Man fined $3,500 for hurling vulgarities at bus driver after being told to wear his mask properly
SINGAPORE - A bus driver who spotted a passenger with his mask down stopped the bus to approach the man and advised him to put on his mask properly. The passenger, Mohamed Reezal Abdullah, 49, followed the driver back to the driver's seat and hurled vulgarities at him. Mohamed Reezal was on Tuesday (Nov 9) fined $3,500 under the Protection from Harassment Act for using abusive language against a public service worker. One other charge of failing to cover his nose with his mask was taken into consideration in his sentencing. The court heard that on July 20 last year at about 7.30pm, Mohamed Reezal, a Singaporean, boarded SBS service 10 and sat on the upper deck of the bus. The bus driver, Mr Chua Khea Boon, 61, saw on the closed-circuit television that Mohamed Reezal's mask was not covering his nose and mouth. The driver stopped the bus and went to the upper deck to advise him to wear his mask properly before returning to the driver's seat to continue the journey. Mohamed Reezal followed Mr Chua and confronted him at the driver's seat in an aggressive manner. The victim, fearing for his safety, called SBS' site office to report the matter, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheah Wenjie....
16 weeks’ jail for woman caught not wearing mask at MBS and several places
SINGAPORE - A woman who failed to wear a mask on numerous occasions at public places, including the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) integrated resort, admitted to her offences in a district court on Monday (Sept 6) and was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail. Phoon Chiu Yoke, 54, who appeared via video link, was first charged last year after she failed to have a mask over her nose and mouth at Newton hawker centre between 7.20pm and 8pm on May 8, during the Covid-19 circuit breaker period. She left Singapore for Britain soon after and returned to Singapore on June 28 last year. The Singaporean then had to stay in a room at MBS under a 14-day stay-home notice. But she left the room between 8.07pm and 8.23pm on June 28. After that, Phoon loitered around various places in the hotel and was not wearing a mask when she did so. In May this year, she was captured on video not wearing a mask at MBS. She committed similar offences at other places, including outside the State Courts building, between Dec 2 last year and May 24 this year. Phoon was out on bail when she failed to wear a mask at the Mandarin Orchard Singapore hotel on June 25. A month later, she was charged over this incident. Her bail of $12...
2 men to be charged for breaching SHN requirements
SINGAPORE - Two men will be charged in court on Friday (Aug 20) for breaching their stay-home notice (SHN) requirements and thereby exposing others to the risk of Covid-19 infection. On April 30, Thanasegaran Elancharan, 26, and Yeo Ee Kai, 25, arrived in Singapore from the Dominican Republic and were served with SHNs from April 30 to May 21. The two Singaporeans were each informed by an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer that they were not allowed to leave their individual rooms in the dedicated facility or have visitors for the duration of their SHN. The two men were subsequently brought to the same dedicated facility in Orchard and assigned different rooms to serve their SHN. On May 11, Thanasegaran allegedly left his room on several occasions and was found loitering in the common corridor without wearing a face mask. The two men also allegedly agreed for Thanasegaran to visit Yeo in the latter's room. Yeo allowed him to enter his room, with Thanasegaran remaining there for about 1½ hours. Those who breach SHN requirements are liable to prosecution under the Infectious Diseases Act, the Infectious Diseases (Covid-19 - Stay Orders) Regulations 2020, or both. Firs...
Woman caught on video not wearing a mask at MBS is expected to plead guilty on Aug 12
SINGAPORE - A woman captured on video not wearing a mask at the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) integrated resort is expected to plead guilty to her charges on Aug 12. Phoon Chiu Yoke, who is now in remand, appeared in court via video-link on Wednesday (Aug 4). She asked the court for her release, without conditions attached. Alleged offenders can be released on bail before they are convicted. Phoon, who is unrepresented, also asked for the return of her passport, stressing that she has a "stellar professional record". The court denied her application on Wednesday given the "egregious nature" of her charges. She continues to be in remand. Phoon currently faces 22 charges for various offences including multiple counts of failing to wear a mask at public places. She first appeared in court last year after she allegedly failed to wear a mask over her nose and mouth "at all times" at Newton hawker centre between 7.20pm and 8pm on May 8 during the circuit breaker period. She left Singapore for Britain soon after that alleged offence. She returned to Singapore on June 28 last year and had to serve a 14-day stay-home notice at MBS until July 12. The court had heard that she allegedly left her hote...
askST: What does oxygen supplementation for Covid-19 patients involve?
SINGAPORE - As the nation moves towards living with endemic Covid-19, the Government's focus is shifting away from the number of daily cases to the condition of such cases - including those who require supplementary oxygen. The Straits Times spoke to Professor Dale Fisher, senior consultant at the National University Hospital's Division of Infectious Diseases and professor of medicine at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, to find out more about what this means. Q: What does oxygen supplementation involve? A: Blood oxygen levels can be routinely measured in patients with a simple clip device placed on the finger. When these levels are low, patients need to be given oxygen at a higher level than is in the air. This is done using nasal prongs or an oxygen mask, which helps to provide them with the extra oxygen. Q: There are many photos of hospitals around the world with patients lying in beds next to oxygen tanks. Is that how Singapore does it? A: You will only see tanks in less sophisticated hospital settings or in makeshift facilities. In Singapore, we have oxygen tanks when transferring patients or in temporary overflow structures used during a surge in patients at hospitals....
Jail, fine for man who verbally abused and assaulted bus driver who told him to wear mask properly
SINGAPORE - A bus passenger talking on his mobile phone with his mask down flew into a rage and hurled vulgarities at the driver who told him to wear it properly. Nadarajan Mariesusy also hit Mr Sulaiman Junadi on his left shoulder before alighting. The 40-year-old Malaysian pleaded guilty on Friday (July 9) to one count each of harassment, assault and an offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act. He was sentenced to two weeks' jail and a fine of $4,000. He will spend an additional eight days behind bars if he is unable to pay the fine. At 7.50pm on July 31 last year, Nadarajan boarded bus service 130 along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 and was seen wearing his mask over only his chin while talking to his wife on the phone. When Mr Sulaiman advised him to wear the mask properly, he complied before taking a seat at the back of the bus. But the driver later saw Nadarajan with his mask down again. Deputy Public Prosecutor Hidayat Amir told the court: "At or about 7.58pm, when the victim stopped the bus at a bus stop, he turned to the back of the bus to address the accused briefly and advised him to wear his mask properly again. "The victim informed the accused that this was required u...
More charges expected for woman caught on video not wearing a mask at MBS
SINGAPORE - More charges, including those involving the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, are expected to be handed to a woman who was caught on video refusing to wear a mask at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) integrated resort amid the Covid-19 outbreak, a district court heard on Tuesday (June 15). The prosecutor mentioned the additional charges on Tuesday in asking for a three-week adjournment. Details about these charges were not revealed in court. Phoon Chiu Yoke, 53, currently faces seven charges over various offences, including failing to wear a mask at public places such as MBS, Bras Basah Complex and outside the State Courts building. The Singaporean, who was not represented by a lawyer, told District Judge Janet Wang on Tuesday that she wants to apply for these charges to be dropped. Stressing that she is a former naval officer, Phoon said that she had been "an eyewitness or plaintiff" in earlier cases linked to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and that it would be difficult for her to have a fair hearing due to these cases. "I am not privy to discuss all these cases in court here without causing embarrassment or being prejudicial to the SAF and to the Government of Singapore....
Woman who refused to wear mask at MBS offered bail, asks for charges against her to be dropped
SINGAPORE - A woman who was captured on video refusing to wear a mask at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) integrated resort has been offered bail, after she was remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for two weeks. Phoon Chiu Yoke, 53, has been offered $8,000 bail. She faces seven charges for various offences, including failing to wear a mask at MBS, Newton hawker centre, Clarke Quay Central, Bras Basah Complex, and outside the State Courts building. On Tuesday (June 8), Phoon told the court four times that she was a naval officer with a "strong professional standing", and asked for the charges against her to be dropped. “I have a very strong professional standing, not only in Singapore, but globally... I served in the navy for 12 years and was the first female commanding officer,” she said. She also said there have been "procedural errors" on the part of the investigating officers, alleging that she was arrested without a warrant. Phoon also asked that she be offered bail of $3,000 without a surety, as she was the navy's first female commanding officer and has made contributions to Singapore "as a pioneer". The prosecution had asked for bail to be set at $10,000, with conditions t...
askST: What is a mask with ‘higher filtration capability’ and how do I select one?
SINGAPORE - With more transmissible Covid-19 strains in the community and evidence showing that the virus can be transmitted through aerosols, people should be selecting masks with higher filtration capabilities. The Straits Times looks at what this means and the types of masks that can offer sufficient protection. Q: What does "higher filtration capability" mean? A: A mask's filtration capability refers to how well it is able to filter respiratory droplets, which may contain bacteria or the Sars-Cov-2 virus, and prevent these from going through. This is commonly measured by looking at the mask's particle filtration efficiency (PFE) and its bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE). The PFE measures how well the mask is able to prevent aerosolised droplets - of around 0.1 micron in size - from escaping, while the BFE measures how effectively the mask can filter bacteria-containing droplets, which are about three microns in size. The Sars-CoV-2 virus is said to be around 0.12 micron in size. A good mask - which meets the requirements for medical and surgical standards - should have a BFE or PFE of at least 95 per cent, meaning that it is able to prevent 95 per cent of all such particles...
Protect Your Family with the World’s First Intelligent CIO2 Air Purifier
SINGAPORE, Jan 27, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - Mamoru Marketing, the exclusive distributor of Ecom products in Singapore, is introducing a new product to protect our loved ones in 2021. The big brother of the EA Mask, the Ecom Mask 030 Plus Disinfection Air Purifier has 10 unique features that differentiates itself from the competition. It is the world's first professional-grade intelligent CIO2 air purification machine that will eliminate 99.9% of bacteria, smoke, odors, and more, ensuring you and your family will be breathing the best air of their lives.With the largest coverage of 1,000 square feet (the size of a 4 room HDB apartment), the Ecom Mask 030 Plus Disinfection Air Purifier uses 4-in-1 filtration technology, as well as displays that will show you the exact number of days to change the filters. The display will even show you immediately in precise PM2.5 recordings how the air quality has improved. It can even be wall-mounted to save space and is whisper-quiet at 25db.You can bring the Ecom Mask 030 Plus Disinfection Air Purifier home for an introductory price of just $1,280 (usual price $1,800). This also include a free Care Kit from worth $119. Mamoru is implementing a mon...
Woman who claims to be ‘sovereign’ expected to face another charge under Women’s Charter
SINGAPORE - The woman who claimed she was a "sovereign" when told to wear a mask in public is expected to face another charge under the Women's Charter. Paramjeet Kaur, 41, currently faces six charges, four of which are for breaching Covid-19 regulations. The remaining two are for public nuisance and for failing to report her change of home address. Her case was heard again on Tuesday morning (Jan 26) but she was not in court as her presence was dispensed with. Defence lawyer Mohamed Arshad told District Judge Adam Nakhoda that his client could face another charge under the Women's Charter. It is not clear what it will be for. The judge adjourned the case on Tuesday and sent it to the community court. Kaur made headlines after she was caught on video claiming to be a "sovereign" during an argument with passers-by at Shunfu Mart near Upper Thomson Road in May last year. In the video, which went viral online, she is heard making claims that the law does not apply to her. "It means I have nothing to do with the police, it means I have no contract with the police," she said. "They have no say over me." She also claimed that she was "not a person", but was instead "we the people". Kaur ...
Man jailed for bid to bribe police officer enforcing mask rule
A 28-year-old man was sentenced yesterday to four weeks in prison for attempting to bribe a police officer to avoid Covid-19 enforcement action. Individuals convicted of a corruption offence such as bribery can be fined up to $100,000 and imprisoned for up to five years. The Chinese national was spotted on May 7 by a patrol team from the Public Transport Security Command with his mask down near the smoking corner of Boon Lay MRT station. The four police officers approached Chen Long and instructed him to wear his mask properly. He complied, but was spotted soon after by the same patrol team with his mask pulled down to expose his nose. Chen, who is on a work permit in Singapore, was then taken to a room in the MRT station to be interviewed. During the interview, Chen showed the money in his wallet to police officer Chan Hui Shi and offered $50 to be let go. The officer refused his offer, and Chen was issued a composition fine of $300 for an offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act. The incident was later reported to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. Anyone caught not wearing a mask outside the home faces a fine of $300 for a first offence and $1,000 for a secon...