I understand that gangster like behavior is not accepted but is
this guy really capable of carrying out such an act? Welcome to
yellow ribbon movement, Muhammad.
Fiery words = 10 weeks jail
By Desmond Ng
UPSET about your grades? Here's a lesson on what not to do about
it.
Former ITE student Muhammad Faizal Noor Mohamed was so incensed
by his results that he threatened to burn the school down.
The 27-year-old was unhappy with his grades and asked to speak
to the lecturers. But the meeting at ITE College Central on Circuit
Road didn't go well. Faizal stared at one lecturer, Mr Tammilmani
Manickam and said: 'I will burn this place down'.
He was charged with criminal intimidation and sentenced to 10
weeks jail last month. He is appealing against his conviction.
Faizal, a former student of ITE Yishun, had met this lecturer
together with ITE College Central lecturer Jessie Ong, an ITE
College Central director and four other lecturers from MOE to
discuss his grades.
The formal meeting took place last February, according to court
papers. Faizal was unhappy that his grades could not get him into a
polytechnic.
During the meeting, he became upset with Mr Manickam because he
thought the lecturer was being blunt. He stared at him and uttered
the fateful words.
Mr Manickam was taken aback. Ms Ong later called the police.
In mitigation, Faizal said he was supporting himself when he was
a student at the ITE and had to do 'major part-time jobs' to pay
his fees.
He had also planned to further his studies in a polytechnic, but
his grades were not good enough.
Faizal had submitted a letter of apology to the ITE saying he
regretted his actions, was remorseful and promised to be a
law-abiding citizen.
In sentencing, district judge F G Remedios said Faizal had
stared at a lecturer at the ITE and, in the presence of the
lecturer and other staff, threatened to set the school on fire.
Said the judge: 'It was a threat to do serious damage and was
being made by an angry young man whose future was being affected by
the grades that he had received. The threat was directed at the
lecturer and others whom the accused was holding responsible for
his unsatisfactory grades.
'It was clear that the accused intended to alarm the victim, and
there was every reason for the victim and the others present to be
very alarmed.'
The court also took into consideration another charge of
committing mischief for damaging a glass door costing about $940.
He did this at 7pm that day, 21/2 hours after making the arson
threat.
