Tharman: Condo resident caught yelling vulgarities at a security officer is ‘wrong on so many levels’
Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has commented on the incident where a Whampoa condominium resident was caught on camera yelling vulgarities at a security officer, saying it was an example of "a sense of entitlement".
A four-minute video uploaded to YouTube on Friday that went viral shows a man in a rant, refusing to pay a $10 fee for his guests to park in the Eight Riversuites condominium.
Visibly upset, the man tells the security officers that he had bought his apartment for $1.5 million and is heard swearing at one officer, who responds: "We are just enforcing the rules here."
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Mr Tharman said: "What this resident did and said was wrong at so many levels.
"It is these examples of modern-day bigotry and a sense of entitlement that the light of Deepavali seeks to dispel."
Mr Tharman also praised the security officer for handling the abuse and unpleasant situation in a dignified way.
But he urged the public to avoid threatening or harassing the resident concerned.
"A police report has been made by the security officer, and we should leave it to the police to handle," he said.
A screenshot of the man explaining his side of the story made the rounds on Saturday.
In it, he claimed that the security officers were "bullying" his visitors by asking what time they were going to leave.
THREATENING CALLS
He added his Deepavali weekend had been ruined by the incident as he received threatening calls after he disclosed his mobile number in the video.
Meanwhile, global financial services company JPMorgan, told The Straits Times on Sunday that it is aware of the video and is looking into the matter as its employee was purportedly involved.
Labour MP Zainal Sapari, in a Facebook post on Sunday, said that security officers should be ensured a safe and secure environment, and must be protected regardless of any artificial boundary of public or private common spaces.
He noted that security officers working in condominiums and private establishments are not considered public service workers and are not under the Protection from Harassment Act.
Those found guilty of abusing or insulting condo security officers can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to a year, or both.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
