Singapore PR who tampered with number plate to get RON95 fuel in M’sia fined nearly S$3,000

KULAI: A Singaporean man who was spotted getting RON95 fuel in a video that went viral earlier this month has been fined RM9,000 (approximately S$2,863).

He was identified in a Malay Mail report as Long Sa Kow. If he does not pay the fine, he will need to serve a nine-month jail sentence.

According to the charge against him, he was the driver of a silver Volkswagen Jetta registered in Singapore with the number SLJ 8967M, which was at a fuel station inn Jalan Johor Bahru-Ayer Hitam at 10:30 pm on Jan 2.

Long and his wife caught the attention of another driver for several reasons. First, the first and last figures of the registration plate of the couple’s silver Volkswagen Jetta appeared to have been tampered with. Next, only Malaysian citizens are allowed to fill their vehicles with RON95 petrol, which is heavily subsidised by the Malaysian government. Finally, when the man was asked if he was Malaysian, he said yes, which his wife later reiterated.

The video was shared on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page on Jan 3. On the following day, in response to the clip having gone viral, Kulai OPCD Asst Comm Tan Seng Lee said that the man in the video had been identified as a Singapore permanent resident.

After the video went viral, Long and his wife were contacted by Malaysian authorities and the couple went to Kulai to assist with the investigation into the matter.

Long was charged under Section 108(3)(e) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which meant he could have been fined as much as RM20,000 (approximately S$6,362) or been sent to jail for as long as five years, or both.

The Malay Mail report said that his lawyer had asked for a minimum fine as he is now retired and has no regular income. His wife is also retired, and they have two children still in school.

The lawyer added that this is Long’s first offence and that he has pledged to obey Malaysia’s laws and regulations.

The public prosecutor on Long’s case, however, was quoted as saying, “The sentence is not only meant for the accused to not repeat this act, but also as a future lesson to others.”

The report added that legal action has also been taken against the petrol station where Long had purchased RON95 fuel. /TISG

Read also: Man in SG-registered vehicle tries to get RON 95 petrol, shouts that he’s from Sabah