NSF Bought MCs from Carousell for $15 Each; Got Caught & Got Jailed


Advertisements
 

Last Updated on 2018-11-27 , 8:03 pm

There’s a rather infamous saying in the SAF:

“Don’t try to play the system, because the system will end up playing you.”

Which would sound pretty darn frightening, had some army ‘chao keng’ experts not added a few extra words to the equation.

Don’t try to play the system, because the system will end up playing you. Unless you confirm plus chop won’t kena caught.”

And honestly speaking, the improvised quote does work to some extent. With such a large intake of recruits every year, how sure can you be that everyone’s really there in one place?

Image: Giphy

However, there’s one thing I know for sure.

And it’s that you can play the system for a long time, but you’ll never win it.

Like this guy.

Who, well, did not report for duty for more than a year.

Image: Giphy

AWOL

Originally posted to the Civil Defence Academy in Jalan Bahar for his mandatory National Service, Muhammad Hirkee was supposed to report for duty on 17 Jan 2017.

But it seems that ‘punctuality’ is not in his books, as he never showed up. For more than one a half years, no less.

Indeed, it wasn’t until he was arrested by police this 21 July that his illegal disappearance even came to light.

After he was charged in court for desertion (with no legitimate reasons or medical exemptions to justify his absence), Muhammad Hirkee was released on bail and tasked to report for duty at SCDF.

A second chance of sorts I reason.

However, it seems that lightning does strike the same area twice, as the NSF pulled the Houdini again. From 25 July to 2 August, not a single morsel of Hirkee’s being was near the gates of SCDF.


Advertisements
 

Thereafter, he was hauled back to court (again), although this time…

Hirkee claimed that he had proper documents to cover his absence: medical certificates. From Clementi Polytechnic.

Image: troll.me

And it seems that the court had the exact same notion.

In order to verify the their authenticity, the authorities had the certs submitted to the polyclinic.

But as you might’ve inferred by now, the certificates were fakes: there were “no records” of Muhammad Hirkee visiting the polyclinic on those dates, and the “doctors” who signed on the certs were not doctors with Clementi Polyclinic.


Advertisements
 

Charges pressed

Upon discovery, the polyclinic informed SCDF, and thereafter lodged a police report.

Investigations were conducted, and it was through them that the source of the MCs was derived: the NSF had bought them off online marketplace Carousell, at a hefty price of S$15 each.

The seller had said that he was capable of procuring “medical certificates from a list of polyclinics in Singapore.”

Well, anyone also can. You just need a printer. But moving on.

With nowhere to turn, Muhammad Hirkee pleaded guilty to desertion and using a forged document. He also pleaded guilty to another charge of providing an unlicensed moneylender his ATM card to use, which got him a fine of S$30,000.


Advertisements
 

He was subsequently sentenced to nine months and two weeks of jail time.

Netizens React: NSF Awol Case

Following the revelation, Netizens didn’t exactly take kindly to Muhammad Hirkee’s actions. In fact, the term ‘kindly’ is pretty out-of-it in this whole set up.

Image: Channel News Asia

Although I gotta say I kinda agree with their comments this time around: if he had endeavoured with his posting, he would have been nearly done by now.

Really gets you thinking, huh?

Anyways, the lesson learned: Don’t try to play the system, because the system will end up playing you. Even if you think you confirm plus chop won’t kena caught.”


Advertisements