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Grab teams up with Singapore Power to roll out 200 electric vehicles

The Independent
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Grab teams up with Singapore Power to roll out 200 electric vehicles

SP has committed to building 500 publicly accessible charging points within Singapore

Grab

Southeast Asian ride-hailing giant Grab has teamed up with energy utility supplier Singapore Power (SP) to bring in 200 fast-charging electric vehicles (EV) into Singapore.

These electric vehicles will be powered by SP’s pervasive fast-charging network. The company plans to roll out 500 charging points, comprising of both DC (direct current) and AC (alternating current) chargers, by 2020.

These stations will be located within close-proximity to coffee-shops and food outlets.

Grab declined to disclose the make or the model of the EVs, only revealing that it will reveal specific details on these by the end of the year.

Grab, however, said that a full charge, which takes around 40 minutes at SP’s DC charging point, will allow the EVs to run for approximately 400km.

The electric fleet will be progressively rolled out in the country from early 2019. Driver-partners on this new model will enjoy preferential EV charging rates from SP. According to a press release, drivers can expect to earn up to 25 per cent more in daily income compared to those on a regular petrol vehicle and up to 20 per cent more daily income compared to a hybrid vehicle.

Also Read: Grab teams up with Ping An to launch online healthcare services

“The pervasive fast-charging network will provide Grab’s EV drivers with convenience and speed in charging their vehicles, while helping them to achieve energy and cost savings. This will accelerate the wider adoption of EVs in Singapore and support the nation’s efforts to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Mr Goh Chee Kiong, Head, Strategic Development, SP Group.

“We have heard from our driver-partners that a faster charge time and longer EV driving range are important considerations for them when making the switch to EVs. We have taken their feedback on board and have negotiated the best deals to bring them concrete savings and the best vehicle model to cater to their driving needs,” said Lim Kell Jay, Head of Grab Singapore.

Early this year, Grab was also exploring ways to provide ‘green’ mobility options through a tie-up with South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor. The latter offers eco-friendly cars such as its IONIQ Electric model, which offers three electrified powertrain-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure battery electric — in a single body type.

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Image Credit: Grab

The post Grab teams up with Singapore Power to roll out 200 electric vehicles appeared first on e27.

Source: E27

Infant twins forced to draw lots to choose who would get life-saving transplant since parents are too poor to save them both

The Independent
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Infant twins forced to draw lots to choose who would get life-saving transplant since parents are too poor to save them both

A couple in China who could not afford to save both of their twin 10-month-old sons who were struck with a rare disease forced their infants to draw lots to decide which baby would get a life-saving transplant.

According to Chinese publication Shaoguan Daily, the siblings were diagnosed with Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD) – a genetic condition that significantly weakens the immue system – when they were a mere 5 months old.

The twins are not expected to live past the tender age of two without a transplant, since the disease makes them susceptible to certain types of bacterial and fungal infections.

The children – named Kang Kang (Healthy) and Le Le (Happy) – were born on 22 Oct last year in the Shixing County in Guangdong Province, China. Just one month later, in November, Kang Kang suffered sudden breathing difficulties and was admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital.

Adding to their parents’ heartbreak, Le Le also suffered the same health issues as his brother and was admitted to the same hospital in Chongqing that is well-known for treating CGD.

After the couple spent over USD $58,000 (or RMB500,000) on treatment expenses for their son, the hospital informed them that matching donors from the China Marrow Donor Programme have been found to be willing to help their boys.

Unfortunately, each transplant would cost almost USD $73,000, bringing the costs for two transplants up to a hefty USD $145, 270 (or RMB1 million) – far more than the poor parents can afford. Even with help from their friends and relatives, the parents could only raise enough to save one son.

Desperate and unable to choose between their children, the couple decided to make their children choose who would get the life-saving transplant by drawing lots. Waiting for the twins’ grandmother to leave the room, the parents made their sons choose between a blank piece of paper and a paper that had the word “keep” on it.

Kang Kang, the elder twin, ended up choosing the “keep” paper.

When the boys’ grandmother returned and discovered what had happened, she chastised the couple who knelt to the ground and sought her and their sons’ forgiveness while saying that they had no other choice.

Fortunately, the family’s plight caught the notice of the China Charities Aid Foundation for Children, which began a fund-raising campaign and raised nearly enough to save both twin brothers. The campaign will hit its target when it raises about USD $11,500 more.

Thankful, the boys’ father told the Chinese publication: “God didn’t give up on my twins. But they still have to fight to survive till the day of transplant.”

“Stop patronising us” – Hundreds slam Indranee Rajah for saying Singaporeans should “think through what they are able to afford”

Jewel Stolarchuk
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“Stop patronising us” – Hundreds slam Indranee Rajah for saying Singaporeans should “think through what they are able to afford”

Singaporeans have slammed Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah after she said that the people should “think through what they are able to afford”.

Rajah’s remarks come in the wake of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech last Sunday, in which he gave Singaporeans tips on how to manage the rising cost of living and offered that the people could turn off their mobile data and tap on wifi outside when they are not home to cut down expenses, among other suggestions.

Singaporeans who are contending with increasing expenses – what with the hefty water price increase, electricity tariffs increase and impending Goods and Services Tax hike – did not seem to find PM Lee’s tips particularly helpful.

A day after PM Lee’s rally speech, Rajah threw her weight behind her party leader and said that the Government is committed to doing it part but the people also need to make the right choices. She told 93.8FM:

“People respond to cost of living in terms of how does it impact on them. What is their lived experience like. How can they manage their household budgets. So we do understand, we do understand.
“And I think what PM was doing yesterday was to really explain some of the reasons why some of the costs have gone up, some things are unavoidable. You look at our electricity prices for example. That’s tied obviously to the price of oil that we buy, so that goes up and down.
“But the question is how can you alleviate that. You do that through the U-Save and the subsidies right? So Government can do its part by providing the options like now introducing more polyclinics, as you’ve pointed out, and also introducing more hawker centres.
“But its’ also about choices. Because if there are 2 or 3 diff things, is it always necessary to choose the most expensive one? Possibly not.
“Because so long as the lower cost option does provide you with what you need – and Prime Minister cited milk powder for example, it’s a good example of that. And the problem is also exacerbated by the fact that you have the companies who sell things, which also make representations about it – again in the milk powder context right. 
“So we want to be able to make sure that firstly, there are options that people have options to buy the different things at the different prices. And the other important thing is to also make sure that you have the information available so that people can make the right choices.
“And where something is where the cost is relatively high, you provide assistance with it. So take housing, for example: Housing for young families is subsidised, especially for the first-timers. It’s a big cost item but the Government will do its part and put in the subsidy.
“But also for the person who is buying, think about whether it should be really a 5-room or a 4-room or a 3-room – whatever it is that is right for your budget. 
“If you look at preschool, we are putting in more options. Also, we’ve heavily subsidised the childcare, for example.
“So it takes two. The Government will do its part – that is our commitment. We want to make sure that Singaporeans are able to manage their cost of living, their daily expenses. But at the same time, we hope that people will also think through what they are able to afford and manage and also to make the right choices.”

https://www.facebook.com/ChannelNewsAsia/videos/1948188671900624/

Several netizens have criticised Rajah for her “patronising” comments and have opined that she is simply parroting her party leader:

Step aside, Avengers. Local artist creates uniquely Singaporean superheroes

Anna Maria Romero
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Step aside, Avengers. Local artist creates uniquely Singaporean superheroes

Jayden Tan has done it again. The photographer, art director and Creative Group Head at GOODSTUPH, a social media agency, has yet again celebrated National Day in a uniquely Singaporean way, this time with six everyday superheroes in a series called “The Majulahs.”

And what superheroes they are. According to the artist, the superheroes Sauce Girl, Parking Pontianak, The Profanity, R. Harmony, Milo Marvel and Lady Chope are designed to symbolize and celebrate everyday Singaporeans “after a crazy Asian force has misrepresented Singapore’s rich culture and heritage with untruths, extravagant twists and a warped idea of the everyday Singaporean.”

Yes, you read that right.

Sauce Girl wears a neckpiece made of McDonald’s garlic sauce, and her “liquid manipulation powers first manifested when she faced a scarcity of Asian sauces while studying in London.” She is an Omega-level mutant, who has “a telepathic “saucy sense” to add zhap whenever and wherever needed.”

The purveyor of sauces, SAUCE GIRL’s liquid manipulation powers first manifested when she faced a scarcity of Asian…

Posted by Jayden Tan Photography on Sunday, 19 August 2018

Paking Pontianak is “the lawful superhero of the lot.” This righteous inventor and hacker apparently cannot wait to punish lawbreakers. She designed a special bodysuit that has superhuman powers, including that of slapping people with a summons.

The lawful superhero of the lot, PARKING PONTIANAK is possessed with righteousness, and a deep desire of punishing…

Posted by Jayden Tan Photography on Sunday, 19 August 2018

The Profanity is a “less politically-correct” cousin of the nation’s beloved Merlion. She is a “keeper of efficiency” with “enhanced intuition, verbal invulnerability, and laser-like word-of-mouth that spews from One Fullerton to East Coast.”

THE PROFANITY is the keeper of efficiency and the less politically-correct relative of Merly.Her abilities include…

Posted by Jayden Tan Photography on Sunday, 19 August 2018

R. Harmony is the multicultural superhero the nation has always needed. She repels evil, absorbs negativity and brings peace wherever she goes. Jayden Tan writes of her, “Regardless of race, language or religion, she aims to build a democratic society based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.”

Meet SINGAPORE’S TOP POLITICALLY-CORRECT MULTICULTURAL CMIO SUPERHERO – R.HARMONY!A peace-bringing supreme being,…

Posted by Jayden Tan Photography on Sunday, 19 August 2018

Milo Marvel used to drive a Milo van, until one day when a comet stuck his van “after a Sports Day event at Bishan stadium.” This gave him incredible speed, strength and agility and he is able to distribute mugs of Milo, and therefore happiness, wherever he goes.

MILO MARVEL was once everyone’s favourite Milo van driver, until a radioactive comet hit his truck after a Sports Day…

Posted by Jayden Tan Photography on Sunday, 19 August 2018

Lastly, there’s Lady Chope, the leader of the Majulahs. Another Omega-level mutant (whatever that means). Always ready with umbrellas, tissues and staff passes, lady Chope has superhuman kiasuism, strength, and sight. In her downtime she works as an OL.

As leader of the Majulahs, the Omega-level mutant LADY CHOPE has no reservations of stocking up on tissue paper packets,…

Posted by Jayden Tan Photography on Sunday, 19 August 2018

Singer Joanna Dong portrays Lady Chope, while Dan Ng, a photographer, is photographed as Milo Marvel. Comedian Preetipls is R. Harmony. Sauce Girl is Xenia Tan, Parking Pontianak is Fauzi Aziz, and Pat Law is The Profanity.

Netizens have loved and embraced the superheroes.

Satirical posters depicting Singapore ministers as Crazy Rich Asians go viral online

Jewel Stolarchuk
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0
Satirical posters depicting Singapore ministers as Crazy Rich Asians go viral online

Some netizens have been circulating posters depicting Singapore ministers as Crazy Rich Asians, after the latest Hollywood film that is set in Singapore.

Based on a novel by Singaporean author Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians focuses on the escapades of wealthy families in Singapore and stars Singaporean and Malaysian actors alongside Hollywood names like Michelle Yeoh and Ken Jeong.

Making a comment on the high ministerial pay politicians here receive, some netizens are circulating the following satirical posters on social media and on messaging applications like WhatsApp:

High ministerial pay has always been a hot button topic in Singapore, especially in contrast to the wages regular folks receive and the rising cost of living they have to contend with.

Compounded by stories of the elderly and the needy struggling to survive and given the perception that it is difficult to receive timely help from government programmes, like the current public healthcare insurance scheme, Singaporeans have pointed out that the nation’s leaders’ pay packets have grown considerably even while some in society grow more and more desperate.

Recently, it was alleged that the Prime Minister’s salary has grown by a whopping 5238 per cent since 1965 has been circulating online. Indeed, the Prime Minister’s salary has grown significantly since Singapore gained independence in 1965.

In 1965, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister – the late Lee Kuan Yew who was then known as the Chief Minister – earned a monthly fixed salary of $3,500. This means that he was paid $42,000 annually.

In 1973, the Prime Minister’s salary was bumped up to a monthly sum of $9,500 while other ministers started to earn $7,000 – nearly double the $4,500 they used to earn – following a ministerial salary review. $9,500 and $7,000 in 1973 roughly translates to $27,742 and $20,441 respectively in 2016 when adjusted for inflation.

Then, 20 years later in 1994, the first framework for ministerial salaries came into play. The policy, which saw ministers being paid two-thirds of what the top four earners from six professions in the private sector earn, caused ministerial salaries to balloon.

This is still nowhere near what Lee’s son, Singapore’s third and current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, earns.

Ten years after the ministerial salary framework was released, Lee Hsien Loong took over the reins of the nation from his father’s successor, now-Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. In 2007, Lee Hsien Loong’s annual salary climbed to a whopping $3,090,000 under this framework.

And then, the unthinkable happened. In 2011, the ruling party lost a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) to the opposition and public support for the People’s Action Party (PAP) slipped.

In 2012, for possibly the first time ever, Singapore’s ministers took a pay cut. An independent committee reviewed the ministerial salary scheme and recommended the following salary cuts:

  • President’s annual salary to be slashed by 51 per cent to $1.54 million;
  • Prime Minister’s annual salary to be cut by 36 per cent to $2.2 million, along with the removal of pension;
  • Full minister’s (MR4 level) annual salary to be reduced by 37 per cent to $1.1 million, along with the removal of pension;
  • Prime Minister’s salary to be pegged to double the MR4 salary;
  • MP’s annual allowance to be cut by 3 per cent to $192,500; and
  • The entry MR4 minister’s salary to be benchmarked to the median income of the top 1,000 earners who are Singapore citizens, with a 40 per cent discount.

The Government accepted the committee’s proposal. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s annual salary was slashed to $2.2 million, where it has remained for the last six years.

In 2017, a committee formed by PM Lee to review ministerial salaries recommended that political salaries be adjusted to reflect “annual benchmark movements,” given a 9 per cent rise in benchmark salaries.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said this year that ministerial pay will remain the same for now and will be reviewed again in five years: “… since the scheme remains valid and the economy is still in transition, we will not change anything now and will maintain the current salary structure and level. We will review the matter again after five years or when it becomes necessary.”

Despite the fact that PM Lee’s pay has not increased over the past six years, he still remains one of the highest paid political leaders in the world.

Michael Jackson’s daughter slammed and called a “hypocrite” for being on Harper’s Bazaar Singapore cover

Obbana Rajah
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0
Michael Jackson’s daughter slammed and called a “hypocrite” for being on Harper’s Bazaar Singapore cover

Paris Jackson, late pop star Michael Jackson’s 20-year old daughter, has apologised for appearing on the front cover of the magazine Harper’s Bazaar Singapore.

After confirming that she was bisexual last month, when Jackson took to Instagram on Monday to promote the September issue of the magazine, she received much flak online.

The photo she was featured in had the caption “Honoured and grateful”, and her Instagram post sparked an op-ed piece on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) news site Gay Star News, which said she was hypocritical as Singapore criminalises sex between gay men.

The Gay Star News shared a link to the story with Jackson on Twitter and said: “C’mon Paris Jackson.”

In response, Jackson apologised for being unaware of gay rights in the country and deleted her Instagram photo.

She also tweeted, “I don’t want to be hypocritical or hurt anyone, and my support for my fellow LGBTQ+ community comes first before my love for fashion”.

After some consideration through, Jackson altered her stance on the issue slightly and even called the Gay Star News story “ridiculously mean”. She also said that her cover appearance should be considered a step forward for the LGBTQ+ community.

PM Lee: We want all Singaporeans to have access to affordable, high quality healthcare

Anna Maria Romero
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PM Lee: We want all Singaporeans to have access to affordable, high quality healthcare

One of the highlights of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day speech assured Singaporeans of the government’s plans to make high quality healthcare accessible to everyone. He mentioned this because Singaporeans are living longer lives, and are therefore more likely to need medical treatment in their latter years.

The Prime Minister announced changes that have been implemented in the healthcare system, including an upgrade to MediShield, subsidies under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), and most especially, the building of more polyclinics across the whole of Singapore, in order to accommodate more patients.

He said, “For those who visit the polyclinic instead of the GP, I have good news too. MOH has been building and upgrading polyclinics and medical centres across the island.” He mentioned that a new polyclinic has been built at Ang Mo Kio, and more clinics are planned at Sembawang, Eunos, Kallang, Bukit Panjang, Nee Soon Central and Tampines North, saying, “Some of these are to upgrade and improve existing ones. And we will make sure there are affordable, accessible, high quality primary care all over Singapore.”

Doctors welcome the government plan for more polyclinics, since there have been an increasing number of polyclinic visits in the past two years. More than a million more Singaporeans have visited polyclinics between the years of 2015 and 2017.

There are three chronic conditions that are high on the list of commonly treated ailments in polyclinics, which are high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure-related ailments. These conditions make for more than a third of all diagnoses done.

A healthcare sector leader at Deloitte Southeast Asia, Dr Loke Wai Chiong, believes that building more polyclinics is a step in the right direction since they are more convenient and affordable than other healthcare options.

He also lauded the subsidies that make health care in public clinics and hospitals more accessible and affordable for people.

Like him, Drs. John Cheng and MP Lily Neo, who have observed that since there are more Chas cardholders, more people are seeking healthcare than before.

Donald Trump slams report that he considered revoking Obama’s security clearance

The Independent
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Donald Trump slams report that he considered revoking Obama’s security clearance

Another day, another fake news report. At least, that’s what US President Donald Trump thinks as he slammed the New York Times for reporting that he considered revoking ex-President Barack Obama’s security clearance.

On Monday, The New Yorker cited unnamed sources and claimed that White House officials had discussed revoking Obama’s security clearance last year. The publication reported allegations that national security adviser H.R. McMaster ultimately shut down the idea and so, “Trump decided not to exclude Obama, at the urging of McMaster.”

The New Yorker published that Trump supporters saw members of the Obama administration as “powerful enemies” and that President Trump was advised to cut Obama’s access to intelligence briefings that all living former Presidents are allowed access to:

“At the time, some of Trump’s most fervent supporters in the White House saw former Obama Administration officials as powerful enemies who threatened the new President’s rule, and they agitated for punishing them by revoking their security clearances. The idea was rebuffed by the national-security adviser at the time, H. R. McMaster, who signed a memo extending the clearances of his predecessors at the N.S.C., Republicans and Democrats alike.
“As Trump stepped up his public and private attacks on Obama, some of the new President’s advisers thought that he should take the extraordinary step of denying Obama himself access to intelligence briefings that were made available to all of his living predecessors.
“Trump was told about the importance of keeping former Presidents, who frequently met with foreign leaders, informed. In the end, Trump decided not to exclude Obama, at the urging of McMaster.”

President Trump promptly repudiated the report on Twitter and said that such an act was “never discussed or thought of!”:

“Fake News, of which there is soooo much (this time the very tired New Yorker) falsely reported that I was going to take the extraordinary step of denying Intelligence Briefings to President Obama. Never discussed or thought of!”

The New Yorker’s allegations come after President Trump revoked ex-Obama CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance after Brennan joined MSNBC as an analyst and began what appears to be a campaign of accusing the Trump administration of collusion with other forces.

The White House cited Brennan’s “erratic conduct and behavior” and accused him of “leveraging” his clearance to make false claims against the Trump administration as it announced that his security clearance has been revoked.

In response, Brennan took to The New York Times and wrote an op-ed in which he called President Trump’s denial of collusion accusations as “hogwash.” He wrote:

“Mr. Trump’s claims of no collusion are, in a word, hogwash. The only questions that remain are whether the collusion that took place constituted criminally liable conspiracy, whether obstruction of justice occurred to cover up any collusion or conspiracy, and how many members of ‘Trump Incorporated’ attempted to defraud the government by laundering and concealing the movement of money into their pockets.”

Republican Senator Richard Burr, who also serves as the chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, rebutted Brennan’s collusion allegations in a statement to the press and pointed out that there are some problems with the believability of his claims:

“Director Brennan’s recent statements purport to know as fact that the Trump campaign colluded with a foreign power. If Director Brennan’s statement is based on intelligence he received while still leading the CIA, why didn’t he include it in the Intelligence Community Assessment released in 2017?
“If his statement is based on intelligence he has seen since leaving office, it constitutes an intelligence breach. If he has some other personal knowledge of or evidence of collusion, it should be disclosed to the Special Counsel, not The New York Times.”

Crowdfunders question if they were ‘cheated’ by local pet company

Anna Maria Romero
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Crowdfunders question if they were ‘cheated’ by local pet company

In 2015 Sybo Tech Singapore started crowdfunding for the Pebby, a smart ball with a camera for people to keep track of their pets when they’re not home. The money targets on popular crowdfunding sites Indiegogo and Kickstarter have been met and far surpassed, but so far, Sybo has failed to deliver.

The Pebby caused quite a splash when it launched, even to the point of being featured in The Straits Times. Back then, Hansen Goh and Maksim Kolin announced that the Smart Pebby Ball would be available starting from April 2016 via Kickstarter, for US $240, with a discounted price of US $199 for backers.

Supporters who responded enthusiastically to Pebby have been expressing their disappointment at the delays in production and delivery of the smart ball. The project’s Kickstarter page listed July 2017 as the expected delivery date, although Pebby’s Indiegogo page lists December 2018 as the delivery date.

On Kickstarter, US $509,227 was raised by 2,856 backers, while on Indiegogo, crowdfunders raised $626,167 as of April 2017, making the project 1018% funded, according to the site. This means that a total of US $1,135, 394 has been raised for the Pebby Smart Ball.

The Pebby is described as a smart ball that “comes with an in-built 720p Camera, Laser, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability allowing you to drive and control the Pebby ball via your smartphone. Now you can play, watch and interact with your pets anytime, anywhere!”

The ball’s purpose is two-fold, to entertain the pet and allow the owner to watch over it at the same time.

It sounds like an excellent product for pet owners who have to leave their darlings at home while they work or are at school, and based on the response to the project, many people think so.

However, backers and funders are growing impatient at the many delays in the release of the product, and have expressed their frustration on social media, as well as on the crowdfunding pages.

On August 21, Team Pebby responded to disgruntled backers with this notice on the Kickstarter page. “Dear Backers, sorry for the delay. Our team has been preparing packaging designs and shipment logistics over the last month thus the delay on the update. We are preparing the update which will be ready within the week. Please be patient with us and we are still in the progress of fulfilling your orders with no intention of quitting. – Team Pebby”

But the questions, complaints and disgruntled comments have kept coming fast and thick.

One particular comment came from a netizen whose dog, sadly enough, has already passed away.

Indian American doctor get zero jail time after conviction of raping a heavily sedated patient

The Independent
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Indian American doctor get zero jail time after conviction of raping a heavily sedated patient

Dr. Shafeeq Sheikh, 46, convicted of r‌ap‌i‌n‌g a heavily-sedated patient in 2013 was spared time in jail. He will instead spend 10 years of probation. Jurors convicted the Indian American, a former physician at the Baylor College of Medicine, of second-degree sexual assault after a trial that ended this past week.The crime is punishable by up 20 years in prison, but the Texas jury sentenced Sheikh to 10 years of probation on Friday.

The 32-year-old female patient, identified as “Laura,” was at Ben Taub H‌osp‌it‌a‌l after an acute asthma att‌a‌ck. Laura claimed that Sheikh — who was not even assigned to her case — touched her breasts in a manner she described as a sexual assault. She added that she was heavily sedated in multiple visits. She was in the hospital overnight and sedated when the convict came to her room several times during the night and sexually assaulted her. The woman claimed that she attempted to get help from a nurse, but the call button would not work.

“He sought her out. He chose her to prey on,” said Assistant District Attorney Lauren Reeder. “You know he’s the type of man who would go in multiple times, testing the waters, seeing how far he could go and get back to his normal business after that.”

Even though DNA evidence matched the DNA sample of the guilty doctor’s cheek swab, it took two years for charges to be filed against Sheikh. Surveillance video captured on the floor where the woman’s room was located also showed Sheik being on the same floor as the victim. He used his badge to swipe onto her floor at least 12 times that night.

Sheikh was working at Houston Methodist Hospital before his arrest in 2015. He confirmed that he had sex with his patient but maintained that the act was consensual. Sheik’s lawyer argued that Laura seduced him, and said: “The dreams of a man, the childhood dream to become a doctor, were shattered by his conduct. He destroyed his own dreams. What he has done to himself and his family is punishment. They are serving his sentence with him. His children are serving his sentence with him.”

The Texas Medical Board has since revoked Sheikh’s license to practice, declaring that he posed “a continuing threat to public welfare.” But the the sentence the sex offender has to serve has sparked outrage on social media.

Sheikh will register as a s‌ex off‌en‌d‌er for the rest of his life. But his victim believes that there are other victims, and said: “Of course, yes, and the reason I think so is because this person had everything very organized. He abuses his authority, uses his power, easily enters and without thinking twice takes control over someone who is sick.”

In asking other victims to come forward, she added: “I want us to value the life of a woman and understand that a r‌a‌p‌e doesn’t have social status. I want to inspire and motivate these woman to find the courage to talk and speak up to get out of the pain they’re in.”

The Texas Medical Board revoked his license in 2015 after they found he was a “continuing threat to public welfare.”

Sheikh will return to court in December.

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