Last week, there
was a public outcry over the fining of prominent plastic surgeon specialist
Woffles Wu of just $1,000 over a road offence. Though AGC has clarified on the
basis of the sentencing of Woffles, I think public sentiment is still hard to
be simmered.
Before
Howard, only one man has been punished for having sex with a minor in the same
case: Mr Lee Lip Hong by being jailed. Hence if Howard is to be let off with
just a fine, I think public outcry is inevitable as they may associate that the
rich, well-connected and powerful perpetuators of crimes and offences will face
a less-harsh punishment than common men.
I think
Howard may be jailed for a duration similar to Lee Lip Hoong’s, not that I want
him jailed but it is just my guess feeling. Howard’s stellar contributions in
the community, especially in the environment conservation scene may be a
mitigating factor in the reduction of the sentence. Once jailed, Howard Shaw
may need to surrender his PBM award which he just received from President
(ex-President Nathan) only last year.
Most of the
other men involved in this case are common people unlike Howard; with a crime
record they may find it hard to find a job after serving their sentence (if
they are jailed) and they do not have millions of dollars in their bank
accounts like the rich in Singapore which they can survive on without having a
work.
I pity the
48 men involved in the sex scandal. I gave them the benefit of the doubt: I
mean if they were to know that the lady they are to have paid sex with is a
minor, they definitely will not “do it”; hence I believe most of the 48 men may
not really know that the lady who got them into hot soup with the law is a
minor at all. The public scrutiny over the men is really very stressful in my
opinion and I believe there are still many men who also do the same thing that
the 48 men did just that they may not have been caught or that they choose
their target carefully.
I think
Singaporeans are getting more and more open and sex-craving because of the high
stress level in our society as well as increasing affluence. There is a common
Chinese saying that once men are rich, they will do some foolish things.