SINGAPORE (AP) — Singapore’s government says the author of the book that inspired the hit film “Crazy Rich Asians” failed to register for national service as required.
According to his bio, writer Kevin Kwan left Singapore when he was 11 and has lived in the U.S. since then.
There was no immediate response Wednesday from his publisher to a request for comment. Male Singaporean citizens are required to spend two years, in most cases, in a uniformed service as young adults.
The government said in a statement that Kwan was wanted for “defaulting on his NS obligations” for failing to register as required in 1990, and for staying abroad without a valid exit permit. It said authorities rejected his application in 1994 to renounce his Singaporean citizenship without serving the mandatory national service.
