52-year-old Paul Lim Choon Wui, the former commander of Tanglin Police Division, was charged on 10 August with molestation after being accused of slapping a 25-year-old woman on her left backside at a building in Bukit Merah on 7 July 2022 at about 9pm.

He has since been allowed to leave Singapore to travel to Thailand and Hong Kong for work purposes until 18 September, following a pre-trial conference on 16 August.

As part of the condition for his travel, he is required to produce his complete travel itinerary to his investigating officer before departing Singapore, and his bail has also been set at $15,000 – he also has to remain contactable.

At the time of the alleged offence, Lim had already left the police force, and according to The Straits Times, is now a director of several companies including a management consulting company Fidelium Group, and renovation contractor Livinwall. He was also previously the chief executive of Secura Group.

Notable Achievements and Leadership

In 2009, The Straits Times reported that Tanglin Police Division received the prestigious best land division award twice within a span of three years under Lim’s tenure.

Between 1990 and 2010, he held multiple positions within the Singapore Police Force. Notably, he served as both a division commander and a deputy director of various departments.

After leaving the police force, Lim assumed the position of CEO at Secura Group. However, he announced his resignation in October 2017, citing a desire to pursue personal interests.

Lim’s next scheduled pre-trial conference is set for 6 September and he is represented by lawyer Adrian Wee from Lighthouse Law.

Penalties for molestation

Molestation is a serious offense with significant consequences. Offenders found guilty of molestation can face imprisonment for up to three years, fines, caning, or a combination of these penalties.

Yap Eng Gee, a 76-year-old man, was sentenced to 7 months imprisonment on 17 August after hitting a motorcycle with his car that resulted in the pillion rider suffering serious brain injuries, according to a report by The Straits Times.

He was also disqualified from holding or getting all classes of driving licenses for 5 years.

The Accident and its Aftermath

On December 30, 2019, at approximately 9:10 PM, Yap Eng Gee was behind the wheel of his car, driving along Choa Chu Kang Road towards Bukit Panjang Road.

At the same time, two brothers, Alfred Ng Loon Way and Donald Ng Loon Siang, were riding on a motorcycle in the middle lane of the three-lane road.

Tragically, their paths crossed when Yap attempted to make a discretionary right turn into Galistan Avenue without stopping at the designated line. The motorcycle collided with Yap’s car, and the brothers were thrown onto the road.

The consequences of the collision were dire. Donald Ng Loon Siang, the pillion rider, suffered traumatic brain injuries that would have a lasting impact on his life.

The motorcyclist (Alfred Ng) and the pillion rider (Donald Ng) were flung off the motorcycle, and the pillion rider laid on the road unconscious with blood flowing from his nose and mouth.

Multiple neurosurgical procedures were needed, and he faced serious cognitive impairments that were likely to be permanent.

The court heard that he was left disoriented, confused, and unable to comprehend his surroundings. These impairments rendered him unable to perform any vocational employment, fundamentally altering the trajectory of his life.

Alfred Ng Loon Way, the motorcyclist, also suffered injuries, including fractures to his left forearm and wrist. He was fortunate in comparison to his brother but still had to endure physical and emotional pain as a result of the accident.

The Trial and Verdict

After a trial that took place in July, District Judge Wong Peck convicted Yap Eng Gee of driving without due care and attention.

The court found that Yap’s failure to stop at the designated line and his lack of awareness of the motorcycle constituted negligence and a disregard for traffic rules.

During the trial, Yap, who represented himself without legal counsel, attempted to claim that the motorcycle was speeding at the time of the accident.

However, the court dismissed this assertion as speculative and irrelevant to the case at hand. The focus remained on Yap’s failure to exercise due care and attention, which ultimately led to the collision.

In an attempt to present a different side of himself, Yap described himself as a “low-profile eccentric composer” who had performed for royalty and ambassadors.

He emphasized that he had faced significant challenges in his life, including battling cancer twice. Despite his personal narrative, the court’s ruling remained grounded in the facts and legal considerations.

Yap is intending to file an appeal against his sentence, and his bail has since been set at $10,000.

The Singapore police have arrested a 19-year-old on 15 August for theft in dwelling, stealing about $157,500 worth of valuables along Jalan Paras, Chai Chee.

The alleged thefts

The tranquil atmosphere of Jalan Paras was shattered on two separate occasions – July 12 and 28, 2023 – when residents reported thefts from their homes.

In both instances, valuable items such as keys, luxury watches, jewelry, foreign currencies, and collectible Singapore dollar notes were pilfered from a residential unit, leaving the community shaken and concerned.

Unmasking the Culprit: Police Investigation and Arrest

After receiving reports of the thefts, the police swiftly initiated follow-up investigations and conducted comprehensive ground inquiries. The identity of the 19-year-old suspect was unveiled, leading to his arrest on August 15, 2023.

On August 17, the suspect was brought before the court and charged with theft in a dwelling. Furthermore, various items believed to be proceeds from the crimes, including a pair of branded heels and a luxury bag, were seized as case exhibits.

The estimated value of the stolen items is a staggering S$157,500.

The Stolen Treasures: A Glimpse of Loss

The stolen items encompass a wide array of valuable possessions, including:

• Four pieces of gold bangles worth about S$8,000.
• Gold bracelets worth about S$15,000.
• Gold necklaces worth about S$50,000.
• Six diamond rings worth about S$20,000.
• Six gold rings worth about S$8,000.
• Diamond necklaces worth about S$5,000.
• One gold-colored Rolex Submariner watch with a blue dial worth about S$21,000.
• One silver-colored Rolex DateJust watch worth about S$9,000.
• Six pieces of rings worth about S$5,000.
• S$1,000 cash.
• S$500 Chinese yuan currency.
• S$15,000 old Singapore dollar notes.

Protecting Your Home: Tips for Preventing Theft

In light of these incidents, it’s crucial for residents to take proactive measures to protect their homes and belongings. Here are a few tips to consider:

• Install robust locks and security systems.
• Secure windows and doors when leaving the house.
• Keep valuable items out of plain sight.
• Get to know your neighbors and establish a community watch.
• Consider investing in a safe for precious possessions.

Singapore has earned a reputation as a bustling hub of activity and a country that thrives on its fast-paced lifestyle. However, a recent eye-opening survey has cast a spotlight on the notion that the appearance of being busy might not necessarily translate to actual productivity.

The survey’s findings reveal that workers in Asia spend a considerable amount of time engaged in “performative work” instead of actually working, with Singapore ranking third in the world on this ranking.

Unmasking the Illusion: Busy vs. Productive

In a global study conducted by Salesforce subsidiary Slack and research firm Qualtrics, over 18,000 desk workers from nine countries, including India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the United States, Australia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, participated.

The study, titled ‘The State of Work in 2023,’ aimed to dissect and comprehend the intricate relationship between appearing busy and actual productivity in the modern workplace.

The Asian Paradox: A Deeper Dive

One of the most thought-provoking discoveries of the survey was the prevalence of “performative work” across Asian countries.

Singapore, often referred to one of the most fast paced countries in the world, emerged as the third-ranked country globally for this performative work phenomenon.

This term encapsulates activities where teams spend significant time in meetings showcasing achievements, rather than making impactful decisions or addressing core issues.

Derek Laney, Slack’s “technology evangelist” for Asia-Pacific, aptly highlighted this paradox by underscoring how much of this time is spent in the appearance of productivity rather than actual meaningful output.

The Statistical Breakdown

Digging into the statistics, the survey divulged compelling insights into the distribution of time spent on performative work across various nations.

Notably, workers from India, Japan, and Singapore reported dedicating a significant chunk of their work hours to performative activities. The breakdown of time allocation for performative work was as follows:

Intriguingly, Singapore and Japan found themselves sharing the second-lowest spot in terms of time allocated to productive work, with each country dedicating only 63% of their work time to actual meaningful tasks.

India, on the other hand, ranked at the bottom of the list, with just 57% of its work time devoted to productive endeavors.

The Impact on Productivity and Leadership

The survey’s ramifications extend beyond mere statistics. It has unveiled a noteworthy disparity between how leaders perceive productivity and how workers yearn to be evaluated.

Leaders at the workplace tend to assess productivity based on visible activities, often overlooking the more tangible outputs such as Key Performance Indexes (KPIs).

A staggering 27% of the surveyed executives confessed to gauging productivity primarily through visual cues.

Conversely, 27% of workers expressed their desire to be evaluated based on their ability to achieve KPIs and meet goals.

This discrepancy leads to a disheartening “disconnect” as highlighted by Derek Laney. Employees find themselves expending excessive effort in projecting a facade of productivity to please their superiors, inadvertently diverting energy from genuinely meaningful contributions.

Monetary Authority of Singapore’s statement

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said today that it had worked closely with the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) to facilitate the development of the case that led to the Police’s arrest, on 15 August, of 10 individuals for suspected involvement in offences including forgery and/or money laundering and resistance to lawful apprehension.

MAS has also been collaborating closely with CAD to identify potentially tainted funds and assets in our financial system and prevent their dissipation. 

Intelligence and information from suspicious transaction reports (STRs) filed by financial institutions (FIs) in Singapore had earlier alerted CAD to suspicious activities which have been attempted through the financial system.

Red flag indicators picked up by FIs that prompted them to file STRs include suspicious fund flows, dubious documentation of source of wealth or funds, and inconsistencies or evasiveness in information provided to the FIs. 

MAS takes this case seriously and has been in touch with the FIs where the potentially tainted funds have been identified.  Supervisory engagements with these FIs are ongoing.

MAS will take firm action against FIs which are found to have breached MAS’ stringent requirements on anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism, or to have inadequate controls against money laundering/terrorism financing (ML/TF) risks. 

MAS works closely with our FIs to guard against the misuse of our financial system for illicit activities. FIs are regularly reminded to stay vigilant to ML/TF risks, and to ensure that fund flows into Singapore are and remain legitimate.

MAS has also been conducting inspections focusing on FIs active in the wealth management space, to ensure that robust controls are in place to effectively detect and deal with ML/TF risks. 

Ms Ho Hern Shin, Deputy Managing Director (Financial Supervision), MAS, said, “This case has highlighted that vigilance and prompt filing of STRs by our FIs have helped law enforcement authorities to identify those suspected of carrying out illicit activities.  But it has also highlighted that as a global financial hub, Singapore remains vulnerable to transnational ML/TF risks and that MAS and FIs need to continue to work together to strengthen our defences against these risks.”  

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