Nasi lemak chain places ads to deny debt rumours

[MarrickG]

SINGAPORE - A famous nasi lemak chain in Singapore has taken out newspaper advertisements to state that its owners do not owe any money to a casino.

Signing off on the two advertisements, which were placed in The Sunday Times and the Sunday edition of Chinese morning daily, Lianhe Zaobao, was Ponggol Nasi Lemak Centre. It also gave the addresses of its two branches, in Tanjong Katong Road and Upper Serangoon Road.

Both advertisements said it wished to clarify news reports regarding the 'son of a certain nasi lemak owner owing monies to the casino". The advertisements stated the owner and/or his son had "no relation whatsoever" with Ponggol Nasi Lemak Centre, or with the family members owning and running it.

A Straits Times check revealed that similar notices were pasted prominently at both its stalls, while a woman in charge of the Upper Serangoon outlet revealed that it had placed the advertisements because customers asked whether the shop was involved with person involved in the gambling debts, while online rumours named them.

Previous media articles reported that Marina Bay Sands (MBS) was suing a Mr Lester Ong Boon Lin to recover $240,868 in alleged unpaid gambling debts, plus interest and costs.

In his defence, he said that he was not a 'premium player' at the time the casino extended $250,000 to him. Such players are required to deposit $100,000 with the casino before they can receive credit from the casino. But Mr Ong claims that he had already withdrawn his deposit by the time credit was extended to him, making the credit from MBS a loan, which was 'unrecoverable'.

He also claims that the credit extended to him on May 2 last year was unsolicited, which violates gaming laws

MBS countered Mr Ong's claim, saying that credit was extended after he deposited the $100,000. It says he asked for a credit of $1 million.

In March this year, it was reported that the gambling debt collection lawsuit may be headed for trial after the casino was denied immediate recovery of the gambling debt. However, Mr Ong's lawyer, Mr Sunil Singh Panoo said there were no updates on the case, and a hearing date has not been fixed.