A 63 year old man was fined $2000 for helping another man trespass into a restricted SAF training area at Lim Chu Kang to pick Pandan leaves.
Ng Kiong Hoe pleaded guilty with 61-year-old Cheng Lee Meng for entering a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) training ground at Lim Chu Kang without any authorisation
Cheng, who faces a similar charge, is disputing this and has already claimed trial. It is unknown to the court with regards to what he has disputed with.
Cheng supposedly asked Ng to accompany him to Ama Keng Road Track 9 on September 9 last year (2020).
This road has always been cordoned off to the public by a padlocked gate.
They were inside Cheng’s van and when they got there, Ng alighted and unlocked the gate with a key given to him by Cheng for him to drive in.
It is unknown how the key got into their hands.
A warrant officer from the SAF found out about it then detained them as Ng was about to close the gates.
Ng claimed that he wanted to harvest pandan leaves when questioned by the police, but did not answer the warrant officer when he was asked by him.
Ng was not represented by a lawyer in court but he pleaded for leniency and told the court through a Mandarin interpreter that he was working at a coffee shop with not much work to do because of the COVID-19 rules.
District Judge Luke Tan told Ng that his actions might have disrupted military training and endangered his safety.
The judge added: “There are prominent signs (warning you not to enter). In fact, there is a figure of a soldier with a gun.”
Ng ignored this.
Earlier in the hearing, Cheng was asked why he was only disputing the facts that morning when he has been in court due to this case for a few times.
Cheng then said this was the first time he was hearing these accusations.
He will return to court again on Aug 19.
Cheng could have been fined up to S$20,000, or jailed up to two years, or both for his misdemeanors.
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