Mamasan

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Romans 1:18

And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness,
as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time.
Spots they are and blemishes,
sporting themselves with their own deceivings
while they feast with you;
2 Peter 2:13

That they all might be damned who believed not the truth,
but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:12

Mamasan didn’t declare earnings of $325,000

By Selina Lum

A MAMASAN at a popular nightclub, Tiananmen KTV & Lounge, appeared in a magistrate’s court yesterday for filing incorrect tax returns.

LIANHE ZAOBAO

Lee Phui Fun (right), 48, admitted she did not declare a total of $325,213 in booking commissions for two years, for which she would have had to pay $58,483.60 in taxes.

She is the first mamasan to be hauled to court by the taxman.

Lee, also known as Irene Su, has been a mamasan, or ‘mummy’, at the posh nightclub at the Novotel Apollo hotel in Havelock Road since February 1995.

A nightclub customer is typically charged a booking fee of about $35 an hour for the services of a dance hostess and the hostess’ ‘mummy’ gets a cut of $3. The hostess gets about $26, and the nightclub gets $6.

Lee had earned $164,780 in booking commissions in 1997 and $160,433 the following year, but did not declare them in her tax returns.

The omissions came to light after a tax audit by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras).

The Straits Times understands that mamasans also earn commissions when customers buy bottles of liquor and book private karaoke rooms. They also get tips of around $100.

Lee, the lounge’s top earning mamasan, is believed to have more than 20 hostesses under her wing at Tiananmen.

Yesterday, the woman, dressed in a pink T-shirt and black slacks, was fined $2,000 after she pleaded guilty to two charges.

She also had to pay a penalty of $116,967.20 – twice the tax undercharged. She could have been fined up to $5,000 or jailed up to three years or both.

Lee’s lawyer, Mr Subhas Anandan, said in mitigation that his client had omitted to declare these commissions out of ignorance.

In an e-mail reply to queries, an Iras spokesman said the authority conducts regular audit reviews on income tax returns to ensure that all information has been furnished.

Taken from The Straits Times

Read more about the Party Girl, Happy Hour and The Supper Star.