SINGAPORE – Singapore actor Gurmit Singh who gained fame from the sitcom, 'Phua Chu Kang', was fined S$800 (RM2,490) and banned from driving for three months after pleading guilty to speeding.
Gurmit, who has a big following in Malaysia, vowed “to do better to be a better driver and rider”.
“Hi everyone. You may or you may not have heard about the news but I just want to say I’m sorry, and I hope to do better. Take care,” he said in a post on his Instagram account.
According to The Straits Times, in April, Gurmit, 56, was caught driving at about 131 kph on a road with a 70 kph speed limit.
The news report said Singh told the court he heard a “flapping sound” coming from the car earlier while on his way to pick up his 19-year-old son, who was doing an internship at the time.
“After I picked him up, I wanted to see if he heard the same sound, and I realised it appeared at 100kmh. I’m not saying I should drive at that speed... but it was just a short spurt,” he was quoted as saying.
The actor was also reported saying he did not know how he had reached 131kmh, and added that it was a “one-off thing”.
He could have been jailed for up to three months or fined up to S$1,000 for speeding, while those convicted of speeding more than once may be jailed for up to six months or fined up to $2,000.
The report said the actor, whose full name is Gurmit Singh Virk Chainchal Singh, did not have any prior convictions. – Bernama, June 9, 2021
