Man, 49, claimed daughter was Selangor 'princess', posed as her bodyguard to enter K-pop concert; gets fine
SINGAPORE — Concerned for his 17-year-old daughter’s safety at a Korean pop (K-pop) concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in January, a 49-year-old man lied that the teenager was a "princess" from Selangor, Malaysia, and that he was her "security officer".

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- A 49-year-old man hatched a plan to lie to organisers of a Korean pop concert
- He told them that his daughter was a “princess” from Selangor and he was a “bodyguard”
- He did this because he was concerned about the 17-year-old’s safety and wanted a way to watch over her at the Singapore Indoor Stadium
- He pleaded guilty to cheating by personation and was fined S$5,000
SINGAPORE — Concerned for his 17-year-old daughter’s safety at a Korean pop (K-pop) concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in January, a 49-year-old man lied that the teenager was a “princess” from Selangor, Malaysia, and that he was her “security officer”.
He did so to help her skip the queue to enter the concert and to be able to watch over her safety there.
The Singaporean was fined S$5,000 on Monday (July 29) after he pleaded guilty to cheating by personation.
Another charge of committing wilful trespass into the concert venue was taken into consideration in sentencing.
Speaking in court on Monday, the man applied to pay the fine in instalments, adding that he would be able to settle S$1,000 that day.
His daughter cannot be named under the Children and Young Persons Act. The law bans the publication of the identities of young offenders under 18.
Her father also cannot be named to protect her identity.
THE RUSE
K-pop group Enhypen held the Singapore leg of their world tour at the stadium on Jan 20 and 21.
The man’s daughter had bought a seated ticket for the first night, and a ticket for the standing area for the second night.
On the first day of the show, the man called the event organiser — Anschutz Entertainment Group — to inform its personnel that a princess from the Selangor royal family would be attending the concert on both dates and that she had bought tickets to both shows.
He said that he was the princess’ bodyguard and told the event organiser that he did not have tickets to the concert, asking to be given access so that he could ensure her safety.
To facilitate his entry, the event organiser asked the man to turn up earlier for the show that day.
The man then shared his ruse with his daughter on the morning of Jan 20.
Later that day, he, his daughter and her 17-year-old friend — with whom she was attending the concert — proceeded to the concert venue together.
The man also wore a suit to appear like a bodyguard.
Upon arrival at the Singapore Indoor Stadium around 6.20pm, the man and the two teenagers met the event organiser.
He was then given a lanyard and two wristbands, which would grant him special early entry to the concert venue on both dates.
The two teenagers, who already had valid tickets, were not given any special tickets or passes.
The three were then allowed early entry into the stadium.
During the concert, the man stood at the entrance area of the stadium, where he was able to see his daughter in her seat.
After the concert, the trio left the concert venue and went home.
An event manager at the Singapore Sports Hub, however, had grown suspicious of the man and told the security team and the Singapore Indoor Stadium employees that he may not be who he had claimed to be. Court documents did not state how she had caught wind of his sham.
They later confirmed that the girl was not a princess and the event organiser then lodged a police report.
On Jan 21, the man again headed to the stadium with his daughter for the second night of the show.
Upon their arrival, the pair were escorted to the event organiser’s office and the police were called.
'ONLY SORRY HE GOT CAUGHT'
In his mitigation plea on Monday, the man — who was not represented — told the court that he had read online about fatalities occurring at some concerts overseas.
He said that he was worried for his daughter, since her ticket on the second day would be a “freestanding situation”.
He thus hatched the plan to pose as her bodyguard so that he could gain entry into the concert venue on the first day, so that he could get a view of the standing pen for the second night.
“I’m just doing it as a father (would) to a daughter,” he said.
He also pleaded for leniency, explaining that he is the sole breadwinner of his family.
Delivering his remarks on his sentencing decision, District Judge Paul Quan said that the “actual harm caused in this case is threefold”:
- That there was damage to the reputation of the Selangor royal family
- That the man, his daughter and the friend were given “unfair benefits” to the detriment of other concertgoers to a sold-out show
- That the man was able to accompany his daughter, without needing to buy a concert ticket
The judge also noted that there was some premeditation and planning on the man’s part, since he had looked up the event organiser’s number and made contact, and he had also donned a suit to “lend credence” to his ruse.
As Singapore looks to position itself as a “concert venue of choice”, those who perpetrate such offences must be prepared to meet the retributive, and even deterrent, response by the courts, the judge added.
District Judge Quan also highlighted that the man was not a first-time offender. He had previously been convicted for criminal breach of trust, forgery and cheating — though these offences were committed more than a decade ago.
“I accept that you meant well, but your daughter was 17 years old at the material time, and hardly an age where she could not have taken care of herself,” he said to the father, adding that if the man was truly very concerned, he could have bought his own concert tickets to watch over her.
“It does not lie in (the man’s) mouth to say he was sorry,” District Judge Quan said, noting that the man then intended to commit the same offence the next day when he had been “emboldened” by the fact that he did not get caught on the first night of the show.
“He is only sorry that he got caught.”
District Judge Quan added that the daughter needs to know that her father’s actions were “not only wrong, but criminal”, and that he is now being held accountable for them.
For cheating by personation, the man could have been jailed for up to five years or fined, or both.