections Department (ELD) website, as it releases the findings derived from a representative tabulation. This preliminary account is anticipated to be ready for perusal roughly two to three hours subsequent to the formal closure of polling activities, a time estimated around 8:00 pm.

Nevertheless, the comprehensive and conclusive tally is slated to emerge in the vicinity of midnight. The weighty outcome, which carries the significance of determining the presidential victor, is poised to surface at this later juncture.

From 1 July 2024 onwards, all preschools in Singapore will be required to install CCTVs in areas where the children will be using, such as play areas, classrooms, napping rooms and activity rooms, according to the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA).

However, CCTVs will not be allowed in changing rooms, toilets and rest areas for staff members for privacy pourpoes.

Parents will be allowed access to the CCTV footages for serious incidents within the school, and the ECDA added that the parents can only view the footage after the school has viewed the footage as part of their own investigations.

The ECDA also added that the implementation of the new measures were not influenced by the recent incidents of teachers ill-treating students, and that it had been planned since last year.

ECDA’s statement

ECDA: Mandatory Installation of CCTV Cameras in Preschools and Government-Funded Early Intervention Centres

1.    Since last year, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has been engaging the preschool sector and in February this year informed operators of plans to mandate the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in all preschools and government-funded early intervention (EI) centres. This move is part of our regular review of security and safety measures in the early childhood sector, and takes into consideration the views of parents, educators and preschool operators. The CCTV mandate will take effect from 1 July 2024. 

2.     More than 60% of preschools and 100% of EI centres have already installed CCTV cameras on their premises. CCTV cameras will enhance the security of the preschool by deterring suspicious or unauthorised persons from entering the premises. In the event of incidents, CCTV footages can be an objective and reliable source of evidence to support the investigation. The implementation of CCTV cameras will complement existing measures to provide a safe and secure environment in our preschools so parents and educators will have a greater peace of mind.

3.    From 1 July 2024, CCTV cameras will be required in key access points and areas used by children such as classrooms, activity rooms, play areas within the premises and infant napping room. To ensure privacy of staff and children, CCTV cameras will not be allowed in toilets, changing rooms and staff rest areas. ECDA will share a set of guidelines with preschool operators on 1 September 2023. 

4.     From ECDA’s engagements with the sector, preschools that have yet to install CCTV cameras shared they need time to make the necessary arrangements, including putting in place clear policies and proper protocol to access CCTV footages. ECDA will work closely with operators to ensure their CCTV system and cameras are installed properly and used appropriately to protect the privacy of children, staff and other individuals within preschool premises. 

5.    Parents’ access to CCTV footages will only be granted for the purposes of providing an objective reference point to clarify feedback or to assist the investigation of serious incidents within the preschool premises. The request should be within reasonable grounds.

6.    Keeping our preschools safe is a joint responsibility. As part of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of children, ECDA works with educational institutes and training providers to incorporate child safe practices in the training curriculum for early childhood educators. In their pre-service and in-service training, educators learn about appropriate child management strategies as well as practices prohibited under our regulations.  ECDA also promotes sharing of good child management practices among educators during our regular engagements with the sector and visits to preschools. If there are suspected cases of child mismanagement, staff or parents should report the matter to ECDA at [email protected].

7.    ECDA will continue to work closely with preschool operators and educators to ensure the safety and well-being of the children under their charge. It is equally important that parents and educators build a strong partnership to support our children’s development. Many of our educators join the sector with a passion to nurture our young children and make a positive impact in their lives. We encourage parents to continue supporting them as they work tirelessly in caring and educating our children.  

ISSUED BY 
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

Annex – Likely Asked Questions

Is the mandatory implementation of CCTV cameras in preschools due to the recent incidents on child safety?

No. ECDA has planned this move for the preschool sector since last year as part of our regular review of security and safety measures in the early childhood sector. This decision is taken after taking in views from parents, educators and operators.

Can parents ask to view CCTV footage?

Parents may put in a request to the preschool to view CCTV footage specific to their concern/issue. We encourage parents to discuss the request with the preschool and assess if it is necessary to view the CCTV footage for the issue to be resolved.

Recorded footage should be viewed only after the preschool has viewed it as part of its own investigation, and provided that the incident is not under investigation by ECDA and/or any enforcement agency. It should only be viewed for the purposes of:

• Providing an objective reference point to clarify an incident which might have compromised the child’s safety, e.g. in cases where a member of staff is alleged to have mis-handled a child.
• Assisting in the investigation of incidents such as injury (to children or staff), damage or loss of preschool property.

Preschools can turn down a parent’s request if it is unreasonable. In instances where access is given, safeguards must be in place to ensure the privacy and safety of other staff and children within the CCTV footage.

Aside from the mandatory implementation of CCTVs, what are the other measures and safeguards in place to provide a safe and secure environment for children?

To ensure the safety and well-being of children in preschools, ECDA ensures that all educators are trained on child-safe practices before deployment. These include appropriate child management strategies, as well as practices prohibited under the Early Childhood Development Centres’ Regulations. The prohibited practices include corporal punishment, giving the child harsh, humiliating, belittling or degrading response of any kind, neglecting the child, and force-feeding the child. The full list of prohibited practices can be found in Regulation 33, ECDCR.

Preschools are also required to put in place practices and processes to ensure their educators use developmentally appropriate methods to interact with children.

Centre leaders are also expected to carry out regular observations of staff-child interaction and communicate clear guidelines on appropriate child management to staff. They should also provide timely feedback to staff on concerns regarding their management of children and intervene where necessary. All preschool operators and staff are also required to report to ECDA if there is reasonable cause to suspect child mistreatement, or to suspect wilful or unreasonable failure to report such occurrences to ECDA.

To check preschools’ compliance with regulatory requirements, ECDA conducts regular unannounced visits. When ECDA receives feedback on suspected child mismanagement, investigations will be initiated promptly. Immediate actions will be taken if the allegations are substantiated.