Baey Yam Keng loses wallet in France, ex-S’pore resident hands it to the police

Baey Yam Keng gets lost wallet back thanks to kind stranger in France

Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Transport Baey Yam Keng avoided disaster despite losing his wallet in France a few days before Christmas.

This was thanks to a former Singapore resident who handed it to the police and even approached him to tell him about it, he said in a Facebook post on Thursday (25 Dec).

Woman approaches Baey Yam Keng at restaurant in France

Mr Baey, who is also an MP for Tampines GRC, was on overseas leave in France with his family.

He had dropped his wallet while paying at a parking meter, then went to a nearby restaurant for dinner, he said.

While waiting for the food, a woman he did not know entered the restaurant and asked him if he was from Singapore and worked “in the ministry”, he said, adding:

She doesn’t look like she is from Singapore so I thought she might have lived here and somehow recognised me.

Woman found wallet, handed it to police

It turned out that the woman named Gabriella had lived in Singapore around ten years ago, which explained why she had figured out that Mr Baey and his family were from Singapore.

She had in fact found his wallet and seen his name cards, then handed the wallet to a nearby police station.

Instead of leaving, however, she decided to search for him and could have “tried her luck” when she saw them sitting in the restaurant, he said.

Officer allows Baey Yam Keng to get wallet despite closure of police station

Better still, Gabriella offered to accompany him to the police to get his wallet, Mr Baey said, adding that it was his “lucky day”.

When they reached the police station, they found it closed for the day but, again to his good fortune, the police officer opened the door anyway.

It turned out that the helpful officer, named Maxence, had called the number on his name card and left a message, though it was already past midnight in Singapore.

He had also tried to contact Mr Baey via Facebook Messenger.

According to the address specified in the message, the incident took place in Honfleur, a city in the Normandy region of northeast France.

A ‘heartwarming encounter’ for Christmas

Mr Baey thanked Gabriella and Maxence for their help, as it made his trip to France “so special”.

After nearly escaping disaster, he had instead experienced a “heartwarming encounter”, he said, adding:

During our travels, it’s such kindness that leaves the deepest impression.

Also read: Tampines MP Baey Yam Keng breaks down during final KopiTalk before handing over ward to David Neo