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MY YOUNGER brother is a medical doctor working in a Singapore hospital.

On April 15 at about 11.30pm he dined alone at his favourite food stall in Geylang Lorong 9. After his supper he was approached by a group of six to eight youths who accused him of staring at them. When he denied doing so, they assaulted him, beating him in the face and abdomen.

He suffered multiple facial fractures and damage to one of his facial nerves. He had to undergo a three-hour operation, which included having two metal plates inserted around one of his eyes.

He will need six months to recover fully and, even then, there will be some deformation to his facial features.

Immediately after the assault, when the gang ran to their motorcycles which were parked nearby, my brother gave chase and, despite his pain and the bleeding, called 999.

While the police were on the hotline, he read out two of the motorcycles' number plates to them from within 5m. The police came 20 minutes later and then only after a second call.

My brother told them what happened and urged them to alert police patrol cars nearby to be on the lookout as the motorcyclists were probably not too far away. Quite shockingly, the police declined and instead asked him to lodge a report with the Magistrates' Court, and left.

What is alarming is that in spite of the serious injuries that my brother suffered which required three days' hospitalisation, the police were unwilling to take up the case.

The police advised that this was a civil case and it was for the magistrate to decide if any action was to be taken.

One would have thought that when anyone is assaulted by a gang of six to eight hooligans and suffered injuries to the extent that my brother did, the case would have been classified as causing grievous hurt and pursued as a criminal case.

The attitude of the police, as demonstrated in this case, will only serve to embolden hooligans to commit even more such offences.

It was only when an appeal was made that my brother's case was reclassified under Section 325 (from Section 323), 10 days after the incident, by which time witnesses would have dispersed and memories faded.

Had the police acted promptly, especially when they were at the scene, they might have had a better chance of apprehending the culprits as there were witnesses around.

Liew Sok Kuan (Ms)

Amazing isn't it, you wear brown shirts, police show up quickly.

You place white elephant cutouts, police show up quickly.

You stand somewhere in NUS giving an impromtu speech, the police show up quickly

You carry a protest banner in front of cpf building, a whole riot squad shows up.

You get beaten within an inch of your life by a bunch of hooligans, the police doesn't give a shit.

Its nice to know our police force has their priorities straight!

This article, makes my stomach turn with DISGUST!

What? The Police following the habits of Taxi drivers of picking customers? >> "Oh too far, changing shift!"

WTH! Do you need to be beaten to DEATH for Police to take up your case with classification? What the crap!

This is RIDICULOUS!

Anyway, what the hell is a doctor doing eating supper in Geylang of all places???

You know, I do recall one percular habit of some people when they are eating; they tend to stare into space while chewing their food. Could this be the case? He could have been staring blindly at some group of thugs while eating his food?

Originally posted by av98m:

Amazing isn't it, you wear brown shirts, police show up quickly.

You place white elephant cutouts, police show up quickly.

You stand somewhere in NUS giving an impromtu speech, the police show up quickly

You carry a protest banner in front of cpf building, a whole riot squad shows up.

You get beaten within an inch of your life by a bunch of hooligans, the police doesn't give a shit.

Its nice to know our police force has their priorities straight!

This is Uniquely Singapore.

Happy Birthday Singapore!!!!

woo-fcuking-hoo.

Damn!

This even reminds me of hospitals with not enough beds!

Crappy!

The world is like this.

Esplanade wants to be a world famous landmark and yet guards say no photography allowed.

Ruling party can defame and sue opposition party. But opposition would be charged for defamatory and ruling party will countersue. Ruling party always win the case.

Police instantly sweep down on people puting white elephant cutouts.
But ignore a victim of gang assault.

You know, this really SUCKS!

Tell me what's more serious?

Collecting flag day donations (real, not to cheat) without valid permit. Sell things at fair without proper permit. Putting paper cutouts at public place. Getting beaten with very serious injuries by a gang.

It seems to the police, it's the first 3.

singapore police buey siao kan.
knn

if the one who got attacked is PAPs FRIENDS or RELATIVE or DOGs.
i tell those thugs would have already got caught and ended up in jail within afew days.
lol

ho say liao...let's see how the SPF spokesperson will shoot back. Usually when they have a valid excuse, less than 2 days later their reply will be up in the ST Forums...but i've noticed sometimes when public complain about somethings, and they don't reply...yes i do follow up

Anyway this is really phucked up. Anything we can do to show our displeasure? Within legal boundaries of course.

Conscripts CONSCRIPTS!!!

"It was only when an appeal was made that my brother's case was reclassified under Section 325 (from Section 323), 10 days after the incident, by which time witnesses would have dispersed and memories faded.

Had the police acted promptly, especially when they were at the scene, they might have had a better chance of apprehending the culprits as there were witnesses around."

There is a systematic flow of legal procedures.

Since the case had been reclassified by the magistrate court, the police will see that the culprits are apprehended.

Originally posted by TooFree:

There is a systematic flow of legal procedures.

Since the case had been reclassified by the magistrate court, the police will see that the culprits are apprehended.

Yea right...

If they'd applied 'systematic flow' of legal procedures on the shooting case in Serangoon (One Eyed Dragon), the culprits will have been in Canada already.

juz now i saw someone injured.. head wrapped bandage kiao kah with a dulan fae under the void deck while ambulence ppl tend to him. like not serious, maybe a durian dropped or wad.

so i continued walking.

den i see the cops in car came.

den i see the fire engine came. those mini version.

wtf!? ppl fall down need emegency ambulance, police and fireman!?

When don’t need them, they come. At times when need them, they never show up.

Originally posted by TooFree:

There is a systematic flow of legal procedures.

Since the case had been reclassified by the magistrate court, the police will see that the culprits are apprehended.

You seem to enjoy taking a totally ambivalent approach to this situation.

What systematic flow of LEAGAL procedures are you suggesting? The entire system seems totally flawed from the onset. The police practically IGNORED the victim and as good as left him to his own devices.

Had he collapsed and died an hour or so later from his injuries, how would it be classified? Murder by the hooligans or gross NEGLIGENCE by our vaunted police? They arrived, assessed the situation, and shockingly did NOTHING, even having the cheek to tell the victim that it does not concern them.

What exactly would it take to 'concern' them? Despite the mild protest, i could clearly sense the anger from the writer.

And contrary to your optimism, these hooligans are UNLIKELY to be caught now.

I would like to see how the chief of police answers this despicable mishandling.

Is it happening in S'pore in 1960--s???

I am totally shocked of this incident ocurred in S'pore now??

What the shame!!!!!

they can investigate the "hugmous terrorising" white elephants but think nothing to this "harmless" act.

did the police offer to send him to the hospital, or did he go by himself i wonder.

Originally posted by LinYu:

they can investigate the "hugmous terrorising" white elephants but think nothing to this "harmless" act.

I think more to come like this when we become casino state,better ask my doctor son to leave S'pore at the earliest possible.

If it's logical to send a fully armed 12 men riot police squad to break up a 4 person peaceful demonstration....

If it's logical to have full scale investigation into paper cut outs...

If it's logical to have immediate intensive investigation into someone who forgot to submit minority race form...

I can't get the logic of why a victim of gang asualt with serious injuries isn't investigated immediately.

Originally posted by TooFree:

There is a systematic flow of legal procedures.

Since the case had been reclassified by the magistrate court, the police will see that the culprits are apprehended.

Please, I'm already dead tired from my 20km phototrekking expedition... and here I see you trying to make me die of laughter....

From what I can glean from the letter, it looks like a classic case of assault. The victim's brother called the police and gave them details such as the licence plates numbers of the assailants. Why the need for the reclassification by the magistrate's office? Sheesh man... what more information is needed? The size of their underpants?

The very fact that the police were unwilling to apprehend the assailants shows that they don't want to see the culprits apprehended! And by the time this stupid reclassification comes into effect the assailants could be across the border guzzling booze and smoking weed for all I care!

Let me put it bluntly to you: would your comment still remain the same if the victim were your own brother? If you say 'yes', then I really don't know what to say without showing large amounts of sympathy to your family.

Shucks man... looks to me that those crooks will only be apprehended instantaneously if they're wearing brown T-shirts with white elephant logos while simultaneously eating peanut M&Ms.

u know what this mean???

that mean we are not paying our police enough lah!!!!! when u pay peanuts u get monkey what... becareful ar.. better increase their pay by 1000% ar if not will be like m'sia police soon ar!!!

I think there must be another side to the story. Why would the police say something is a "civil case" and therefore not for the police to investigate? Many many crimes also give rise to civil liability. By that logic, I think a HUGE cost-cutting exercise is in order. After all what do we need the police for then?

I therefore cannot believe a policeman would be so stupid as to give such a reason to justify inaction. It is just...beyond belief. There must therefore be something else that we are not being told...

or are the cops really so stupid?

Originally posted by lwflee:

I think there must be another side to the story. Why would the police say something is a "civil case" and therefore not for the police to investigate? Many many crimes also give rise to civil liability. By that logic, I think a HUGE cost-cutting exercise is in order. After all what do we need the police for then?

I therefore cannot believe a policeman would be so stupid as to give such a reason to justify inaction. It is just...beyond belief. There must therefore be something else that we are not being told...

or are the cops really so stupid?

Either way, it can't be good.

I wonder what kind of excuse their spokesperson is going to come up with this time round. It ought to be good for a laugh.

On a less humourous note, though, my enemies can now easily pummel me to pieces and leave me in the ICU. After all, they now know that the police won't go after them immediately, and that they have enough time to flee overseas and enjoy booze, weed and hookers by the time I complain with the Magistrate's Office.