THAI CALL-UP A WORRY FOR NS DEFAULTER

Should Davis travel to Singapore for Asean Cup, he could be in trouble with the law

- David Lee

National service (NS) defaulter Ben Davis has been called up by Thailand for the Asean Mitsubishi Electric Cup, setting up a potential showdown with the Lions and the Singapore authorities.

On Nov 27, defending champions Thailand announced their 26-man squad for the Dec 8-Jan 5 tournament, and the selection is eye-catching as far as Singapore are concerned. The teams meet at the National Stadium for their Group A encounter on Dec 17.

When contacted, a Ministry of Defence (Mindef) spokesperson referred The Straits Times to its statement in February 2019, which said that Davis did not report for NS as required and had thus defaulted on his NS commitments. It added that he was staying overseas without a valid exit permit.

Offenders convicted of offences under the Enlistment Act can be jailed for up to three years and fined up to $10,000.

It remains to be seen if Davis will travel to Singapore for the clash. Teams can register 26 players for the tournament, but can name 23 players for their match-day squad.

The Football Association of Thailand declined to comment when contacted by ST while Davis did not respond to a request for comment.