‘Badge Lady’ Phoon Chiu Yoke Deemed Flight Risk By Prosecutors In Her Travelling Application To China
The ‘badge lady’, real name Phoon Chiu Yoke, has withdrawn her request to travel to China. She had initially submitted it a day after being charged with three new offences.
Her charges included not wearing a mask in Orchard Road and failing to turn up for an investigation.
‘Badge Lady’ Handed New Charges For Not Wearing Mask In Orchard
Despite her assertions that there were no quarantine or visa requirements to visit China, prosecutors said that one does require a visit pass, which Phoon did not provide.
She also failed to provide a travel itinerary, leading the judge to reject her request.
‘Badge lady’ deemed a flight risk by prosecutors
Prosecutors protested Phoon’s request as they deemed her a flight risk. She is not employed in Singapore, nor does she own any property here.
The application also does not show that she had any pending emergency or any pressing need to travel. Phoon had reportedly said she was travelling to China for leisure, and prosecutors hence said there was no necessity in granting her request.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jane Lim further noted that there was no evidence on how Phoon will enter China through Hong Kong, and countered Phoon’s earlier assertion that there were no visa or quarantine requirements in either.
She said a special pass is required to enter China, but Phoon had not provided one.
Phoon claimed she had made checks and determined that she was not required to quarantine. She also said she wasn’t a flight risk, noting that she had a good standing reputation as an ex-military officer, and she has friends and family in Singapore.
She added that “there’s no reason” for her not to return.
Standing down the case, the judge asked Phoon to prove that quarantine isn’t required upon arriving in China.
Withdraws request to travel to China
Following her return after half an hour, Phoon emphasised that her intention for the trip was not to “run away”, and claimed she had already made hotel and ticket reservations.
She also apparently updated her wording to state that she was travelling to China for business and not just leisure, citing “(updating) my photo portal” and “charity purposes” as business reasons.
But ultimately, her arguments did not sway the judge, and she eventually withdrew her request.
She will return for a pre-trial conference in October. It would appear that she is still representing herself without a judge presently.
Phoon was previously jailed for four months last year after multiple instances of failing to wear a mask outdoors.
‘Badge Lady’ Gets 16 Weeks’ Jail For Not Wearing Mask At MBS & Public Places
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and @alexzellsim on TikTok.
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