Police investigating shoving incident at Swiss Club
The police are looking into an incident involving a male driver who was captured on video shoving and shouting at a security officer at the Swiss Club on Aug 11.
A two-minute-long clip of the incident on SG Road Vigilante’s YouTube channel shows the security officer gesticulating and asking the driver, “Why (are) you parking here?” before pointing and asking him to “get out”, as another man attempts to speak to the driver.
The driver then pushes the security officer in the chest twice.
The security officer subsequently lodged a police report over the incident, which the police confirmed to The Straits Times on Aug 16.
In a Facebook post on the same day, the Union of Security Employees said that the on-duty security officer, identified as Brother Chandra, walked up to the private-hire vehicle to verify the driver’s purpose for wanting to enter the club in Bukit Timah.
“The driver refused to say anything and demanded that Brother Chandra lift the barrier to let him in immediately,” the union added.
“Brother Chandra refused, as allowing entry to unidentified vehicles with unknown purposes would constitute a trespassing incident.”
The driver stepped out from the car, before “aggressively challenging” the security officer and hurling vulgarities, according to the union.
“The incident escalated when the driver became aggressive and pushed Brother Chandra on his left chest... twice. Brother Chandra did not retaliate and informed the driver not to block the entrance and to leave the premises,” the post added.
“The driver eventually complied.”
The union said: “Security officers in Singapore perform duties under the Private Security Industry Act to safeguard lives and properties.
“They should not be abused while executing their duties.”
The Act was amended in 2022 to provide greater protection for officers, including stiffer penalties for offenders who intentionally cause harassment, alarm or distress to; assault or use criminal force on; and voluntarily hurt security officers.
Those found guilty of intentionally harassing or causing alarm or distress to a security officer can be jailed for up to a year, fined up to $5,000, or both.
Representatives from the union, the Swiss Club and the officer’s employer DP Quest Investigation Consultancy visited the security officer at the club.
Members of the public can report abuse of security officers via the union’s MyUSE app or e-mail the group at use@ntuc.org.sg
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