Malaysia Youth Escapes Caning in Singapore
A 15-year-old Malaysian youth accused of spray-painting cars along with American Michael Fay and other teen-agers on a rampage was released Thursday after paying a $390 fine.
The youth, who cannot be named because of his age, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of fraudulent possession of four Mercedes-Benz car emblems.
He originally faced two charges of vandalism, each punishable by a mandatory three strokes of a rattan cane. But prosecutors dropped those charges without explanation.
The Malaysian, Fay and half a dozen other foreign teen-agers were accused of damaging cars and other mischief in a 10-day spree.
The arrests drew little interest until Fay pleaded guilty to two counts of vandalism and was sentenced to six lashes, prompting an outcry.
After an appeal from President Clinton, Singapore reduced Fay’s sentence to four lashes.
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