SINGAPORE, May 28 — After he was charged with various theft offences and released on bail, Muhammad Iskandar Abdul Razak stole a private bus and took his friends for a joyride.

About two weeks later, he did the same thing — this time with a van, which he drove to a cemetery before dropping his friends back home.

Yesterday, he was sentenced to 12 months of reformative training — a regimented rehabilitation programme for offenders under the age of 21 who commit relatively serious crimes.

The 20-year-old was also banned from driving for a year after his release.

Vehicles with keys left in them

The court heard that Iskandar made off with the bus, valued at S$80,000 (RM243,228), in the early morning of March 28 this year.

It was parked at the open-air car park of Block 22, Sin Ming Road. Its owner had left the key in the bus and locked the door with an external button the evening before.

Iskandar and his friend Muhammad Rizuwan Abdullah pressed the same external door button to get into the bus and drove off to pick up three other friends from Kebun Baru Community Centre.

They drove around Tampines for a while before Iskandar dropped his girlfriend back home. At 6am, the group headed towards Ellington Square in Ang Mo Kio, parked the bus there and went home.

Less than two weeks later, on the evening of April 8, Iskandar stole a van from the loading/unloading bay of an Ang Mo Kio industrial park. The driver had left the key in the vehicle and locked the doors with a remote control.

Again, Iskandar and Rizuman managed to break into the van and start the engine.

To accommodate the same three friends for the ride, Iskandar got rid of several sanitary bins in the back of the van. The van driver later found them strewn along the road the next morning.

During the drive, Iskandar went to Ho Ching Road to pick up his ex-girlfriend, who lived nearby. The group then headed to the Pusara Aman Cemetery at Lim Chu Kang and eventually returned to Ang Mo Kio at 5am and parked the van.

Iskandar took a pouch from the van, which contained S$900, a cash card, work permits and driving licences.

Later that day, at about 11pm, Iskandar asked his friends if they wanted to go for another joy ride in the van. This time, they also went to the vicinity of Marina Bay and East Coast Park before they parted ways at 3am.

A week later, Iskandar pleaded guilty in court to nine charges, including causing hurt and theft. Another seven similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing yesterday.

Other offences

The court also heard that on Jan 13 last year, Iskandar assaulted a Bangladeshi national and stole his belongings after a confrontation.

Perez Mohammad, a 23-year-old carpenter, had been drinking and was walking home that night.

Iskandar, along with four friends, had just finished fishing along Kallang River. While walking along Sims Avenue, Iskandar noticed Mr Perez walking in an unsteady manner.

When Iskandar kicked one of his friends’ leg, she turned around and saw Mr Perez behind her. Iskandar pretended he knew nothing and shouted at Perez as if the Bangladeshi was the one who kicked the friend’s leg.

They then punched and kicked him several times. Perez handed over his mobile phone and wallet when Iskandar asked for his particulars.

They seized the opportunity to steal S$2,300 in cash from Perez’s wallet and kept his phone, spending the money on food and daily necessities.

Earlier last year, on May 5, Iskandar and two other friends stole a bicycle from the void deck of Block 1, Haig Road, just because one of them wanted to cycle to East Coast Park. — TODAY