Woman accused of not wearing mask appears outside court maskless
The woman seen in a viral video clip refusing to wear a mask while at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) on May 15 approached the State Courts building yesterday without wearing one.
Phoon Chiu Yoke, 53, who had sunglasses on, put on a mask only when she was near the entrance.
She arrived at the court alone around 1.15pm for a hearing on a charge for an alleged offence last year under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act.
She is contesting a criminal charge for failing to wear a mask over her nose and mouth "at all times" at Newton hawker centre between 7.20pm and 8pm on May 8 last year.
Phoon is accused of committing the offence during the circuit breaker period, which was imposed between April 7 and June 1 last year to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Yesterday, the prosecution applied for an adjournment of the trial, pending further investigations.
Phoon had attempted to remove her mask before addressing the court, but District Judge A. Sangeetha ordered her to keep her mask on throughout the proceedings.
Phoon questioned why the prosecution had wanted to adjourn the matter and who would pay for any administrative costs that would be incurred.
However, she later did not object to the prosecution's request, saying she would oblige in good faith.The case has been adjourned for a status pre-trial conference on June 23.
Phoon made headlines earlier this month after a video showed her arguing with a safe distancing ambassador at MBS who was trying to convince her to put on a mask.
In an earlier statement, the police said they received a call about the incident at around 5.15pm on May 15.
Phoon is believed to be involved in other similar instances where she was seen in various buildings and establishments without a mask on.
After leaving the court at about 3pm yesterday, Phoon was seen removing her mask while holding a water bottle. She did not drink from it.
First-time offenders who breach laws under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000.
Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $20,000.
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