The woman behind the now-infamous saga at Singapore General Hospital, 29-year-old Han Feizi, where she insulted a hospital worker and refused to put on a mask, before challenged police officers who arrived to question her; was sentenced last month to a 5-week and 5 days imprisonment term.
She was jailed for a number of offences including working as a KTV hostess instead of a clerk, which she declared in her application for a work permit here.
According to a report by Shin Min Daily News, who cited a lawyer, Han is likely to be deported after serving her jail sentence.
Summary of the likely deportation
- Work Permit Violation: Han Feizi was working in Singapore as a hostess, which was not in line with the occupation specified in her work permit applications, where she had applied as a clerk.
- Potential Deportation: A lawyer has suggested that authorities may deport Han after she completes her jail sentence.
- In Singapore, when foreigners break the law, it is common for them to be sent directly to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) after serving their jail term.
ICA officers would then escort the individual to the nearest airport in their home country, which, in Han’s case as a Chinese national, would likely be Shenzhen Airport. - Restricted Mobility After Release: The second lawyer mentioned that after her release from prison, Han might have limited mobility within Singapore.
Her ability to stay in Singapore for a few days or to return to her residence depends on whether the ICA issues a special pass to her. If she cannot return to her residence, arrangements for her personal belongings may need to be made by relatives or friends. - Banishment Act 1959: The legal process of deportation in this case is guided by the Banishment Act 1959, which requires a Minister to make an order for banishment and sign a form before the individual can be deported. Once this order is made, authorities would facilitate the person’s return to their home country.
- Uncertainty: As of the time of writing, it is not clear whether Han will indeed be deported. The lawyers’ statements are speculative, and the final decision would be determined by the legal process and the authorities involved.
Recap on the whole saga
29-year-old Chinese national Han Feizi, who has taken the Singapore news media by storm with her antics in a now-infamous incident at the Singapore General Hospital, was sentenced on 25 October to 5 weeks and 5 days imprisonment, as well as a fine of $600, according to Channel NewsAsia.
She had pleaded guilty to 5 charges that included using criminal force on a condominium security officer, insulting a hospital employee, public nuisance, making a false statement in her work permit application; three other charges were also taken into consideration during her sentencing.
The prosecution said that Han was arrested on 11 October, and the MInistry of Manpower was then informed about possible breaches under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
Investigations then ensued and it revealed that Han had applied for a work permit earlier this year in August, after her application for a student pass was rejected.
In her application, she declared that she would be working as a clerk but failed to do so. Instead, she worked as a freelance hostess in Singapore from 1 August 2023 to 11 October 2023.
The prosecutor for MOM also added that Han had only wanted to come to Singapore to “have fun”, and that she applied for the work pass without trying to understand what it said, as the form was in English.
Incident at The Sail
The prosecution said that on 3 October at about 10pm, the police were called in by the security at The Sail at Marina Bay, a private apartment building, because there was a drunk resident that needed help.
Han was found by a security officer squatting in a common area, and she said that she was drunk; the security then helped the woman back to her unit but she became aggressive inside the lift and pushed the guard, insulting him with vulgarities.
SGH Incident
On 10 October, the Singaporean police received a call for help at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) at around 2:35 am.
Han claimed to have waited for three hours in the hospital’s emergency department without receiving any medical attention after allegedly being hit by a car.
She further alleged that a nurse told her she would not be treated because she was not a Singaporean citizen. These claims were later disputed by SGH.
She had insulted a hospital staff member and refused to put on a face mask at the time.
The woman posted two videos on Douyin, both exceeding 11 minutes. She was also seen demanding a plainclothes police officer to identify herself and attempting to grab her police lanyard.
According to ST, the Singapore Police Force said that the two plainclothes officers, who were investigations officers, had introduced themselves in front of uniformed officers before speaking to the woman.
The female police officer was seen in the video repeatedly asking the woman if she had used vulgarities on the nurse, but the woman refused to answer.
The woman refused to cooperate and used vulgarities on one of the police officers, and filmed her interview with one of the female investigation officers and sharing them on her Douyin account.
The videos, which have since been reposted on several social media platforms, have been viewed more than a million times in total.
You can watch the videos here, here and here.
She was also found to have been jailed in China for drink-driving offences.
According to a judgement in China, there was also a woman named Han Feizi who was jailed in Beijing for dangerous driving a few years ago.
According to Shin Min Daily News, that woman is the same woman as the one in the viral SGH incident.
She was arrested on 29 December 2018 for dangerous driving and causing a car accident after drinking alcohol, at the Chao Yang district in Beijing at about 1.30am.
She was found with 89.8mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, and she later pleaded guilty to her offence and was detained from 40 days, as well as being fined 2,000 RMB (or SGD $374).
Two days later, upon her release, she was seen enjoying herself at a hot spring with her mother, and had posted numerous videos of herself in a purported Lamborghini.