tai-chi: e fav pastime o ministries.....

In the Straits Times 2004.11.05
(Words in purple are my comments)

US sex offender jailed here for lying about his past
He hid criminal record to get employment pass to teach here

AN AMERICAN sex offender who lied about his criminal record in order to get an employment pass here was sentenced to seven months' jail and fined $8,000 on Wednesday.

Jack West, 58, had told the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Ministry of Education (MOE) he had never been convicted of a crime in any country.

In fact, he had a string of convictions in the United States dating back more than 30 years.

In May 1999 and July 2000, he lied to MOM about his record, first in an application for an employment pass, and later to renew it.

In November 2000 and July the following year, he lied about his criminal record to MOE in order to be allowed to work here as a teacher.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Cheng Thiam told the court West would never have been granted an employment pass or be allowed to teach here if he had declared these past convictions in the US, especially since his crimes were serious ones.
(fei hua!!!! tt's y he didn't declare his past convictions......)

Among others, West was charged with raping his own son from his first marriage over a period of four years between 1984 and 1987.

The boy was only seven when he was first sexually assaulted by his father.

However, West fled the US before the trial could start. He returned in 1997 and pleaded guilty to four reduced charges of sexual battery and was sentenced to two years' jail.

He has also been in trouble with the law for drug trafficking, carrying an unlicensed gun and intimidation.

In Singapore, West started out working for a few private schools, including Orchard School of Arts and Commerce and Coleman Commercial and Language Centre, in 1999.

In October 2001, he set up JGW Consultancy, which provided English lessons to students, housewives and businessmen. As recently as three months ago, he was still giving tuition to three students in their homes.

West had a sideline as well: He ran a 'matchmaking' website selling information about Asian women to American men. The site featured pictures of women either in the nude or in provocative poses.

The two ministries began to investigate his background after The New Paper reported in early August that the convicted paedophile was now teaching young children in Singapore.
(The 2 ministries wld have never checked his bkgrd if there was no reporting by TNP?????)

West was then charged with eight counts of falsely declaring his criminal record to MOM and MOE.

MOM prosecutor Rosemary Chan called him a 'seasoned criminal' whose acts were premeditated and deceitful.
(E fact tt he cld slipped thro' so many different gates is not cos he was 'seasoned' but cos there's so many loopholes!!!!! tt's not a bloody gd excuse!!!!)

In response to queries about how West managed to slip through the net, an MOE spokesman said the onus of checking statements made by candidates who apply to be registered as teachers should fall on the schools, not the ministry.
(So schools shld b 1 doing all e checking???? So wat's e role o MOE???? a beautiful vase?????)

MOM would only say it 'takes into consideration the inputs of various government agencies when assessing the application for an employment pass'.
(MOE has no clue on e bkgrd o e applicants & they blindly pass e info 2 MOM who gladly lets criminals roam e s'pore grds???)

As for how West could enter Singapore when there was a warrant of arrest out for him in the US, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority would only say: 'The movement records of individuals are not available for release as such information is private and confidential.'
(Now u r talking abt indv/human rites when there doesn't seem 2 b any in e 1st place anyway!!!!)

I was especially pissed at tis piece o news cos i c e different ministries doing tai-chi again!!!!

remember tt i wrote abt how a paper on child sexual abuse was banned fr presentation at e 11th hr????? anyway, tt matter has yet 2 b settled......e order was given by MOE tt e author o e paper, a phd student in NIE, cannot present her paper in n international conference. MOE cited tt they had "expert opinion" tt e paper cld present e teaching profession in a bad light.....e paper was on trainee teachers' personal experience of childhood sexual abuse.....& in tt paper, e % o these teachers reporting tt they had personal encounters of sexual abuse was a figure quite unlikely e offically reported figure of sexual abuse in singapore......after sme investigation/tracing by my boss , her boss & several other higher position members in s'pore children's society, they found tt e "expert opinion" tt was cited by MOE came fr MCYS.....So there was sme communication between SCS & MCYS, & MCYS said tt they never ordered MOE 2 ban e presentation.....MCYS "very casually" told MOE tt they are concerned abt e data tt was being presented in e paper, & hoped tt MOE wld look into e issue.....MCYS & MOE had never questioned e author on e data & had even approved her leave 2 go 4 e conference!!!!! WAT E FUCK!!!!

Now SCS 1s 2 hold a dialogue session wif MCYS & MOE, not 2 pursue who actually stopped e presentation but on e intellectual property rite o papers. When data r collected esp when it involves any1 fr any o e ministries, do e ministries automatically have e rite 2 censor e data......

Taking e case o e sex offender teaching in s'pore, c how e MOE, MOM & ICA r playing tai-chi???? no use playing tai-chi now!!! i dun 1 2 blame any1 4 e slip-up, i juz 1 2 know how we can prevent smething like tt fr happening again!!!! it looks 2 me tt there r bound 2 have more cases happening(or mayb there r juz tt we dunno...)......

can any1 in any o e ministries pls examine urselves 1st????? pls........