Driver Who Took Video Of PM Lee’s Son Fined & Disqualified From Driving

If you get into someone else’s car and they start filming you while driving, you know straight up that that’s a cause for concern.

Firstly, you’d question if you’re that good looking. Secondly, it’s just quite simply dangerous.

So it’s no surprise that the man who did all the above, Andrew Sim Kay Yong, 32, was fined $900 and disqualified from driving for eight months for a traffic offence.

What Happened

Sim took videos of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s son while giving him a free ride home. He had persuaded Mr Li Yipeng, 37, to get into his car.

For some reason, he started to film himself asking Mr Li questions with regards to “various issues”.

On 14 November, Sim pleaded guilty to one charge under the Road Traffic Act.

So how did he even come across Mr Li Yipeng you ask?

Well, he must have sharp eyesight because he spotted Mr Li at the taxi stand at the Esplanade Mall on 15 March. He immediately recognized that he was PM Lee’s son.

He then asked Mr Li if he wanted a ride. At first, he said he didn’t want a ride but after talking to Sim for a while, he agreed and requested to be driven to Rochalie Drive.

He then used his Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (android fans where you at?) to film videos of Mr Li.

How did he accomplish such a feat while driving you ask? Well, he skillfully held one phone with one hand and used the other one to manoeuvre the steering wheel.

And they say boys can’t multitask.

Sim took a total of four videos of Mr Li, which consisted of him asking Mr Li personal questions.

Some of these questions were what book he was reading, whether his father was strict with him and whether Mr Lee Hsien Yang visited his family.

He did all these while the car was moving.

By this time Mr Li must have had enough because he asked to be dropped off at Tanglin Road instead of the earlier requested drop off point.

Sim did not receive any money for the trip.

Defence counsel Josephus Tan said Sim offered a free ride to Mr Li “just like any Good Samaritan would,” and had circulated the clip only to his close friends.

The district judge didn’t quite believe this.

District Judge Lorraine Ho noted that she was “not sure whether that was the role of a Good Samaritan”, and said Sim’s car was clearly moving in most portions of the video.

She also noted that Sim had deliberately and conscientiously taken the four clips and had made a concerted effort to hide his actions.

“Hence this indicated that he was so distracted… that he not only caused danger to himself and his passenger but also to other road users,” she added.

His phone has been handed to the police and will be destroyed.

According to The Straits Times, you can be fined up to $1,000 and be jailed for up to six months for using a mobile phone while driving a vehicle.