May 3, 2011

PAP's Cynthia Phua And Her Most Famous Moment as an Aljunied MP

Today I will tell you a story. It is a sad story, so sad that it could almost be a Taiwanese soap opera.  Unfortunately, it is not fiction, but a true story. (I read about it from this newspaper report in The New Paper).

Once upon a time, there was a woman who lived in Aljunied (we don't know her real name, so let's just call her Julie). She was 53 years old, and she had a 17-year-old son (again we don't know his real name - so we'll just call him Ah Teck).

Julie was poorly educated. She had only studied up to Primary 6. She worked as a part-time cleaner, earning $400 a month to support herself and Ah Teck. Meanwhile, Ah Teck had low IQ and was attending a special school for mentally handicapped kids. He also had thalassemia, a blood disorder.

Ah Teck's father had run away several years ago and could no longer be found. So there was absolutely no financial help from him.

One day in January 2009, Julie was at work. She was standing on a chair to clean a fan. Suddenly, she slipped and fell. She broke her wrist. Thereafter Julie lost her job, for she could no longer perform her cleaning duties.

A few months later, their money ran out and they could not pay their HDB mortgage instalments. So Julie and Ah Teck were about to lose their home - the HDB was taking action to repossess it. The HDB agreed to rent her another flat. But Julie did not even have $138 to pay for the rental deposit.

So Julie and Ah Teck decided to go to see their MP in Aljunied. They had gone to their Aljunied MP many times before, to get financial aid, so they knew where to go. This time Julie and Ah Teck wanted to ask the MP to sign an appeal letter for them, to waive the $138 rental deposit. They went to the town council and met with Aljunied MP Cynthia Phua (yes, the same Cynthia Phua now running for Aljunied again, together with George Yeo).

What went on in the office, we do not know for sure. We do know that the letter did get signed. Later Cynthia also claimed that the conversation was cordial and went well. And in the subsequent newspaper report, her fellow PAP MP Lim Hwee Hua also said that Cynthia behaved in a manner that was "very helpful" and "very motherly".

However, Julie tells a somewhat different story, and it goes like this:

      ".....shortly after they had entered the office, Madam Phua asked her son a series of questions: 'She asked him, 'Who are you? What are you doing? Why aren't you working?' .... The mother said she wanted to explain her son's condition, but wasn't given a chance. 'I felt like we were being scolded,' she said.

Whatever Cynthia Phua had actually said, we know that Ah Teck must have felt very humiliated. Perhaps it was not the words, but the tone, the demeanour or the body language. Whatever the case may be, we know how Ah Teck must have felt. That's because right after he walked out of Cynthia's office, he lost his temper in a big way. Ah Teck picked up a foldable chair, and slammed it twice on a glass door.

There was a commotion, other people quickly restrained the boy and calmed him down. And then Julie went home, taking her mentally-handicapped son with her.

The story might have ended there, but it did not. Cynthia made a police report. Later that night, the police arrived at Julie's home and arrested Ah Teck.

Two days later, Julie went to see the MP again, clutching a handwritten letter of apology from her son. We are told that in this letter, Ah Teck wrote the following words: "'Please fodgive me for what I dad I am sinelely truely I'm sorry". (Note that Ah Teck has low IQ - that would be why his writing skills are so poor).

But that forgiveness didn't come. PAP MP Lim Hwee Hua rejected the apology. She would not ask the police to withdraw the case.

A grassroots volunter, Mr Poon, further claimed that Ah Teck's blows with the chair "could have gotten someone killed".

(Personally, I think that the only thing you can kill by hitting a door with a chair is the door. Or the chair. The TNP article also made the subtle observation that despite the killer blows, the door, which was made of glass, remained unbroken).

The hapless Ah Teck was required to appear in court on a certain date - 12th May 2009. He faced a criminal charge of committing a rash act to endanger the safety of others.

What happened next is not publicly known. I have surfed and googled, but the media does not seem to have followed up on the story and I cannot get any more information.

This is probably because the boy was underage. In Singapore, juvenile court proceedings are generally shielded from the public eye and reporters are kept out of the courtroom.

So the story ends here - because we really don't know what happened next.

What I hope is that Ah Teck did not get some criminal conviction that would stain his record, and make his already-bleak future even more difficult. He is a low-IQ boy, after all.

I also hope that both Julie and Ah Teck had the good fortune to meet a judge who could understand their hardship and empathise with their daily struggles for money and a roof over their heads.

And I hope that the judge treated Ah Teck with more kindness and compassion, than the Aljunied PAP MPs had done.

Since the General Elections are here again, it is also my hope that you will take a few moments to reflect on the above incident. Please vote wisely .... for the MPs whom you believe will have compassion for their residents.

292 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 292 of 292
Anonymous said...

wah lau,

CP and LHH more heartless than I can imagine.

after newspaper report came out, they didn't reconsider their position, didn't feel any sympathy nor empathise with the poor mother and son.

must let my Aljunied neighbours know abt this.

Mr Wang, you are the heart, soul and conscience of Singapore. Soldier On!!!

lawyer said...

to those who provided the links to the Dream Potter episode featuring Kevin and his mum, thanks.

I just watched the episode for the 1st time, and I must say that the statements made by various persons that Kevin and his mum were ungrateful for the help that was given to them by the TV station and viewers were rather unfair. During at least 2 parts of the programme, Kevin and his mother had effusively thanked the generosity of viewers and the TV station (18:53 to 19:15, and 21:38 to 21:48). They were gracious for the assistance given to them. Surprisingly, though, the CP and LHH incidents weren't mentioned during the programme. They must have been edited out.

It would also appear that Kevin was not prosecuted as a result of his outburst during the MPS with CP, or he was given probation.

Anyone watching the programme can tell that the boy is not a normal. He is very effeminate, has serious behavioural problems, and does not appear at all well. Based on newspaper reports in Jan 2009, when he was then 17, he would have been at least 19 when the episode of Dream Potters was screened. Ask yourself this: if he was A-OK, he would have been serving NS. I will bet that the SAF had deemed him unfit to serve NS (which is a real rarity these days).

Their declining of the fast food job offer for Kevin that was secured by the TV station should be seen in this light. Kevin is not a well boy. Besides, it was explained by the mum and Kevin that he was susceptible to fainting spells and had fainted on buses before. Besides, honestly, do you think that he would have been able to cope in a job environment that exposes him to lots of co-workers and the public? He will be ripped to bits with mockery from his colleagues. I can just imagine how his neighbours tease and taunt someone like him.

So, I wouldn't be as quick to defend CP or LHH. They, as MPs, or their RC grassroots helpers have failed in their tasks.

Anonymous said...

If Singapore is a company, PAP is upper management then this reminds me of what upper mgmt always says, "All the fault belongs to you, all the credit goes to me."

Anonymous said...

Other than the 2 Aljunied candidates mentioned here, another of their team member should be scrutinied as well. Due to his high profile he had survived all these years. But I never understood why the Totalisator Board fund could be used for building a massive structure for the Arts, when the fund beneficiaries are suppposedly the poor people of this country who needs help. Certainly Ah Teck needs to raid the fund more than anybody!

Anonymous said...

so sad, no compassion only bureaucratic, typical of our .......

D-nielofState said...

@ Roxanne, one of them was the Infamous fire attack on Seng Han Tong, where the culprit was similarly mentally challenged. Was earlier in2009 I believe. Surprised no one mentioned this yet, as that could explain why she was so scared.

Anonymous said...

Wish don't know the true story if Cynthia phua really rude to to him or talked nicely. But the chair could kill is a bit exaggerating and I know low iq people get angry easily as they cannot control their emotions. Since no one was hurt, the glass didn't break and the guy already wrote a letter to apologise, I think they should forgive him. His family is already in a sorry state

Anonymous said...

I meant We* don't know

Anonymous said...

My family runs a shop under the area "taken care of" by Mdm Cynthia Phua. I remember how these permanent awnings were done to cover more parts of where shops can place their things outside. But as the ones who knows what we need best, we are thankful for it but when it rains, the awnings do not prevent rainwater from wetting the products being sold. So one of the shopkeepers from a shop near to ours approached our MP Mdm Phua when he met her at an event (she has never appeared at our shop before though there were at least 3 times when notices were placed around to say that she would be visiting the shops in the neighbourhood) and told her that what we need is the kind of vertical awnings (I'm not sure what exactly they are called but its somewhat like blinds or curtains). Her reply to him was in Chinese, a direct translation would be "I give you an inch and now you want a yard, then after I gave you the yard, who knows how much more you'd ask for?" And boy, her attitude wasn't even nice at all. As an MP, isn't it your duty to care for the needs of your residents? We do not expect it to be implemented at once but could we at least have a chance to have a proposal submitted or something? How can I trust an MP like that to continue serving me when she can't even help with a request as simple as this?

Anonymous said...

@anonymous at 5:48

Oh yes! I know what you're talking about. Yes, they seem ungrateful and kept giving excuses. Is it the guy who's tall and skinny and they rejected the job saying that it's tiring that one? Maybe there's another side to the story hmm..

Anonymous said...

To All pro-PAPers,

u want 2 sia suay George Yeo, issit?

Now work faster, better and cheaper!

Anonymous said...

pro-PAPers,

dun let George Yeo down!

Anonymous said...

@3:29

If it's true, must really vote them out of aljunied to teach her a lesson!

Anonymous said...

Seems you intentionally chose to ignore this...

---

During the one week after the incident, the mother pondered what to do.

She got her son to shave off his shoulder-length orange-dyed hair to get rid of bad luck.

For days, she said, he couldn't find the courage to face himself in the mirror. He also decided to put on hold a long-time dream to audition for Singapore Idol.

.
.
.

She also explained that she was not in a position to excuse or forgive the boy.

'I was not present and the police are investigating into the matter. I believe the police will take into consideration the mitigating factors,' said Mrs Lim.

'From what I understand, Madam Phua was being very motherly and very helpful inside the room with them.'

Mrs Lim's response surprised the mother, who had spoken fondly of her throughout the interview with The New Paper just a day before.

She said: 'I know what my son did was wrong. But how can I not defend him? He is my son, he is not well and he has a problem with his temper.

---

So let's get the facts clear...

1) Request approved.
2) Son with long orange hair smashes the door with a folding chair.
3) Police was called in.

Alan Wong said...

Let's put things in perspective. The MP incident involving the son happened sometime in Jan 2009 while the TV show was produced sometime in 2010 after the incident. Obviously the desperate mother and son case is a deserving one or otherwise the TV station would not have dared to produced it to seek public help and sympathy.

It could also be possible that the producers saw it as a real life example to expose the fallacy that public aid always there if you know how and where to seek it as what our PAP Ministers have always been telling us. The obstacles preventing and obstructing real aid from reaching the intended recipients have always been there, whether it is the over-suspicious nature of the aid rending officials or MPs. Suffice to say that it takes a lot of courage itself to seek help from others especially those suffering in silence.

The other 2 cases involved the same PAP MP Seng Han Tong :

A) In May 2006, Seng was attacked by a constituent of his, a 74-year old disgruntled former taxi driver who felt that Seng was not taking any action to help him regain his lost taxi licence.

The man later made a public apology to Seng, and the charges were dropped.

Media reports in 2010 recalled the event when the man carried a knife with a 12 centimetres (4.7 in) blade to the Subordinate Courts of Singapore building in an attempt at public suicide and was sentenced to two weeks in jail.

Just a month later, the man passed away at the age of 78 due to a lung infection which his son believed was developed during the 2 weeks jail.

B) In January 2009, Seng suffered another attack by one of his constituents; a 70-year old man set him on fire by pouring paint thinner on his back and then igniting him with a cigarette lighter.

It was told that he was disgruntled for not being selected for a S$200 angpow and the man was believed to be mentally ill.

Let the facts speak for itself and more comments about PAP MP Seng Han Thong at :

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/01/seng-han-thong-mp-for-yio-chu-kang-burnt/

Anonymous said...

Mr Wang,

I staredt to worry for you.

If this piece is spread wide enough in the next few days, and PAP lose Aljunied by a small magin, they would Black-marked you.

Anonymous said...

Just borrow a word from one of the candidates....

'Don't Know What To Say"

Uniquely Singapore!

Anonymous said...

http://www.asiaone.com/News/The+New+Paper/Story/A1Story20090507-139990.html

Anonymous said...

The problem with our so-called PAP elites - they may have the paper qualifications but they truly lack the passion to serve the people. They always think they are right.

Yes, we need elites - people who are analytical, possess critical and problem-solving skills and TOGETHER WITH the PASSION to serve people!

Anonymous said...

the boy had to be given a stern warning, low IQ or not. If the precedence is set without him knowing the severity of his mistake (ie violence is never the solution), he will be highly probable to vent his frustrations through violence AGAIN.

Aljunied dude said...

This is a rather subjective post and discussion due to judgements being made on certain facts, which may or may not have been the underlying motive/reason for either party's actions.

I wish there were equally long posts on families receiving aid from the assistance schemes (Perhaps they are shy people and only make online noise when they do not get things their way). Do not forget that MPs are not gods and they cannot simply conjoure money for anybody asking them for it. Firstly, I believe the right question to ask is: Is Julie/Ah Teck doing anything to help themselves?

Having being served by LHH (Back from the days of Marine Parade GRC), I remember having made a casual comment during a walkabout session that soot was accumulating on the walls of the blocks of HDB flats, which was starting to make them look shoddy, and within a couple of weeks, the RC was inviting residents to choose a new coat of paint for the estate. It may have been within the estate's plans to give the flats a new coat of paint after every X number of years, but I was impressed that action was really carried out. Other estate upgrading programmes (I am less enticed by the Lift Upgrading Programme as my home is already on a lift-access level) such as a sheltered walkway to the bus stop are but some of the small instances which have made living in Aljunied such a pleasure.

I have actually met LHH on her walkabouts in the past 5 years. She makes it a priority to understand problems of residents (both your coffeeshop uncle as well as the private estate dwellers) in the estate. I'm afraid I cannot comment on CP as I have not had the opportunity to interact with her yet.

The MPS seems to be a highly emotional event where the opportunity of handing taxpayers' money to swindlers, freeloaders and the like means that actions and reactions have to be taken with a pinch of salt. No doubt there are numerous cases of people deserving handouts and financial assistance, but both the provider and the recipient of such assistance need to understand that a thorough check has to be done before money is doled out. After all, I do not wish to have taxpayers' money going out to the most vocal/aggressive person out there. Don't forget that freeloaders are incredibly adept at 'wayang' as well!

A word of advice for Julie/Ah Teck: You have to learn to help yourselves first before others can help you and open the doors to opportunities for you.

Anonymous said...

Cynthia Phua is ready a lousy MP and always scold her staff, we must vote her out!

Anonymous said...

wah lau,

CP and LHH more heartless than I can imagine.

after newspaper report came out, they didn't reconsider their position, didn't feel any sympathy nor empathise with the poor mother and son.

must let my Aljunied neighbours know abt this.

Mr Wang, you are the heart, soul and conscience of Singapore. Soldier On!!!

Anonymous said...

In this repost, it seems he has conveniently left out "The mother's request was granted - Madam Phua signed the letter..."... and everyone here just thinks that MP Cynthia Phua did not help, when actually she did. READ properly before flying into a rage!

Anonymous said...

well,

the PAP just lost my vote.

Thank god for Mr Wang.

Anonymous said...

Mr Wang, can help to send out an urgent message to all and any opposition people you know.

Do NOT belittle or heap sacarsm on PM Lee's apology! An apology from the PM is something which the people do not take lightly. To belittle or heap sacarsm on it, or even question it, makes you appear ungracious, venegful. This will turn the tides of emotion against whoever is doing it. The good work by opposition right now will be screwed for taking this too lightly.

Thank you Mr Wang!

HH said...

CP never listen to PM.

http://www.straitstimes.com/GeneralElection/News/Story/STIStory_664140.html

He said say sorry can already!

Anonymous said...

PM Lee just apologised for his not so 'perfect' running for country. Does he know how many families and Singaporean affected by his policies??? And what kind of apology is that?

What is the Lim Hwee Hua and Cythia Phua's response when the poor mother and boy apologised?

Where is the nice guy, George Yeo?

Anonymous said...

contrast this with Ms Teo Soh Lung who is running for SDP at Yuhua:

"a fren was jailed due to youth error but Ms Teo pleaded the judge for reducing jail sentencin, now the youth becomed a good man in the society"

see the straits times article here:
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/showpost.php?p=55421407&postcount=10

Anonymous said...

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Mr Wang.

I would like to add that it is a fact that children with low IQ tend to have behavioural problems.

From this paper, I quote:
"Children with a low IQ might miss or inappropriately read or respond to social cues. In addition, because of limited cognitive skills they might not be able to negotiate social conflict as readily as children with a higher IQ. In a similar fashion, children with mild cognitive delay display similar social interaction problems "
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2748106/

I believe that the behavioural problems also apply to adolescents like Ah Teck.

I used the search terms "child psychiatry low iq and behaviour" in Google and found several scientific publications on the topic.


It would only have been right to empathise with their situation and forgive him for his actions. I am disappointed that he was arrested instead.

Anonymous said...

They respond by saying this is "online slander".

http://www.facebook.com/notes/aljunied-grc/response-to-online-slander-that-aljunied-pap-team-is-not-compassionate/10150285709744966


So is it defamatory when someone accuse you of making defamatory remarks?

Anonymous said...

Singaporean, I definately want a Goverment who can make me a home and take care of me when I am old. Not ask me to work till I drop dead.

Think again, if the opposition wins, its only 4 to 5 years before the next election. If they don't perform, give it back to PAP then.

Give the opposition a chance to prove themselves.

It is time for a change. Enough is Enough.

Anonymous said...

someone pls give the Alhunied GRC Facebook team a dictionary---they can't even use the right word to describe what they mean.

There is no such thing as online slander---you can only slander someone by by spoken words or sounds, sign language, gestures and the like.

Anonymous said...

Help may eventually be rendered, but you have to beg for it. Yes, beg! I have met my MP and have spoken to others who went to see their MPs and they told me the same thing. Yes, end of day they may or may not help, but the overbearing tone and arrogance they display making you beg and lose your dignity is appalling. They make sure you know you are down here and they are the lords over you high up there. So you must bend your knees lower your heads when you look for their help. You are the servant, they are the masters. They make sure you know this.

Kojakbt said...

Aljunied GRC just published this on their facebook:

Response to Online Slander that Aljunied PAP team is not compassionate
by Aljunied GRC on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 10:44am

We wish to clarify on the slander that has been viralling online, particularly on the accusation that we had pressed charges on a helpless, mentally handicapped resident who came to MPS in Serangoon North and slammed a chair on the door.

We were wrongly accused that not only that we had not been compassionate, also that we had pressed charges against the poor boy. We didn't press charges. The mother and son have been coming to MPS regularly and we had been helping them to get financial aids. We had continued to help after the incident and we will continue doing so.

We would like to urge residents and grassroots leaders to look out for those who require assistance but are hesitating to come forward to ask for help.

Kojakbt said...

Mr Wang, Aljunied GRC is implying that you have slandered them. May be you should sue them back? LOL!

This is really getting interesting... just saw another online video where George Yeo was desperately pleading with voters... PAP is really desperate now...

Anyway, to all, the news about the arrest of the sub-normal teenager was actually first reported by TNP 2 years ago:

http://www.asiaone.com/News/The+New+Paper/Story/A1Story20090507-139990.html

If Aljunied GRC wants to sue, they should sue SPH!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the post Mr Wang. Indeed it's an eye-opener. Glad to have read about the poor girl who stole the bread.
Importantly, I am very glad to see people speaking up on what is not right about the so-called over-paid civil servants who would not bow down. I am utterly disgusted about the ministers pay. It's time to make our judgement and may this awakening help Singapore prosper. I am so sick of hearing the PAPs telling us to show gratitude by voting them. Personally we have by their ridiculous pay so PAP should stop telling us what to do.

Why not test the capabilities of the opposition for the next 5 years and put CP out of office?

Anonymous said...

Is this a real story? Can we have PAP's Cynthia Phua's side of story to confirm??

I really cannot understand we pay MP S$15k for this work. I think PAP should explain this

Raelynn said...

According to the Aljunied GRC Facebook Page,

"We wish to clarify on the slander that has been viralling online, particularly on the accusation that we had pressed charges on a helpless, mentally handicapped resident who came to MPS in Serangoon North and slammed a chair on the door.

We were wrongly accused that not only that we had not been compassionate, also that we had pressed charges against the poor boy. We didn't press charges. The mother and son have been coming to MPS regularly and we had been helping them to get financial aids. We had continued to help after the incident and we will continue doing so.

We would like to urge residents and grassroots leaders to look out for those who require assistance but are hesitating to come forward to ask for help."

Anonymous said...

Is this true?.. It's really sad...

Just reading this.. my natural impulse would be, $138 is surely a really little sum of money for the MPs, they can easily 'donate' that moeny, or even sign whatever letter they were asking for help... please...spread a little kindness in this already unkind world..

Singapore is an advanced, sytematic and methodical country.. have the people especially the leaders of the people become a cold unfeeling robots?

koala said...

Terrible Cynthia...lousy MP! Vote out the whole PAP team in Aljunied!!

Anonymous said...

BEEN TOLD:The kid looks normal and wear branded clothes. Been told , there was a quarrel outside between mother and son. The mother hand was bandaged and was told that she was hurt by the son earlier. This is background.

BEEN TOLD: this family was helped by Hwee Hua many times, and even after they shifted to AMK. They got the rental flat through the continued appeal by Hwee Hua.

BEEN TOLD: Cynthia did not know the case, based on surface info from mother, tried to help mother as mother wants son to work.


BEEN TOLD: There is no court action, no record of it anywhere. Son was advised to manage his temper.

Anonymous said...

The mother and son should come out and testify against their lame excuses after what Cynthia and Lim Hwee Hua have done. They should speak out to the press and expose the hypocritical MPs. PAP MPs, women ones included, have become too arrogant and uncompanssionate!! They get paid millions and yet so stingy and refused to help poor sporeans even with just few hundred dollars!

Anonymous said...

We need the truth.

One sided story about the Cynthia Phua is not a fair statement...

Godwin said...

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1126695/1/.html

Anonymous said...

Somehow in how MPs or parents manage residents or children. There has to be a ballance.

The child seemed to have misbehaved and Cynthia was apparently standing up for his mother who was hurt by the boy.

It makes me think, Is it right for a mother to be abused by the child and we keep quiet and look on.

We are in a society that we would like to see child-parent respect.

Anonymous said...

"They should speak out to the press".

But they did. Click on the link in the blog post, which will take you to the newspaper article.

The blog post is nothing new. It's mainly just a rehash of what The New Paper already reported, two years ago.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't the name "Zhan Zhao" sound PRC??? He's probably one of PAP's PRC dogs being given citizenship here; and if he isn't, then he probably should seriously consider moving to PRC for Singapore has no place for the likes of him. Father huh..my a**!!

Anonymous said...

Pro-PAPers,

the press already reported on both sides of the story, so what more do you want?

You want 4,5,6 sides of the story? How many sides is enough?

Tell us!! Let the Aljunied GRC voters know how many side of the story is enough!!!

Anonymous said...

wah lau,

CP and LHH more heartless than I can imagine.

after newspaper report came out, they didn't reconsider their position, didn't feel any sympathy nor empathise with the poor mother and son.

must let my Aljunied neighbours know abt this.

Mr Wang, you are the heart, soul and conscience of Singapore. Soldier On!!!

Anonymous said...

I think there is a need to have a society that have everyone respecting each other. Most importantly, as a parent, I will be very hurt, having a child hurting me, my feelings and do not give a damn about respecting me...

Anonymous said...

yar lor,

if my MP dun respect me, treat me like dirt, i also feel very hurt

Jon said...

PAP Aljunied claims this is "slander"!!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Hwee Hwa's reply to the S'porean Married to the Ang Mo.

I mean seriously if she thinks she is better off being in the Husband's country, i think she should pack her bags and leave on the first plane out of Singapore. We don't need and/or can't adopt the policies of other countries because our situation is different.

I hope she is reading this.

Anonymous said...

Slander is “oral communication of false statements injurious to a person’s reputation”. What we have here is libel, which is a “written act of defamation”. You would think PAP MP’s would be more familiar with these terms than the rest of us.

Anonymous said...

"We were wrongly accused that not only that we had not been compassionate, also that we had pressed charges against the poor boy. We didn't press charges. The mother and son have been coming to MPS regularly and we had been helping them to get financial aids. We had continued to help after the incident and we will continue doing so.

We would like to urge residents and grassroots leaders to look out for those who require assistance but are hesitating to come forward to ask for help."



Of course they didn't press charges. Generally, it has to be the police or the prosecution who press charges. Other people don't have the legal power to press charges.

The blog post doesn't say that Cynthia or Hwee Hua pressed charges. It says that the boy got charged (for the offence of committing a rash act).

As for the compassion, I think that the Facebook response is trying to say that the MPs are compassionate because they had been providing financial aid for this family for quite some time.

But this isn't the point of the blog post, or The New Paper article. The real point about compassion is as follows >>>

If you were a compassionate person, how would you respond, after Julie came to you with that letter of apology from her low-IQ son? Especially when you already know about all their other troubles, like their HDB flat being repossessed, their money problems etc.

Would you say, "Apology not accepted, too bad for you" ...?

Or would you say, "Okay, I understand. Let bygones be bygones. Since your son has apologised, I'll tell the police officer that I accept this apology and I am willing to drop this matter."

Anonymous said...

GE: PAP Aljunied team denies pressing charges against low IQ boy
By Satish Cheney | Posted: 04 May 2011 1344 hrs


Photos 1 of 1

Aljunied GRC PAP candidates


Special Report

• Vote 2011






SINGAPORE : The People's Action Party's Aljunied GRC team has denied allegations that it is pressing charges against a mentally disabled boy who had come to one of its Meet-the-People sessions (MPS) in Serangoon North and slammed a chair on the door.

In a note on its Facebook page, the team labelled the allegations and reports "slander that has been viralling online".

It said the team was wrongly accused "that we had not been compassionate, also that we had pressed charges against the poor boy".

"We didn't press charges. The mother and son have been coming to MPS regularly and we had been helping them to get financial aid. We had continued to help after the incident and we will continue doing so."

In the note, the team urged residents and grassroots leaders to look out for those who require assistance but are hesitating to come forward to seek help.

Some media reports had indicated that the MP who met the boy was Cynthia Phua and that she had said she would not accept the boy's apology and was in no position to excuse or forgive the boy.

- CNA/al

Anonymous said...

mr wang bagus !!!

Fox said...

I urge everyone take a screenshot or save the HTML file of the asiaone article. I have this feeling that it will be taken down very soon.

Anonymous said...

http://humyeefansang.blogspot.com/2011/05/singaporean-politicians-and-their.html

Kojakbt said...

Other police reports made by MPs as reported in State media:

Ng Kim Ngweng gets 6 months' jail for threatening to hurt MP
By Asha Popatlal, Channel News Asia | Posted: 30 March 2009 2007 hrs

SINGAPORE: Rag-and-bone man Ng Kim Ngweng has been sentenced to six months' jail for threatening to hurt Jalan Besar GRC Member of Parliament Denise Phua, a day after another MP, Mr Seng Han Thong, was torched by a former cabby.

The case came to light after Ng made a call to a public hotline on January 12, saying he was angry with Ms Phua as he had received inadequate financial aid.

In reaching his verdict, the judge said there were three main points to note ? one, whether there was a threat to cause injury; two, whether there was intention to cause alarm; and three, whether Ng intended the threat to be communicated to the MP.

After taking into account the evidence and context of the conversation, the judge sentenced Ng to six months' jail.

Surprisingly, for a man who has often been seen scowling and muttering under his breath to his interpreter for some parts of the hearing, Ng was calm when the verdict was read out on Monday.

49-year-old Ng has prior convictions for offences ranging from traffic violations, theft and criminal intimidation.

In an emailed response to the media, Ms Phua, who was not in court on Monday, said she was sorry to hear of the jail term. She stressed that she had not asked for Ng to be charged and would continue to help him and his family.

- CNA/so

Kojakbt said...

http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/06/30/cabby-let-off-with-2000-for-threatening-pap-mp-lee-yi-shyan/

Relief cabby Mr Teo Kian Seng was let off with only a $2,000 fine on Monday for “threatening” his PAP MP Lee Yi-Shyan. The perpetrators of such offences are usually punished with a jail term in the past.

Mr Teo had gone to see Lee in March about a $100 fine slapped on his mother who is working as a rag-and-bone woman for the clutter left outside the flat. He was unhappy that the officers from East Coast Town Council have been rude to his mother.

Instead of providing a listening ear, Lee appeared to be unempathetic to Mr Teo’s grievances and asked him how “he could expect others to be polite to him when he was rude to them.”

Stung by Lee’s callousness, Mr Teo then reminded Lee in Mandarin nonchalantly about the Seng Han Thong incident last year and said he hoped “history will not repeat itself again.” According to Mr Teo, he was not rude to Lee and neither did he raise his voice at him.

Obviously traumatized by Mr Teo’s remarks, Lee made a police report immediately and Mr Teo was arrested by the unusually efficient Singapore police on 3 March. The police will most likely ignore such trivial reports had the complainant been a “lesser mortal.”

The case sparked a massive furore in cyberspace with many netizens lampooning Lee for being “unreasonable”, “petty” and “paranoid”.

It is a common complaint among Singaporeans that PAP MPs are getting more and more aloof, callous and out of touch with the people in the street.

They behave like “little emperors” lording over the people they are supposed to “serve” as mere subjects with scant regards to their predicaments and feelings.

Lee is paid $14,000 monthly by Singapore taxpayers for his part-time job as a MP. In contrast, Mr Teo and his aged mother may have to starve because of the $2,000 fine imposed on him for a rather innocuous off-the-cuff comment which hurt the ego of the “holier than thou”, “whiter than white” higher mortal first-term PAP MP.

Kojakbt said...

Police investigate threat against MP
By Loh Chee Kong, TODAY | Posted: 08 May 2008 1308 hrs

An unemployed man is in the soup after he allegedly threatened Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Member of Parliament Michael Palmer (picture) at a Meet-The-People session.

On Monday evening, Mr Zuo Hong Bao — who told Today that he had gone to look for Mr Palmer "more than 10 times" previously — met the MP and asked if he could borrow money from the MP to pay off his debts or "do some investments".

Mr Zuo, 36, said in Mandarin: "I asked if he could lend me $20,000 ... I said I would return the money, plus interest, after three years. He told me: 'The Government doesn't do such things. Please go out'."

Conceding that he was "a little angry" and had raised his voice, Mr Zuo added: "I told him: 'You remember this!'"

Mr Zuo, who lives in Sengkang, said he received a call to go down to Ang Mo Kio police station yesterday to assist in police investigations. But he refused to turn up.

Mr Zuo went to the media with his version of the incident.

The police confirmed a report had been lodged and it was looking into the matter.

According to the MP, it was one of his grassroots leaders who made the report. Said Mr Palmer: "I told him that we don't lend money. I said: 'Thank you very much' and asked him to leave. So he uttered something."

Stressing that he "didn't really want to make a big issue out of it", Mr Palmer said: "The police will take their own action if they feel it necessary, but I told them I'm not making a complaint, or anything."

In 2006, a 74-year-old taxi driver was charged in court after he punched Yio Chu Kang MP Seng Han Thong in the face during a Meet-The-People session. The man, who had sought Mr Seng's help about a revoked taxi licence, was acquitted after he agreed to Mr Seng's undisclosed terms. - TODAY

Anonymous said...

I also heard that he attended many MPS session before the the incident; Mrs Lim Hwee Hua supported him with welfare funds and this boy used the funds for his hairdo and branded clothes...

Anonymous said...

I am not surprise about your story.
I stay in Hougang Ave 1, under her charge .She doesn't endear herself to the residents. Everyone calls her "that fat lady"
My brother went to see her on a few occasions, the last time for case of parking offence. Needless to say, she recognised my brother and on seeing how trivial the matter was, rebuked him in Hokkien "Au Pai buay sai eh" (Next time no more)
My brother was turned off and told us he would never vote PAP again.
Although he was politically neutral, nevertheless he voted PAP because the last MP Dr Ong Hong Seh was very helpful but has since transferred to Marine Parade GRC in the last GE

Anonymous said...

The boy and his mother is now staying in Ang Mo Kio... Heard that most of the furnitiure were funded by Mrs Lim Hwee Hua's team's welfare funds.

Anonymous said...

very emo, 3 separate issues:
1) how to help mother & not so smart kid. I think the kid needs to be empowered to be more independent and w more self esteem. Hate to think when mother grows old & weak and child gets angry at home. Better avoid tragedy ...
2) is MP CP compassionate? Kinda obvious.
3) is compassion the only quality required from MP (it's MP not spouse)? We certainly need smart, compassionate, level-headed MP, won't kena conned. Compassionate to help genuine cases.

In the end, tough choice - George Yeo, Thia Khiang, Sylvia r good candidates and we mainly talk abt CP!

Anonymous said...

Not suprised by her actions, really.

I've sent an email to Mr Yeo Guat Kwang and cc her, on 4 Apr 2011, for their help on some matters. Till- date, no bounce mail and no replies from ANYONE. I was still very hopeful on their help when i sent out the email. And now? Hopeful on the voting results. Even if they can't help, at least give a reply?

She does not seem here to serve us, but for us to serve her instead. We should really use our votes to show them who we are.

Alan Wong said...

Suddenly so many HEARD statements and how come I never heard before that our PAP MPs has funds to provide furniture for those underprivileged families ?

Damage control by PAP ?

The TV programme already showed the furniture was donated by anonymous well wishers in response to their call to help the mother and son case.

And now someone claimed it was donated by Lim Hwee Hua ? So hard to believe !

Kojakbt said...

>> The boy and his mother is now staying in Ang Mo Kio... Heard that most of the furnitiure were funded by Mrs Lim Hwee Hua's team's welfare funds.

I would like to know. Did PAP do all these for the boy and the mother when election was near?

Kojakbt said...

>> The TV programme already showed the furniture was donated by anonymous well wishers in response to their call to help the mother and son case. And now someone claimed it was donated by Lim Hwee Hua ? So hard to believe !

Yeah... next thing you know, some PAP IB fellas here will say "I heard Lim Hwee Hua bought the HDB flat for them too"...

Anonymous said...

I respect George Yeo. But if he loses, just go look for CP alright? And blame the GRC system. It's a GRC but functions like any SMC. I'm under Aljunied GRC, 5 MPs, but my area is under CP alone. She is simply HORRIBLE. I cannot imagine 5 more years under an MP like her.

Anonymous said...

George Yeo,

if you lost the Aljunied GRC, you know which teammate of yours to thank!

From,
Ex-PAP supporter

Anonymous said...

Mr Low Thia Kia,

if you happened to win the Aljunied GRC, pls save a big invite for CP at your victory dinner!

Anonymous said...

Is it in your interest to vote for PAP? Please read the latest article on Temasek Review below before it is taken off.

http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/05/04/is-it-in-your-interest-to-vote-for-pap-part-4/

Anonymous said...

NO MONEY BUT SON CAN HAVE ORANGE DYED HAIR .....

IF ORANGE DYED HAIR 17 YEAR OLD COME ASK YOU FOR MONEY, WHAT YOU THINK HUH?

Anonymous said...

They were not there to ask for money. They were there to ask the MP to sign an appeal letter.

Their HDB home had already been repossessed, so yes, whatever the colour of his hair, I believe that they had no money.

In fact, in Singapore, there is just no way to have money, if you only have primary 6 schooling and are working as a cleaner.

Anonymous said...

Isn't this post a smear tactic as well? Everyone should be alot more discerning as to what they read on the internet, as you've mentioned alot of the crucial details are missing(while it may be seen as the nature of the press to be partisan to the incumbent party, it also bears reminding that this post is less than valid...)

Anonymous said...

yar lor,

if LHH and CP wants to sue TNP for online slander, I;d be the first to support them!!!

Anonymous said...

To all Pro-PAPers,

let Aljunied GRC and the whole Singapore know why this post is a smear!!!

You'd have George Yeo's gratitude!!!

Anonymous said...

Pro-PAPers,

SPEAK UP and let SINGAPORE know WHY this post is a smear

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous at May 4, 2011 10:48 PM:

It's an enlightening piece of writing to me, not a smear.

Even if you choose to see it as one, there's a difference between a smear by an ordinary citizen and that by a politician (a minister or MP) whom the people trust. The latter's words carry more weight and have a far greater reach (through TV and newspapers) and influence.

More importantly, though, when a person in power attempts to smear, he or she is setting a bad example and is not fit to lead.

Anonymous said...

I wonder how many papmps sincerely wanted to serve their residents or they do it only for the 15k. Heartless people...

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

Yes, pro-pappers, do speak up and tell me why this was a smear.

Please feel free to point out which sentences or paragraphs in my post you think are incorrect or unfair.

Please share your views about why it is compassionate to reject an apology from a financially destitute mother and her mentally handicapped son.

Tell me honestly why you think that such conduct is appropriate or becoming, for MPs who are supposed to be helping and serving people with big problems.

And why Singaporeans shouldn't be concerned or interested to know about this matter, when the same MPs are running for election again.

Let me know. I'm very curious.

But if you have only frivolous comments to make, do consider keeping them to yourself. Otherwise, who knows, you might inspire me to write a new and long post entitled

"What PAP Supporters Say About The Aljunied MPs and their Treatment of a Financially Destitute Woman and Her Mentally Handicapped Son".

Because you're starting to annoy me now. I stayed up very late last night, and the more I thought about Julie and Ah Teck the angrier I felt about the whole matter.

What happened is not right. It is NOT right.

Anonymous said...

three cheers for Mr Wang!!!

and the p-PAPers just made me throw up in my mouth again

Anonymous said...

Pro-PAPers,

it's time to put up or shut up !

Kojakbt said...

Bro Gilbert, careful, looks like they are zero-in on you... be prepared...

-----------------------------------
PAP supporters try to clarify incident involving Cynthia Phua

by Satish Cheney
04:46 AM May 05, 2011

SINGAPORE - A group of youth supporters of Foreign Minister George Yeo was planning to put up a video late last night to rebut online allegations that his People's Action Party (PAP) team for Aljunied GRC had been uncompassionate towards a mentally disabled boy and his mother.

The seven-minute clip by the group of Mr Yeo's supporters showed the mother and son clarifying that a 2009 incident involving them and Ms Cynthia Phua - a PAP candidate for Aljunied GRC - was a "misunderstanding".

They also said that the Minister in Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua, who is also one of the PAP candidates for Aljunied GRC, has helped them a lot.

When asked why they decided to shoot the video, one of the supporters said: "We knew that (the allegations were) absolutely not true."

In a May 8, 2009, report on the incident, The New Paper said the boy, then 17, was arrested by the police after flying into a rage following a Meet-The-People Session (MPS) with Member of Parliament Cynthia Phua at her Serangoon North office.

According to the newspaper, the boy hoisted an aluminium foldable chair over his head and slammed it against a glass door after walking out of Ms Phua's office with his mother. The boy, who had to be calmed by those present, was later released on bail.

On Tuesday, the PAP team for Aljunied GRC denied on its Facebook page that they had pressed charges against the boy.

Referring to "slander that has been viralling online", the PAP team added: "We were wrongly accused that not only that we had not been compassionate, also that we had pressed charges against the poor boy. We didn't press charges. The mother and son have been coming to MPS regularly and we had been helping them to get financial aid. We had continued to help after the incident and we will continue doing so."

The latest episode stemmed from a recent posting by popular blogger Gilbert Koh who goes by the online moniker Mr Wang. Mr Koh had revisited the 2009 incident and said that he hoped the judge treated the boy "with more kindness and compassion, than the Aljunied PAP MPs had done".

Kojakbt said...

>> The seven-minute clip by the group of Mr Yeo's supporters showed the mother and son clarifying that a 2009 incident involving them and Ms Cynthia Phua - a PAP candidate for Aljunied GRC - was a "misunderstanding".

They also said that the Minister in Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua, who is also one of the PAP candidates for Aljunied GRC, has helped them a lot.


Can't seem to find this video. Am curious to see what the mum and son are saying on video. PAP must be desperate enough to dangle some carrots to get them to talk for PAP.

The fact remains, as reported by our state-controlled media:

1) Police was called
2) Boy was arrested
3) Boy was released on bail later

These are undisputed facts.

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

In fact, I sense their nervousness and desperation.

They are now defending themselves against allegations that I never made.

They say that the allegation that they pressed charges against the boy are false.

But I did not say that they had pressed charges. That would be impossible - MPs cannot press charges. Only the police & the prosecution can.

Meanwhile, the PAP response has not denied the truth of the things that the TNP report and I did say:

1. That the boy is mentally disabled

2. That the woman was in financial dire straits

3. That their HDB flat had been repossessed

4. That Cynthia Phua made a police report against the boy

5. That the boy was arrested

6. That the boy was charged

7. That the boy wrote a letter of apology

8. That Hwee Hua rejected the apology

9. That Hwee Hua said that she is not forgiving the boy

10. That even after the apology, Hwee Hua did not want to ask the police to drop the case.

Absolutely none of the above has been denied by the PAP.

Which, to my mind, confirms that they must be true, and that the TNP article was fully accurate.

--------

But I too must be more gracious. The PAP response is carefully worded - it says that "slander is viralling online". It does not say that "Mr Wang has slandered us."

For all I know, there may be slander viralling online. However, MY own post, as far as I can see, is very accurate and very fair.

Anonymous said...

Mr Wang,
if they really serious in pursuing legal action, its just show the constrasting style between them and the oppositions particular the SDP.
That the latter are more forgiving despite a false report from the TNP damaging CSJ's and his party's reputation and the electoral chances where even article writer Bryna Sim commented SDP were nice to her when she contacted them.
This is the elections, emotions can run high and PAP should be a little less litigious if they seriously want to engage the citizens

Anonymous said...

Hi Mr Wang,

it seems that the pro-PAPers are a no-show and since tommorow is cooling off day, maybe you could close all cooment threads sometime tonight?

Don't want to see the comment threads being hijacked a la AWARE.

Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wang said...

Yes, I think that's a good idea. Thanks.

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