Stern warning

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Ex-NKF chief given stern police warning​

Kwok, fired over 'personal indiscretion', understood to be under molestation probe

Mr Edmund Kwok was sacked by NKF in November 2016 over a "personal indiscretion'' towards a male subordinate. During internal investigations, Mr Kwok admitted what he had done, and the charity filed a police report on the advice of its lawyers.

Feb 24, 2018, 05:00 AM

Former National Kidney Foundation (NKF) chief executive Edmund Kwok has been given a stern warning by the police more than a year after he was sacked over a "personal indiscretion'' towards a male subordinate.
A police spokesman told The Straits Times: "Following investigations, the police, in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, have administered a stern warning to a 60-year-old man."
It is understood that Mr Kwok, 60, was investigated for molestation, but The Straits Times understands that the employee, who is in his 20s, was not willing to pursue the case.

Mr Kwok was fired in November 2016 after the man reported the incident to his supervisor. The charity's human resource department and NKF chairman Koh Poh Tiong were also alerted.
During internal investigations, Mr Kwok admitted what he had done, and was sacked. The NKF filed a police report on the advice of its lawyers.
Mr Kwok, who is married with two grown-up children, was given the warning late last month. He declined to comment.
Lawyer Rajan Supramaniam said that when a person is given a stern warning, this means that the police will not file charges and the case is closed.

An NKF spokesman declined to say whether the male employee is still working at the charity.
The spokesman also pointed out that the charity has a whistle-blowing policy allowing staff and members of the public to report any wrongdoing.

She said: "Since the incident, we have reiterated to all employees that such an avenue is available for them, should they feel the need to raise any issues. Striving to achieve the highest standards of corporate governance and transparency is of utmost importance to us."
The policy was implemented in 2008 by former NKF chairman Gerard Ee's team. Mr Ee took over after NKF's former chief executive T.T. Durai and the entire board stepped down following a public furore over the misuse of donations under Mr Durai's leadership.
In 2005, Mr Durai withdrew a lawsuit against Singapore Press Holdings, which owns The Straits Times, over an article about a gold-plated tap in his office.
Details of Mr Durai's $600,000 annual pay cheque, first-class travel perks and involvement in manipulating patient numbers emerged during the trial, and drove many NKF donors away.
Mr Ee and his team put in a raft of measures to put the charity in order and woo donors back.
The NKF spokesman said that support from donors and volunteers has not been affected by the Edmund Kwok incident.

She said: "We want to assure everyone that the guardianship of funds at the NKF continues to be in good hands, and the NKF remains committed to providing quality and affordable dialysis to patients with kidney failure."
The NKF is one of Singapore's largest charities, with almost 1,000 employees. It received $21.9 million in donations in its last financial year, which ended last June.
It is opening four more dialysis centres in the coming months. This will bring the number of centres to 37 by the end of the year. It has more than 4,200 patients.
After Mr Kwok was sacked, his predecessor Eunice Tay was called back from retirement to helm the charity while the board looked for a new CEO. Last August, Mr Tim Oei, a former lawyer who previously headed Awwa, another charity, took on the top job.
Mr Ee, who called Mr Kwok a good chap, said: "I believe it was a momentary lapse of personal judgment and control. Everyone makes mistakes, and it has been very painful for him and his family. It is time to move on."

 

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Former DBS employee given stern warning for Facebook post of torn Singapore flag: Police​

Former DBS employee Avijit Das Patnaik was investigated under the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Rules, which has a rule stating that no person shall treat the flag with disrespect.
Oct 24, 2018

SINGAPORE - A former DBS employee who posted an image of a ripped Singapore flag to Facebook has been given a stern warning by the police.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police said on Wednesday (Oct 24) that it administered the warning following investigations and in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers.
Mr Avijit Das Patnaik's controversial August post showed a black T-shirt with a graphic of a Singapore flag being torn, revealing an Indian flag underneath. Police gave the stern warning on Oct 3.

The 44-year-old was investigated under the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Rules, which has a rule stating that no person shall treat the flag with disrespect.
Mr Patnaik, a Singapore permanent resident who has lived here for a decade, posted it ahead of India's Independence Day onto the Singapore Indians and Expats page on Facebook.
A caption in Hindi said "Phir bhi dil hai…", which roughly translates to "Still my heart is…" and alludes to a popular Hindi song that talks about always feeling love for the motherland, India.
Mr Patnaik told The Straits Times that he did not design the image and had not meant to cause offence.

Netizens who saw the post found it offensive, as it showed the Singapore flag being ripped. The image was later taken down.
In an Aug 28 Facebook post, his former employer DBS Bank said it "strongly disapproves of such actions by our employees".

The bank added that Mr Patnaik was counselled, a disciplinary committee was convened, and as of Aug 24, he was "no longer with the bank".

 

[Sustanon]

"Mr Edmund Kwok was investigated for molestation towards a male subordinate.................. Attorney-General's Chambers, have administered a stern warning to a 60-year-old man."

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Condo parking saga: Resident given stern warning for verbal abuse​

Cops issue warnings to 4 others for harassing, threatening man who swore at condo guard

Mr Erramalli Ramesh was caught on video verbally abusing a condominium security guard last October.

Jan 18, 2020

Mr Erramalli Ramesh, the man who was caught on a widely shared video verbally abusing a condominium security guard last October, has been issued a stern warning by the police for intentionally causing harassment.
The incident triggered a backlash and, in turn, four other men were also given warnings for harassing and threatening Mr Erramalli. This included threatening him and his family with death, violence and rape.
The police said yesterday that it reached the decision in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Despite Mr Erramalli saying that he did not wish to pursue the matter against those who harassed him, the police said they nevertheless carried out investigations.
Two men, aged 41 and 47, were issued stern warnings for causing intentional harassment to Mr Erramalli. Two other men, aged 19 and 56, were given 12-month conditional warnings for threatening him and his family with death and violence.
A stern warning is issued in place of prosecution after a criminal investigation is concluded. But a conditional stern warning allows the authorities to prosecute the accused for the original crime if conditions in the warning are breached within a specified period, which in this case is 12 months.
The spat between Mr Erramalli and the security guard unfolded at Eight Riversuites condominium in Whampoa during the Deepavali weekend last year.

The incident was caught on video, which shows the then 44-year-old man swearing at the guard after being told by the security officer that he needed to pay a $10 fee for guests parking at the condo after 11pm.

He is heard telling security officers that he had bought his apartment for $1.5 million, and that it was not a Housing Board block.

After the video was uploaded online, netizens dug up his personal details, including the name of the company he worked for, and posted these online, with many accompanying their posts with threatening or racist remarks.

In the incident's aftermath, an internal e-mail memo seen by The Straits Times was circulated to the Singapore-based staff of Mr Erramalli's then employer, investment bank JP Morgan.

Sent to about 3,000 employees, the memo - from the senior country officer of the firm's Singapore offices - reminded employees to "demonstrate the highest standards, including respect and dignity for others... inside and outside of the workplace".

ST understands that Mr Erramalli is no longer with the bank, although his departure was not caused by the incident.

In a private meeting on Oct 30, Mr Erramalli met the senior security supervisor, Mr Steven Heng, whom he had insulted, and apologised. Mr Heng also urged everyone "to forgive Mr Erramalli and forget this unfortunate incident".

Later, the authorities also investigated claims that Mr Erramalli, who became a Singaporean after marrying a citizen, had falsified his educational qualifications. They found no evidence of that.

 

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Swimmer Amanda Lim gets stern warning over drug use: 5 things about the former sprint queen​

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Amanda Lim was once not just Singapore's, but also South-east Asia's fastest woman in the pool.

Aug 31, 2022

SINGAPORE - National swimmer Amanda Lim, 29, made headlines on Tuesday (Aug 30) after she, along with former Olympic champion Joseph Schooling, 27, were investigated for possible offences related to the consumption of cannabis.
But she was once not just Singapore's, but also South-east Asia's fastest woman in the pool.
Here's more about Lim, who won a total of 19 golds, four silvers and two bronzes between the 2007 and 2021 SEA Games:

1. Made her competitive debut at 14​

She made her competitive debut for Singapore in 2007 aged 14 when she raced at the Hong Kong International Open. That same year, the Singapore Sports school student made her SEA Games debut as part of the 4×200m freestyle relay team that won a silver in Thailand.

2. Held the 50m freestyle national record from 2009 to 2017​

Lim showed much promise as a youth, competing in various events such as the inaugural Asian Youth Games held in Singapore in 2009, where she won four medals. She also broke the 50m freestyle national record at the time, clocking 25.38sec in the semi-finals to eclipse the previous mark of 25.65sec, and she held that record until 2017. Lim also still holds the Under-17 50m freestyle national record.

3. 6 consecutive 50m freestyle golds at SEA Games​

In 2009, she became the fastest woman in South-east Asia for the first time, setting the SEA Games record of 25.82 seconds in Vientiane. It was the first of six consecutive 50m freestyle golds for the Singapore sprinter until she was upset by Thailand's Jenjira Srisaard in Hanoi earlier this year and settled for silver. She won all her titles in Games records each year.

4. Student of sports science and management​

Lim studied at the Singapore Sports School (SSP) before graduating with a diploma in sport science and exercise management from Auckland University of Technology. She then studied sports science and management at the Nanyang Technological University.

5. Helps to run Athletic Inc Academy​

After her Sports Excellence Scholarship was not renewed in 2017, she worked in healthcare for a few years. She now helps to run Athletic Inc Academy that provides youth, current and former athletes with alternative sources of income as well as mentorship programmes and resources related to college pathways.

 

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6 ex-Keppel O&M employees given stern warnings over bribes amounting to $73 million​

The employees allegedly conspired to give bribes to foreign consultants involved in Keppel O&M’s business interests in Brazil.

Jan 12, 2023

SINGAPORE – The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) issued stern warnings on Wednesday to six former senior management staff of Keppel Offshore & Marine (O&M) over bribe payments.

CPIB conducted investigations into the six, who allegedly conspired with one another to give bribes amounting to about US$55 million (S$73 million) to foreign consultants involved in Keppel O&M’s business interests in Brazil.

The money was then used to pay bribes to officials of Brazilian state-owned company Petrobras, pertaining to rig-building contracts that it or its related firms had awarded to Keppel O&M.

The offences fall under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Under a global resolution led by the US Department of Justice and involving Brazil and Singapore, a conditional warning in lieu of prosecution was issued to Keppel O&M for offences punishable under the Act.

Keppel O&M has paid a total fine of US$422 million and fulfilled all obligations under the conditional warning.

“This case is complex and transnational, involving multiple authorities and witnesses from several countries... Many of the documents are located in different jurisdictions. In addition, key witnesses are located outside of Singapore and cannot be compelled to give evidence here,” said CPIB in a statement on Thursday.

“The decision on whether to prosecute the six individuals for criminal offences has to take into consideration all relevant factors, such as the culpability of each individual, the available evidence and what is appropriate in the circumstances. Having taken these into consideration, stern warnings were issued to the six individuals.”

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, CPIB said it does not disclose names of individuals who are issued warnings.

 

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Issuing stern warnings to former Keppel O&M staff a balanced solution: Indranee​

A stern warning is given when one cannot give a complete clean bill of health, but also does not have enough to clear the evidentiary hurdle, said Minister Indranee Rajah.

Feb 06, 2023

SINGAPORE - Issuing stern warnings to the six former senior management staff from Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) was an “in-between” solution but the right thing to do, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah.

She was responding to a follow-up question from Workers’ Party MP Leon Perera (Aljunied GRC), who asked on what basis stern warnings were issued by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), given the insufficient evidence.

The six staff were investigated over alleged bribery payments linked to Keppel O&M’s business interests in Brazil.

Ms Indranee said that a stern warning is given when one cannot give a complete clean bill of health, but at the same time does not have enough to clear the evidentiary hurdle.

“So you see, what are the choices: Do nothing at all, or bring charges when you know you don’t have sufficient evidence? Or is there something in-between? The stern warning device is the something in-between.”

She added that closing the investigation without doing anything would not have been the correct thing to do. “The stern warning device... it’s an expression of AGC’s position that we don’t think that you’re completely off the hook.”

Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC) asked if the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) did not pursue the case because it was an “uphill task in and of itself or outright impossible, given the available facts”.

Ms Indranee responded that the correct test is that there must be a reasonable prospect of obtaining a conviction, because there must be a certain threshold.

“Otherwise, if you just go around filing charges with insufficient basis, that would not make for a strong justice system. And that is the threshold that AGC feels that it is not able to get over in this particular case.”


Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh questioned if the Keppel O&M board, at that time when the offences were committed, had “constructive knowledge” – something that they could reasonably be expected to know – of corrupt payments being made to secure contracts in Brazil.

Ms Indranee said: “If the question is whether the investigation included determining if there was constructive knowledge, the answer is if constructive knowledge is not an offence, then there’s no reason for CPIB to be investigating this.”

She added that the CPIB investigates offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), and that is what it had done in this case. “Unfortunately, there’s insufficient evidence for them to mount a prosecution.”


Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok) asked if it was an opportune time to review Section 37 of the PCA – which describes the liability of Singapore citizens for offences committed outside Singapore – to include companies.

Ms Indranee replied that the Government’s general assessment is that the PCA does have sufficient powers, but it is open to suggestions if there is anything that can be usefully reviewed or improved.

She reiterated the Government’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption.


“We make sure that our laws are directed at ensuring that you have good corporate governance,” she said.

“So all the signals that we send as a Government is to tell our companies, please do business properly. And of course, it’s incumbent upon those companies, not the Government, to ensure that their staff (and) their practices are clean and above board, and in accordance with proper governance.”

 

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SMRT given stern warning after TEL train departed station with door half open in December 2024​

The incident in December 2024 occurred after three of the operator’s employees failed to follow standard operating procedures.

Summary

• TSIB investigated an incident where a train door failed to close at Gardens by the Bay station due to staff not following procedures.
• Staff errors included prematurely releasing the train hold and incorrectly setting the door service switch, leading to the train moving.
• SMRT is reinforcing procedures, adding switch labels, and retraining staff; disciplinary actions were taken and safety drills enhanced.

AI generated

Jul 30, 2025

SINGAPORE – The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has issued a stern warning to rail operator SMRT after a Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) train left Gardens by the Bay station with a door half open.

The incident in December 2024 occurred after three of the operator’s employees failed to follow standard operating procedures.

SMRT said on July 29 that it has taken disciplinary action against the staff involved in the incident, and provided them with retraining to ensure that similar incidents do not occur.

LTA issued its warning after completing its investigation into the incident, but it did not say when it did so.

An investigation report published on June 25 by the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB), a department within the Ministry of Transport, suggested that the incident was caused by human error.

It took place at around 6.30pm on Dec 17, 2024, with about 15 passengers in the affected train car.

A door on a Woodlands-bound train at Gardens by the Bay station opened only halfway, and remained half open when the train was about to depart for Marina Bay station.

An assistant station manager – with around three years of experience in this role – was tasked to investigate the door fault, but he did not find any obstacle hindering closure of the door, noted TSIB.

He was then instructed by the train service controller – with around 1½ years of experience in this role – to isolate the door or remove the electrical power supplied to the door’s opening and closing mechanism, after attempting to push the door into a closed position.

But the door still remained half open, according to the report.

At the same time, the train service controller and the chief controller – with 2½ years of experience – released the train hold, instead of following protocols to press the command to close the train doors.

Releasing the train hold closes the train doors, but also allows the train to move off from the platform if the door service switch is turned to the “off” position.

This is because the signalling system will conclude that the train is ready to depart, since the other train doors are closed and the faulty door is excluded from the signalling system.

On the other hand, if a train hold is in effect, pressing the command to close the train doors will not allow the train to move – even if the door service switch is turned to the “off” position, said TSIB.

The train service controller and the chief controller released the train hold without confirming that the door was closed, according to the report.

Following that, the assistant station manager also did not inform the train service controller that the door was still stuck, and instead tried to turn the door service switch to the “test” position, but mistakenly flipped it to the “off” position when the door was still half open, said TSIB.

He had wrongly relied on his memory to turn the door service switch to the “test” position. SMRT does not teach its assistant station managers about this function, but he had observed this being done to open and close train doors during the testing and commissioning phase of TEL, the report showed.

TSIB noted that the “test” position for the switch should be activated only for train maintenance purposes to test a door’s opening and closing abilities, and should not be used when trains are in operation.

The wordings for the “normal”, “test” and “off” positions are not visible when the door cover of the switch is not open, said TSIB.

According to SMRT, assistant station managers are taught only about the “off” position and are instructed to turn the switch in a certain direction. They are not required to open the door cover to confirm the position of the switch.

The investigation was unable to determine the reason behind the door’s inability to open fully at Gardens by the Bay station, as it could open and close normally during inspection at the depot after the train was withdrawn from service.

SMRT raised the possibility that there could have been an unseen foreign object lodged along the doorway, preventing the door from opening or closing. It could have been dislodged when the train moved from Gardens by the Bay station to Marina Bay station.

TSIB added that the three employees did not follow the rail operator’s standard operating procedures.

For instance, the train would not have moved with one of its doors half open if the train hold command was applied when the staff tried to close the train doors, regardless of the position of the door service switch.

“It would be desirable for the rail operator to remind its operational staff to adhere to standard operating procedures so that correct steps are taken for handling a train door fault,” advised TSIB.

The bureau also noted the risk of operational staff wrongly recalling the direction in which they should turn the door service switch to, and suggested that SMRT label the switch positions on all door covers.

On the safety actions taken, TSIB said SMRT has issued a reminder to its operational staff on the importance of adhering to protocol for handling a train door fault.

According to SMRT’s protocols, the train service controller and the chief controller would press a command to close the train doors and monitor the closing of the train doors through CCTV cameras.

However, if a faulty door is still unable to close, the operations control centre would send an assistant station manager down to investigate the faulty door by checking for any obstacle along the doorway.

If the assistant station manager still cannot close the door after conducting checks, he informs the operations control centre, and passengers are asked to disembark from the train so that it can be withdrawn from service.

The bureau noted that SMRT has designed stickers to be installed on door covers to guide staff on the correct way to turn the door service switches.

SMRT said on July 29 that stickers have been installed on 80 per cent of the TEL fleet, with installation for the remaining trains expected to be completed by early August.

LTA has noted SMRT’s follow-up actions.

Responding to The Straits Times’ queries, it said on July 29 that this incident has been assessed as “an isolated occurrence”, but it has issued SMRT a stern warning.

It noted that during the incident, the assistant station manager on board the train had positioned himself at the open door to ensure that no commuters approached it.

LTA added that the issue was promptly addressed, and the door closed when the train arrived at Marina Bay station, before it continued operations.

On adhering to standard operating procedures for handling train faults, SMRT said it conducts regular refresher training and assessments to ensure that its staff maintain high levels of competency.

It added that it carries out regular exercises and drills to strengthen staff confidence and operational proficiency.

Mr Lam Sheau Kai, president of SMRT Trains, said on July 29 that TSIB did not issue any safety recommendations, as the rail operator had taken appropriate safety-related actions.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering safe and reliable journeys through continuous training, rigorous operational drills and proactive safety initiatives.”

SMRT added that such incidents are rare, with only one other recorded occurrence at Ang Mo Kio station on the North-South Line in March 2019.

A door on one side of a train car was fully open when the train moved from Ang Mo Kio station towards Yio Chu Kang station at around 7.30pm on March 12, 2019. The station manager was suspended with immediate effect.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Conditional warning for ex-manager at Mendaki accused of trying to obtain laptop as bribe​

Mr Zulkifli Kader was given a two-year conditional warning and granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal on July 30.

Summary

• Mr Zulkifli Kader has been given a two-year conditional warning.
• He was granted a discharge not amouting to an acquittal on July 30.
• He was accused of trying to obtain a bribe in the form of a laptop worth more than $1,000 from an IT firm employee in 2023.

AI generated

Aug 05, 2025

SINGAPORE – A former digital information technology manager at Yayasan Mendaki accused of trying to obtain a bribe has been given a two-year conditional warning.

Such a warning issued by the authorities comes with certain conditions for a specified period.

Mr Zulkifli Kader, 51, had been accused of attempting to obtain a bribe in the form of a laptop worth more than $1,000 from an employee of a company called A-Speed as a reward for accepting its tender for work linked to the Malay/Muslim self-help group.


The Malaysian was given the conditional warning and granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal on July 30, meaning he can still be prosecuted for the offence if relevant information or evidence were to emerge later.

Without revealing details behind the move, the Attorney-General’s Chambers told The Straits Times on Aug 5: “After carefully considering the facts and circumstances of the matter, the prosecution directed that a 24-month conditional warning be administered to the accused in lieu of prosecution.”

The prosecution also applied for the discharge and District Judge Kelly Ho granted it during a pre-trial conference.

Mr Zulkifli was working for Mendaki when he purportedly committed the offence over three occasions between April 18 and May 8 in 2023.

He was charged in court in February.

 

[Geneco]

Need some advice ish OBS give stern warning or just a tickle to the toes lololololol