Straits Times, Singapore, 6 January 1998

In the Courts

Man jailed for beating up live-in girlfriend

She scolded other woman he had brought home

By Lim Seng Jin

HE WENT home to the flat he shared with his girlfriend, with another woman in tow.

Security officer Wong Wing Hung, 33, then kicked and punched his girlfriend and hit her on the head with an iron rod -- because she started to scolded the other woman.

He injured Madam Faridah Mohamed Saad, 43, in their flat in Block 4, Marine Terrace, at 1.45 am on April 4 last year. He was arrested after someone called the police.

But in court yesterday, Madame Faridah begged for his case to be compounded, and for him to be let off with only a fine.

She said they had been living together for three years.

Wong had a long list of previous convictions for hurting other people.

They had exchanged engagement rings, she said, and planned to marry when he was out of prison.

But District Judge Khoo Oon Soo decided against compounding the case, and sentenced him to 10 months jail for hurting her.

The jail term will run concurrently with Wong's two other sentences -- six months' jail for attempted suicide at 2.45 am on April 4 by threatening to jump off the parapet outside his flat, and 12 months' jail and three strokes of the cane for vandalising a police lock-up cell he was in on Nov 29.

In all, he got 18 months' jail and three strokes of the cane.

Deputy public prosecutor Low Cheong Yeow had objected strongly to the charges being compounded, pointing out that Wong had a long list of previous convictions for hurting other people.

The DPP said the injuries Wong had inflicted on Madame Faridah were "quite serious". These included two cuts -- on the right side of her head and on her lip -- a black eye, and bruises on her forehead, face, chest, left thigh and arms.

Wong, now unemployed, pleaded guilty to all three charges, but denied hitting her with an iron rod.

The said he was depressed because his business had failed, and he had rung the Indonesian maid, who came over to the void deck of his block to comfort him.

When the maid, Ms Sriyati Samingan, 23, went up with him to his flat that morning, Madam Faridah scolded her and slammed the metal gate on his hand, he added.

He said he then picked up a flower pot and its metal stand and threw them against a wall.

While admitting he had kicked and punched Madam Faridah, he said a piece of the broken metal stand had hit a wall and bounced back, hitting her.

But the doctor, who examined Madam Faridah, said it was more likely that the cut on her head had been caused by a direct blow.

Wong has previous convictions for rape, molest, causing grievous hurt and causing hurt, theft, robbery, and criminal intimidation, among other offences.

Straits Times, Singapore, 28 January 1998

7 cars forfeited for carrying illegal immigrants

SEVEN Proton cars used for carrying illegal immigrants were ordered to be forfeited by a district court on Monday. The cars had been seized by the Immigration Department between Sept 20 and Dec 5 last year. The department said all the vehicles would be scrapped at a later date.

The court heard that five of the seven cars could not be traced back to the owners.

But two of them were bought on hire purchase through Arab-Malaysian Finance. These two Proton Wiras were less than a year old and were driven by Malaysians Lim Kok Tong and Ang Ngee Huat.

Lim was caught on Dec 5 last year at the Woodlands Checkpoint and is now serving a six-month jail term for helping a Thai national leave Singapore unlawfully.

Ang was caught leaving Singapore at the checkpoint on Oct 8 last year. He had two Thai immigrants hiding in the boot of his three-month-old car. He was jailed for six months and fined $2,000.

The legal owner of the two Protons, Arab-Malaysian Finance, did not contest the forfeiture.

The other five drivers convicted were:

Lee Nee Keat -- arrested on Sept 20 last year, when two Chinese nationals were found hiding in the boot of his Proton Saga. He was sentenced to two years' jail and three strokes of the cane.

See Teck Heng -- found carrying one Thai and one Bangladeshi worker in his Proton Wira on Oct 6. He was jailed for two years and given six strokes.

Tee Boon Bin -- arrested on the same day as See, when two Chinese nationals were discovered hiding in his car boot. He got two years' jail and six strokes.

Yap Kok Liang -- caught taking three Thai illegal immigrants out of Singapore in his car on Oct 9. He was jailed for six months and fined $2,000.

Saiful Amri Abdul Aziz -- arrested on Nov 14 for helping a Thai worker leave Singapore. He got six months' jail.