'Crazy Rich Asians' cast defend book's author Kevin Kwan following NS-dodging revelation
The Singaporean cast members of Crazy Rich Asians have spoken up following the news that author and franchise creator Kevin Kwan is wanted in Singapore for having defaulted on his national service (NS) obligations.
The author of the book, which inspired the film and shares its title, failed to register for NS in 1990 despite notices sent to his overseas address and remained overseas without an exit permit, said the Ministry of Defence in a statement on Wednesday (22 August).
Kwan, who left Singapore for the US as a child and is now an American citizen, faces a fine of up to $10,000 and a possible jail term of up to three years for his actions, said the ministry.
Speaking to Channel NewsAsia, several of the film’s actresses said Kwan’s NS draft default was a private matter and should not affect readers’ and audiences’ appreciation of his books and movie.
Janice Koh, who plays Felicity Young, said the revelation “does not in any way detract from the quality of his book or the movie based on it, which is delighting readers and audiences all over the world”.
Tan Kheng Hua, who plays protagonist Rachel Chu’s mother Kerry Chu, said Kwan’s novels and the movie adaptation was “connecting people all over the world with joy and positive messages of inclusivity and diversity”, and his NS default was not relevant to the books and movie.
Amy Cheng, who plays Jacqueline Ling, pointed out that Crazy Rich Asians is currently No. 1 in the US box office, and that the books have been on The Straits Times bestseller list for the past 50 weeks.
“The audience has spoken,” she said.
Koh Chieng Mun, who plays Neena Goh, said the film “has been a source of joy and enjoyment to audiences” in the US and Asia.
Kwan, who is also the film’s executive producer, could not be reached for comment. He was notably absent from its Singapore premiere on Tuesday.
Singapore is riding on the buzz over the film to promote the country as a tourist destination, with the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Film Commission having supported its production.
Singapore has a strict law on national service for all male citizens and enforces it with few exceptions. It makes it illegal for men to give up citizenship without having completed their military service, of about two years.
Kwan left Singapore at age 11, first moving to Texas with his family, and has lived in the United States since then, Singapore media said. His 1994 application to renounce his Singapore citizenship and a subsequent appeal had been rejected, the ministry said.
Both the book and film depict Singapore as a playground for the super-rich and its story centres on an Asian-American woman who visits the city-state to meet her boyfriend’s wealthy family.
Kwan himself comes from a prominent Singaporean family, his great-grandfather having been a founding director of the Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation.
(Additional reporting by Reuters)
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