View Full Version : Carrying Balisong/Butterfly knife trainer in Singapore.
Exiasnipes
Jun 6, 2011, 12:26 AM
I am a first time offender and this is the first time it has happened to me. I didn't know that Balisong/Butterfly knife trainers are illegal in Singapore. Anyone knows the charges I face / Punishment I might get?
JudyKayTee
Jun 6, 2011, 03:45 AM
Were you arrested? From what I am reading it's about the INTENT, not actually carrying the knife, and the best person to make that legal argument on your behalf is an Attorney. I am also reading that you are subject (minimally) to immediate deportation.
Exiasnipes
Jun 7, 2011, 03:24 AM
Well, I had no intention of actually using the trainer knife to hurt anyone. It's a trainer with no actual blade on it (blunt). The trainer itself has been confiscated by the police and I am required to head over to the Central Police station in two days time, reasons unknown. Most probably for questioning.
Exiasnipes
Jun 7, 2011, 03:39 AM
P.S. They brought me in for questioning and confiscated the trainer. After a while, they let me go but said that I am required to head back down to the station in 2 days. I am actually getting quite paranoid of my situation and lost quite a number of hours on sleep. Pretty exhausted . As I have stated before, I have no ill intentions of possessing the trainer knife. I am 19 years old and can be trialled as an adult.
JudyKayTee
Jun 7, 2011, 05:39 AM
The questions are whether the authorities believe you, why you had the knife (your purpose in carrying it), why you were not aware of Singapore Law (which is strict when it comes to weapons).
AK lawyer
Jun 7, 2011, 06:45 AM
Does it sort of look like this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balisong_(knife))?http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Parts_of_a_balisong3.jpg/450px-Parts_of_a_balisong3.jpg
I don't know that the "intent" defense will work. Specific intent is to have the knife in your possession. Unless you can show that you didn't know you had it, I suspect that defense will not help.
I would look into the exact wording of the law (http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_retrieve.pl?&actno=Reved-13&date=latest&method=part)you are being charged with violating. If the statute I linked to (which prohibits the carrying of "bayonets, swords, daggers, spears and spearheads") is it, an additional problem is that specific fine-tuning of what is legal and what isn't seems to be delegated to "the Minister", by "notification in the Gazette." It could be, for example, that a training knife is not covered. This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balisong_(knife)) article suggests that, but unfortunately doesn't mention Singapore specifically.
"Butterfly knife trainers feature a special blunt and unsharpened "blade", and are legal in areas where butterfly knives are not."