12 fined over birthday party at Jurong warehouse during Phase 1 of reopening

SINGAPORE — Eleven men and a woman were fined on Wednesday (Jan 27) for having a social gathering in June last year, soon after the circuit breaker period imposed to limit the spread of Covid-19 was lifted.

They were among 15 Singaporeans who attended a birthday party at a Jurong warehouse during Phase One of the country’s reopening. 

No one was allowed to meet in public without a reasonable excuse at the time, if they were not from the same household.

One of those dealt with on Wednesday — Frederick Ng Jun Ming, 27 — was fined S$3,500.

He had invited three others to the party, and they had in turn invited more people. 

The trio — Brandon Chew Chng Hwee, 24, Ho Yuan Liang, 25, and Dexter Low Yong De, 22 — were fined S$2,500 each.

The other eight attendees were each fined S$2,000:

• Felicia Khoo Li Pei, 25 

• Melvinden Balakrishnan, 25

• Darryl Lim Zong Han, 23

• Daryl Tang Guan Rui, 25

• How Yu Sheng, 24

• Chia Shuo Hong, 23

• Dylan Tan Zhan Yi, 22

• Rayson Tham Yuan Feng, 22

All of them pleaded guilty to one charge under Regulation 6(1) of the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020, for leaving their home to meet others not from their place of residence. Only Ng and Khoo lived together.

The remaining three who were at the party, including the birthday boy — Windsor Lim Weng Wah, 25 — have been charged. Their cases are pending.

WHAT HAPPENED

The birthday party began in the evening of June 9 last year, after Windsor Lim and Ng agreed to meet at the warehouse in the West Connect Building at 10 Buroh Street. Ng and Chia worked there.

Ng invited Chia, Khoo and another man — Soh Ming, 23. Soh invited Darryl Lim.

Six of the attendees went uninvited after learning about the gathering.

All of them began arriving at the warehouse from 11pm onwards. They ate and chatted, with some of them consuming alcohol and playing drinking games.

At about 3am, an unknown woman called the police and reported the gathering, saying she suspected drug activities were going on and that those in the warehouse seemed drunk.

Shortly after, police officers arrived and heard loud music coming from the warehouse. They went in and told everyone to disperse.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Yen Seow revealed that several of the partygoers had past criminal convictions. 

For example, Ng had juvenile offences dating back to 2009 and was jailed two weeks in 2013 for being a member of an unlawful assembly.

The prosecutor cited the “sheer number of people” at the party as an aggravating factor. “If anyone was infected, the birthday party could have been the birth of a new Covid-19 cluster,” he added.

They would not have stopped if the passerby did not call the police either, he said.

All 12 accused persons asked for a lighter fine, with many saying their pay or jobs were affected due to the pandemic. How said he is still a student and understood the severity of the situation.

In sentencing, District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan agreed with the prosecution’s submissions, noting that the punishment had to reflect the offenders’ complacency with regard to safe distancing measures.

He also chided Khoo and Ng for turning up in court more than an hour late. Khoo said she had been taking care of her ill two-year-old son.

They could have been fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to six months, or punished with both.