COMMENT Case No 1: David (not his real name) is a Malaysian who left Singapore to return to Malaysia because he was in steep debt.

Many years later, he went to Singapore to withdraw his Central Providend Fund (CPF) only to discover that there was a warrant of arrest for him, and that he had been declared a bankrupt in his absence when his creditors sued him.

As he had already left Singapore, he did not receive the court summons that was served, and as he did not turn up for the bankruptcy court hearing, a warrant of arrest was subsequently issued...