A drunk driver who crashed into an auxiliary police officer at Tuas Checkpoint in 2023, leaving him in a vegetative state, has been sentenced to three years and six months in jail.
The driver, Yoong Kok Kai (熊国凯), 44, will also be disqualified from driving for 10 years after his release.
The victim, 30-year-old Ng Yi Shu (黄义舒), had been looking forward to collecting the keys to his new Build-To-Order (BTO) flat and marrying his long-time girlfriend.
However, his future was shattered on 24 March 2023 when Yoong, who was speeding and had almost double the legal alcohol limit in his system, lost control of his vehicle and rammed into him.
A future stolen: Officer’s dreams of marriage and a new home shattered by tragic accident
Ng’s brother, Alex Ng, 32, described the devastating impact on the family. According to The Straits Times, he revealed that Ng is now bed-bound, unable to speak or walk, and must be fed through a tube.
Despite multiple surgeries, doctors have confirmed that he will remain permanently disabled.
“Even a year after the accident, his girlfriend kept visiting him and texting him as though he could reply,” said Alex.
“Eventually, I had to tell her that it was okay to move on. It was one of the hardest things I had to do.”
Ng’s father, 64, has since quit his job to care for his son, who is permanently housed at NTUC Health Nursing Home (Jurong Spring).
The family continues to struggle emotionally and financially, with hospital bills exceeding S$455,000.
Court proceedings and sentencing
The court heard that Yoong had been drinking for over seven hours before getting behind the wheel.
Instead of heading home, he mistakenly drove towards Tuas Checkpoint, where he was clocked speeding at up to 119km/h—more than double the 50km/h limit.
Ng, who was on duty at the checkpoint, attempted to get out of the way but was struck by the car.
The impact was so severe that it uprooted safety bollards, gantries, and even a traffic light, causing over S$37,000 in damages.
During the hearing, Alex attended the sentencing, but their father could not bear to listen to the details of the crash. He said the footage of the accident made him tear up with anger.
“My brother’s sentence is for life,” he stated. “Yoong will walk free in a few years, but we are in prison with my brother forever.”
Alex also noted that Yoong never reached out to the family to apologise for his actions.
Public outrage and calls for tougher laws
The sentencing has sparked public outrage, with many netizens calling for harsher penalties for drunk and reckless drivers. Some argue that sentences should be significantly tougher, especially in cases like Ng’s, where the victim’s life is permanently altered.
Commenting on state media The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao’s Facebook page, some lamented that the sentence was too light, questioning whether justice had been served.
One user wrote in Chinese, “The punishment is too light! Where is justice?”.
Another commented, “He should be banned from driving for life and be made to pay all medical bills and compensation to the victim’s family.”
Others suggested a tiered penalty system, where more severe consequences would apply based on the level of harm caused.
“If a victim is paralysed, maybe 15 years? There’s no perfect calculation, but penalties should reflect the pain caused,” one person opined.
Fion Phua, founder of volunteer platform Keeping Hope Alive, also weighed in, stating that Singapore’s justice system “really needs an overhaul.”
Tougher penalties for speeding from 2026
The case has intensified discussions on road safety, particularly as Singapore prepares to impose stricter penalties for speeding from 1 January 2026.
In 2024, nearly 7,200 road accidents resulted in 142 fatalities, with speed-related fatal crashes rising by 44% from the previous year.
To address the issue, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam on 15 February announced that increased demerit points and composition fines will soon be enforced.
Additionally, red-light cameras across the island have had their speed enforcement function activated from April 2024.
Shanmugam stressed the urgency of the situation, saying, “People are dying and getting injured on our roads. Every vehicle is a potential missile—it’s dangerous if you don’t use it properly.”
Concerns over leniency in sentencing
The government’s move to tighten penalties for speeding has been contrasted with recent amendments to the Road Traffic Act, which some critics believe have made sentences for dangerous driving too lenient.
On 7 January 2025, Parliament passed a bill removing mandatory minimum sentences for first-time offenders of dangerous and careless driving.
Courts now have greater discretion in sentencing, a change that has sparked debate over whether it weakens deterrence.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim defended the amendments, stating that first-time offenders would still face significant penalties, depending on the severity of the harm caused.
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