No record of Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan entering Singapore since 2000: MHA

SINGAPORE - Records show that Singapore-born writer Kevin Kwan has not entered Singapore since 2000, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Tuesday (Aug 28).

The ministry revealed this in a reply to two letters sent to The Straits Times by readers, published last Saturday, with questions on Mr Kwan, whose book Crazy Rich Asians was made into the Hollywood blockbuster.

One of the letters, written by Mr Sean Lim, asked how Mr Kwan, 44, managed to evade the authorities for so long after defaulting on his national service (NS) obligations.

He cited an interview with Mr Kwan by ST published on May 14 last year in which the author implied that he returned to Singapore occasionally.

Mr Kwan said that when he did return, he searched for good wonton mee, which he said was impossible to find in New York. He added that his favourite hawker joint was Newton Food Centre.

Mr Lim said it appeared that Mr Kwan managed to give the authorities the slip and that the various agencies needed to explain why there was this loophole in the law.

"I was surprised that he was not even detected by our immigration officials, given the tight security and scrutiny at our borders."

In his reply, MHA media relations director Sunny Lee said: "As far as we can ascertain, there are no records of him having entered Singapore since 2000."

He added that travel records prior to 2000 had been archived on microfilm and it would thus require "a massive manual search through voluminous records to ascertain if he had entered Singapore before 2000".

ST broke the news last Wednesday with comments from the Ministry of Defence that Mr Kwan was wanted for defaulting on his NS obligations, having failed to register for NS in 1990.

The New York-based author, who left Singapore and moved to Texas with his family at the age of 11, has not commented on the NS issue since the story broke. He has also not responded to ST's recent requests for an interview.

Mindef said in its comments that since Mr Kwan has not discharged his NS duties, his previous attempts to renounce his Singapore citizenship were rejected and the Government has not deprived Mr Kwan of his citizenship.

The other letter, from ST reader Liew Yeng Chee, asked about Mr Kwan's citizenship status.

In his reply, Mr Lee explained why Singapore does not allow dual citizenship, saying it is important that citizens have a firm commitment to building a future here together.

"Allowing dual citizenship would dilute this commitment," he added. "Hence, under the Singapore Constitution, the Government may deprive a person of his Singapore citizenship if he has acquired the citizenship of another country."

But he reiterated Mindef's comments on why the Government has not deprived Mr Kwan of his citizenship.

"Mr Kwan remains a Singapore citizen who is wanted for defaulting on his NS obligations and will be arrested if he enters Singapore," said Mr Lee.

Under the Enlistment Act, Mr Kwan is liable for a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to three years if convicted.

Mr Lee's full reply was published in the Wednesday issue of ST.