Wanted man finally arrested after 10 years

Wanted by police for more than 10 years, Goh Chee Kiong was found out when the cops went to break up a quarrel between him and a Chinese national in Geylang on Jan 7.

Goh was jailed for two years and ordered to be given six strokes of the cane on Thursday for an attempted robbery in 1998.

He also admitted to stealing $45,400 from two companies and cheating a woman of $1,000, for which he was jailed another seven months.

A district court heard that Goh, an assistant manager with Studio Cinemas in 1997, stole $25,800 from the safe and went on the run. (story)

Muslims divorce / remarriage rates up

1 in 3 Muslim marriages in 2006 involved at least one partner who has tied the knot in the past. Of these 1,387 remarriages, one-third were between couples who had both been divorced. The re-marriage rate is rising in the community, from about 27 per cent of all Muslim marriages 10 years ago to 35.2 per cent in 2006, according to the latest available statistics.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, Parliamentary Secretary (National Development), wants such families to get more help.

‘When a marriage breaks down, children are involved. When they remarry and they divorce again there is another set of children involved,’ he told reporters on Wednesday.

But the increasing numbers are weighing on the As-Salaam Family Support Centre which has been offering preparatory programmes for remarried couples since 2001. (story)

Elton John, Singapore, May 7

Sir Elton John loves Singapore so much he has requested a concert stop here for his latest Rocket Man Tour.

American concert organiser Live Nation’s senior vice-president for Asia, Ms Colleen Ironside, says: ‘As Elton John very much enjoys coming to Singapore, he asked if it was possible to arrange a show in Singapore en route to Australia for performances there.’

The English pop star last performed here in 1993 and 2001. The concert will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on May 7. (story)