Man Who Broke 14-Day SHN For Bak Kut Teh & Errands Gets 6-Week Jail Term
News that a man had breached his Stay-Home Notice (SHN) for a hearty bowl of bak kut teh seemed rather incredulous at first.
But as the story unfolded and proof of strict consequences for breaking the law emerged, all eyes were on what the eventual outcome of his case would be.
Today (23 Apr), Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported that the court has finally sentenced him to 6 weeks in jail.
Went out for bak kut teh instead of going home to serve SHN
Alan Tham Xiang Sheng, who arrived in Singapore from Myanmar on 23 Mar, had received an SHN immediately upon reaching here.
Instead of heading home right away, he had a meal at the Kopitiam at Changi Airport T3 before taking a private-hire car to Peninsula Plaza.
There, he changed his remaining Myanmar currency to the local one, and subsequently booked another ride to his Woodlands home, according to TODAY.
He later took a bus to Kampung Admiralty for a bak kut teh dinner. His journey didn’t stop there, as he also did some grocery shopping at an NTUC FairPrice supermarket.
All in all, Tham spent about 4 hours outside, and visited at least 6 public spaces.
For his “socially reprehensible” acts which risked possible infection to others, the prosecution initially wanted to imprison him for 10 to 12 weeks.
The judge, however, was more lenient and gave him a shorter jail term of 6 weeks.
Tried to put blame on misinformation
Throughout his defense, Tham had apparently tried to justify his actions, giving reasons such as thinking the SHN was to only start the day after his return, and not knowing the harsh consequences for breaching it.
The judge dismissed his claims as showing “a lack of remorse” and undermining Singapore’s Covid-19 enforcement efforts.
That he tried to blame the authorities for not giving clear instructions when he was advised explicitly to comply with the rules did not stand with the court.
As such, the judge prosecuted him accordingly after he pleaded guilty under the Infectious Diseases Act.
Don’t take government advisories lightly
All other factors aside, a blatant offense under the act could end up in a maximum $10, 000 fine, 6-month imprisonment, or both.
Like in Tham’s case, the authorities are not taking such crimes lightly, and will not hesitate to charge offenders for them.
Hence, we as responsible citizens should also take them seriously, not only to avoid punishment, but also for the sake of everyone’s safety.
Featured image adapted from TODAY and burpple.
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