HOME B7 Dad given control of boy in custody case Articles/2014/MAY... · He thought he would be...
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By AMELIA TENG IN SECONDARY 3, Mr Aloysius Ng was second to last in his co- hort at St Patrick’s Secondary School. But in a complete turnaround, the 20-year-old is Ngee Ann Poly- technic’s top graduate this year with a perfect grade point aver- age (GPA) of 4. For being its most outstanding graduate, he received the Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal from Ms Sim Ann, Minister of State (Com- munications and Information, and Education), at the polytech- nic’s graduation ceremony yester- day. The international business graduate also won the Lien Ying Chow Gold Medal, for the top stu- dent in a non-technology course. “It was a lot of hard work, and looking back it was all worth it,” said Mr Ng, the youngest of three sons, who hopes to further his studies in the University of Penn- sylvania’s Huntsman Programme in International Studies and Busi- ness. But the drive came late in his school life. “I was very unmotivat- ed. I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I didn’t study hard,” said the former Normal (Academic) student. He thought he would be “pro- moted” to the Express stream in upper secondary at St Patrick’s, but he did not qualify, so he spent five years in secondary school, in- stead of four. “It felt like I was almost in jail when I saw my friends being transferred to Express and I was stuck,” he added. After attending a motivation camp, he was determined to study harder, for the sake of his mother, a manager at an electron- ics firm. “I told myself I would make use of the extra year I had in sec- ondary school,” said Mr Ng, whose parents are divorced. “Now my mum doesn’t have to work so hard,” he added, be- cause his university fees will be covered by the award. This year is also special for an- other graduate, Ms Naomi Jonath- an, from Nanyang Polytechnic. The 28-year-old, whose GPA was 3.93, received the Tay Eng Soon award – for the top ITE graduate in a polytechnic – from Mr S. Iswaran, Second Minister for Trade and Industry yesterday. Ms Jonathan had wanted to be a nurse and went to the Institute of Technical Education to study nursing when she failed to qualify for the polytechnic course. She worked at the National University Hospital (NUH) for a few years before she decided to try the polytechnic again. “As an assistant nurse, I real- ised I couldn’t do much for pa- tients. I wanted to be a staff nurse,” said the 28-year-old, who is working at NUH again. “I studied really hard in poly- technic so that I can take better care of my patients.” She hopes to take up a nursing degree that the University of Man- chester is offering in partnership with the Singapore Institute of Technology. Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim was guest of honour at Temasek Polytechnic’s graduation ceremo- ny. Polytechnic graduation sea- son ends on Friday. This year, about 25,000 students are gradu- ating from the five polytechnics. [email protected] Ms Jonathan, a Nanyang Polytechnic nursing graduate, and Mr Ng, an international business graduate from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, are both award winners for their outstanding academic results. ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN Two polytechnic grads score top honours TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014
Transcript of HOME B7 Dad given control of boy in custody case Articles/2014/MAY... · He thought he would be...
By AMELIA TENG
IN SECONDARY 3, Mr AloysiusNg was second to last in his co-hort at St Patrick’s SecondarySchool.
But in a complete turnaround,the 20-year-old is Ngee Ann Poly-technic’s top graduate this yearwith a perfect grade point aver-age (GPA) of 4.
For being its most outstandinggraduate, he received the NgeeAnn Kongsi Gold Medal from MsSim Ann, Minister of State (Com-munications and Information,and Education), at the polytech-nic’s graduation ceremony yester-day. The international businessgraduate also won the Lien YingChow Gold Medal, for the top stu-dent in a non-technology course.
“It was a lot of hard work, andlooking back it was all worth it,”said Mr Ng, the youngest of threesons, who hopes to further hisstudies in the University of Penn-sylvania’s Huntsman Programmein International Studies and Busi-ness.
But the drive came late in hisschool life. “I was very unmotivat-ed. I didn’t know what I wanted
to do so I didn’t study hard,” saidthe former Normal (Academic)student.
He thought he would be “pro-moted” to the Express stream inupper secondary at St Patrick’s,but he did not qualify, so he spentfive years in secondary school, in-stead of four.
“It felt like I was almost in jailwhen I saw my friends beingtransferred to Express and I wasstuck,” he added.
After attending a motivationcamp, he was determined tostudy harder, for the sake of hismother, a manager at an electron-ics firm.
“I told myself I would makeuse of the extra year I had in sec-ondary school,” said Mr Ng,whose parents are divorced.
“Now my mum doesn’t haveto work so hard,” he added, be-cause his university fees will becovered by the award.
This year is also special for an-other graduate, Ms Naomi Jonath-an, from Nanyang Polytechnic.
The 28-year-old, whose GPAwas 3.93, received the Tay EngSoon award – for the top ITEgraduate in a polytechnic – from
Mr S. Iswaran, Second Ministerfor Trade and Industry yesterday.
Ms Jonathan had wanted to bea nurse and went to the Instituteof Technical Education to studynursing when she failed to qualifyfor the polytechnic course.
She worked at the NationalUniversity Hospital (NUH) for afew years before she decided totry the polytechnic again.
“As an assistant nurse, I real-ised I couldn’t do much for pa-tients. I wanted to be a staffnurse,” said the 28-year-old,who is working at NUH again.
“I studied really hard in poly-technic so that I can take bettercare of my patients.”
She hopes to take up a nursingdegree that the University of Man-chester is offering in partnershipwith the Singapore Institute ofTechnology.
Minister for Communicationsand Information Yaacob Ibrahimwas guest of honour at TemasekPolytechnic’s graduation ceremo-ny. Polytechnic graduation sea-son ends on Friday. This year,about 25,000 students are gradu-ating from the five polytechnics.
By K.C. VIJAYANSENIOR LAW CORRESPONDENT
A JUDGE urged a divorcing cou-ple to put aside their differencesand help their child maintain ahealthy relationship with both, ina rare case giving the father careand control of the boy.
Judicial Commissioner GeorgeWei overruled the 13-year-old’swish not to see his mother andmade clear it was in the child’sbest interest to maintain the link.
The Singaporean couple, bothin their early 40s and married for14 years, split in 2011 because ofthe man’s adultery. The boy haslived with him since before the2011 High Court divorce hearing,which also ruled that his motherwas to have access to him.
JC Wei made clear that whilethe child showed “strong resist-ance” to seeing his mother, hiswishes cannot override his own
best interests. Denying her accessto her son would be akin to com-plete alienation, he said in judg-ment grounds released yesterday.
It is believed that differentparenting styles may have led tothe boy’s preference to live withhis father.
On the day the mother and sonwere scheduled to meet in Sep-tember 2011, the then 11-year-old gave her a police report whichput on record that he did notwant to see her. It is understoodthe report was made to serve asevidence that the father arrangedfor the mother’s access but theboy himself was opposed to it.
Late last year, in a hearing forthe division of assets, the wom-an, represented by lawyer Mahen-dra Segeram, once again soughtcare and control of the boy. His fa-ther, represented by lawyer LucyNetto, opposed the move in thehearing before JC Wei.
JC Wei acknowledged it wasshe who had looked after the boyfor many years since his birth buthe was well settled in his currentliving environment with his fa-ther. He ruled that a suddenchange in living arrangementswould not be in his best interests.
But the judge made clear shewas to have access and, while thelink was “very strained, it mustbe in the child’s interest that allattempts are made to preserve orrepair the mother-child relation-ship”.
In affirming joint custody,which gives the mother a say overdecisions about the boy, JC Weinoted that the child had not seenher for more than three years andordered that he undergo counsel-ling before they meet again. He al-so ordered the parents to attend aparenting workshop.
The judge further ordered thatthe couple’s two properties besold with 65 per cent of the netproceeds to go the wife. The manis a project manager and the wom-an a senior company executive.
By IAN POH
A CONSTRUCTION worker whomolested two maids after follow-ing them into the lift was jailedfor four years and ordered to begiven nine strokes of the cane yes-terday.
Bangladeshi national Zakir Hos-sain Nurul Hoque, 29, restrainedhis “girlfriends” as they returnedto their employers’ homes nearTanjong Pagar, before repeatedlysqueezing their breasts and kiss-ing them on the cheek.
On the first occasion on May30 last year, he approached a25-year-old Myanmar national asshe was walking back to a blockof flats.
At the lift lobby, he twiceasked her to sit with him and
grabbed her hand the second timebut she turned him down.
Once inside the lift, he huggedher from behind and groped herthrough her clothes, only lettinggo after she bit his finger.
Three days later, Zakir Hos-sain tried unsuccessfully to be-friend a 28-year-old Indonesianwoman while she was washingher employer’s vehicle but shewarned him not to bother her.
She later refused his request tofollow him and tried to returnhome but he dragged her out of
the lift and molested her at a stair-case landing.
He hugged her, held her handand crossed his leg over hers toprevent her from moving.
He took her to the stairwelland tried to sit her down butstopped after she struggled andscreamed at him.
Asking the court to impose afour-year sentence, Deputy Pub-lic Prosecutor Ruth Teng saidthat Zakir Hossain had intrudedon his victims in an intimate man-ner.
Pleading for leniency, ZakirHossain told the court his familywas dependent on his income.This included medical treatmentfees for his father and money toput his siblings through school.
Zakir Hossain referred to eachwomen as his “girlfriend”.
He pleaded guilty to twocounts of molestation by wrong-ful restraint, with an unrelatedcharge of behaving in a riotousmanner taken into consideration.
The prescribed penalty for theoffence is between two years and10 years in jail as well as caning,with the minimum jail termraised to three if committed in alift.
FORMER projects manag-er Leu Xing-Long (right)exchanged hundreds oftext messages with apimp negotiating overwhich prostitute to en-gage – and for howmuch.
Leu, then 28, alsoquizzed the pimp viatext on how to set up hisown vice business.
Yesterday, it all ended badlyfor the 31-year-old, who wasjailed for 15 weeks for paying anunderage prostitute for sex.
A district court had rejectedhis claim that he had been consci-entious about ensuring the girlwas over 18. She was actually 17.
Leu paid her $450 for servicesrendered at Hotel 81 Bencoolenon Sept 30, 2010.
The girl, now 21, was an escort
listed on a website op-erated by the pimp,Tang Boon Thiew.
Leu is the 39thman to be dealt withover this online vicering, out of the 51men taken to court in2012.
He fought onecharge but, convict-
ing him on May 5 after a six-daytrial, District Judge Lim KengYeow said the text messages didnot back up Leu’s claims.
The judge said none of thetexts showed any concern on theman’s part over accidentally en-gaging a minor, or that he wasconsumed with abiding by thelaw as he claimed.
“The messages showed insteadthat his concern was mainly overwhich girl was available, at what
price, and over details such aswhere and when to obtain thesexual service,” the judge said.
He accepted the minor’s evi-dence that she had not shown anypart of an identity card to any ofher clients.
Defence lawyers said in mitiga-tion that Leu had not previouslyoffended, adding that he was “sin-cerely remorseful and uncondi-tionally apologetic” to the girl af-ter learning her true age.
He is the seventh person to beconvicted and sentenced afterclaiming trial.
Five others before him have re-ceived jail terms of between fourand five months, and a sixth, an18-month probation term.
The maximum penalty for theoffence is seven years in jail and afine.IAN POH
Ms Jonathan, a Nanyang Polytechnic nursing graduate, and Mr Ng, an international business graduate from Ngee AnnPolytechnic, are both award winners for their outstanding academic results. ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN
Molestergets fouryears’ jailand caning
But judge overrules son’s wish notto see mum, giving her access to him
Two polytechnic gradsscore top honours
Bangladeshi national Zakir HossainNurul Hoque, 29, molested two maidsafter following them into lifts.
Online vice ring case: Ex-manager jailed
JC Weimade clearthat whilethe childshowed“strongresistance”to seeinghis mother,his wishescannotoverridehis ownbestinterests.
Dad given control ofboy in custody case
T U E S D A Y , M A Y 2 7 , 2 0 1 4 HHOOMMEE B7
