Most drivers who spot a police roadblock slow down and comply. Dr Oh Shen Leong, a 36-year-old general surgeon, did the opposite—he floored it in reverse. What followed was a short but reckless escape down a Singapore expressway, a web of lies to police, and eventually a day in court that ended with 19 days behind bars. The details of how that night unfolded, and what it cost him, come straight from court records.

4 related posts

Doctor’s Name: Dr Oh Shen Leong ·
Age: 36 ·
Sentence: 19 days’ jail ·
Incident Location: East Coast Parkway (ECP) ·
Court Date: April 17, 2025

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Whether any formal investigation into intoxication levels was completed
  • Exact nature of Novita Lam’s connection to Dr Oh Shen Leong
3Timeline signal
  • September 8, 2023: Night out at Capital Zouk ends with ECP reversal
  • February 28, 2025: Dr Oh pleads guilty in court
  • April 17, 2025: Sentenced to 19 days’ jail, driving ban
  • May 8, 2025: Expected sentence commencement date
4What’s next
  • Serving of 19-day jail term beginning May 8, 2025
  • 18-month disqualification from all driving licence classes upon release
  • Potential impact on medical practice at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital

Six data points extracted from the case file appear below, drawn entirely from court records.

Six data points from the case file, all sourced from court records
Field Detail
Full Name Dr Oh Shen Leong
Age at Incident 36
Location East Coast Parkway exit at Tanjong Katong Road South
Jail Term 19 days
Sentencing Date April 17, 2025
Additional Penalty 18-month driving ban from release date

What happened when the doctor reversed back into the ECP?

Spotting the roadblock

On the night of September 8, 2023, Dr Oh Shen Leong had dinner with two friends—a woman named Chew and a man named Low—before heading to Capital Zouk at Clarke Quay to continue the evening. After a glass of wine, the trio piled into Dr Oh’s car and headed toward Chew’s residence. According to STOMP (citizen journalism platform), Dr Oh was aware he had consumed alcohol and did not want to risk a positive result on a breathalyser test.

Reversing onto expressway

After exiting the ECP at Tanjong Katong Road South, Dr Oh spotted a police roadblock ahead. Rather than stopping as required, he hit the brakes and reversed the car back onto the expressway. Per Channel NewsAsia (news broadcaster), he drove against the flow of traffic for about 350 metres on the two-lane road exiting the ECP—no other cars were present at the time.

Police pursuit

Officers caught up to Dr Oh shortly after. The car was stopped and the three occupants were arrested and handcuffed at around 6am. At that point, Dr Oh finally admitted to driving the vehicle, as documented in The Straits Times (newspaper of record).

The pattern here is straightforward: one poor decision triggered a cascade of increasingly serious offences, from traffic evasion to false statements to police.

Why did the doctor try to avoid the police roadblock?

Context of the stop

Singapore police roadblocks serve multiple functions—routine checks, drink-driving enforcement, and security screening. Roadblocks on major arterials like the ECP often combine these purposes. Dr Oh’s decision to reverse came precisely because he feared what a breathalyser would show after his evening of drinking.

Post-partying drive

The prosecution argued that Dr Oh’s actions demonstrated a desire to avoid detection for a possible drink-driving offence. Court records show he had a history of traffic offences including speeding, according to The Straits Times. This prior record worked against him during sentencing, as the court viewed his behaviour as a continuation of a pattern rather than an isolated lapse in judgment.

The catch

A single drink may seem trivial, but in Singapore’s legal framework, drink-driving consequences are severe enough that a medical professional—a man whose career depends on trustworthiness—chose a reckless expressway reversal over submitting to a breath test.

What lies did the doctor tell the police?

False NRIC

When police asked for identification, Dr Oh provided a fake NRIC number. The number screening came back as invalid, which eventually forced him to reveal his actual identity, per Channel NewsAsia.

Wrong date of birth

Beyond the false NRIC, Dr Oh also gave police an incorrect date of birth. Combined with the fake identity number, these fabrications added charges of obstructing police work to his case file.

Fake occupation

Most notably, Dr Oh claimed to be a private tutor when asked about his profession—deliberately obscuring his actual career as a general surgery practitioner at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. The Straits Times reported that he also claimed a valet had driven the three of them and that none had consumed alcohol.

When police officers deal with false statements, they face additional verification burdens—and Dr Oh’s fabrications spanned multiple identity elements, suggesting deliberate deception rather than panic-induced errors.

Who is Dr Oh Shen Leong?

Background

Dr Oh Shen Leong is a 36-year-old general surgery practitioner who, according to the medical registry documented by Channel NewsAsia, works at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore. He had no prior criminal convictions, but court records show a history of traffic offences including speeding.

Connection to Novita Lam

Some news coverage referenced Novita Lam in connection with Dr Oh Shen Leong. The precise nature of their relationship remains unreported in verified court documents, and this aspect of the case was not explored during sentencing proceedings.

Why this matters

For a medical professional, a criminal record carries professional regulatory consequences beyond the sentence itself. The Singapore Medical Council takes conduct matters seriously, meaning Dr Oh faces potential review of his fitness to practise alongside his jail term and driving ban.

What was the outcome for the ECP doctor?

Guilty plea

Dr Oh pleaded guilty on February 28, 2025 to two charges: failing to stop at a police roadblock and driving without reasonable consideration for other road users. One additional charge of providing false information was considered during sentencing but not separately prosecuted, per The Straits Times.

Jail and driving ban

On April 17, 2025, the court sentenced Dr Oh to 19 days’ jail and set bail at S$15,000. He was disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for 18 months from his release date. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ariel Tan had argued for a two-year disqualification, as reported by Channel NewsAsia, though the court ultimately imposed the shorter period. Dr Oh is expected to begin serving his sentence on May 8, 2025.

The implication

For drink-driving offences, Singapore law allows jail up to six months and fines up to S$1,500. For failing to comply with police barrier instructions, penalties can reach seven years’ jail and S$10,000 in fines. The prosecution sought two to three weeks’ imprisonment—Dr Oh received 19 days, with the discrepancy potentially tied to his clean criminal record offsetting the aggravating factors.

Timeline of the ECP roadblock incident

The sequence below tracks three pivotal moments from the night of the incident through to the courtroom judgment.

Three pivotal moments from dinner party to courtroom judgment
Date Event
September 8, 2023 Dr Oh and two companions dine, drink wine, head to Capital Zouk, then exit ECP at Tanjong Katong Road South and reverse back onto the expressway to evade a police roadblock
February 28, 2025 Dr Oh pleads guilty to failing to stop at the roadblock and driving without reasonable consideration for other road users
April 17, 2025 Dr Oh sentenced to 19 days’ jail, S$15,000 bail, and 18-month driving ban from release. Expected to start serving May 8, 2025

What we know versus what remains unclear

The confirmed facts come from court proceedings reported across multiple outlets, including Straits Times, Channel NewsAsia, and STOMP. The case timeline is solid: date, actions, charges, plea, and sentence are all documented.

Confirmed facts

  • Reversed car to evade roadblock on September 8, 2023
  • Drove 350 metres against traffic flow on ECP exit
  • Provided false NRIC number and wrong date of birth
  • Claimed to be a private tutor, not a doctor
  • Pleaded guilty on February 28, 2025
  • Sentenced to 19 days’ jail on April 17, 2025
  • Disqualified from driving for 18 months from release

What’s unclear

  • Whether police completed any formal intoxication analysis beyond the initial encounter
  • Whether Novita Lam was present in the vehicle or connected differently to the incident
  • Whether Khoo Teck Puat Hospital has taken or will take any professional conduct action

What the court and prosecution said

The prosecution cited the potential harm of Oh Shen Leong’s actions, his voluntary intoxication, his desire to avoid detection for a possible drink-driving offence and his attempt to evade arrest as reasons for jail.

— Deputy Public Prosecutor Ariel Tan, as reported by Channel NewsAsia

Oh Shen Leong provided his real particulars when a screening of the identity card number he had provided was found to be invalid. Oh finally admitted to driving the car when the trio were arrested and handcuffed at around 6am.

— Court proceedings summary, The Straits Times

Bottom line: Dr Oh Shen Leong chose the most dangerous possible escape from a routine roadblock check—reversing onto an expressway against traffic flow, then compounding the risk with multiple false statements to police. Drivers in Singapore who try to evade roadblocks face a criminal record, jail time, and the loss of their licence for over a year.

Related reading: GP clinics in Singapore · Gynaecologists in Singapore

Additional sources

straitstimes.com, youtube.com, mustsharenews.com

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Frequently asked questions

What charges did Dr Oh Shen Leong face?

He faced two charges: failing to stop at a police roadblock and driving without reasonable consideration for other road users. A third charge of providing false information was considered during sentencing but not separately prosecuted.

Where exactly did the reversal happen?

The reversal occurred at the East Coast Parkway exit ramp near Tanjong Katong Road South in Singapore, on the night of September 8, 2023.

What prior traffic offences did the doctor have?

Court records indicate Dr Oh had a history of traffic offences including speeding, though the exact details and number of prior offences were not elaborated in published sentencing remarks.

How did the police respond to the reversal?

Officers pursued and stopped Dr Oh’s vehicle shortly after the reversal. The three occupants were arrested and handcuffed around 6am, with Dr Oh eventually admitting to driving only after his false NRIC was flagged as invalid.

Was the doctor intoxicated?

Dr Oh was aware he had consumed alcohol and did not want to risk a breathalyser test—which motivated the reversal. However, published court documents do not specify whether any formal intoxication analysis was completed or what the results were.

What is the ECP roadblock purpose?

Singapore police use roadblocks on major expressways like the ECP for routine checks, drink-driving enforcement, and security screening. Compliance is mandatory; evasion is a criminal offence.

Has the doctor commented publicly?

There is no public statement from Dr Oh Shen Leong in the verified court records or news reports. He was represented by counsel during proceedings.