Local Man Gets Two Months for Sneaking Past SAF Training Ground
Who would think a batch of pandan leaves could bring someone to jail? 62‑year‑old Cheng Lee Meng wasn’t planning to harvest the fragrant herbs – he was simply trying to slip past a locked gate on a Singapore Armed Forces training field. His story? A bit murky. He told the cops he had been given the keys back in the 1990s, when he supposedly ran a business near the property. Turns out, the keys were a twin copy he got from a pest control worker, not a genuine SAF grant.
How the Scam Unfolded
- On Tuesday night, a warrant officer knocked on Ama Keng Road Track 9, the entrance to the military training area.
- Cheng and his partner Ng Kiong Hoe (63) had just unlocked the padlocked gate and was driving a van through at 2:45 PM on 9 Sept.
- Cheng claimed to be a contractors’ “boss‑assigned” and “planned to pray” – then switched to “pandan leaves” as a cover story.
- He even pretended to pull the phone to his supposedly “boss” to sweeten the lie; the call went dead when the soldier questioned him.
The Truth About the Keys
Despite Cheng’s bold claim that the SAF handed him a key set back in 2000, police investigations proved the gate was built only in 2019 and had a brand‑new padlock. He had actually asked a pest controller (Mr. Tan Kim Hua) to duplicate the heading‑key and had no official clearance.
Mr. Tan’s Side
Mr. Tan said he had no role in handing the duplicates over to Cheng. He warned Cheng that “stepping in without permission is illegal” and that he, being on the ground, knew the training schedule and thus deliberately withheld the key from him on the listed days.
Sentencing Snapshot
- Cheng: 2 months in jail for trespassing.
- Ng Kiong Hoe: $2,000 fine on 2 Aug.
- Maximum penalty for protected‑area trespass: 2 years jail + $20,000 fine.
The Judge’s Rationale
Deputy Public Prosecutor Gabriel Choong said Cheng’s repeated deceit demanded a firm penalty, not a light stroll. He emphasized that the case was no “first-time offence” in this regard and asked the court to weigh his deceptive actions against the potential danger of the suppressed premises.
So, if the next time you’re thinking of pewting some leaf from a military gate, make sure you’re not opening the wrong door. And perhaps move on to a less controversial hobby… like coffee roasting!
