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Man who set fire to curtain blind at airport gets 21 weeks' jail

The Straits Times

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April 22, 2025

A man who created a ruckus at Changi Airport, including setting fire to a curtain blind and verbally abusing an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer, has been sentenced to 21 weeks' jail.

- Shaffiq Alkhatib

Korkmaz Hasan, 34, was given the sentence on April 21 after he pleaded guilty to multiple charges for offences including harassment and using criminal force on public servants.

The incident involving the Australian man took place in December 2024 after the Malaysian authorities flagged him as a "prohibited immigrant" and barred him from entering the country.

Court documents did not disclose why Korkmaz, who was attempting to travel from Melbourne to Langkawi via Singapore, had been flagged as a "prohibited immigrant".

After he returned to Singapore and committed the offences at the airport, he caused more trouble at a police lock-up facility and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), where he was remanded for psychiatric assessment.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ethan Lee told the court that Korkmaz arrived in Singapore at around 5pm on Dec 11, 2024, after the Malaysian authorities turned him away.

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