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Sydney Morning Herald
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
It's a picture-perfect English town. Now an asylum seeker war is ripping it apart
'I'm afraid I agree that the government has got to find some other means of housing the people once they arrive.' Also like many in this town, he believes the protests are out of control. In his view, the police should be using their powers to arrest anyone trying to hide their identity at the protests. Six men were arrested on Sunday night for what Essex Police called 'mindless thuggery' – including injury to a police officer and damage to a vehicle. Witnesses saw a protestor kick in the windscreen of a police car. Epping, the last stop on the Central Line for those heading north-west on the London Underground, now looks like a war zone to Britons watching the news. But it is a comfortable town with no history of heated division – until the asylum hotel arrived. At lunchtime on Monday, for instance, the main street was busy with people in a dozen cafes or at an open-air market with arts and crafts. A few Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes and Range Rovers passed along with the local traffic. The jewellery store displayed a Rolex in its front window. But the mood has changed in Epping since one of the asylum seekers was charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence. The man, Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, from Ethiopia, denied all the offences when he appeared in court on July 10. This has not quelled the concerns among local parents, who began protesting outside the asylum hotel. 'I'm not far-right. I'm worried about my kids,' said one sign on Sunday, held by six women outside the asylum hotel. The sexual assault charges turned a tidal wave of concern into a tsunami, says Epping journalist David Jackman, who covered the region for local newspapers for 38 years before setting up his own news site, Everything Epping Forest. There were at least two fires at asylum hotels in the area in recent years and one man who was staying at the Bell Hotel will stand trial in September, charged with two counts of arson. Jackman, in a written account of the past few weeks, said the protest on Sunday night required police with riot shields to hold the line against protesters throwing plastic bottles, eggs, milk and other objects. 'Video footage now seen around the world shows unbelievable scenes including a protestor jumping up and down on the roof of a moving police van and a man kicking another police vehicle,' he wrote. In an echo of the Australian debate over the past two decades, the UK is struggling to respond to thousands of people arriving by boat. While French police can wade into water to try to stop the boats leaving, they do not venture into the English Channel to turn them around. British authorities intercept the boats to escort them to Dover – a sight that infuriates right-wing critics such as Nigel Farage, head of Reform UK. The arrivals surged to 19,982 in the six months to the end of June – up 50 per cent on the same period last year, according to a tally by Reuters based on government data. The problem is not new; boat arrivals increased when the Conservatives held power from 2010 to 2024, but it has become toxic in local communities because authorities have taken over hotels and motels to house asylum seekers. Some Epping residents simply fall silent when the subject comes up. Others express their anxiety about right-wing activists using Epping to make headlines. Loading 'It is outrageous, irresponsible and preposterous to assert and even suggest that residence of Epping and Epping Forest were at all violent last night,' wrote Glenn Hernandez, a local resident, on the community Facebook group. He and others want the hotel shut down and the asylum seekers relocated to prevent more clashes. For now, the Bell Hotel is closed to visitors and surrounded by a temporary fence. Signs order passers-by not to take photographs. A security guard stands inside the entrance. Holland, who lives close to the hotel and sees the asylum seekers walking to and from their temporary home, believes the protests must be kept away from the Bell Hotel to avoid greater riots in the weeks to come. 'There's no point in protesting outside the hotel,' he says. 'If they're going to have a protest, have it in the town centre and make it an organised protest to keep the thugs away from the hotel.' correspondents .
The Age
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
It's a picture-perfect English town. Now an asylum seeker war is ripping it apart
'I'm afraid I agree that the government has got to find some other means of housing the people once they arrive.' Also like many in this town, he believes the protests are out of control. In his view, the police should be using their powers to arrest anyone trying to hide their identity at the protests. Six men were arrested on Sunday night for what Essex Police called 'mindless thuggery' – including injury to a police officer and damage to a vehicle. Witnesses saw a protestor kick in the windscreen of a police car. Epping, the last stop on the Central Line for those heading north-west on the London Underground, now looks like a war zone to Britons watching the news. But it is a comfortable town with no history of heated division – until the asylum hotel arrived. At lunchtime on Monday, for instance, the main street was busy with people in a dozen cafes or at an open-air market with arts and crafts. A few Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes and Range Rovers passed along with the local traffic. The jewellery store displayed a Rolex in its front window. But the mood has changed in Epping since one of the asylum seekers was charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence. The man, Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, from Ethiopia, denied all the offences when he appeared in court on July 10. This has not quelled the concerns among local parents, who began protesting outside the asylum hotel. 'I'm not far-right. I'm worried about my kids,' said one sign on Sunday, held by six women outside the asylum hotel. The sexual assault charges turned a tidal wave of concern into a tsunami, says Epping journalist David Jackman, who covered the region for local newspapers for 38 years before setting up his own news site, Everything Epping Forest. There were at least two fires at asylum hotels in the area in recent years and one man who was staying at the Bell Hotel will stand trial in September, charged with two counts of arson. Jackman, in a written account of the past few weeks, said the protest on Sunday night required police with riot shields to hold the line against protesters throwing plastic bottles, eggs, milk and other objects. 'Video footage now seen around the world shows unbelievable scenes including a protestor jumping up and down on the roof of a moving police van and a man kicking another police vehicle,' he wrote. In an echo of the Australian debate over the past two decades, the UK is struggling to respond to thousands of people arriving by boat. While French police can wade into water to try to stop the boats leaving, they do not venture into the English Channel to turn them around. British authorities intercept the boats to escort them to Dover – a sight that infuriates right-wing critics such as Nigel Farage, head of Reform UK. The arrivals surged to 19,982 in the six months to the end of June – up 50 per cent on the same period last year, according to a tally by Reuters based on government data. The problem is not new; boat arrivals increased when the Conservatives held power from 2010 to 2024, but it has become toxic in local communities because authorities have taken over hotels and motels to house asylum seekers. Some Epping residents simply fall silent when the subject comes up. Others express their anxiety about right-wing activists using Epping to make headlines. Loading 'It is outrageous, irresponsible and preposterous to assert and even suggest that residence of Epping and Epping Forest were at all violent last night,' wrote Glenn Hernandez, a local resident, on the community Facebook group. He and others want the hotel shut down and the asylum seekers relocated to prevent more clashes. For now, the Bell Hotel is closed to visitors and surrounded by a temporary fence. Signs order passers-by not to take photographs. A security guard stands inside the entrance. Holland, who lives close to the hotel and sees the asylum seekers walking to and from their temporary home, believes the protests must be kept away from the Bell Hotel to avoid greater riots in the weeks to come. 'There's no point in protesting outside the hotel,' he says. 'If they're going to have a protest, have it in the town centre and make it an organised protest to keep the thugs away from the hotel.' correspondents .
The Star
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Grease, grit and glory: Prestige CarCare celebrates 15 years of passion, precision, and purpose
IT IS only 5pm, but the Prestige CarCare Flagship Automall along Jalan Chan Sow Lin is already buzzing with energy. At 25,000sq ft, the state-of-the-art space is a gleaming cathedral for car lovers – and today, it's alive with anticipation. Rows of luxury vehicles – Bentleys, Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes, Jaguars – stand proudly, hoods lifted, engines exposed. Technicians move swiftly and methodically around them, ensuring each detail is in place. Elsewhere, team members inflate balloons, tweak lighting, and rehearse the flow of guests for the evening's celebration. In just two hours, Prestige CarCare will mark its 15th anniversary – a major milestone for a business that began humbly in 2010, as a 2,400sq ft workshop tucked away in Sungei Besi. Founder and chief executive officer Toh Kean Wai is pacing quietly, visibly nervous. For him, tonight is more than just a celebration. It's the culmination of a dream rooted deep in memory. From shed to showroom As a boy, Toh watched his father – a lone mechanic – work tirelessly in a makeshift shed behind someone else's shoplot. 'Being a mechanic was considered a 3D job,' he says, referencing Malaysia's perception of dirty, dangerous, and difficult work. 'It wasn't something people looked up to, nor respected. I knew it was my mission to change that,' he confides. From the very beginning, Toh set out to do things differently with Prestige CarCare. Toh even travelled to Germany, China, and Japan — eager to learn about their cutting-edge equipment, technical expertise, and exacting standards. In Toh's first workshop there were no dimly lit, cluttered, grease-smeared spaces, typical of traditional workshops. In their place: bright, clean and organised service bays staffed by passionate professionals who treated every car like a prized possession — and every customer with respect. Over time, those same high standards became the blueprint for all six Prestige CarCare outlets across the Klang Valley. Toh set out to restore dignity to an overlooked trade, transforming workshops into spotless spaces built on excellence, respect, and service. Today, Prestige CarCare handles everything auto — from major engine work and transmission fixes to tires, brakes, and routine oil changes — all done to exact manufacturer standards. Their team knows cars inside and out, using high-tech diagnostics to spot and solve issues with ease in addition to premium detailing and cosmetic services for luxury cars. And if their customers ever get stuck, they offer their 24/7 roadside help, post-service follow-ups, and even courtesy rides. It comes as no surprise that Prestige CarCare has grown to become Malaysia's largest independent luxury car servicing company. But the road hasn't been without bumps. There were tough times – from having to vacate one of their service centres on short notice to surviving the uncertainty of the MCO lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'For us, challenges are opportunities in disguise,' Toh reflects. 'To last 15 years, you need courage, focus, and consistency.' At the heart of Prestige CarCare's success is a simple philosophy: go the extra mile. And their 'zero downtime' policy is a perfect reflection of that. Need your car serviced? They'll come to you. Cars are picked up and returned post-service. Customers get courtesy vehicles in the meantime, or a shuttle service if needed. 'We understand that time is money,' says Toh. 'So we've built our service around that belief.' Driving into the future That same spirit of innovation led to the launch of DirectBuy, Prestige CarCare's newest venture — an online platform where people can buy and sell pre-owned cars transparently and without hassle. 'We noticed many of our customers wanted to sell their cars but weren't getting fair prices from traditional dealers,' Toh reveals. 'When we checked the market rates, they were often much higher. That's when we knew — there was a gap we could fill.' Toh believed DirectBuy could finally take the guesswork out of buying and selling used luxury cars a smoother, smarter alternative to the old-school dealer hustle. 'We help sellers to sell at a better price. And we help buyers to buy at a good price,' he adds. DirectBuy takes a fresh approach. Cars are thoroughly inspected, with a detailed report generated covering everything from dents and scratches to verified mileage. A 55-point mechanical check – powered by Prestige's deep technical background – ensures buyers know exactly what they're getting. 'I believe we're the first to offer this kind of platform with this level of transparency,' says Toh. 'Other dealers still rely on outdated, wait-and-see methods. We're changing that.' Back at the Automall, the final touches are being placed. The team is ready. Guests will soon begin arriving. Toh pauses for a moment, taking it all in. 'I think my late father would have been very touched to see this,' he says quietly.
The Age
08-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
‘Ghost cars', a missing $10 million and the question: victim or fraudster?
Was An Chen part of a group of alleged swindlers, helping to clear $3.8 million worth of fraudulently obtained car loans? Or was the 25-year-old a victim of the same group, yet another innocent person duped by scammers in pursuit of millions of dollars? This is the question that will need to be answered by the courts, after Chen became the sixth person charged by detectives looking at an alleged luxury car fraud racket. Police say the group took over $10 million worth of loans from a western Sydney car financing group in the names of at least 33 individuals. The only problem? These individuals hadn't taken out car loans and never saw the dozens of Teslas or Mercedes-Benzes that were bought using their stolen identity documents. The money from the so-called 'ghost car' loans was then laundered by members of the syndicate, police say. The $10 million remains unrecovered. An employee of the financing group, and Chen, a 25-year-old Chinese national in Australia on a protection visa and with no local family, are among the half a dozen charged over the alleged fraud. Over a nine-month period in 2023, a company bank account allegedly received a total of $3.8 million across 15 transactions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Police documents tendered to the court claim Chen was the sole signatory on the bank account and is the sole director of the company. He now faces 15 counts of recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Sydney Morning Herald
08-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Ghost cars', a missing $10 million and the question: victim or fraudster?
Was An Chen part of a group of alleged swindlers, helping to clear $3.8 million worth of fraudulently obtained car loans? Or was the 25-year-old a victim of the same group, yet another innocent person duped by scammers in pursuit of millions of dollars? This is the question that will need to be answered by the courts, after Chen became the sixth person charged by detectives looking at an alleged luxury car fraud racket. Police say the group took over $10 million worth of loans from a western Sydney car financing group in the names of at least 33 individuals. The only problem? These individuals hadn't taken out car loans and never saw the dozens of Teslas or Mercedes-Benzes that were bought using their stolen identity documents. The money from the so-called 'ghost car' loans was then laundered by members of the syndicate, police say. The $10 million remains unrecovered. An employee of the financing group, and Chen, a 25-year-old Chinese national in Australia on a protection visa and with no local family, are among the half a dozen charged over the alleged fraud. Over a nine-month period in 2023, a company bank account allegedly received a total of $3.8 million across 15 transactions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Police documents tendered to the court claim Chen was the sole signatory on the bank account and is the sole director of the company. He now faces 15 counts of recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
