'My grandfather road' vandal arrested

[Maxima]

'My grandfather road' vandal arrested

The stencils of "My Grandfather Road" as well as stickers with various captions that were seized for investigation.

AsiaOne
Monday, Jun 04, 2012

Police have arrested a 25-year-old woman who is believed to have vandalised several roads in Singapore.

Between May 17 to 21 this year, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) saw that the words "MY GRANDFATHER ROAD" were painted along Robinson Road and Maxwell Road and reported the matter to the Police.

It also reported that circular stickers printed with captions were pasted on a pavement around Lau Pa Sat and on a road traffic sign along Robinson Road.

The female suspect was arrested at her residence in the eastern part of Singapore on June 3. The officers also found several paint-stained stencils and several pieces of stickers printed with captions. These items were seized for investigation.

Investigation is ongoing. The police are also working with LTA on earlier reports of round stickers found affixed on other pedestrian crossings at various places.

The case is classified as Vandalism under Section 3 of the Vandalism Act, Chapter 341. A person who is convicted for the offence shall be punished with a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding to 3 years and shall be liable to caning subjected to the Criminal Procedure Code 2010.

The police warned that it takes a serious view of such irresponsible actions and offenders will be dealt with severely.

[email protected]

 

[Maxima]

Netizens plead for leniency for "My Grandfather Road" vandal
By Melissa Chong | Posted: 05 June 2012 2241 hrs

Between 17 to 21 May 2012, LTA detected some roads being painted with the words "MY GRANDFATHER ROAD". Police seized several pieces of stickers printed with captions.

SINGAPORE: Netizens are speaking out in support of the 25-year-old woman behind the "My Grandfather Road" vandalism case.

Those Channel NewsAsia spoke to agreed that there is a fine line between street art and graffiti.

Netizens call her the "Sticker Lady" - the woman had designed and pasted stickers on traffic lights around Lau Pa Sat, Robinson Road and Maxwell Road.

Many from the online community said her work is an expression of creativity, not vandalism.

Close to 7,000 people have also signed an online petition, urging the authorities (Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts) to review penalties for the "Sticker Lady".

They argue that a jail term of up to three years is too harsh for what should be seen as art, done in light humour of the local culture.

Some have also used creative online avatars to oppose the arrest.

But lawyers said what's intended as street art, is defined as graffiti.

Criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan said: "What she did definitely comes as an offence under the Vandalism Act because the Vandalism Act says that you don't put any drawings, markings on a public property or on a private property without the consent of the owner or government.

"So it's quite serious. It all depends on how you want to look at it. You can look at it as an act of a woman who thinks that it is funny, that she wanted to make people laugh, she didn't know the gravity of the offence.

"Then what you can do is, you can give her a warning, tell her not to do it, and instead of charging her in court, make her volunteer to clean up graffitis that you find in other parts of Singapore as part of the community service. That would be one way of looking at it."

But netizens said a blind application of the law stifles the arts scene.

NMP for arts, Janice Koh, has also questioned Singapore's strict censorship on artistic expression.

Others said street art could be a liberating activity that adds colour to the environment.

Online petitioner Bryan Choong said: "Certainly we can live with some imperfection in this world and to me this just one way of expressing herself. It doesn't cause any harm to anybody. There's really no harm having some humour in life, and I really appreciate this humour in our very hectic life."

A man on the street said: "I think if she's lived here for awhile, she should know the penalties of doing something like that. Personally, I wouldn't punish her like that, but, you know, this is the country she lives in."

Another said: "It's more entertaining, not more of a crime actually."

Subhas Anandan said: "Definitely there is space for leniency and definitely this case is different from the graffiti in the train by the Swiss persons.

"But if you don't do anything about it and everybody takes it as a big joke, what will happen is, it can become rampant and then we will have a very ugly scene."

The key, he said, is to balance free expression with care that it does not become offensive.

- CNA/ck

 

[Maxima]

​Police has arrested 25-year-old Samantha Lo (SKL0), made famous for painting "MY GRANDFATHER ROAD" on the road and pasting stickers on public spaces.

You can view SKL0's works here.

Samantha Lo is the founder of online magazine RCGNTN and a member of RSCLS.

She has been called the ‘Sticker Lady’, after humorous stickers were found pasted on the buttons of traffic lights.

[via ST]

Stickers like the one above that read 'Press once can already" appeared near Rendezvous Hotel. Others phrases include 'Press until shiok' and 'Press to time travel'

You can view SKL0's works here.

Limpeh

Petition created by Nicole Lee (MICA: Review sentence of SKL0; Arts Censorship in SG)

Facebook Event (20,000 Signatures to Petition MICA: Review Sentence of SKL0)

Read more ("My Grandfather Road" markings identified as vandal, woman arrested)

 

[Maxima]

​

 

[Maxima]

You can view SKL0's works here.

http://skl0.tumblr.com/

Samantha Lo arrested for allegedly engaging Vandalism in Singapore

Posted on June 5, 2012 by admin

Samantha Lo arrested for allegedly engaging Vandalism in Singapore

It wasn’t her grandfather’s road but that didn’t stop 25-year-old Samantha Lo from attempting to inject a little humour to Singapore’s streets. Yesterday (5 June), Ms Lo was arrested for allegedly engaging in street graffiti.Samantha Lo arrest has riled up many in the online community, especially those in the arts scene.

Samantha Lo is also the founder of online magazine RCGNTN – which highlights Singaporean art – is believed to be suspected of painting the words “My Grandfather Road” along Robinson Road and Maxwell Road and putting humourous stickers on road traffic signs.

Ms Samantha Lo, dubbed by netizens as ‘Sticker Lady,’ may face a jail term of up to three years or be fined up to $2,000 if found guilty of vandalism.

Nominated Member of Parliament Janice Koh who represents the interests of the arts scene, said Samantha Lo hopes the authorities will deal with the matter using a light touch.

“I don’t see street art as being the same as graffiti or vandalism…it is almost impossible to talk about developing a culturally vibrant, creative or loveable city, without some tolerance for those slightly messy activities that sometimes challenge the rules,” Samantha Lo wrote on her official Facebook page.”

Samantha Lo arrested for allegedly engaging Vandalism in Singapore

​

Pointing to Melbourne, Samantha Lo said one of the main tourist attractions in the city is street art which has been featured in Tourism Victoria’s campaigns despite the State Government’s strict anti-graffiti laws.

Some cities, Samantha Lo says, choose to turn a blind eye to such cases because good street art brings colour and character to a city’s street and cultural life.

“For Singapore, it would be useful to make a distinction between this kind of art and outright graffiti or vandalism that seeks to deliberately destroy public property for its own sake,” Samantha Lo added.
Prominent street artists remain underground and do not reveal their identities, Samantha Lo said, pointing to UK artist Banksy as an example.

“Unlike Sticker Lady of course, Banksy has never been caught,” Samantha Lo wrote.

Banksy used to be under constant threat from the UK police as he went about creating his street art fused with political messages. Today, local authorities protect his graffiti as they’re usually a must-see for tourists who are inclined towards the art form.

Supporters of Ms Samantha Lo have started forwarding an online petition seeking for authorities to convert Ms Lo’s case from a vandalism charge to “miscellaneous offences (Public Order and Nuisance)” which would involve a fine of up to $1,000 – and no jail time.

There’s also a campaign in support of Ms Samantha Lo.

An arts lecturer, who did not want to be identified, said the artist’s series of work pokes fun at a segment of Singaporean society “which is so self-absorbed and oblivious that they think everything is their grandfathers’.

“This is positive as it reminds us that there are others around us that need access to the resources that we are hording (such as) space and time.

Tongue in cheek? Yes. Is it off limits or a crime? Definitely not,” he said.

While there has been much support from the arts community for Ms Samantha Lo who was also a content curator for a project at The National Art Gallery, there are also many who don’t think Samantha Lo should get a lighter sentence.

A 59-year-old entrepreneur, who did not want to be named, said no matter how clever the messages were, the woman still defaced public property.

“If the relevant authorities are lenient, it’ll encourage others to do likewise – perhaps even more sinister messages? The lady might have thought that she’s bringing an edgy cuteness to a rather dull Singapore, but that’s not the way to do it,” he said.

An NUS political-science honours student,Ben Ho said the issue is not whether the artist’s work should be considered as art or not.

He believes if the authorities do recognise the work as art and the sentencing is lenient, it might encourage other street artists to do the same.

“The line between real art and true vandalism is blurred. We will have a very colourful city, loved by everyone, and no one, at the same time,” he mulled.
​

 

[Maxima]

Previous link deleted. New link here.

http://imgur.com/a/BFXs8#0

 

[Maxima]

Police probe Singapore artist for alleged graffiti

AFP
Wednesday, Jun 06, 2012

SINGAPORE - A Singaporean artist under investigation for allegedly vandalising public roads saw more than 11,000 Internet users Wednesday petitioning online for police leniency.

Police declined to identify the 25-year-old woman arrested, but said she faced a maximum three-year jail term and a fine of up to $2,000 if convicted of offences alleged to have taken place in May. (It's ok as we already know that she is Samantha Lo and the founder of online magazine RCGNTN and a member of RSCLS.)

A police statement said the woman, dubbed "Sticker Lady" by the local media, is alleged to have painted "MY GRANDFATHER ROAD" on several streets in the city-state which has a reputation as being among the cleanest in Asia.

She is also alleged to have pasted captioned stickers on traffic lights, pavements and pedestrian crossings, police said.

"The case is classified as vandalism," police said in the statement, adding that offenders would be dealt with severely.

Singapore has strict laws on vandalism but the "Sticker Lady" case has sparked uproar on the Internet, with many feeling the artist, identified as Samantha Lo in local media, was simply expressing creativity and should be treated with leniency.

"It's uniquely Singaporean. The government should be glad that someone is being creative and doing something with our culture," Zachary Rahmat posted on the petition site.

Another supporter, Denise L, also called for leniency, writing: "It had brought so many smiles to whoever came across her harmless intentions. Let her go."

Jeremy Sharma, a Singaporean artist, said there were laws in Singapore against acts of vandalism but told AFP he hoped there would be leniency in this particular case.

"Singapore has laws on these so you do it at your own risk but there are artists who are recognised on such works overseas," he said, adding that "what she did had artistic merit".

American teenager Michael Fay garnered global headlines in 1994 when he was jailed and caned in Singapore after he was found guilty of vandalising several cars. Fay was caned despite a US appeal for clemency.

In 2010 a Swiss man was jailed and caned for vandalising a Singapore metro train.

 

[Maxima]

http://imgur.com/a/BFXs8#0

 

[Cloud]

'Sticker Lady' goes legit

'Sticker Lady' Samantha Lo (above, left) was invited by The Substation to display her work at their building's side alley (above, right).

By Eunice Teoh
The New Paper
Thursday, Jun 28, 2012

Go big or go home - that is what the "Sticker Lady" has to say about her latest work, a big circular sticker with the word "Opportunity".

But this time round, no one will be arresting her for vandalism.

Last Thursday afternoon, Miss Samantha Lo, 25, completed an artwork for The Substation. The arts organisation had invited the local artist to display her work at their building's side alley.

Dubbed the "Sticker Lady" after she allegedly put up stickers on traffic lights, with phrases such as "Press Once Can Already", and "Press Until Shiok", Miss Lo was arrested at her home on June 3 for vandalism.

She is currently on bail pending further investigations.

Though she has not been speaking to the media, she has been active online.

She reappeared on Facebook six days ago with a status message thanking people for their support. It got more than 200 "likes".

She also posted a picture of her latest work at The Substation with the cryptic caption "Go big or go home".

Five other works are displayed at the 38m-long alley between The Substation and Peranakan Museum. Newest edition

Miss Lo's artwork is the newest addition to the alley. It is the only one which is pasted to the wall. The others are all painted on.

Said The Substation's general manager, Ms Emily Hoe, 38: "We have a nice, long blank wall. It seemed like an ideal place for artists to contribute and create artwork.

"We see it as a canvas to promote art form which is not as mainstream."

The art centre put the offer out for Miss Lo in early June, around the time when the debate over "art or vandalism" over her stickers was raging.

Two weeks ago, members of the local art community held a town hall meeting to discuss issues raised by Miss Lo's arrest.

Given the timing of Miss Lo's artwork, the decision to invite artists to display their work might have seemed like The Substation's way of adding to the discussion.

But Ms Hoe refuted this, saying: "It wasn't in response to that meeting. This is something that we started several months ago."

 

[Cloud]

"Sticker Lady" and her accomplice to be charged for defacing public property

Published on Mar 25, 2013

A 26-year-old woman who is believed to have painted the words "My Grandfather Road" on several roads here last year will be charged in court on Tuesday together with her 30-year old male accomplice. --FILE PHOTO: STOMP

By Bryna Singh

A 26-year-old woman who is believed to have painted the words "My Grandfather Road" on several roads here last year will be charged in court on Tuesday together with her 30-year old male accomplice.

The woman is alleged to have painted the words on sections of Robinson Road and Maxwell Road between 17 to 21 May last year. Circular stickers printed with various captions were also found pasted on a pavement near Lau Pa Sat and on a road traffic sign along Robinson Road.

In connection with the police reports made by the Land Transport Authority, the police said they arrested the woman at her home on June 3 last year. Following her arrest, the identity of her male accomplice was established, and he was arrested upon his return from overseas at Changi Airport on June 11.

The police said in a news release on Monday that the woman faces 15 charges of mischief, and the man faces one charge of mischief and seven charges of abetment to commit mischief. If convicted, both of them face a fine, up to a 2-year jail term, or both.

 

[Maxima]

"Sticker Lady" charged in court
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 26 March 2013 1217 hrs

Samantha Lo Xin Hui arriving in court on March 26. (Photo: Alvina Soh, Channel NewsAsia)

SINGAPORE: "Sticker Lady" Samantha Lo Xin Hui has been charged in court with mischief. Her seven charges are still not determined and will be specified later this week.

The 26-year-old arrived five minutes late for her scheduled hearing.

She appeared calm as her charges were read out to her.

Lo, who was dressed in a blazer and jeans, initially faced 15 charges. These include one count of mischief causing loss from S$500, and 13 charges of mischief.

Between November 2011 and May 2012, Lo allegedly spray-painted words on public roads and placed stickers on traffic light controller boxes.

The stickers and paint were said to cost between S$30 and S$40 each to remove. In one instance, a wall was reportedly repainted at the cost of S$3,500.

Lo was charged alongside with her accomplice Anthony Chong Tze Chen, a graffiti artist. Chong, who initially faced eight charges, now faces three charges -- which will also be determined later this week.

His initial charges include one count of mischief done in furtherance of the common intention with Lo, and one count of abetting her to commit an offence of mischief causing loss from S$500. His offences were allegedly committed between May 16 and 17 in 2012.

Lo is represented by Senior Counsel Philip Jeyaretnam and Derek Kang. 30-year-old Chong is represented by Kenneth Pereira.

Law Minister K Shanmugam confirmed he met the pair and made an appeal on their behalf -- one of them is a resident at Nee Soon GRC, where Mr Shanmugam is an MP.

The pair are charged with mischief and not vandalism, which carries a heavier sentence. If convicted, they could face a fine and/or a jail term not exceeding two years.

In a statement on Tuesday, The Attorney General's Chambers said the decision to charge them for mischief was made after "a careful consideration of various factors."

The AGC said these included the level of seriousness of their criminal acts, their individual levels of culpability, personal mitigating circumstances and the loss suffered by the victims.

The AGC also considered representations made by the counsel and also a Member of Parliament on their behalf.

Channel Newsasia understands that the duo are grateful to Mr. Shanmugam and are very sorry for what they did.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim How Khang said the prosecution will wait and see if there is a call for a pre-sentence report. Channel NewsAsia understands that the duo's defense teams will submit a mitigation plea by the end of this week if they plead guilty.

The case will be mentioned again in court on April 2.

-CNA/ac

 

[Cloud]

'Sticker Lady' and accomplice charged with mischief

Samantha Lo Xin Hui (left), 26, dubbed the "Sticker Lady'' and her alleged accomplice Anthony Chong Tze Chen (centre), 30, were charged on Tuesday with mischief.

Singapolitics
Tuesday, Mar 26, 2013

SINGAPORE - Samantha Lo Xin Hui, dubbed the "Sticker Lady'', and her alleged accomplice were charged on Tuesday with mischief.

Lo, 26, faces 15 charges of affixing adhesive stickers on traffic light controller boxes and spray painting words on public roads between November 2011 and May last year.

She also allegedly used red paint to spray the words "My Grandfather Building'' on the exterior wall of Realty Centre at Enggor Street at around midnight on May 17 last year. The cost of removing the wall paint was $3,500.

Her alleged accomplice, Anthony Chong Tze Chen, 30, a graffiti artist, is accused of eight charges, mostly for helping her to commit mischief while he acted as a lookout.

They are jointly said to have affixed a circular adhesive sticker with the words "So Kancheong For What'' on the pedestrian sign along Robinson Road on May 17 last year.

Chong is accused of helping Lo while she painted the words "My Grandfather Road'' using spray paint and a metal stencil along Telegraph Street, Maxwell Road, and Robinson Road between May 16 and 17 last year.

He also allegedly helped her act as a lookout while she affixed stickers with the words "Stop Looking At Your Phone'' on the pavement of the pedestrian walkway near two traffic light junctions in the city area on May 17.

The pair are likely to plead guilty to seven and three charges respectively. Their case has been fixed for mention next Tuesday afternoon. The total damage caused in Lo's case is $3,857 and Chong's, $3,723.

The maximum penalty for mischief is one year's jail and a fine. If damage or loss caused amounts to at least $500, the penalty is doubled.

 

[Maxima]

"Sticker lady" and male accomplice plead guilty

Samantha Lo, or the "sticker lady", and her male accomplice have pleaded guilty to a string of mischief offences

Samantha Lo Xin Hui arriving in court on March 26. (Photo: Alvina Soh, Channel NewsAsia)

SINGAPORE: Samantha Lo, dubbed "sticker lady" for a string of mischief offences including affixing stickers on various public properties, pleaded guilty in court Tuesday.

Her accomplice, 30-year-old Anthony Chong, also pleaded guilty.

Lo, 26, admitted to seven counts of mischief. The remaining eight charges were stood down.

Lo spray-painted the words "MY GRANDFATHER ROAD" on several roads between March and May 2012; the roads included Old Tampines Road, Telegraph Street, Maxwell Road, Robinson Road and Enggor Street.

She also pasted a sticker with the words "SO KANCHEONG FOR WHAT" on a pedestrian sign along Robinson Road in the early hours of 17 May 2012; "kancheong" is a Cantonese term for being anxious.

During mitigation her defence lawyer Philip Jeyaretnam said Lo's actions were motivated by "artistic sensibilities to promote art and culture”, and that her error was failing to get permission from the authorities for what she did.

He added that Lo accepted full responsibility for her actions and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Meanwhile, Lo's accomplice Anthony Chong pleaded guilty to three counts of offences.

Chong had acted as a lookout for Lo while she spray-painted Enggor Street and Telegraph Street on 17 May 2012.

During mitigation Chong's lawyer Kenneth Pereira described Chong as a talented artist who had made positive contributions to society, citing his art workshops at the Singapore Boys' Hostel as well as the he training provided to his Nanyang Polytechnic juniors.

District Judge Christopher Goh asked Lo and Chong's lawyers to submit three reports to the courts before the sentencing - a community service order report, a day reporting order report and a pre-sentencing report.

Both Lo and Chong are first-time offenders.

Their case will be heard again on May 8.

- CNA/jc

 

[Maxima]

Sticker Lady driven by 'artistic sensibilities'

By Adrian Lim
My Paper
Wednesday, Apr 03, 2013

SINGAPORE - The "Sticker Lady" was motivated by her "artistic sensibilities" when she committed offences such as spray-painting the words "My Grandfather Road" on several roads here, her lawyer said.

Senior Counsel Philip Jeyaretnam added that it was also Samantha Lo Xin Hui's desire to promote local art and culture through "street art" that led her to paste a sticker at a traffic-light junction.

Lo, 26, pleaded guilty in the Subordinate Courts yesterday to seven charges of mischief. Eight other charges were taken into consideration.

Mr Jeyaretnam told the court that his client, who is remorseful, will seek permission from the authorities in future and hopes to become a "role model" for responsible street art.

Lo's accomplice, Anthony Chong Tze Chen, 30, pleaded guilty to three of the eight charges he faced: two for abetting Lo and one for committing mischief.

On May 16 last year, Lo asked Chong to go "bombing" with her, the court heard. The term refers to the act of spray- painting graffiti.

Between that evening and the early hours of the next day, Lo spray-painted the words "My Grandfather Road" at four separate locations in Maxwell Road, Robinson Road and Telegraph Street. Lo also spray-painted the words "My Grandfather Building" on the exterior wall of the Realty Centre building in Enggor Street.

Chong, who acted as a lookout, admitted to two counts of abetting her, when she spray-painted the public road in Telegraph Street, and the Realty Centre's wall.

Lo and Chong later pasted a sticker with the caption "So Kancheong for What" on a pedestrian sign at a lamp post in Robinson Road.

In a separate incident in March last year, Lo also spray-painted the words "My Grandfather Road" on the public road in Old Tampines Road.

While sentences were not meted out by District Judge Christopher Goh yesterday, lawyers for both Lo and Chong proposed a community-service order as appropriate punishment.

Citing several factors, such as Lo having no ill intent, Mr Jeyaretnam said that community work in the public eye would be an appropriate punishment, and serve as a "signpost" to would-be street artists of the consequences of such actions.

He said she recently assisted non-profit organisation Singapore River One to set up a mural-art programme. This time, she received the required approval from the Land Transport Authority and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Lo received a letter of appreciation for her work, he added.

Chong's lawyer, Mr Kenneth Pereira, said that the offences committed by his client were not premeditated.

Chong has also previously used his artistic talent for positive purposes, such as conducting a workshop at the Singapore Boys' Hostel, he added.

Both Lo and Chong have made full restitution for their acts, their lawyers said.

Earlier reports said that the amount spent to remove the graffiti in Lo's case was $3,887, and $3,723 in Chong's case.

The judge said he would consider a Day Reporting Order - which typically involves an offender visiting a reporting centre regularly for supervision and counselling - when deciding on their sentences.

Their case will be heard again on May 8.

 

[Clark]

'Sticker lady' Samantha Lo ordered to perform community service

By Alvina Soh
POSTED: 08 May 2013 4:09 PM

Samantha Lo, dubbed 'sticker lady' for spray-painting Singlish phrases on several roads and affixing stickers on various public properties, has been ordered to perform 240 hours of community service which is the maximum number of hours which can be imposed within a year.

Samantha Lo (L) with Anthony Chong (R) make their way to the Singapore Subordinate Courts. (photo: Francine Lim, channelnewsasia.com)

SINGAPORE: Samantha Lo, dubbed 'sticker lady' for spray-painting Singlish phrases on several roads and affixing stickers on various public properties, has been ordered to perform 240 hours of community service, which is the maximum number of hours which can be imposed within a year.

District Judge Christopher Goh issued 26-year-old Lo with a Day Reporting Order for three months, where she has to report to a reporting centre for supervision and counselling.

Her accomplice, 30-year-old Anthony Chong, also has to serve 160 hours of community service within a year. He was also issued with a Day Reporting Order for three months.

Lo, an online arts magazine founder, pleaded guilty last month to seven counts of mischief. The remaining eight charges were stood down.

Using a can of white spray-paint and a metal stencil, Lo spray-painted the words "MY GRANDFATHER ROAD" on several roads between March and May 2012.

These roads included Old Tampines Road, Maxwell Road and Robinson Road.

She also pasted a sticker with the words "SO KANCHEONG FOR WHAT" ("Kancheong" is a Cantonese term for being anxious) on a pedestrian sign along Robinson Road in the early hours of 17 May last year.

Chong, who pleaded guilty to three counts of offences last month, acted as Lo's lookout while she spray-painted the roads on 17 May 2012.

During mitigation, Chong's lawyer Kenneth Pereira described Chong as a talented artist who had made positive contributions to society, citing his art workshops at the Singapore Boys' Hostel as well as the training he provided to his juniors at the Nanyang Polytechnic.

Both Lo and Chong are first-time offenders.

They could have each been jailed for up to one year and fined. And if the loss or damage caused had exceeded S$500, they could be jailed for up to two years and fined.

- CNA/de