HK organiser of illegal gathering about HK protests repatriated; S'porean warned for facilitating it

SINGAPORE - The Hong Kong restaurant owner who organised an illegal public gathering last month here to discuss the ongoing Hong Kong protests has been given a stern warning by the police, and was repatriated.

Mr Alex Yeung will not be allowed to enter Singapore again without prior permission from the Controller of Immigration, said the police in response to queries from The Straits Times.

Aside from him, a Singaporean real estate businessman has also been warned for facilitating the gathering. Mr Philip Chan, 55, a former Hong Kong resident, owns Kimoto Gastro Bar located at The Sail @ Marina Bay, where the gathering was held on Oct 11 evening. He is the president of the Kowloon club here which helps new immigrants integrate into Singapore society.

The gathering - which ST understands lasted about 30 minutes - was attended by mostly Hong Kongers living here who were asked to share their views on the protests.

In a video of the event, Mr Yeung was seen speaking to at least 10 people. He also led them in a chant in Cantonese: "Support Hong Kong police, protect Hong Kong, justice will win."

Both Mr Yeung and Mr Chan had their passports impounded while investigations were ongoing.

A police spokesman said on Wednesday that Mr Yeung has been assisting the police with ongoing investigations regarding a public assembly that was held without the requisite police permit. That is an offence under the Public Order Act.

He added: "Singapore has always been clear that foreigners should not advocate their political causes in Singapore, through public assemblies, and other prohibited means."

ST understands that Mr Yeung and Mr Chan met a Chinese embassy official on Tuesday morning (Nov 19). The embassy did not respond to queries from ST.

In its statement, the police said: "There have been calls for Singapore to release Mr Alex Yeung and take no further action against him."

The statement added: "The police investigated Yeung's case in accordance with our usual processes and in accordance with our laws."

On Wednesday morning, Mr Chan and Mr Yeung had their passports returned. After that, Mr Yeung left for Hong Kong.

When asked why he went to the Chinese embassy, Mr Chan, who moved to Singapore in 1990 and is married to a Singaporean, declined to comment. The managing director of an investment firm, Wen Way, he also runs a property consultancy firm focused on serving high net-worth clients from China.

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The Oct 11 gathering came at a time when Hong Kong is rocked by increasingly violent protests sparked by a now-dead extradition Bill but later driven by fears about an encroaching China, polarising the city.

While there has been some sympathy in the society for the protesters' cause, the Hong Kong government has said that protesters who broke the law will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Singapore, which has close ties with Hong Kong, has kept close watch on the situation. Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said on Monday that the situation in Hong Kong has reached a breaking point. He also said that there are lessons to be drawn for the Republic, one of them being that a small city-state like Singapore needs to remain relevant to the world.

Mr Yeung, founder of the Wah Kee chain of restaurants, is known for his pro-establishment and pro-China views.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Mr Yeung who has a following of 151,000 subscribers, said he had come to Singapore on Oct 10 to seek business opportunities. He had planned to leave on Oct 12.

ST understands that it was during this trip that Mr Yeung and Mr Chan met for the first time.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.