Daily Lessons from Life 16 January 2011 - S'porean male arrested over van spray-painted with expletives

"S'porean male arrested over van spray-painted with expletives - CNA 16 January 2011

SINGAPORE : A 49-year-old Muslim Singaporean man of Pakistani descent has been arrested for allegedly driving a van spray painted with offensive writing and parking it near Singapore's Islamic Religious Council (MUIS).

Police confirmed they arrested the man on Saturday at Bedok North.

He is believed to be mentally unsound.

The van was spray-painted with expletives about the Malay community and parked outside the Singapore Islamic hub at Braddell Road on Friday, causing a stir.

Police investigations are ongoing."

I am glad that the culprit is caught so soon! Even if he is supposedly of unsound mind, we only found out after he was caught! IF he is indeed of unsound mind, we need to find out who did he managed to drive the van to park near MUIS's premise?

Lessons for me are:

1. race, religion and language are strictly out-of-bound in multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-lingual Singapore. We MUST NEVER tolerate any incitement of such sentiments. All parties must be aware of this. If they don't and violate this principle, they must pay for it heavily. There is NO if or but about this;

2. anytime such an incident arose, the police MUST focus MAJOR efforts to catch the culprit as soon as possible and to inform the public on a regular and frequent intervals on the status so that NO ONE starts their own rumours about who did what and why and how and what will happen next! It is like distinguishing the amble in a hay stack before it start a fire too big to control and wreck unimaginable damges to the all important racial and religious harmony that Singapore enjoyed for so many decades!;

3. the news report that the culprit is of unsound mind may be challenged in the gossip mills. So, it is important to clarify and provide irrevocable concrete evidence to all that he is indeed of unsound mind. As to how did he managed to get the van to the venue without causing any accident or incident, it has to be explained too!

I am thankful that it is just an abberation and nothing serious developed from it.

May peace and harmony continued to be present for my tiny Little Red Dot nation for many more decades to come - with our vigilance and firm and fast responses to any untowards potential troubles!