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Singapore's first Ecstasy-related death was misadventure, State Coroner Siva Shanmugam
ruled yesterday, in the case of actress and club hostess Cindy Tay Teow Li, 26, who
died of a drug overdose last September.
He said he hoped the case would serve as a grim reminder of the lethal
consequences of Ecstasy abuse. It had been established that a single tablet
could kill.
There was nothing to suggest that the former part-time TCS actress
was aware of the dangers of consuming Ecstasy, he said.
Noting with regret that this was the first such death from Ecstasy
consumption in Singapore, he said it was the cumulative effect of
the drugs she had taken that had led to her heart pumping excessively,
and had made it fail. Miss Tay, who had also worked as a secretary
before, played the second wife of lead character Arthur Sin in the
film God or Dog, based on the true story of Toa Payoh child-murderer
Adrian Lim in 1981.
Forensic pathologist Wee Keng Poh told the court that the amount of
Ecstasy in Miss Tay's blood was high, and that this had been associated
with her death.
He also spoke of the three mechanisms of death in Ecstasy-related cases.
The first affected a small proportion of people known to be
exceptionally sensitive to the drug. One tablet could kill them,
and there was no way to find out if a person was allergic to Ecstasy.
The second mechanism, overdosing, could cause death, as in the case,
he said. In the last, excessive exertion, such as dancing in a hot disco,
could cause over-heating of the body.
The coroner accepted his evidence.
Hostess Lim Poh Chee, 25, had testified that Cindy told her she had
taken Ecstasy. The two had worked at Club Ferrare in Cairnhill Road
for about a year before joining Club Tycoon in Havelock Road last July.
She said her friend had planned to go to London with a sister, and
had not mentioned suicide before. That was why she was shocked to learn
of her death.
At Club Ferrare, Miss Lim said some customers offered
hostesses ecstasy pills. Club Tycoon customers also had these tablets,
but it was not as common there, she said.
She said she had seen Cindy behaving as if she had taken drugs a
couple of times, but had not seen her actually consuming them.
Miss Lim said when she met Cindy five days before her death,
she had seemed to have a lot on her mind but did not confide her thoughts.
POPULAR discotheques and pubs are fertile grounds for secret
societies to recruit naive youths, say police. Some gangsters go
"headhunting" at tea dances, Cantopop KTV lounges and other nightspots
where teens congregate, a trend that has alarmed some club operators
and patrons.
Operators and patrons say the gangsters also "act tough", get
drunk and refuse to pat their bills, then harass and attack
waiters and other patrons.
The 11 hotspots brawls involving secret-society gangs were in the Boat
and Clarke Quay areas, Marina South, Marina Square, Orchard Plaza,
Ngee Ann City, Far East Plaza, Cuscaden Road and Duxton Plain.
Figures were for cases of rioting or causing serious hurt.
Most of the other fights, could be blamed on rowdy youths out for
a wild night on the town, according to a 1995 Criminal Investigation
Department survey.
It showed most began because of disputes and misunderstandings
that arose between youths in their teens and 20s, and other patrons
in the nightspots.
But these brawls can get bloody,according to some eyewitness.
A 37-year-old bouncer who has worked at several clubs in the past
two years, said: "Once when I was patrolling the dance floor at
one disco during a tea dance, pung! a beer glass hit my head.
The boy who threw it meant to hit a member of his enemy gang, but
hit me instead."
A scuffle broke out between the rival gangs, bottles and glasses
were thrown, and the bouncer ended up with blood all over his white shirt.
Among the eight areas, Boat and Clarke Quays were plagued with the most
number of fights. Running a close second was Marina South.
An owner of a major chain of nightspots said he was forced to close
down a KTV club offering Cantopop hits after gang members harrased
regular patrons and even attacked a waitress.
There was a fight every six days in nightspots in the central area in 1996,
with several involving gangs. But most brawls were among youths.
GANGSTER to waiter in a karaoke pub: "Do you know who I am?
Why should I pay?"
This sort of arrogant, tough-guy behaviour from secret-society
members has led at least one prominent nightspot owner to close one
of his popular clubs.
He refused to be named in this report, fearing a reprisal from the gangs.
His woes began two years ago, when he suspected that gang members were crowding into one of his pubs,
located in the Orchard area.
They would come in and get drunk and act like they owned the place.
"Often, they would pick a fight with one of the other customers."
Most often, it would be because one of the gang members claimed that
the other customers were staring at his female companion, he said.
"They would also refuse to pay their bills, and threaten to beat up some of the staff
if they dared challenge them."
Chairs, beer bottles and glasses were flung about when the fights broke out and staff
and other patrons who got involved ended up with cuts.
In one incident, a waitress was beaten up and had to be admitted to hospital
after a dispute with a customer over the bill.
He said: "At one point, this was happening every night."
At least five other nightspot owners said that fights did happen on their
premises.
Said another nightspot owner, who also declined to be named: "Yes,
we have fights almost every night. It is also hard to tell if those who
are fighting are in secret societies, because they look and dress
like any other customer."
Another hotspot was at Cuscaden Road, according to staff at nightspots there.
Mr. Clayton Yap,23, assistant floor manager at Hard Rock Cafe, said: "Hard Rock Cafe is
located at a place where fights break out often. There's a pub at
a hotel nearby, where many patrons get drunk and fight."
Jamie Lim, 28, vowed never to go pub-crawling again after
she was a victim of a Boat Quay fight in January 1996. It was
10pm on a Friday night when the insurance agent went to a pub
along the packed riverfront to have drinks and relax with four
colleagues.
A group of about 12 youths, who wore T-shirts and jeans, and who
had shaven heads, took up a table next to them and spoke loudly.
The youths grew louder. And louder.
She said: "We couldn't hear ourselves speak, because they were
drunk and practically yelling at one another."
Disgusted, one of her male colleagues told them to keep it down.
The youths, as one, turned nasty and started imitating what he said
in "mewing" voices.
At this point, Jamie and her party decided to leave. But six of
the youths followed them towards North Bridge Road, and one
youth, red-faced and drunk, kept taunting them with: "What? What?"
One of them pushed the man who had told them to quietened down
earlier, and the gang kicked and punched him. Jamie
and her friends, who tried to intervene, received the same treatment.
She said: "One of them kicked me so hard, I fell and grazed my calf
badly. My colleague's jaw was swollen, and one of his hands was bruised."
The Singapore General Hospital said that every night, its doctors
treat between two and eight people injured in brawls at nightspots.
Staring incidents, in which looks can literally kill, have been
on the rise over the last two years, according to police figures.
About one in 10 of all violent crimes reported to the police
in 1995 and 1996 were a result of staring, police said in
response to queries from The Sunday Times.
Violent crimes refer to cases of rioting, serious hurt and
unlawful assembly.
In 1995, there were 55 violent crimes caused by staring
incidents, among the 876 reported.
Last year, staring incidents accounted for 71 out of the
1.089 violent crimes called in.
Killer stares have also sparked off brawls
between gangs of youths at Boat Quay and other nightspots.
The situation has not improved since the 1980s.
Then, at least seven people were killed as a result of
violence started by staring incidents reported between 1982 and 1987.
Despite rising affluence and educational levels, it seems
Singaporeans are as intolerant about staring today as
they were a decade ago.
Then, as now, staring incidents mainly involed men.
There were few cases where women were involved, police
said but did not give figures. Most incidents happen in crowded
places, such as shopping centres and nightspots, often on
weekends.
A woman police corporal stole $800 from a Myanmar overstayer
detained at the Central police division lock-up in Beach Road
on Feb 18 1997.
District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt yesterday jailed Yvonne Yeo Seow
Hwee, 22, for seven months and told her that an "exemplary sentence"
was called for as she had abused the power of her position as a police officer.
Before Myo Mahn, 36, an overstayer, was placed in
the lock-up, Yeo searched him to surrender a red
coin box and pouch.
She unzipped the pouch and found stacks of money, some jewellery
and a small wallet with more money inside.
While handling the money, she slipped a stack of $50 bills
into her trouser pocket. She then counted the money on the
table in his presence.
She wrote a receipt for all the items, including $4,932,
and asked him to sign but Myo Mahn insisted that he had
much more money.
She left the lock-up immediately and, in a panic, hid the
stolen money in the toilet.
By the time she returned to the lock-up 10 minutes later,
the theft had been found out. All the cash was recovered.
Police constable Wilbur Lim Keng Tiong, 23, was sentenced
to 18 months' jail and six strokes of the cane on 30
April, 1997 for molest.
The court heard he lifted the skirt of a Chinese
national, 44, and touched the breast of a Malaysian, 21,
who were detained at Tanglin Police Station on Aug 25 1996.
The full-time police NSman, nabbed for molest, posed as a police
officer to molest more girls while out on bail
A FULL--TIME police national serviceman was caught for molesting
young girls, but he continued to accost schoolgirls while out on bail, a
district court heard yesterday. Posing as a police officer, Rahim Sintah,
21, molested the schoolgirls, whose ages range from 11 to 15, after
accusing them of being involved in drug activities and saying he had to
search their bodies. He committed seven of the 13 offences he was
charged with while out on police bail early this year. He pleaded guilty.
The prosecution proceeded on six charges -- one count involving oral
sex, two counts of molest and three of impersonation -- between Jan
27 and April 28. District Judge Adrian Soon Kim Kwee postponed
sentence to Sept 14 to see if he is fit to be caned as his counsel, Mr S.
Magintharan, said that he had a medical problem. Counsel also said
that Rahim had been a victim of sexual abuse himself, when he was a
child.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Toh Han Li, who pressed for a stiff
sentence, said Rahim was arrested twice, on Jan 27 and Feb 2, and
released on police bail. Rahim was arrested a third time on April 29
after an 11-year-old girl reported that he had molested her and had
unnatural sex with her.
On Jan 27, Rahim told a 14-year-old girl walking along Clementi
Avenue 4 that he was "Sergeant Malcolm" from Central police station
and flashed his police full-time national service identification card.
He was wearing a T-shirt bearing the police logo and the word "Police"
on the back.
He told the girl that he was keeping an eye on her brother who was
suspected of hiding drugs. He took her to the 11th floor of a nearby
block, where he searched her body and molested her.
Later the same afternoon, he confronted a 15-year-old girl similarly
outside Tiong Bahru Plaza, and accused her of smuggling drugs for her
brother.
When the girl said she had lost her wallet and did not have her identity
card, he threatened to charge her and took her to a neighbourhood
police post to make a police report.
About 1-1/2 hours later, Rahim went up to her again as she was
waiting for a taxi and led her to the 10th floor of Block 50, Havelock
Road, where he molested her.
He unzipped her pinafore and slipped his hand into her brassiere on the
pretext of checking for drugs. He also sucked her breasts, saying he
needed to confirm if the drug had been "dissolved in her body".
On April 27, he approached an 11-year-old girl along Ghim Moh
Road and said he had to search her for incriminating evidence.
He led her to the staircase landing on the 14th level of Block 15, where
he searched her and pulled down her shorts and panties and pressed
her buttocks. He then asked her to squat and close her eyes while he
masturbated. He then made her perform oral sex on him.
DPP Toh said Rahim had tarnished the good name of the police force,
and perpetrated his deviant sexual acts in a "bold and cynical ploy" and
had taken advantage of the six victims' youth and naivete.
AUG 21 1998 ST
The mission of the Singapore Police Force is to uphold the law, maintain order and keep the peace in the Republic of Singapore. We do this by working in partnership with the community to protect life and property, prevent crimes and disorder, detect and apprehend offenders and preserve a sense of security.
In pursuance of our mission, we shall :
Discharge our duties with professionalism and courage. We shall always be diligent in seeking the truth, with knowledge of process and understanding of purpose.
Strive to be an organisation of excellence. We shall always adopt a proactive approach, and show initiative and a willingness to change, in meeting our challenges.
Serve our nation with loyalty and integrity. We shall always strive to uphold the honour of our office by displaying exemplary conduct and discipline in order to maintain public trust and confidence in our actions.
Policing in Singapore is based on the support
and trust of the public. The level of this support will
directly affect the ability of police to fulfill our
mission. The trust and confidence of the public built
up over recent years can be easily undermined by the
actions of a few errant officers. Police powers and
individual officer's right to exercise discretion
require a set of core values as a reference
point. Officers imbued with these values will have
a standard to live by and thus be in a position to
exercise judgement and make decisions in the
organisation's and public's interest. This is
a necessary foundation for successful empowerment.
We Pledge...
To answer '999'calls within 10 seconds
To arrive at urgent incidents within 15 minutes
and non-urgent incidents within 30 minutes
To respond to letters from the public within
5 working days
To update victims of crime on the outcome
of cases within 28 days
To assist callers at police service counters
without delay
To achieve public satisfaction with the
services we provide
Ecstasy - the lethal drug
Nightspots battle gang activity
Youths turn ugly at nightspots
Pub-crawling?
For Your Eyes Only
X-Cops
NO:1
NO:2
NO:3 Man molested girls while out on bail
Singapore Police Force Mission, Core Values and Service Pledge
Display fairness and impartiality in our pursuit of justice. We shall always act without fear or favour or prejudice to the rights of others while tempering justice with compassion.
Provide quality service to the public. We shall always be prompt, courteous, helpful and responsive in meeting the public need.
Singapore Police Force Service Pledge
Tips on how to handle hairy situations:
"Tell your friend the problem. They can make sure the two of you are never left alone.
"If the man bothering you is a stranger, a complaint to the management might aggravate him. If you're alone, seek the refuge of a group of girls, telling them the problem. Most men will steer away from big groups. Or go to the Ladies where he can't get to you. If you have a handphone call someone to come rescue you. If you're thinking of leaving alone, make sure he doesn't follow you."
"It used to be that men would drug a drink to get the girl in bed. Now, it's more common to get someone addicted to drugs by spiking drinks. Once she's addicted, the've got a new customer.
"The girls could be working for a drug pusher, or maybe just up to mischief. Always keep an eye on your drink. If you're going to the dance floor, finish your drink first, and order a fresh one when you get back."
"The police say if they suspect you of wrong-doing and you don't have your IC, you will be taken to the police-station. Someone will then have to come and verify your identity. The National Registration Department stresses that the IC is for "identification and should be carried by the person who is issued it".
"Don't wait for the bottles to start flying - you could get hurt or detained by the police if they think you're part of the melee. Try to leave as quickly as possible. If you can't, keep your eyes open so when the police arrive you can tell them what happened. Wherever you are, always note all exits in case there's a fire or a fight."
This document was prepared by using information obtained from the
Sources listed below. All information contained herein is correct
at the time of implementation of this site. Asian_kim cannot be
held responsible for any inaccuracy, omission or alteration
that may occur.
Source: The ST, 03/16/97 ; 04/06/97 ; 04/16/97 ; 05/04/97. Her World magazine.
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