Huat Zai

A client of Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for sexually assaulting one of its female employees on a work trip. The court in the eastern city of Jinan heard the woman had been forced to drink alcohol before the assault. The woman was later fired by Alibaba after she made her allegations public. Her case has made headlines and sparked much comment, highlighting the harassment Chinese women face in the workplace. The client plans to appeal. The vast majority of sexual assault cases do not make it to court in China - fewer still result in convictions. While there has been sympathy for the victim, there has also been criticism of her on social media for getting drunk. There was condemnation, too, of the country's office drinking culture and Alibaba's handling of the case. The Alibaba employee went public last August, saying the firm had failed to take action. She also accused a more senior colleague on the same trip of raping her. He was then sacked, but a criminal case against him was later dropped. In December it emerged the woman had been fired by Alibaba, her dismissal letter saying she had spread falsehoods that damaged its reputation. The client Zhang Guo, who has been in custody for nearly a year, has about eight months left to serve of his sentence. Jinan Huaiyin District People's Court found him "guilty of forcible indecency, sexually assaulting the victim against her will while she was drunk", state media outlet the Global Times reported. The court found the assaults happened over two days - during their first meeting at a restaurant "and again the next day in Zhou's hotel room", the Global Times said. What were the allegations? The woman's account of the incident was published in an 11-page document, in which she said her manager raped her in a hotel room while she was unconscious after a "drunken night" last summer. It prompted a social media storm on China's Twitter-like platform, Weibo. The woman alleged the manager coerced her into travelling to the city of Jinan, which is about 900km (560 miles) from Alibaba's head office in Hangzhou, for a meeting with a client. She accused her superiors of ordering her to drink alcohol with co-workers during dinner. She said that on the evening of 27 July the client kissed her. She then recalls waking up in her hotel room the next day without her clothes on and with no memory of the night before. The woman said she obtained surveillance camera footage that showed the manager had gone into her room four times during the evening. After returning to Hangzhou, the woman said the incident was reported to Alibaba's human resources (HR) department and senior management and that she had requested the manager be fired. She said HR initially agreed to the request but took no further action. What was the response? Alibaba faced a fierce public backlash, later firing the co-worker. The company said two executives who failed to act on the allegation also resigned. A memo was issued saying Alibaba was "staunchly opposed to forced drinking culture". Alibaba had earlier said the man accused of rape had admitted "there were intimate acts" while the woman was "inebriated". Although the co-worker's case did not progress, prosecutors of the court approved the arrest of the client, leading to his trial and conviction. The case has divided opinion online and been one of the most discussed on Weibo. Some social media users initially posted that the co-worker got away too lightly while others said there wasn't enough evidence against him. News of the sentence was widely covered in China, although on social media there was a lack of sympathy for the victim, whose own behaviour was questioned by many, apparently ignoring what happened to her. Numerous posts from men supported her attacker's appeal. Victims of gender violence struggle to speak up about it in China, where attacks on women remain common. The former Alibaba employee told reporters via WeChat that she read the verdict on the news. "I don't know how to describe what I'm currently feeling. I've waited so long for this verdict... I feel wronged, and sad, but no-one empathises with me." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-61897052

A 61-year-old woman was killed in Ang Mo Kio after she was hit by a Tower Transit bus and a Trans-Cab taxi, which were among several vehicles believed to have been involved in the accident. The accident, which happened at about 10.25pm on June 20 along Ang Mo Kio Street 21, was initially described by the police as involving a pedestrian and a taxi. Investigations subsequently revealed that multiple vehicles were involved. Police said the vehicle that collided with the woman first has not been established. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by a Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedic. Dragged a distance Shin Min Daily News reported that the victim was hit and dragged a distance. The police tent covering her body was about 20m away from a pool of blood. What could have happened The taxi is believed to have collided with the woman, The Straits Times reported. The driver made a U-turn after travelling a distance when he realised he had hit someone. The cabby appeared distressed. His family members had to calm him down after they were called down to the scene. Investigators later tracked down the other drivers. Only cabby remained at the scene A 53-year-old male bus driver was arrested for careless driving causing death, police said on June 22. The bus driver was arrested at another location. Only the Trans-Cab driver remained at the accident site, even though several vehicles were involved, ST reported. The 67-year-old male cabby and a 58-year-old man driving a private car are assisting in police investigations. A Tower Transit spokesman confirmed a bus plying the bus service 169 route was involved in the accident, according to ST. Tower Transit said it has reached out to the victim's family and offered assistance, while its bus captain has been suspended and is assisting with the police investigation, CNA reported. https://mothership.sg/2022/06/woman-killed-several-vehicles/

For many, the name "Singapore" will bring to mind the sunny island set in the sea nestled below Malaysia and above the equator. However, for some in Medan, "Singapore" instead refers to a residential estate located 20 minutes' drive away from the capital of Indonesia's North Sumatra Province's city centre. Replicas of iconic structures This curious place is called the Singapore of Medan, and for good reason — it contains some familiar names and structures found on real Singapore. It appears that the area has been built with features to mimic the island-state, including its own Merlion Park with a Merlion statue. The resemblance is uncanny. Photo from ASEAN Skyline / FB Photo from ASEAN Skyline / FB What could possibly be a replica of the fat bird statue by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, which is located at Raffles Place, can also be found there. Photo from Citraland Gama City website Along with a red-coloured version of Suntec City's Fountain of Wealth. Photo from Citraland Gama City website And of course, Singapore wouldn't be Singapore without Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries, something which the Indonesian developers did not fail to include. The gantries in the Singapore of Medan are likely not operational. Photo from ASEAN Skyline / FB Same street names According to the property developer's website, the official name of this 211-hectare township is CitraLand Gama City. The place is an integrated development comprising residential areas and other facilities and amenities such as a mall, school, university, hospital, club house and waterpark. The website states: "Through the concept of 'The Singapore of Medan', the masterplan is designed to have great balance between clean, green, and modern living." Some streets in the town are also named after actual streets in Singapore. Screenshot from Pin Orient / YouTube The town also has Fullerton and Dempsey Hill residential clusters, among others. Photo from Citraland Gama City website Photo from Citraland Gama City website According to the website, a two-storey three-bedroom house in the Dempsey Hill cluster, with a building area of 108 sqm, costs Rp 2.8 billion (S$266,546). Recreating the "luxury" of Singapore? Though it is uncertain why CitraLand Gama City chose Singapore as its inspiration, one Facebook page posited that presenting its "luxury" would attract property buyers. Duplicating or recreating foreign architecture isn't exactly a novel concept. Tianducheng, a suburb in Hangzhou, China, replicates the capital of France. It even has its own Eiffel Tower. https://mothership.sg/2022/06/singapore-of-medan/

For decades, Genting Highlands hotel and apartment complex Amber Court has had a reputation for being haunted. Fables relating to the property have circulated and grown over the years, so much so they have taken a life of their own. At a press conference on June 22, its management committee came forward to push back against these rumours and threatened to take legal action against these claims. "None of us has ever seen a ghost" The committee chairman said they are within their legal rights to take action against those who make up supernatural happenings in Amber Court to play up the rumours, reported Oriental Daily. This group being targeted to stand down on their tall tales includes feng shui masters, internet celebrities, netizens and YouTubers. "Their allegations are baseless. None of us has ever seen a ghost let alone been disturbed by supernatural activity at the apartment," said the chairman, according to The Star. He emphasised that this is a serious matter and some visitors have trespassed into the residents' homes in the middle of the night while filming. The actions of these people who have "nothing better to do" is "very unacceptable", he said. Stop spreading false information The chairman suggested that those who spread rumours are doing it for their own benefit to chase clout and warned them to stop spreading false information about the building, or risk legal action. During the press conference, the committee played videos from their phones to show reporters how content creators would add fake crying sounds and use actors in their ghost hunting videos. They also held up screenshots of a WhatsApp conversation where one such video was shared. The video has since been taken down from YouTube. Screenshot from Oriental Daily. Claims of hauntings impact property prices The committee members added that these activities harm the reputation of the building, which was "unfair" to the owners. Former chairman of the committee Nicholas Song shared that this entire affair has devalued the property and caused residents to suffer significant financial losses, reported The Star. Song said: "While it costs at least RM1,000 (S$317) per square feet at other properties around Genting Highlands, the Amber Court property is currently only valued at around RM250 (S$79) per square feet. He also said over RM1.4 million has been spent to spruce up the appearance of the apartment and upgrade the lifts, but these visitors bring a "bad name" to the apartment. The current chairman added that Amber Court is now the lowest priced property in Genting, reported the China Press. The committee announced several rebranding efforts and renovation plans to be rolled out in the near future, such as installing CCTVs and cleaning the premises. Most owners have also agreed to change the name of the building to rid itself of the reputation. Residents protest and make police report Over 100 residents of the Amber Court apartments gathered outside the building to protest against these unwelcome human guests on June 18, according to The Star. They held signs which read: "Condemn unscrupulous YouTuber", "The ghost story is groundless" and "Return peace to our homes". Screenshot from China Press. Some residents have apparently made police reports regarding conmen who have approached them to offer their services to "cleanse the apartment of bad spirits". Content featuring Amber Court are still readily accessible on YouTube. 'Haunted' building Amber Court was built in 1996 and was intended to be a resort. Due to the Asian financial crisis in 1997, it was sold as apartment units. The building also fell into disrepair as the hotel's developer, Villa Genting Development, liquidated in 2000. Once, the towering and dilapidated building developed bright-red mould or algae on its exterior, a result of the humid climate Genting Highlands. The building starting gaining recognition for its creepy appearance and attracted thrill-seeking ghost hunters and explorers. Malaysian horror film "Haunted Hotel" was also filmed in the building in 2017. Image by Allan H/Google Maps. Since then, the building has undergone several improvements, renovations and paint jobs. https://mothership.sg/2022/06/haunted-genting-hotel-youtubers/

Not local top 2 Unis, not elite enough.

A Singaporean by the name of Colin Chua Yi Jin has been sentenced to one year in jail and fined S$2,500, after pleading guilty to seven counts of insulting a woman’s modesty and one count of possessing obscene videos. Today reported that the 24-year-old undergrad at a top British university pleaded guilty on July 29, 2021, and was sentenced on June 22, 2022. What happened Chua filmed illicit footage of 12 women, which included upskirt videos and photos, and videos of his victims showering, from 2015 to 2018. He started targeting his female friends when he was 18 and about to graduate from junior college, and continued with his voyeuristic ways while serving National Service (NS) and during his undergraduate days. On Dec. 2 2015, he placed a recording device in the toilet of the hotel room in which he and his friends were intending to use after their junior college's prom night. He took a 14-minute video of his friend showering. According to Today, the video could still be found on pornographic websites last August and had over 177,000 views. The Straits Times (ST) reported that she was his first victim. In 2016, he filmed another victim, who had gone to his house for a Christmas gathering, while she was relieving herself in his toilet. The video was viewed on a pornographic website over 38,000 times. According to CNA, Chua estimated the number of illicit videos that he had filmed over the years to be "maybe three digit". He called recording the victims "an addiction" and committed the offences when he felt stressed due to school or work. Chua's home was raided on July 3, 2019 and forensic analysis uncovered 16 offending videos and 124 upskirt photos in seven devices. Mothership pic taken in 2020. Victims asked for gag order to be lifted 11 of his victims asked for the gag order on Chua's identity to be lifted last year. The victims’ identities, their relationship to the culprit, the name of the university that Chua is currently enrolled at, and the names of the schools the victims attend are still protected by a gag order. DPP: Chua showed no remorse Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPPs) Tan Zhi Hao and Ng Shao Yan sought a jail term of 13 months for Chua, whom they described as a "serial offender", Today reported. They asked for three charges of insulting a woman’s modesty — one for each year Chua committed the offences — and one of possessing obscene films to run consecutively. Today also reported that Tan argued Chua “shows a lack of insight into his own condition and root causes of offending”, and that he showed no remorse. Tan added: “He was uncooperative during investigations, tried to abscond from Singapore, portrayed himself as the victim of a government conspiracy, blamed his girlfriend, and mounted an unmeritorious criminal motion (with regards to the gag order) that was criticised in the High Court.” The DPPs also spoke of the “severe pain and trauma” inflicted on the victims. Defence: Chua has good future ahead Kalidass Murugaiyan and Chua Hock Lu, Chua's defence lawyers, asked for nine months of jail, arguing that Chua "has a good future ahead of him". They added that he "has got the propensity and interest to further his studies. He may still yet be able to contribute to the community at large when he grows older." ST reported that Chua's lawyers said that he suffers from "voyeuristic disorder" and has taken steps to get treatment. They also argued that he was “not aware” of how the clips made their way onto pornographic websites, and that he has been seeing a psychologist since last September. Chua is also said to have “[taken] steps to get a Wifi router sorted out so these problems in terms of access are limited" and installed a parental control software. Sentencing During sentencing, District Judge Tan Jen Tse noted that the sentence should strike a good balance between his relative youth and the severity of his offences. Today reported that while the judge "generally agreed" with the prosecution’s submissions, "he gave more credit" for Chua’s "apparent remorse and steps taken towards rehabilitation". For each offence of insulting a woman’s modesty, he could have been jailed for up to a year, fined, or both. For possessing obscene films, he could have been fined at least $500 for each film up to an aggregate of S$20,000, jailed for up to six months or both. https://mothership.sg/2022/06/singaporean-undergrad-top-uk-university-jail/

A 54-year-old man passed away in an HDB flat and his mother kept the corpse at home for over a week as she was believed to have been reluctant to give up her beloved son. The incident occurred at a fifth floor unit at Block 85 Commonwealth Close, Shin Min Daily News reported. Man not seen in a week A reporter at the scene on June 21 said a rancid odour could be detected from the corridor. A neighbour, who moved into the block over a decade ago, said the mother-and-son pair had lived there longer than her. She described the man as “emaciated” and said he would typically come out of his house at eight or nine in the morning to hang the laundry and water the flowers. Although she had not seen him for a week, she didn’t expect that he had passed away. The elderly woman, in her 80s, reportedly has a son and daughter, according to another neighbour. The police removed the body at around 6:45pm. The police confirmed that they received a report about an unnatural death at 12:38pm. They have ruled out murder during preliminary investigations, but are investigating. Rancid odour detected A neighbour, who declined to be named, shared that a stench emanated from the house earlier in the week but thought nothing of it initially. It was only when the smell got worse that the police were called as the worry was that something had happened to the occupants of the house. Locksmith engaged to open door After the police arrived, they reportedly waited outside of the flat for an hour as no one answered. A locksmith was subsequently engaged to open the door. The man was found face down in the living room and was pronounced dead at the scene. The body was in a state of decomposition, the Chinese report noted. A neighour interviewed said: "As soon as the police officers entered, I heard the old woman crying, probably because she was reluctant to have her child taken away." "I felt sad when I heard it. After all, it was a white-haired person sending off a black-haired person, so how can she accept it?" A white-haired person refers to someone elderly, while a black-haired person is taken to mean a relatively younger individual. According to the Chinese media, the deceased man's body lying in the living room was covered in houseflies. House cleaned after body removed After the body was removed, an elderly woman with white hair, who was wearing pyjamas and glasses, picked up a broom and started to clean the living room, which was covered with newspapers. A middle-aged woman was also helping to clean the house. Four other people were waiting in the corridor, but they declined to be interviewed. A neighbour said the elderly woman and her son had always appeared withdrawn and never spoke to neighbours. The elderly woman would even go back to her house if she sees other residents. https://mothership.sg/2022/06/son-body-hdb-flat/

setup and po mata, go changi chalet, and that was the not even the worse.

You obviously don't know women well, I have stories... no, not against me.

RIP

You think the community stupid ah, doing something like that will make you a lot of enemies really quickly, especially when the hotel sponsored them before.

Hate the person, not the cash

LGBTQ+ community is small and tight knit locally, and they have very high spending power. The hotel is going to lose a lot of business suddenly.