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Singapore
AsiaSoutheast Asia

Singapore jails man claiming to be ‘sovereign’ sultan’s son for not wearing a face mask

  • Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said that as a ‘sovereign’ he didn’t have to follow the city state’s rules and regulations on face masks
  • He told the court his father was sultan of ‘Singapore, Malaysia and part of Indonesia’ and he would soon be meeting Indonesian President Joko Widodo

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People wearing face masks walk along Orchard Road in 2021, when Singapore’s outdoor mask mandate was still in place. The city state began pivoting towards living with Covid in March last year. Photo: AP
CNA
A man who first came to public attention in Singapore for saying he was the legal counsel of an anti-masker was sentenced to two weeks’ jail on Tuesday for not wearing a mask properly on two occasions when it was legally required.
Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, 58, was charged with flouting Covid-19 regulations by failing to wear a mask inside and outside the State Courts on July 2, 2021 and at East Coast Lagoon Food Village on March 19, 2021.

He disputed the charges and represented himself in court.

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Abdul Rashid had earlier been sent to the Institute of Mental Health for psychiatric observation because District Judge Bala Reddy found the defendant incoherent in his defence, but he was found to be fit to plead.

The State Courts in Singapore. Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman told the court that he did not “consent to be governed” on account of who he was. Photo: AP
The State Courts in Singapore. Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman told the court that he did not “consent to be governed” on account of who he was. Photo: AP

Because Reddy took into account the two weeks he spent remanded at the institute, Abdul Rashid will not have to serve any additional jail time.

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On Tuesday, Abdul Rashid wrapped up his defence with himself as the only witness. He tried to admit several documents into evidence, including articles titled “Masks cause cancer”, “A man is not a slave” and “Law that protects us against infringement on our God-given bodies”.

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