DROWNING IN SINGAPORE RIVER

Booze, drugs found in man

By Khushwant Singh

Police officers inspecting the body of Mr Muhammad Asrul, which was found about 1m away from the bank of the Singapore River. -- PHOTO: WANBAO

THE toxicology report revealed the presence of not only alcohol but also traces of commonly-abused drugs in the blood and urine of Mr Muhammad Asrul Jumabi, 23, who drowned in the Singapore River on June 24.
While his death was ruled a misadventure at the coroner inquiry on Friday, the court heard that his friends told investigating officer Chun Yong Seng that they had only drunk vodka and stout that day. There was no mention of drugs obtained without prescriptions and this Staff Sergeant Chun said 'gave him concern that the friends may not have been totally forthcoming'.
The tragic chain of events began with Mr Muhammad Asrul, who was unemployed, meeting his friend Mohd Norhazmie Hamid, 27, a part-time mover, at Braddell MRT station at 6pm on June 23, They took the train to City Hall station to join two other pals.
His friends said that then bought a big bottle of vodka which they polished off at an open space near the station. They then shared eight cans of Guinness stout before trooping down to Chijmes to watch the live telecast of the World Cup game of England versus Slovenia.
At 4am, they walked to the riverbank near Clarke Quay to rest as some of them had to work that day. Mr Muhammad Asrul and Mr Mohd Norhazmie sat on the steps at the edge of the river and soon fell asleep. The others were seated on a bench further back. The friends said that when Mr Muhammad Asrul woke up, he did some stretching exercises but lost his footing and fell into the water. Mohd Norhazmie jumped in to save his friend. He too was not a good swimmer and had to be rescued by a third friend. By then , Mr Muhammad Asrul was nowhere to be seen. Police were called in and the body was recovered at about 8am.
Among the multiple drugs detected in Mr Muhammad Asrul were dextromethorphan, codeine and ephedrine which are used in the treatment of cough. Other drugs found included diazepam and promethazine.

Comment: From this incident, we know how drugs and drinking too much can really harm us. Mr Muhammad Asrul most likely as he was not in the right mind as he took different kinds of drugs that harms his body, drink which makes him being unable to think straight. He may be taking different kind of drugs due to his unemployment and is feeling low, thinking that it will help him feel better but in the end harming himself. Although it may be an accident, but such cases can be prevented by simple measures. We can learn to always stay positive no matter what happens, treat ourselves well and if we need a friend to talk to, avoid places where there is a chance that an accident may happen and go to places like a friend's house, cafe like starbucks to chill out and talk things out. Drinking may be common and some of us like it, but we should always know our limit as drinking can cause us to not be in a clear state of mind which leads to accidents like drunk driving and for this case, not in the full state to control our body.

Clement Juan

Polytechnic student charged with molest

SINGAPORE : A 23-year-old Nanyang Polytechnic student has been charged on Friday with molesting one of his schoolmates and stealing another woman's undergarments.

Jee Guang You allegedly lifted the 19-year-old girl's skirt up to her right thigh in the polytechnic's library at around 11:30am on November 24.

He is also believed to have stolen three bras worth a total S$15 from a flat at Block 361 Bukit Batok Street 31 on December 1.

Jee, who was wearing a grey T-shirt in court, looked calm as he appeared before the judge.

The slim, fair-complexioned student will be back in court on December 10.

If convicted of molest, he can be jailed up to two years, and fined or caned.



Comments: I personally think that this case should be handled well and not leniently as this is a serious case. If the sentence is light, many will think that it is actually okay to do such things as i will only be fined at most or some who are bolder may even do things that are more outrageous and causing more girls to be victims. Upon government looking at this seriously, it will serve as a good warning to other students and even outsiders the seriousness of molesting girls and the consequences they will be facing. Also for girls who are alone and are areas that are quieter should also learn from this case, by being more aware of their surroundings so they will be able to protect themselves better from such cases. Schools can also give talks on such cases so that students will be more educated. Thus, by taking such precaution measures, the molesting crime rate will decrease as people have the fear of being caught.


Clement Juan

Mail Levy

How much does it cost to employ a maid ?

Maid Salary - The monthly salary is now $350 or more, depending of nationality and experience

Maid Levy - $170/$265 (from 1 July 2007) every month, paid to the government. If you have children below 12 years old, or elderly above 65 years old, you pay $170. Otherwise you need to pay $265.

You must provide enough food for the maid. Most family will ask the maid to eat whatever the rest of the family is eating. However if the maid is Indonesian and does not eat pork, you will need to make sure you have non-pork dishes for her every meal.

Comments:
I have found that many maids are providing very good care to the elderly and the terminally ill. It is time we show our appreciation to our foreign maids for their contribution in helping to care for our young, elderly and the terminally ill. They are in fact making a very important contribution to our nation.
It is very sad that many maids have to work for salaries $350 or more in order to repay their debts incurred in securing their position here. If we put ourselves in their shoes, it will be easier to understand why some of them had turned violent under stress.

Many employers of maid are also unwittingly breaking the law when they take over the debt by paying the employment agencies the debt owed by the maid and then deducting a monthly sum from the maid’s salary.

Towards this end, the government needs to review the rationale for the
foreign maid levy. The government should impose a higher minimum salary for the maids and reduce the levy. It is not right that we as a nation should compound the problems of the poor in our neighbouring countries. The monies collected from the levy should also be used to equip the maids with skills which they can use when they return home. Let us remember that maids are our fellow human beings as well as our neighbours.

Road Rage

Aggressive man with tattoos threatens driver with wooden bat

This man grabbed a wooden bat from the boot of his car and used it to threaten a driver he had got into an argument with. When a female passenger in his car tried to stop the fight, he nearly lashed out at her instead.

Rather than get involved in a fight with an armed man, the other driver apologised, backed off and returned to his car where a young boy was sitting in the front seat.

STOMPer Kum described the man's behaviour:

"A road bully threatens to bash up another road user with a baseball bat.

"This is video footage taken by a bus passenger along Upper Changi Road on Nov 28."

Comments:
Singapore driving license centres should provide some anger management course after drivers had passed thier driving lessons. The locals have become more aggressive and harsh nowdays whenever a driver make an abrupt lane change which could have cause a great danger.

Somehow i also think that some drivers in Singapore are not being considerate and drive the cars as if they are the only vehicle on the road. Other drivers could not have been so aggressive if they are being considerate on the road.

To be easy, we have to give and take when driving. No hard feelings should be taken in order to have a pleasant and safe journey on the roads so drivers would not react aggressive.

Asian families struggle to support children, parents

                                   

SINGAPORE - More Asian families are struggling under the pressure of simultaneously supporting their children and ageing parents, a study released Wednesday said. 

Longer lifespans and women bearing children at a later age have increased the number of Asia's so-called "sandwich generation," said the study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). 

"Across the region, many members of the sandwich generation are squeezed by the financial burden of caring for multiple generations and are concerned that their future living standards will decline," it said. 

One in five working-age Asians is now a member of this group, said the EIU study, sponsored by investment product and services provider Fidelity International. 

Members of this cohort are typically aged between 30 and 45, married and support one or two children and two parents or parents-in-law, and their size varies across the region, according to the study. 

In China, 37 percent of the working-age population cares for both children and elderly parents, while in Japan and Australia the figure is only six percent. 

Due to financial pressure, members of this group are working harder, saving less and taking fewer risks with their money, the study said. 

"More than one-third... have had to work harder to cover family expenses since becoming 'sandwiched', about half have reduced their savings and investments and nearly two-thirds are more cautious with their existing investments than they would otherwise be," it added. 

More than a third -- 36 percent -- of them say they are "struggling to cope" with the demands of supporting both children and ageing parents, with the number higher in Hong Kong at 53 percent. 

Filial piety, however, remained strong, with 78 percent agreeing it was their responsibility to care for their aged parents, according to the study, entitled "Feeling the Squeeze: Asia's Sandwich Generation." 

Personal thoughts:

With the low amount of salary which you have earned, it probably would be a tough situation for you to support your whole family’s expenses. Such as children's education is a major expense, providing healthcare for elderly parents is an additional burden especially for the lower income group. Thus, even by working more longer hours will not do much help to reduce their expenses. Therefore, government had stepped into this situation and help up with the poor to cope with their basic expenses. Such as providing funds to the lower income family or giving out some daily necessities to them, which Singapore have been doing. In order, to help parents reduce their child’s education fees and to reward those hardworking and outstanding students, by giving out some scholarships or bursaries. As a result, it would not only help the parents in their expenses, it had also help to motivate the students to work hard. Perhaps, saving habits are also encouraged for each individual. 

Liow Yan Ling