A closer look at Alex Yeung, the Hong Kong resident repatriated from Singapore for holding an illegal assembly

SINGAPORE — Hong Kong resident Alex Yeung, who was repatriated this week after organising a public gathering in Singapore without a permit, reportedly holds strong pro-China views and is unpopular among Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters.

Mr Yeung, who ran foul of Singapore law by organising a gathering for people to share their views on the Hong Kong protests, is a restaurateur and popular YouTuber, with more than 150,000 subscribers to his channel.

An avid content creator, Mr Yeung has posted various videos about the protests in Hong Kong as well as his views about the violence that has unfolded as the protests escalated.

He has also talked about his respect for the city's police force in making Hong Kong what he said used to be one of the safest places in the world.

Mr Yeung seems to have started his YouTube link — the Alex Yeung channel — about four months ago, just as the anti-government protests in Hong Kong were heating up.

In the first video he posted, Mr Yeung made apparent allusions to the ongoing protests gripping the city, where he talked about cranes which were left to die on their own when an old couple stopped feeding them.

The title of his video: “Hong Kong, jiayou. Stories to uplift you.”

In another video. which he posted on Sept 20, Mr Yeung was seen holding up the flag of the People's Republic of China, where he congratulated the country in advance of its 70th anniversary on Oct 1.

The South China Morning Post reported that Mr Yeung is the founder of the Wah Kee restaurant chain which has outlets in Hong Kong and Japan. He is also the owner of a Japanese investment consultancy, and is known for his pro-establishment and pro-China views, which have made him deeply unpopular within Hong Kong’s anti-government camp.

Online material does not offer insights into Mr Yeung’s personal or family life.

Following the decision by the Singapore Police Force to repatriate him, Mr Yeung posted a video on YouTube on Wednesday (Nov 20), where he talked about his troubles in Singapore. The video was taken at Jewel Changi Airport.

In the video, he said: “The Singapore Police Force has made no indictment against me. I am warned to refrain from any criminal conduct in (the) future under their discretion.

“So, I can now fly free to those places I want to go…. In the meantime, I also see through the mask of those who keep throwing stones.”

Mr Yeung expressed his thanks to the Singapore Police Force and added that Singapore is a civilised country with law and order.

The gathering that Mr Yeung organised in Singapore was held on Oct 11 and had been publicised on his Facebook page in Chinese. He had welcomed people of Chinese ethnicity in Singapore to give their opinions on the ongoing events in Hong Kong.

The gathering was held at first in Kimoto Gastro Bar at The Sail@Marina Bay, but was later moved to a public area in the vicinity of The Promontory at Marina Boulevard.

Following investigations by the police, Mr Yeung was repatriated for having organised a public assembly here without a permit, which is an offence under the Public Order Act.

In a media statement on Wednesday (Nov 20) night, the police said that Mr Yeung had been issued with a stern warning for his offence, and will not be allowed to enter the country again in the future without the prior permission from the Controller of Immigration.

The police added that a 55-year-old naturalised Singaporean had been given a stern warning over the incident, although the person was not named.