Anyone who’s been through NS would know how important it is to respect the Singapore flag.
But it seems like a man didn’t get the memo, because he was just hauled to court today (17 July) for setting fire to a Singapore flag that eventually burned seven other flags, too.
Drunk Man Admitted to Burning 8 S’pore Flags in Woodlands & Could Be Jailed Up to 7 Years
Last year, on 3 August, Elson Ong had been out for a drink at night, and took a Grab home the next morning at about 5:30am.
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Nothing wrong with that except that he went to the 13th floor of an HDB block in Woodlands Crescent and started smoking there.
It’s unknown if he lives in that block.
He then saw a Singapore flag that was hung outside the block.
Like any drunk man, he continued smoking, tossed the cigarette butt on the floor and kena a $300 composition fine after NEA officers caught him.
But he’s not any drunk man, so he went towards the flag to set fire to it.
According to his lawyer, a report by the Institute of Mental Health showed that he had a habit of burning paper when he was a teenager whenever he was stressed.
The report stated that he has “a maladaptive coping mechanism of burning paper whenever he’s stressed”.
Anyways, the flag was completely destroyed, but its remnants dropped down from the block and burned seven other flags that were hung outside the block.
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So in total, his single action had burned eight flags.
Offender Has Learned His Lesson
Mr Ong has allegedly been abused by his father when he was young, and his parents had divorced when he was six years old.
He also has no previous convictions and has learned his lesson.
But the prosecutor isn’t going easy on him.
While the IMH report does state that Mr Ong would burn paper as a coping mechanism for his stress, it also specifically mentioned that he’s not diagnosed as with pyromania, an impulse control disorder whereby one “repeatedly fails to resist impulses to deliberately start fires, in order to relieve tension or for instant gratification.”
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To put it simply, it’s like saying that a person is sad but he’s not diagnosed with depression.
Instead, it was those beers or hard liquor or alcoholic ice-cream tubs that made him commit the offence.
The prosecutor has sought for six months’ jail for Mr Ong as the potential harm was quite high since one action have burned seven flags below it.
Imagine a few cats lingering around there. They could’ve been burned, too.
The case has been adjourned to 27 July.
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Technically speaking, for mischief by fire intending to cause damage to property, Mr Ong can be jailed for up to seven years and fined.
Lest you didn’t know, to respect the flag, other than not burning it, you can’t let it touch the floor or the ground as well. There are many other rules (actually, laws), and you can be fined up to $1,000 for disrespecting the Singapore flag.
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