Though most citizens have stayed home to observe ‘Circuit Breaker‘ regulations, 3 Singaporean men have been apprehended for kayaking their way to Pulau Ubin on Monday (13 Apr).
The trio allegedly stayed over on the island to fish & camp till “10am the next day”.
On Monday (18 May), they were charged in court for illegally entering a “no entry” zone, the activities that they participated in & for flouting Circuit Breaker (CB) rules.
According to The Straits Times, the incident happened on Monday (13 Apr), 6 days after CB commenced.
The 3 Singaporean men – two aged 38 and another aged 36 – met at a carpark along Pasir Ris Beach and paddled their way via kayaks to Chek Jawa wetlands park zone in Pulau Ubin that evening.
TODAY reports that court documents describe them using a “hammock” between trees, and camping till “10am the next day”.
At some point, the trio had also lit “a campfire”.
The named individuals & charges are as follows, reports TODAY:
The area is reportedly described as a “no entry” zone and was closed to the public. Typically, approval from National Parks Board (NParks) must be sought by regular citizens to enter.
The trio was charged with illegal entry to a Chek Jawa Wetlands Park, as well as not adhering to Circuit Breaker rules.
Authorities have not revealed the specifics on how the citizens were apprehended.
But Mr Hafiz claimed that an NParks officer had stopped them to inform them that “fishing was not allowed” at an unspecified location.
All parties are expected to “plead guilty” to the charges and are due in court on 3 Jun.
Penalties for flouting Covid-19 laws are 6 months’ jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000.
As for charges pertaining to Parks & Trees regulations, Mr Hafiz faces up to a $2,000 fine per charge.
Fishing rod usage to capture live fish could also point towards a $5,000 fine if both Mr Rizani & Mr Zulman are found guilty.
Although we’re sure there was no malicious intent behind the trio’s fishing trip to Pulau Ubin, we must be mindful of the effect that our actions have on others — especially in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic.
We hope that similar incidents will not occur in the near future. If we all continue to observe the rules carefully, our patience will pay off, and we’ll once again be able to resume our daily lives soon.
Featured image adapted from Google Maps & Google Maps.
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