Everyone has a good side — even teenagers who steal buses and take them for a joyride.
In his ruling today on the case of Muhammad Salahuddin Omar, who stole an empty bus in Woodlands and took it for a joy ride last March, Judge Matthew Joseph noted how the 17 year old "has some talent which has to be used wisely."
The secondary school student, who is deaf, has been having communication issues.
Not only is his father inarticulate in sign language, Salahauddin also lost his hearing aid.
It has not been replaced because, according to his father, "getting another one required cumbersome paperwork and could cost more than S$3,000," reports Channel NewsAsia."The judge expressed surprise at this revelation and instructed the probation officer to assist in settling the matter expediently," adds the report.
But clearly Salahuddin has promise.
According to the report, he "began to show an interest in public transportation a year before he committed his crime, attending exhibitions relating to public transport with his brother and playing computer games related to buses."
So when he tried it in real life, even the driver of the stolen bus was impressed.
In an interview right after the incident, he said Salahuddin was exceptionally capable with bus driving despite his age and inexperience, maneuvering around traffic deftly with proper lane-changing and turning procedures.
Salahuddin has been sentenced to 24 months of probation and will be electronically tagged for the first six months. He is also banned from driving and applying for a driving license during his sentence. His parents need to pay a $5,000 bond, according to the CNA report.
Photo: Shin Min Daily News
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Everyone has a good side — even teenagers who steal buses and take them for a joyride.
In his ruling today on the case of Muhammad Salahuddin Omar, who stole an empty bus in Woodlands and took it for a joy ride last March, Judge Matthew Joseph noted how the 17 year old "has some talent which has to be used wisely."
The secondary school student, who is deaf, has been having communication issues.
Not only is his father inarticulate in sign language, Salahauddin also lost his hearing aid.
It has not been replaced because, according to his father, "getting another one required cumbersome paperwork and could cost more than S$3,000," reports Channel NewsAsia."The judge expressed surprise at this revelation and instructed the probation officer to assist in settling the matter expediently," adds the report.
But clearly Salahuddin has promise.
According to the report, he "began to show an interest in public transportation a year before he committed his crime, attending exhibitions relating to public transport with his brother and playing computer games related to buses."
So when he tried it in real life, even the driver of the stolen bus was impressed.
In an interview right after the incident, he said Salahuddin was exceptionally capable with bus driving despite his age and inexperience, maneuvering around traffic deftly with proper lane-changing and turning procedures.
Salahuddin has been sentenced to 24 months of probation and will be electronically tagged for the first six months. He is also banned from driving and applying for a driving license during his sentence. His parents need to pay a $5,000 bond, according to the CNA report.
Photo: Shin Min Daily News
Done reading? Sit back, relax and watch Coconuts TV: