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Mary (Catholic?) Toh can save her son..but she doesn't

steffychun

Alfrescian
Loyal
http://anyhowhantam.blogspot.sg/2015/07/only-mary-toh-can-save-amos-yee.html

Only Mary Toh Can Save Amos Yee
Mary Toh (Amos Yee's mother), has been lamenting her son's plight. She's even issued a Facebook (FB) note entitled 'Sorry Son,' where she basically apologises for her 'failures' in promises made to him. Andrew Loh, the founder of alternative website 'Theonlinecitizen' has also been advising her and posting write-ups reflecting her anxiety and campaigning for Amos' freedom.


While it's alright for TOC and Andrew Loh in particular to highlight Mary Toh's anxieties, it would be better if he gave her meaningful advice and support in respect of the legal problems.


In 1 such FB post, I stated my position that Mary Toh is just as culpable as her son for refusing to guide him properly and allowing things to descend to the levels they are now at. In particular, the refusal to meet the probation officer, not only did she not chide her son for refusing to meet the officer, she herself refused to do so. This omission is now the chief cause of Amos' current incarceration and could well result him being detained in RTC. Anyway Mr Loh disagreed with my take calling it 'superficial' and instead said that I didn't know either Amos or Mary well, to be able to comment. He on the other hand is in constant contact with her and he says that 'everyday she's asking for help.'


Does Mary Toh truly want help or just sympathy? Sympathy will not solve her problems.

So fair enough, let's take that at face value and take the position that Mary Toh is trying her best in very difficult circumstances. After all no mother or parent wants to see their teenage kid locked up or dealt severely by the Law. However if she truly wants to help Amos, then she must take the correct steps to remedy or extricate him from this rapidly descending situation. In a follow up FB message, I proposed that Andrew Loh convey the following to her, advice or steps I consider prudent and helpful to rectifying the situation and possibly keeping him out of RTC.

1, The Current Legal Position.

The first thing she must be made aware of is the current legal position. Legally at this stage - once a verdict has been reached, a sentence must follow. Even appealing to the President cannot take place until a sentence is done. Amos has been found guilty by the court, Judge Jasvender Kaur must impose a sentence. The prosecution also cannot withdraw the charges once a verdict has been reached. So no amount of appealing along this path can change this fact. Even the judge cannot overturn her verdict - it can only be overturned by her appellate court - The High Court.

He is under remand at IMH to determine if he suffers from autism spectrum disorder - ASD. If he's found to suffer from this, then Judge Kaur is almost likely to issue a Mandatory Treatment Order. In other words, for a duration specified by the Court, he must attend IMH (with his mother) to meet psychiatrists and psychologists.

However if he does what he did to the probation officer - refuse to meet or go for this, then this refusal will be conveyed to the Court. It will almost surely mean that he'll be sent to RTC for at least 2 years. (If he really behaves himself then 12-18 months). Of course, if the IMH report finds he doesn't suffer from ASD or any similar type illness like Asperger's, then almost certainly, he will be sent to RTC. Unless his lawyers and crucially Mary Toh, can convince the court that a better alternative is available. Rather than moan about his current remand at IMH, she should be thankful that the judge was prepared to consider his mental state, if not for this, he would already be in RTC right now. If she had brought him on his own accord, then this ASD (if any) may have been detected earlier, and thus kept him out of remand.

2. Recognising this as a Legal and not a Political Matter.

The 2nd very important factor she must get into her head is that this is a legal matter before the Courts. No amount of political pressure is going alter this. All this petition gathering, protesting, vigils ( I gather 1 is being planned for Sunday), all the writing to world bodies like Amnesty International, HRW, the UNOHR etc, writing to the PM, accusing him and the Govt of being nasty and wicked, is not gonna help the case.


Does Mary Toh believe that such campaigns and petitions will have any effect? It's purely a legal issue now, if the psychiatrists rules that he has ASD, he'll be freed on an MTO. If no illness is deemed then it all depends on the arguments made by his lawyers against reformative training.

No 1 can intervene, Judge Kaur is not going to be swayed by all this. The Govt has no legal power to intervene in an on-going case in court. It's very easy to read to some of the 'fantastic stories' coming from Roy Ngerng, Kenneth Jeyaretnam and the rest of the Looney Fringe of this being a 'politically motivated case.' 1st and foremost where's the proof of this? In over 50 years of independence, has any judge, just even 1 (present or retired), ever come out to say to say, "Oh I had to rule or pass judgement in this manner because the Govt ordered me to do so, or my superiors ordered me as such?" Has there? So in other words all these people are 'imagining such things' occur but don't have 1 shred of evidence to prove it, except their own biased beliefs. KJ can talk all he wants about this, but don't forget what he's implying - in other words as a leader of a political party, he's open to the idea that as and when he becomes PM, that if and when someone or some body writes/appeals to him as PM, he will direct a judicial officer to rule in a case in a certain manner! Is this even legally possible or a criminal offence?

So if Andrew and others want to help Mary, please use logic and remove this illogical idea that some form of political pressure now can result in all the charges being dropped or a positive outcome for her child.

3. The Prosecution's Arguments.

Once you accept this as a legal problem, that must be solved by legal means, you can approach it in the correct fashion. A guilty verdict has been reached, both the prosecution and defence will present their views to the Judge who will then decide on the appropriate sentence.

The first approach will be to look at the prosecution's case. Don't forget they already got the conviction they sought, so it's very important now to look at what they are arguing for in terms of sentence, as there is a high chance, they will get their preferred wish on sentence - RTC. The prosecution's argument is thus:

1) Offences are proven (fact)
2) Probation was recommended (fact)
3) Probation was rejected (fact)
4) Open defiance to orders from the Court to take down offending material (repeatedly ignored)
5) Further posts that appear to amplify the issue (arguable)
6) Doing nothing now, ie: releasing him, is only 'kicking the can down the road' (their words), and will surely mean that this issue will come back before the Courts again. (their position)
7) He's found suitable for RTC (their argument)

And therein lies the danger for Amos Yee. These arguments by the prosecution are not weak ones and have a very high chance of persuading the Judge. The refusal to accept probation - a very mild sentence, remains the fatal mistake that Mary Toh did not take on board.

4. Recognising Her Own and Her Son's Faults.

If Mary Toh wants to have a good chance to counter the prosecution's arguments, she must also first recognise that it's also her fault and that of her son. She cannot remain in denial as she wrote on FB - 'sorry for raising you as a law-abiding citizen only for the Law not to offer you any protection.' Is she for real? I think the 1st rule in being law abiding is to abide by rules set by the Court. The court ordered your son to take down the offending video and caricature and he refused! That's being law abiding? The Court ordered you and your son to meet a probation officer and you refused, that's being law-abiding? You want the Law to protect your son, how about following the Law first?



Her 'Sorry Son' note on FB. It shows she's still in denial, not even pausing to acknowledge that Amos has at the very least behaved badly. She's making excuses for him rather than guiding or reproaching him. (Courtesy of winandmac.com)


Even if we take the whole legal issue out of this case, can Mary not see that Amos has done wrong? Being rude, being vulgar, showing ingratitude, defying his elders, making false accusations. Not wanting to go to school - (I can accept this), but there must be something in place to replace that. For 10 years he's able to more or less confine and observe the school system - so it shows he can follow rules. Why the sudden disregard for them? Mary should ask herself this, why let him do it without something to replace? Maybe she thinks he's born in the wrong country, but even the West won't take him based on his educational qualifications right now. He has to upgrade himself - if he wants to be a drama student, a movie producer etc in the West, he has to have better qualifications.

And the evidence is there for her to see, surely even she cannot be blind to the fact that Amos has taken things too far. Not just here but from the past right up to this case. As a mother and teacher even she should recognise that using vulgarity (we are talking parenting here not law breaking) in the way he uses, is wrong. it's immature.

He insults people, issues fake apologies and shows no remorse. He was condemned for a video mocking the Chinese Zodiac, his principal made him apologise in front of the whole school. Later he retracted that apology in another foul mouthed tirade. Worse he continued to insult Buddhism and of course Christianity. He even suggested that he's smarter than Allah - I think he'll lose support from the Muslim community if they found out about this. He wants to be an atheist, by all means, that's his right but that does not allow him to insult religion.


Does she think by allowing her 16 year old son to mix with a 33 year old man with no family connection is a good idea? And worse someone like Roy Ngerng, who attracts controversy after controversy, spews lies, untruths, heckles needy children and is using this saga to thrust himself back in the limelight rather than offer and help to minimise the case?

Even Mary's own mother (his grandmother) recognises another deviancy - his unhealthy addiction to the Net. Can Mary still feign ignorance and not recognise the warning signs that has been festering for a long time? All he does is go on the Net, engaging in gaming, writes malicious stuff, mocks others including the judge and produces vulgar videos. Is this what Mary as a teacher and parent will encourage and approve? How many other responsible parents not just here but the world over will allow their 16 year old kid to trod down this path, without stepping in? Who runs her family or house, is it her or Amos? Mary should stop and reflect. It's no use whining and trying to elicit sympathy. Yes you deserve some sympathy, but sympathy has to be met with actions intended to resolve the problem. If she just wants sympathy, no worries, people like Roy, the Looney Fringe and KJ will do that for her, not just now but throughout the year. They'll continue write to world bodies and get their friends in other parts of the world to protest for you. But will such sympathy change Amos or make him bolder?

5. What Mary Toh can do to help the case.

Of course if Amos gets an MTO, she can breathe a sigh of relief, in that he'll be able to return home. Provided of course he doesn't breach the orders or re-offend. But she must remember that RTC remains on the cards and she can do certain things to help him avoid it. These include:

Coming out with something that placates the DPP, something that is acceptable, something that the judge is able to take when considering sentence. For Amos what the judge will consider is in this order - rehabilitation, deterrence and punishment. Rehabilitation is the primary goal here. She has to see that Amos has done something wrong. Even if she disagrees, she's gotta to remember that he's been found guilty, in the eyes of the Law, he IS wrong.
Recognising that a wrong or breach of the Law has taken place is the 1st step. The next thing she should do is get Amos to apologise for what he has done. Until now, he has not done so. Merely assuming that he thought nothing was wrong, is not an apology. He should apologise and Mary must make him do so, either in person addressing the court or via his lawyers.
It's no use for her to make posts on FB or get others to write about her plight. All this is not gonna sway the Judge. I doubt if the Judge is even aware of all of this. Instead what she should do is take the stand herself and address the court. She has a chance to convince the Judge to consider her position and seek the Court's help and mercy on behalf of her son.
6. Convince the Prosecution and Court that she's capable of disciplining her son.
Right now, the prosecution's argument is that, there's no discipline as far as Amos is concerned. There's no stopping him except via legal means. Mary Toh must show that she recognises the problem and has taken proactive steps to mitigate and prevent a reoccurrence. She should do the following and brief the court of them:
1) Recognise his addiction to the Net.
2) Put a stop to it by removing all forms of Internet access he has at home until such time she's convinced he's shown a willingness to behave responsibly, by not issuing threats, spreading hate, condemning religion, using vulgarities.
3) Recognise his youth and immaturity and make him stop commentating on politics or mixing with political figures or activists until he's old enough and with her supervision.
4) Now that he has no access to the Net for over a month, rather than helping him update his FB page, she should close it down and delete it. And also do likewise with his Youtube page which he uses to produce offending videos.
5) Remove all his blog posts. And remove all the equipment that allows his to make such posts and videos - remove all video making capabilities.
6) Downgrade his HP to a basic 1. (steps 1-6 tackle the root causes of the problem that brought him to court in the 1st place. It shows that the problem has been rectified)


Instead of recognising that unlimited and unsupervised access to the Net has not only brought about an addiction but the root cause of her son's predicament, Mary Toh is assisting him to update his FB page while he's incarcerated. It's as if it's business as usual so that once he's out, he can resume where he left off. Instead of putting a stop, she's encouraging him further. This is the height of recklessness.
7) Not allow him to collect money from strangers, effectively cutting off supply except through her, his grandmother or father.
8) Clear his bank/PayPal account of all monies collected supposedly under the guise of this case. Return the monies where possible or donate it to charity.
9) Find alternative things for him to do in his spare time rather than surfing the Net or gaming. Gaming is also an unhealthy addiction. She should severely curtail that and only allow him a minimum amount of game time. She should encourage him to do charity work - to help the elderly and needy families. Contacting someone like Mdm Fion Phua - founder of 'Keeping Hope Alive.' Mdm Phua is in need of volunteers to help her in her outreach.
10) Sit down with Amos and map out a proper educational or career path. If he doesn't like the normal schooling system, send him to a private one or something that interests him like drama or the arts. Point out to him that he needs something on paper to show if he intends to pursue 'movie producing' or something similar. Major film producers will not accept him just as he is now - an 'O' level drop out.
11) On her own accord, she should consult with counsellors. The MSF (or whatever name the ministry now takes) has officers experienced in helping youths. She should call them, make an appointment to meet them with Amos. She can and should go for counselling herself, on how to address the problems she faces. In short she should ask and seek help, if not from the ministry then from private bodies. She could even consult MARUAH or Aware, where there are several mothers like her. They will understand what she's going through and assist.
12) Convince the court and DPP, that she'll ensure Amos will attend and complete probation.
13) Convince the Court that she'll spare no effort in supervising, guiding and teaching Amos correct values. Even if it means having to quit her job or taking a leave of absence. She'll be there 24/7.
14) Makes sure she spends a lot of time interacting with Amos, not just as a mother, but as his friend. Makes sure she encourages him to speak up and express his desires and goals, and tell him how best to go about them.
15) Discipline him. For sure he'll sulk, maybe even protest and rebel initially. But she must convince not just the DPP and Judge, but herself that she won't waver. She will not give in like in the past. She won't allow him to set the tone or run his life any which way he wants, and she just being his follower. She'll be the leader. Bad behaviour will be punished while good behaviour will be rewarded and encouraged.
.
She should start on all of this straightaway, even before Monday's hearing. Even if he gets an MTO, she'll implement all of these steps. She should not only do and say this in Court, but get the lawyers to contact the DPP and ask them to give her a chance to set this in motion, instead of just sending him to RTC. Ask the Court and DPP, to allow her son another chance a probation.
7. Work with the Lawyers.
She should take the advice of persons best placed to offer it - the Lawyers. If she had taken their earlier advice for him to receive psychiatric assessment, there wouldn't be a need for this current stay at IMH. Or consulted them when he refused probation. She should have asked about the repercussions, they would have warned her about RTC.
As it stands she can argue (or Dodwell will) that ok he's been behind bars for almost 60 days - 2 months, the last 30 continuous. He regrets it and understands the seriousness of his actions. Then add the facts that steps are being taken at home to ensure the opportunity for this doesn't arise again. Measures are in place to ensure compliance with probation and even that she's gone beyond this by herself volunteering to attend counselling with MSF staff, to take advise and consult if she has a problem.

The 1 person whom she should be consulting, taking advice and following instructions is their lawyer Alfred Dodwell. But just like Roy, she lets Amos do the exact opposite to what his lawyer advises.
A full contrite apology by Amos (through Dodwell) or himself. And she herself apologises to the Court for his actions and any omission on her part. I think she stands a good chance of resolving this case once and for all. Probation isn't so bad. It can be over within 6 months, if he complies with directions.

Conclusion
She has to make a choice. Does she want to continue to play 'victim,' or take measures to protect her son? Amos loves 'playing to the gallery,' but the gallery is not on trial here, he is. The gallery won't go to jail, he will. And people in the gallery are only too happy to politicise this - it gives them another chance to be 'world famous,' it allows them to be interviewed. But are they helping out the case or themselves more? Mary Toh should ask herself this question. At the end of the day, if she does nothing or doesn't put a stop to her son's antics, the Law will. And she too has to pay a price. Is it worth it?



Amos and Mary leaving court after his first stint in remand. If she doesn't step in now, even if he gets an MTO, it'll be just a matter of time before he re-offends and again the Law has to step in.
Only she can save Amos. But will she? If not then we are just 'kicking the can down the road' as the DPP says. He'll eventually go further down the road of destruction chasing false fame and the next time, RTC will be the only recourse. It might still even be come July 6th, if she doesn't act urgently. Then the next time when she pens a 'Sorry Son' note on FB, she can be truly sorry, because when presented a chance to rectify the problem and put a stop, she didn't. It's up to you now Mary Toh, sympathy and fame, or parental love and discipline? The decision you make, will either save or sink your son, act wisely.
 

Reddog

Alfrescian
Loyal
Amos Yee's achievements thus far has already made his life worth the living. No other 16 year old in Singapore has exposed the brutality of the pap government and the lee regime so clearly to thinking Singaporeans and, amazingly, to the entire world.

Indeed, with support for Amos Yee by the United Nations, Amnesty International, NGOs from so many neighbouring countries only point to the right path he is on. The truth and his innocence are exhibited to the world.
 

Scrooball (clone)

Alfrescian
Loyal
Amos Yee's achievements thus far has already made his life worth the living. No other 16 year old in Singapore has exposed the brutality of the pap government and the lee regime so clearly to thinking Singaporeans and, amazingly, to the entire world.

Indeed, with support for Amos Yee by the United Nations, Amnesty International, NGOs from so many neighbouring countries only point to the right path he is on. The truth and his innocence are exhibited to the world.

U worship a foul-mouthed little shit. Who else is on your altar? Satan?
 
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