Sextortion: Strip.....& Pay

Tip-off by HK victim led to raid on Philippine 'sextortion' syndicate
By Li Xueying, The Sunday Times, 4 May 2014

It started with an invitation to a Skype conversation with an attractive Filipina called Sheila Fabian. It then progressed to online sex. After the second rendezvous, on Nov 5, Hong Konger "Jay" was sent nude photos and videos of himself - and a demand for money.

"The suspects threatened to upload the nude photos and obscene acts of the victim on Facebook and YouTube," recounted Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group director Gilbert C. Sosa. "The threat prompted the victim to agree to their extortion demand."

But Jay did not take it lying down. He complained to the Philippine consulate in Hong Kong on Jan 27, and it helped trigger a sting operation, reported the Manila-based Journal Online.

Last week, a joint task force called Operation Strikeback, led by Interpol and the Philippine authorities, netted 58 Filipinos - 48 men and 10 women - for their alleged involvement in what has been dubbed "sextortion".

Also seized were more than 200 items including computers or tablets, mobile phones, ATM cards and remittance receipts.

Operating out of call centre-like facilities in northern Philippines, the suspects allegedly created fake Facebook and Skype accounts and masqueraded as attractive women from the Philippines, South Korea or Japan to ensnare victims. Their modus operandi includes stripping in front of a webcam and inviting their prey to do the same.

Victims over the past couple of years number in at least the hundreds, and hail from Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, the United States and Britain. Agencies from these places were also involved in helping to gather intelligence for the operation.

Among the victims of what is dubbed "Naked Chat Blackmail" here, 638 are from Hong Kong.

More 'eyes' on the ground for police: Police Workplan Seminar 2014

Cameras in patrol cars among new surveillance initiatives unveiled
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 3 May 2014

STARTING next month, police patrol cars will be equipped with special cameras that will record their patrols, as well as what happens when police officers attend to cases.

These new "eyes" on the ground will supplement recently announced plans to equip ground officers with body-worn cameras and install street cameras that can be quickly deployed in crime-prone areas.

Areas such as Little India, Geylang and Marina Bay, which are already "public camera zones", will also see more cameras deployed, and a new zone will be introduced along Orchard Road.

These new surveillance initiatives were announced at the Police Workplan Seminar yesterday, as part of an overall push by the force to leverage more on the use of cameras in policing.

Fast response cars installed with the in-vehicle video recorders will begin their pilot islandwide next month.

These cameras are designed to record video both in front of the vehicle and behind it, with the clips stored in the unit's memory.

The police plan to equip all fast response cars here with the in-vehicle recorders by mid-next year, which will be eventually improved so they are able to record 360-degrees around the vehicle and stream the footage "live" to central operations rooms.

Meanwhile, the body-worn cameras will also be deployed next month, starting with officers at one Neighbourhood Police Centre. Police officers equipped with the new body-worn cameras, which resemble pagers and are clipped to their chests, will be trained to inform members of the public that their interactions are being filmed.

Processes are in place to ensure that footage recorded by both the body-worn and in-vehicle cameras is not tampered with, said a police spokesman.

The use of such closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage has proven useful in the fight against unlicensed moneylending, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean in a speech at the event. Cases of unlicensed moneylending fell from a peak of over 18,000 reported in 2009, to some 8,300 cases last year.

Foreign firms in S’pore must respect cultural norms: Chan Chun Sing

By Wong Wei Han, TODAY, 3 May 2014

While foreign companies operating in Singapore are free to decide on their human resource policies, they must respect cultural norms here and should not publicly advocate causes that could sow discord among Singaporeans, said Social and Family Development Minister Chan Chun Sing.

While he did not name any company in his strongly-worded post on his Facebook page — only saying that Singaporeans had asked for his views on the recruitment practice of a multinational company here — My Paper reported on Wednesday that investment bank Goldman Sachs is planning a recruitment and networking dinner for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students.

Noting that Singapore is a largely conservative society and that the Republic’s norms will be decided by Singaporeans, Mr Chan wrote: “Foreign companies here should respect local culture and context. They are entitled to decide and articulate their human resource policies, but they should not venture into public advocacy for causes that sow discord amongst Singaporeans.”

He added: “While different groups may express their different points of view, everyone should respect the sensitivities of others and not create division.”

Mr Chan also stressed that employment in Singapore is based on merit and ability, adding that discrimination, “be it positive or negative; whether based on race, language, religion or sexual orientation, is not aligned with our social ethos and has no place in our society”.

When contacted yesterday, Goldman Sachs declined to comment.

Long-time HDB shop tenants get breather

They have up to 2019 to decide on transfer of business premises

By Charissa Yong, The Straits Times, 3 May 2014

A RECENT rule to curb speculation in the Housing Board commercial and industrial rental market has been effective so far, and the authorities are extending a concession to long-time tenants.

Last October, the HDB banned new tenants from transferring such rental premises to others for a cash premium, known as an assignment fee.

Business owners "assign" their properties to others because they are not doing well, or can profit from the transfer of a popular place.

Post by Ministry of National Development.

Since the rule last October, average transfer fees have fallen 33 per cent for HDB commercial property and 42 per cent for industrial property, said National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday.

ERA Realty key executive officer Eugene Lim said: "This shows that the policy has been successful in doing its job of curbing rising operating costs and speculation in HDB rental commercial and industrial properties."

While stepping in to curb speculation, which may ultimately lead to higher costs for consumers, HDB had also given old-timer tenants a grace period of three years, up to 2016, to transfer their shops or industrial property.

It is now extending this by three years. This means tenants who qualify now have until 2019 to decide.

The concession applies to existing commercial and industrial tenants who have been renting from HDB for at least 15 years as of last Oct 16.

There are about 7,100 of them, three in four of whom are aged 55 and above.

Rent too high? Move to Singapore

Apartments in wealthy cities are increasingly out of reach for middle and creative classes
By Shaila Dewan, Published The Straits Times, 3 May 2014

ANYONE in the market for a luxury apartment in Hong Kong, London or Washington towards the end of last year was in luck. The rents on prime flats were sagging a bit. Billionaires could lock in leases on pieds-a-terre at a slight discount. You might suppose that those savings would trickle down to regular working Joes, but no - middle-market rents in those cities continued their apparently inexorable upward march.

The developed world's wealthiest cities are facing housing crises so acute that not only low-income workers, but also the middle and creative classes, find them increasingly difficult places to afford. Redfin, the real estate website, recently found there was not a single home on the market in San Francisco that would be affordable on a teacher's salary. And that was just for buyers; in many cities, renting is even more expensive.

The rules of the market say that in this situation, people should simply opt to live someplace cheaper. But in today's economy, that is not so simple. Detroit has very cheap housing, but unfortunately, all of it is in Detroit. Alternatively, more desirable cities could build more housing to satisfy demand but new developments do not tend to have that effect.

Luxury towers are sprouting up, adding density to unlikely places, from the Brooklyn waterfront to San Francisco's Mid-Market district. But adding inventory to the high end does nothing to help the middle - one of the many irritating peculiarities of the 21st-century boomtown housing market. Building new apartments can actually push rents higher, and amenities for the masses, like transportation and parks, may have the effect of pricing them out. Everyone wants to live in these places, so no one can afford to. What's a global city to do?

There is one city that has managed to surmount this problem. The achievement of near-universal affordable housing in a place with limited land mass might be a beacon of hope, were it not for the fact that it is Singapore, a sovereign city-state with one-party rule, wonky leaders, an economy that has grown rapidly in the last half-century and one of the highest per-capita incomes on earth. There, more than 80 per cent of the population live in public housing designed with walkability, ethnic diversity and green space in mind.

Record $296m for London penthouse

But building's developer warns of unsustainable asking prices in Britain

The Straits Times, 3 May 2014

LONDON - London's red-hot property market has struck a new record with the sale of a £140 million (S$296 million) unfurnished apartment, but even the developer of the opulent building warned that some asking prices in Britain were unsustainable.

Buoyed by the wealth of Russian oligarchs, Chinese tycoons and Arab sheikhs, London has become one of the world's most expensive markets, raising concerns ahead of national elections next year that locals are being squeezed out of the market.

"We're in boom-time prices, more expensive than we've ever been in the history of mankind," said Mr Nick Candy, one of the developers of London's One Hyde Park luxury apartments that are at the pinnacle of the super-prime residential sector.

"There is a concern over the market overheating," he told Reuters. "Everyone thinks the main central London is doing so well, (so) the ripple effect is going throughout (Britain), and some of the prices being achieved are probably unrealistic and not sustainable."

House prices across Britain have generally not recovered their levels from before the financial crisis struck in 2008, but they are rising at about 10 per cent a year, prompting some top policymakers at the Bank of England to sound increasingly concerned about the risks to the broader economy.

A source said an eastern European buyer bought a penthouse at the One Hyde Park apartment block for the record price. Mr Candy confirmed it had been sold but declined to comment on the price or name the buyer.

The 16,000 sq ft apartment is a "core and shell", with only external walls. The new owner will need to install his own walls, utilities and furnishings. Developer CPC Group said the flat could be worth £160 million to £175 million when furnished.

Britain's previous record for an apartment was set three years ago by Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhemtov, who paid £136 million (S$288 million) for a penthouse and apartment at One Hyde Park to knock together into one property.

A million dollars? That's small change

By Gail Collins, Published The Straits Times, 2 May 2014

IT'S sad what a million dollars has fallen to.

I have been thinking about this recently, ever since The Times had an article about Mr Jeb Bush's scramble to make up for the fact that he left the governorship of Florida with a net worth of only US$1.3 million (S$1.6 million).

I have to admit, I was surprised he did not have more money than that. He must have felt terrible at family gatherings. When they started planning for Christmas, do you think the other Bushes assured Jeb that they'd be happy with a pot holder or a knitted scarf, just as long as it was handmade?

The article, reported by Mr Michael Barbaro, had a happy ending. Mr Bush is now making more than US$1 million a year just for giving advice to Barclays bank. Which is hardly his only job. He has lots of gigs like that. People are lining up to pay vast sums for the man's opinion.

A million dollars used to be a magic number, a sign of permanent affluence. You'd made it! But now it won't buy you lunch with Mr Warren Buffett (the winning bidder in a charity auction paid US$1,000,100) or even, it appears, a public defender. The lawyers for the allegedly indigent ex-mayor of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick and his father billed the government more than US$1 million during their public corruption trial. Senior citizen thug Whitey Bulger's defence cost American taxpayers more than US$3 million.

Most Singaporeans trust government to deal with corrupt officials: World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2014

Anti-corruption capabilities put the Republic among top 5 worldwide
By K.C. Vijayan, The Straits Times, 2 May 2014

CORRUPT civil servants in Singapore will not be able to dodge the long arm of the law, people believe. And confidence in Singapore's anti-corruption capabilities has placed the country among the top five internationally, according to a new global study.

More than seven out of 10 people polled believe that any high- ranking government official here who misuses public funds will not get away with it.

The study, released by the Washington-based World Justice Project (WJP) on Tuesday, placed Botswana, New Zealand, Norway and Hong Kong ahead of Singapore. They outpaced others like Japan and the United States.

Botswana, one of Africa's most stable countries and its longest continuous multi-party democracy, is relatively corruption-free, noted a BBC report in January.

But in two-thirds of all countries and regions polled, many were pessimistic that offenders would be held accountable.

WJP spokesman Laura Cochran said the poll showed "62 per cent of individuals worldwide believe that a government official guilty of using public money for personal benefit will go unpunished".

They believe this is so even where evidence of wrongdoing is strong and the matter is in the media.

"The survey results suggest that consequence-free corruption is a widespread, corrosive force on governments around the globe," she added.

The project polled people from 99 countries and regions, asking what would happen if a government official was caught taking public money for his own benefit, and this was made public.

The worst performers included Uzbekistan, Argentina and Pakistan, where only 3 to 17 per cent of people thought the offenders would be made accountable.

"These results suggest a global distrust in accountability systems meant to maintain ethical government. Instead citizens across regions believe governments most often begin investigations into complaints, only to let the culprit off," said the study.

Designer drugs to become illegal in S'pore

No more 'legal highs' for designer drug users
More than 100 such drugs now carry the same penalty as Class A ones
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 1 May 2014

MORE than 100 designer drugs which mimic the effects of substances like cocaine have been made illegal from today. This means that using and trafficking in them will be punished with the same penalties for Class A drugs.

Known as New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), these synthetics are made by slightly modifying the molecular structure of Class A controlled drugs, including amphetamines and cannabis. The modified drugs were previously not banned in Singapore, allowing people to chase these "legal highs" without fear of being penalised.

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said yesterday that it has seen an increase in the number of NPS trafficking and abuse cases in the past year in Singapore - reflecting the global trend.

Nearly 90 countries reported the emergence of such substances last year, compared to 70 in 2012. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said its member countries also reported over 350 NPS by August last year, more than double the 166 in 2009. This figure eclipses the number of drugs that are banned by the United Nations.

"With the abuse and trafficking of NPS on the rise, listing these new substances as Class A controlled drugs signals our unequivocal stance that these are illegal and no different from other controlled drugs," said CNB director Ng Ser Song.

Class A drugs are considered the most harmful and addictive drugs, and attract the most severe punishments and fines. Those convicted of abusing Class A drugs can be jailed up to 10 years, fined up to $20,000, or both. Those found guilty of trafficking such substances will face a minimum of five years' jail and five strokes of the cane.

Used-car dealers sour over lemon law

Some customers demand that worn and old parts be changed
By Joyce Lim, The Straits Times, 2 May 2014

MORE used-car dealers are crying foul over a law meant to protect consumers, claiming that some are abusing it to demand the replacement of vehicle parts worn down by age.

Just six months after the lemon law was implemented in September 2012, complaints on defective goods in the motorcar industry jumped fivefold to 98 cases, compared to just 19 cases six months earlier, said the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case).

It has since handled 302 complaints linked to the motorcar industry under the lemon law, which compels businesses to repair or replace a product found to be defective within six months.

But some used-car sellers claim that some consumers are abusing the law.

Singaporean brands: Well known abroad, little known here

NHB exhibition to showcase local brands that have made their mark
By Melody Zaccheus, The Straits Times, 30 Apr 2014

A SIX-DECADE-OLD crocodile tannery which is a supplier to European fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton; a 77-year-old company which last year saw worldwide sales of 250 million bottles and cans of its cooling water from a 1937 recipe meant for coolies.

These home-grown brands - Heng Long tannery and Wen Ken Group's Three Legs Cooling Water - may have made their mark overseas but not many Singaporeans know of them.

"Few Singaporeans realise that if they own a crocodile-skin bag it was most likely dyed in their very own backyard," said Heng Long's executive director Koh Choon Heong.

An exhibition called 50 Made-in-Singapore products by the National Heritage Board (NHB) hopes to change this.

Slated to open at the National Museum of Singapore in September next year as part of the nation's golden jubilee celebrations, the exhibition will feature these brands alongside Axe Brand Universal Oil, Boncafe Coffee and Tiger Brand soya sauce and chilli sauce.

Mr Alvin Tan, group director of policy at NHB, hopes the exhibition will raise public awareness and appreciation of Singapore's home-grown products.

"Many of these products are excellent examples of Singapore's early pioneering spirit and showcase how perseverance and inventiveness can ensure product longevity," he said.

Mr Tan's team started their research project in 2012 by scouring old advertisements, newspaper articles and company annual reports for locally made products that could tell the story of the growth of the Republic's manufacturing industry.

Just seven were confirmed last October but over the past few months, more companies approached the board expressing interest in joining the exhibition. From a list of 75 companies, 50 eventually made the final cut.

They include third-generation family business Chop Wah On, Singapore's oldest medicated oil and balms company. Its founder, merchant Tong Chee Leong from Guangzhou, China, first set up shop in Chinatown in 1916 where he concocted medicated oils such as red flower or citronella oil for the Chinese immigrant community.

May Day 2014

May Day Rally 2014

PM's goal: Better workers, jobs and lives

Govt will do all it can to improve Singaporeans' lives, he pledges

By Toh Yong Chuan, The Straits Times, 2 May 2014

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong outlined plans for a hat-trick of improvements to take the country forward, pledging initiatives for better workers, better jobs and better lives.

Only by constantly upgrading can Singapore maintain its advantage in the face of relentless competition from not only workers of other countries, but also robots which threaten to replace humans, he said in his annual May Day Rally speech.

Standing still, he said yesterday, was not an option. While the Singapore workforce remains ahead of others, "no lead is permanent", he warned.

"We can't tell our competition to go away. They want to eat our lunch... We can't stop them from wanting, but we can make sure that we can hold our own and we can eat our own lunch," he added, drawing applause from the 1,100-strong audience of unionists, employers and guests.

He cited port operations as an example. Singapore Port Workers Union's Mr Arasu Duraisamy had told him PSA found it hard to hire Singaporeans to operate cranes because of shift work.

But this is not the case in Hong Kong, where port workers pay for their own training on their own time to stay ahead of the millions of mainland Chinese workers eager to take their jobs. Like the iPhone applications that are constantly being updated, workers too need to constantly upgrade their skills, he said.

Taking up the labour movement's push for "cheaper, better, faster" operations to gain a competitive edge, he said: "We can also say better, better, better." In other words, better workers, better jobs and better lives, he said.

The Government will do its utmost to make sure better workers will have better jobs, he said in his hour-long speech. It will continue to invest heavily in education at all levels, while also giving adult education a big push, he said as he launched the new Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability in Jurong.

It will also keep up its efforts to grow the economy, expand exports and draw foreign investments, so that workers will have better jobs, which would bring better lives, he explained.

"We are still a small country, but our ambitions don't have to be small," he said, citing the example of American media production outfit Lucasfilm's decision to locate in Singapore.

Singapore, he said, is at a turning point, with the economy and society undergoing major transitions. By any international measure, the country is doing well, although changes have brought new strains, including heightened competition, widening gaps in society, and worries over the cost of living.

He acknowledged that keeping Singapore open brings the stress of competition for jobs from foreigners. The Government is slowing down the inflow of foreign workers, "but we must not send the wrong signal that Singapore doesn't welcome investments or we are turning away talent", he cautioned.