Purported resemblance between minister and ex-air force chief gets renewed buzz after court case concludes with $5K fine

SINGAPORE: Jokes about the purported resemblance between a certain minister and a former Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) chief have generated renewed buzz online after the latter was fined S$5,000 in court over a road accident.

Goh Yong Siang, 74, struck a woman pushing a toddler in a stroller with his car at a pedestrian crossing last year. Alongside the fine, he has been disqualified from driving for a period of five years.

According to the Temasek Management Services website, Goh is the company’s chairman. He previously served as a fighter pilot in the RSAF before retiring as chief of the air force in 1998.

He pleaded guilty on Wednesday (July 1) to one charge of driving without reasonable consideration, causing grievous hurt to a 44-year-old Indonesian domestic helper.

A second charge of driving without reasonable consideration, causing hurt to the two-year-old toddler in the stroller, was taken into consideration during sentencing.

During court proceedings, footage from Goh’s in-car camera was played. The video showed the force of the collision, throwing the woman into the air before she landed on the ground.

The impact also left the vehicle’s windscreen cracked and scratched, while the woman sustained visible facial injuries.

The accident took place on May 17, 2024, at about 9 am along Harbour Drive. Court heard that Goh was making a discretionary right turn when his car collided with the woman, who was crossing the road with the toddler while the pedestrian crossing’s green man signal was in her favour.

The prosecution said Goh failed to notice the woman and the child, even though they were “plainly visible” as they crossed the road.

Following the collision, both the woman and the toddler were taken to the National University Hospital. The woman suffered multiple injuries, including a deep facial laceration, a ligament tear and a knee contusion.

She was issued 42 days of hospitalisation leave as she recovered from her injuries. The toddler’s parents, however, declined medical leave on his behalf.

In seeking the sentence, the prosecution asked for a fine of between S$4,000 and S$5,000. While acknowledging that the victim had suffered grievous hurt, the prosecutor noted that she was unlikely to experience any permanent disability.

Representing Goh, defence lawyer Sanjiv Kumar Rajan urged the court to impose a fine. He said his client had indicated at an early stage that he intended to plead guilty and had cooperated fully with investigators throughout the case.

The lawyer also told the court that Goh had shown “absolute remorse for what happened”, describing the incident as the result of a momentary lapse in attention.

Interestingly, it was not the details of the case that drew the most attention from Singaporeans online, but Goh’s distinctive hairstyle, which many commenters said bore a striking resemblance to that of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah.

Several netizens poked fun at the resemblance, with one asking, “What does Indranee have to say about this?” while another quipped, “Didn’t know Indranee cosplay was a thing.” Others joked, “I wonder what he tells his barber when he goes for a haircut,” and “What was the fine for the haircut?”

Some commenters continued the light-hearted ribbing with puns, calling Goh the “Hair Force chief”, while another remarked, “Wow, it takes a certain level of confidence to walk around in that hairdo.” Others joked that “There goes his allowance for his hair products for the week,” with one saying, “Aiyo, now he no money to get new haircut.”

One commenter, who received close to 100 likes, said, “IMO, he should also get charged for that haircut.”

Not all of the reactions were focused on Goh’s appearance, however. Some commenters took a more measured view of the case, with one writing, “Guy is 74, he deserves to follow his Elvis era idols lmao.”

Pointing out that Goh was ready to plead guilty early and was remorseful, the netizen added, “It seems genuine, he really just had a moment of judgment lapse. It’s an unfortunate accident where he is certainly at fault, but I think the fine and driving ban is good enough for the damage caused.”