Sheng Siong kidnapping: 44-year-old suspect goes on trial in High Court
Lee Sze Yong (in red), who allegedly masterminded the Sheng Siong kidnapping case, seen here with police investigators at Sembawang Park in 2014.PHOTO: ST FILE
SINGAPORE - Sales executive Lee Sze Yong, 44, who allegedly hatched the plan to kidnap the mother of Sheng Siong supermarket boss Lim Hock Chee in 2014, went on trial on Tuesday (Aug 30) in the High Court.
His accomplice, Heng Chen Boon, 51, was sentenced to three years' jail last year after pleading guilty last year to a reduced charge of helping Lee abduct Madam Ng Lye Poh. He was released from prison earlier this year and is lined up to testify as a prosecution witness.
Lee still faces the kidnapping charge. If convicted, he faces the death penalty or life imprisonment with caning.
Madam Ng Lye Poh was kidnapped on Jan 8, 2014, and freed unhurt the next day. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
He allegedly abducted Madam Ng along Hougang Avenue 2 on Jan 8, 2014, with the intent to hold her for a ransom of $20 million.
The court heard on Tuesday that Lee lied to Madam Ng that Mr Lim had had a fall in the office. She got into Lee's car and was blindfolded.
The then 79-year-old was freed unhurt after her son dropped off a $2 million ransom at Sembawang Park.
The duo were nabbed at about 1am the following day. The full ransom sum has been recovered.
Mr Lim took the stand on Tuesday to give his account of how Lee called him on his mobile phone and demanded $20 million in exchange for releasing Madam Ng, how the ransom was eventually reduced to $2 million and how he was instructed to drop the bag of money under a tree at Sembawang Park.
It was Singapore's first kidnap-for-ransom case in over a decade.
Aljunied woman is first case of local Zika infection
A 47-year-old woman has tested positive for the Zika virus, in the first locally transmitted case here.
This follows the first Zika case here in May involving a 48-year-old man who had visited Brazil, one of the Zika-affected countries.
The second patient, a Malaysian who lives in Aljunied Crescent, has had no travel history to Zika-affected countries.
"She was likely to have been infected in Singapore," said a joint press statement yesterday from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and National Environment Agency (NEA).
Three other people may be down with the virus. Two live near the woman's workplace, with one working nearby. Their preliminary tests were positive, but the authorities are waiting for final confirmation.
IMPORTED CASES INEVITABLE
With the presence of Zika in our region and the volume of travel by Singaporeans as well as tourists, it is inevitable that there will be imported cases of Zika into Singapore. ''
THE MOH-NEA STATEMENT
As the Zika virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito, which also spreads dengue, the authorities expect more locally spread cases.
While Zika infection is mild for most, it can have fatal effects on unborn children. Pregnant women who get infected could give birth to babies with small heads, or microcephaly, and other brain defects.
The first locally infected victim lives at Block 102, Aljunied Crescent, and works in the vicinity.
She started to have a rash, fever and conjunctivitis on Thursday and saw a doctor on Friday before being sent to the Communicable Diseases Centre at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
She tested positive for the Zika virus yesterday. She is well and recovering, but is still under observation there, the authorities said.
Ms Tin Pei Ling, MP for MacPherson SMC which covers Aljunied Crescent, said the other three who might be infected are not in her constituency. Still, her grassroots leaders went door to door yesterday to give out insect repellent, and urge people to keep their premises larva-free.
The MOH-NEA statement said: "With the presence of Zika in our region and the volume of travel by Singaporeans as well as tourists, it is inevitable that there will be imported cases of Zika into Singapore.
"There is also risk of subsequent local transmission, as the Aedes mosquito vector is present here."
Zika has also surfaced in neighbouring countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said MOH and NEA are working together to carry out vector control and testing of residents in that area who have fever and rashes, so as to reduce the risk of further spread.
He urged those who have these symptoms to see a doctor.
The MOH has also alerted all general practitioners in the area to be extra vigilant and to immediately report patients suspected to have the virus to the ministry.
All those suspected to have the Zika virus will be isolated till they are proven to not have the virus.
NEA yesterday stepped up misting and fogging in the Aljunied area to kill adult mosquitoes.
Its officers are inspecting premises for larvae and may need to gain entry into inaccessible premises by force after serving notices, it said.
Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases specialist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, reiterated the need for a national approach.
He said: "The onus is on every citizen to kill the mosquitoes and in turn kill the virus."
S R Nathan's state funeral: He put nation before self, time and again, says PM Lee
SINGAPORE - In his eulogy at the state funeral of late former president S R Nathan on Friday(Aug 26) afternoon, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid tribute to a man who, time and again, put the nation above self and played an important role in Singapore's nation-building.
"As one of the pioneer generation who lived through Singapore's most tumultuous period, Mr Nathan witnessed many of the key events that shaped our nation. He not only had a front-row seat, but was often an actor on stage," said Mr Lee.
He said four things come to mind when thinking of Mr Nathan: He was a man who lived life to the fullest; he faced challenges with resolve, never giving up; he always did his best for Singapore, "even at personal risk and sacrifice"; and he had "great personal integrity and commitment".
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The one incident that epitomises Mr Nathan's qualities is the 1974 Laju hostage incident, said Mr Lee. Terrorists had hijacked the Laju ferry between Bukom and mainland Singapore, but the Government negotiated a deal with them to release the hostages in exchange for safe passage to the Middle East.
Mr Nathan, then director of the Security and Intelligence Division, "risked his life" to lead a team of 13 officials who accompanied the terrorists to Kuwait - serving, in effect, as hostages.
"Not many of today's generation know of the Laju incident. Those who do probably do not fully appreciate the magnitude of the decision that Mr Nathan and the other 12 made," said Mr Lee. "It took great moral and physical courage."
In his speech, Mr Lee gave an overview of Mr Nathan's wide-ranging career, and how it illustrated his repeated willingness to serve.
After Mr Nathan retired from Government in 1982, he was asked to be executive chairman of The Straits Times, and managed to win over the suspicious journalists with his sincerity.
In 1988, he became High Commissioner to Malaysia. He was later posted to Washington, and was Ambassador in 1994 when Singapore sentenced United States citizen Michael Fay to caning for vandalism, sparking a US media campaign against the caning.
"Singapore needed to get our point of view across. Mr Nathan went on the talk show Larry King Live. He was grilled, but defended our position with conviction, and persuaded quite a few Americans that what Singapore was doing was not wrong," recalled Mr Lee.
When Mr Nathan returned from Washington in 1996, he established the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, now the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
"Mr Nathan could have retired from public service into a more placid life in academia," noted Mr Lee.
"But duty called again. Once again he put country before self."
In 1999, Mr Nathan stood for President and was elected.
Mr Nathan served his two terms as President with "dignity and distinction", winning the respect and affection of Singaporeans of all races and walks of life; a gracious host to foreign visitors at home, and representing Singapore overseas with aplomb.
He also started the annual President's Challenge campaign to help the less fortunate, which raised more than $100 million over 12 years and reminded Singaporeans that everyone has "a part in building a compassionate society".
And he gave good advice to Mr Lee when the two worked together as President and Prime Minister for seven years. When the 2008 global financial crisis hit, Mr Lee sought Mr Nathan's permission to draw $5 billion from the reserves to fund economic measures, and to back a guarantee of all bank deposits in Singapore with $150 billion of the reserves.
After careful consideration, Mr Nathan approved the Government's request, allowing the crisis to be dealt with decisively and for Singapore to emerge largely unscathed.
"Mr Nathan proved once again that he was capable of making tough decisions when the need arose."
Even after Mr Nathan retired, he stayed active. He shared his wisdom and experience with the young and kept up with current affairs and old friends.
Mr Lee himself kept in touch with Mr Nathan regularly. Mr Nathan would sometimes join him for lunch at the Istana; when Mr Lee saw an article that might interest Mr Nathan, he would send it along.
"He made it a point always to reply, in his beautiful hand which remained steady all his life," said Mr Lee, recounting how Mr Nathan wrote a four-page letter to him recently, to pass on a message from a friend.
"I thought how lucky he was, to be so active and focused at 92."
Mr Nathan's life holds many lessons for Singapore, said Mr Lee. Mr Nathan himself had hoped that Singaporeans, especially the young, would draw a key lesson from his memoirs: not to give up.
"It is a precept that Mr Nathan lived by", observed Mr Lee: overcoming the trying circumstances of his childhood to rise in the public service through grit and ability, guided by a sense of duty.
"He put heart and soul into every task assigned him, including the highest office in the land," concluded Mr Lee. "Time and again, he placed nation before self. Quietly and without fuss, he gave his best years and more, to Singapore.
"It is with great sorrow today that we bid farewell to one of Singapore's greatest sons."
S R Nathan's state funeral: He put nation before self, time and again, says PM Lee
SINGAPORE - In his eulogy at the state funeral of late former president S R Nathan on Friday(Aug 26) afternoon, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid tribute to a man who, time and again, put the nation above self and played an important role in Singapore's nation-building.
"As one of the pioneer generation who lived through Singapore's most tumultuous period, Mr Nathan witnessed many of the key events that shaped our nation. He not only had a front-row seat, but was often an actor on stage," said Mr Lee.
He said four things come to mind when thinking of Mr Nathan: He was a man who lived life to the fullest; he faced challenges with resolve, never giving up; he always did his best for Singapore, "even at personal risk and sacrifice"; and he had "great personal integrity and commitment".
The one incident that epitomises Mr Nathan's qualities is the 1974 Laju hostage incident, said Mr Lee. Terrorists had hijacked the Laju ferry between Bukom and mainland Singapore, but the Government negotiated a deal with them to release the hostages in exchange for safe passage to the Middle East.
Mr Nathan, then director of the Security and Intelligence Division, "risked his life" to lead a team of 13 officials who accompanied the terrorists to Kuwait - serving, in effect, as hostages.
"Not many of today's generation know of the Laju incident. Those who do probably do not fully appreciate the magnitude of the decision that Mr Nathan and the other 12 made," said Mr Lee. "It took great moral and physical courage."
In his speech, Mr Lee gave an overview of Mr Nathan's wide-ranging career, and how it illustrated his repeated willingness to serve.
After Mr Nathan retired from Government in 1982, he was asked to be executive chairman of The Straits Times, and managed to win over the suspicious journalists with his sincerity.
In 1988, he became High Commissioner to Malaysia. He was later posted to Washington, and was Ambassador in 1994 when Singapore sentenced United States citizen Michael Fay to caning for vandalism, sparking a US media campaign against the caning.
"Singapore needed to get our point of view across. Mr Nathan went on the talk show Larry King Live. He was grilled, but defended our position with conviction, and persuaded quite a few Americans that what Singapore was doing was not wrong," recalled Mr Lee.
When Mr Nathan returned from Washington in 1996, he established the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, now the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
"Mr Nathan could have retired from public service into a more placid life in academia," noted Mr Lee.
"But duty called again. Once again he put country before self."
In 1999, Mr Nathan stood for President and was elected.
Mr Nathan served his two terms as President with "dignity and distinction", winning the respect and affection of Singaporeans of all races and walks of life; a gracious host to foreign visitors at home, and representing Singapore overseas with aplomb.
He also started the annual President's Challenge campaign to help the less fortunate, which raised more than $100 million over 12 years and reminded Singaporeans that everyone has "a part in building a compassionate society".
And he gave good advice to Mr Lee when the two worked together as President and Prime Minister for seven years. When the 2008 global financial crisis hit, Mr Lee sought Mr Nathan's permission to draw $5 billion from the reserves to fund economic measures, and to back a guarantee of all bank deposits in Singapore with $150 billion of the reserves.
After careful consideration, Mr Nathan approved the Government's request, allowing the crisis to be dealt with decisively and for Singapore to emerge largely unscathed.
"Mr Nathan proved once again that he was capable of making tough decisions when the need arose."
Even after Mr Nathan retired, he stayed active. He shared his wisdom and experience with the young and kept up with current affairs and old friends.
Mr Lee himself kept in touch with Mr Nathan regularly. Mr Nathan would sometimes join him for lunch at the Istana; when Mr Lee saw an article that might interest Mr Nathan, he would send it along.
"He made it a point always to reply, in his beautiful hand which remained steady all his life," said Mr Lee, recounting how Mr Nathan wrote a four-page letter to him recently, to pass on a message from a friend.
"I thought how lucky he was, to be so active and focused at 92."
Mr Nathan's life holds many lessons for Singapore, said Mr Lee. Mr Nathan himself had hoped that Singaporeans, especially the young, would draw a key lesson from his memoirs: not to give up.
"It is a precept that Mr Nathan lived by", observed Mr Lee: overcoming the trying circumstances of his childhood to rise in the public service through grit and ability, guided by a sense of duty.
"He put heart and soul into every task assigned him, including the highest office in the land," concluded Mr Lee. "Time and again, he placed nation before self. Quietly and without fuss, he gave his best years and more, to Singapore.
"It is with great sorrow today that we bid farewell to one of Singapore's greatest sons."
How S R Nathan won over suspicious reporters and built bridges between them and Govt
SINGAPORE - Clad in a white, short-sleeved shirt and dark pants, Mr S R Nathan was on a stroll in The Straits Times newsroom to get acquainted with his new workplace when a reporter stopped him and said: "Eh, can you get me the file?"
Without a word of protest, Mr Nathan, then 57, went and got the file of news clippings from the library for the reporter.
Days later, the reporter was mortified to discover that the modestly dressed man was his new big boss - the first senior civil servant-turned-executive chairman of The Straits Times Press group.
It was February 1982, a time when ministers made the public announcements and civil servants worked anonymously behind the scenes, rarely in the public eye.
But in quietly delivering the file, Mr Nathan made a powerful statement that he was a man of humility and would go out of his way to bridge the chasm between The Straits Times newsroom and the Government, said the company's former editor-in-chief Cheong Yip Seng.
Mr Cheong, then editor of The Straits Times, was in the vortex of the changes. He recalled relations between the newspapers and Government were at a low, following the People's Action Party's loss in the 1981 Anson by-election, after 25 years as the only party in the House.
Then-prime minister Lee Kuan Yew believed the editors could not control younger reporters, who desired more opposition in Parliament and wanted scoops above all.
The appointment of Mr Nathan, then permanent secretary of the Foreign Ministry, was a compromise accepted by senior editors to prevent other more hardline civil servants from taking over.
Some in the newsroom, however, did not see it that way. Buoyed by the resentment, a few reporters wore black arm bands in protest on Mr Nathan's first day in the newsroom, which was in the now-demolished Times House in Kim Seng Road.
But Mr Nathan did not take umbrage, said Mr Cheong.
Neither did he behave, as feared, like a government censor scrutinising the daily line-up of news stories, killing or changing reporters' stories.
"He went out of his way in the early days to show he was not there to do a hatchet job," said Mr Cheong. "His agenda was to build bridges.''
He added: "If he didn't have credibility in the newsroom, his position as a bridge would be undermined. So he needed credibility with Government, he needed credibility with us."
Over time, his actions won over the newsroom, said Mr Cheong.
The reporters, he added, could see their new executive chairman did not correct stories, nor call up editors to order them to change stories or tell reporters what to do.
He also went out of his way to help journalists develop their skills, said Mr Cheong.
Mr Nathan talked regularly to younger reporters to get a sense of how they felt and with editors, he had "coffeebreak'' meetings in the evenings to discuss hot-button issues and policies.
He wanted the Government to understand how the newsroom operated, and that editors were not out to undermine it.
Mr Nathan also knew some senior editors, including editor-in-chief Peter Lim, from the time he was in the National Trades Union Congress between 1962 and 1966. As head of its Labour Research Unit, he helped the unionised reporters negotiate for better pay and work conditions from the management.
Mr Cheong said he got to know Mr Nathan better while covering ministerial trips abroad and later, from the regular briefings on foreign affairs he would hold for editors.
He added: "He was one permanent secretary who reached out to the media and that was very rare among permanent secretaries then.''
These efforts narrowed the gulf between the editors and the Government, so much so that some of Mr Nathan's former civil service colleagues told him he had "gone native".
He probably regarded it as a jibe but laughed it off, said Mr Cheong.
While he spent time and effort coaxing and convincing editors to consider the Government's view, he also defended them.
Mr Cheong recalled an episode when a minister was so enraged by a news story that he phoned and berated Mr Nathan.
"He later told us that he heard the minister, but because the minister was repeating the point, he put the phone down on the table and carried on working. In other words, he wasn't someone who would take a call from a minister and just roll over and play dead."
Mr Cheong credits him with convincing politicians to be more willing to hear reporters out and understand their side of the story.
Ministers whose portfolio included the media would, for example, stand up at Cabinet meetings, "to defend us because that minister would have gotten to us and found out what was our side of the story".
In earlier days, "the politicians would shoot first and ask questions later. They just conclude after reading a story that you are out to get them", said Mr Cheong.
He could recall only one instance when Mr Nathan intervened directly in a story: when The Straits Times interviewed Vietnamese then-foreign minister Nguyen Co Thach during his visit here in July 1982, when Vietnam was occupying Cambodia.
Mr Nathan thought the story was slanted against Singapore, and wanted Singapore's side of the story, recounted Mr Cheong, adding that Mr Nathan had never spiked a story.
By the time he left in April 1988 to be high commissioner to Malaysia, he had helped both sides understand each other better - "that is Mr Nathan's chief contribution".
And the measure of his success in the newsroom? "Many who originally opposed his coming were very sorry to see him go, because they could see he had done an awful lot for the newspaper," said Mr Cheong.
'The least I can do is stand in the rain with them': People share fond memories of former president S R Nathan, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times
'The least I can do is stand in the rain with them': People share fond memories of former president S R Nathan
SINGAPORE - Fond memories of moments shared with the late former president S R Nathan have found their way onto social media, as Singaporeans from all walks of life recalled tales of inspiration, comfort and humour involving the "People's President".
Mr Nathan, 92, died peacefully on Monday (Aug 22) at the Singapore General Hospital where he had been warded since July 31 after suffering a stroke.
Braving the rain
Neralo, a user on Reddit's Singapore subreddit, shared how Mr Nathan braved a downpour as the reviewing officer of a commissioning parade at Officer Cadet School in January 2011.
"Normally there's a parade review, but if it rains, that part is taken out so that the reviewing officer doesn't need to get drenched. Except he did get absolutely soaked. Because he chose to do the review," Neralo wrote.
Months later, Neralo got the chance to ask a warrant officer about the parade with Mr Nathan.
"He told me they tried to stop the review but Nathan himself refused. He even refused an umbrella, saying: 'If the cadets who give their lives in service of our nation can stand in the rain, the least I can do is stand with them'.
"That incident cemented my utmost respect for the man."
In his address that day, Mr Nathan told the new officers: "My charge to you today is to be leaders who are professional, committed, caring and who always act with integrity.
"Win over their hearts and minds, for it is the resilience and fighting spirit of our people that will ultimately make the difference."
Showing support for a sick man
When Paralympian and medical doctor William Tan was diagnosed with Stage 4 leukaemia in 2009, Mr Nathan wrote to him and showed him support, telling him to "keep on the fight".
"He autographed many copies of my book No Journey Too Tough, and those copies were auctioned at a National University of Singapore function, which raised quite a huge sum of money towards my leukaemia treatment, my chemotherapy and my bone marrow transplant," Dr Tan said on Tuesday (Aug 23) at the Istana.
"So last night I had a very difficult time."
He added: "I was so touched that Mr Nathan made the effort to sign many copies of the book. His support invigorated me to battle my cancer."
Asking a guru for food
Makansutra founder and food guru K F Seetoh shared his encounters with Mr Nathan over the years, all of which involve - what else - food.
"You once stopped your daily run to ask me what I was filming and cooking at East Coast Park. You wanted to try our nasi lemak but your aide said no as it would defeat the purpose of the run," he wrote.
And on two separate occasions, Mr Nathan asked him for food recommendations - once for old-school mee goreng.
"I know you have touched many more people in your meaningful life," Mr Seetoh said.
Cheering a team up a mountain
Before taking on Mount Everest in 2009, the Singapore Women's Everest Team was invited to meet Mr Nathan, they wrote on Facebook. While they had expected the dinner to be formal and even uncomfortable, it turned out to be anything but.
"Mr Nathan made us feel welcome and at ease, peppering our dinner conversation with jokes that we need to put on some weight before heading to Mt Everest for our gruelling climb.
"He suggested that we write a book to document our five-year journey towards Everest, and gamely volunteered himself to write the foreword for our book. He joked, 'If you summit I'll write the foreword for the book, if you don't summit, I'll write the backward,'" they wrote.
They called him from Everest's summit with the good news. "He congratulated us, and sounded genuinely happy that we're safe.
"That's probably the way we would like to remember him. A friend we can call, and who we know genuinely cares."
A presidential prank
A "presidential prank", posted on Facebook by The Hidden Good in May, has found a new audience after Mr Nathan's death.
Told that he would be presenting an award to an outstanding Singaporean in April, Mr Nathan found the tables turned when he was presented with a video featuring friends, former colleagues and ordinary Singaporeans he had interacted with in the past.
They recounted anecdotes of how he had touched their lives with his acts of kindness and contributions.
Among them were former postman Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman, who used to deliver letters to Mr Nathan's office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before he got a recommendation to work as an office attendant in the ministry.
Another, Captain Vincent Pang, spoke about how his family benefited from the Government's social welfare system, thanks to Mr Nathan's help.
The touching video was shared by Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, among others, after the news of Mr Nathan's death broke.
Putting a new MP at ease
Senior Minister of State Indranee Rajah recounted worrying about how to introduce herself, as a new Member of Parliament after the 2001 General Election, to the then President.
She said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Aug 23): "I was a new MP. I had not met President Nathan before. I thought I should introduce myself and worried what the protocol for approaching the head of state was.
"I needn't have worried. He looked up, saw me, beamed, called my name and crossed the room to clasp my hands in a fatherly manner to congratulate me on being elected.
"A simple thing - but it says so much about the man. He was unassuming and without airs despite his high office."
Dishing out advice
Mr Ong Ye Kung's team lost in Aljunied GRC during the 2011 General Election, prompting Mr Nathan to hand-write him a letter, telling him not to lose heart.
"After I informed him I would contest in the 2015 General Elections, he wrote to me again, advising me to take lessons in public speaking because communications was even more important in modern politics.
"This was his SkillsFuture message to me. I did take lessons after that," Mr Ong wrote on Facebook.
Mr Ong was voted into Parliament during that GE, and he was subsequently appointed Acting Minister of Education (Higher Education and Skills).
"Personally, I have lost a mentor and a teacher," Mr Ong said.
Like two old friends
Mr Chung presented the painting to Mr Nathan on his 90th birthday. PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHUNG CHEE KIT
Businessman Chung Chee Kit will never forget Mr Nathan's reaction when Mr Chung presented the former president with a painting of him.
"He jokingly asked, 'How did you know I had a suit in that colour?'," Mr Chung told The New Paper.
Two weeks before that, they had met for the first time to discuss the painting, and Mr Chung's nerves were immediately put to rest by Mr Nathan's friendly demeanour.
"Even though he was the former president, the conversation turned out to be like one between two old friends," he said.
Mr Chung added: "He was friendly, approachable and had no airs, and I will always remember him as that man."
