The little incident at Hong Lim
Published September 18th, 2006 in Singapore, SocietyWell, I was in Hong Lim park today to show my support for SDP when I bumped into Charles, who was there for the sit-in. So we chatted about what’s happening, how has things been and what’s going to happen.. you know lah, these are what activists talk about. But Charles looks visibly tired, but I guess he ALWAYS looks tired!
Me and Charles…Me on the right lah!
Charles and his you-can’t-buy-it t-shirt. One of a kind
Anyway, I was happily chatting with Charles when Dinesh came by also and we chatting, taking note of all the quite policemen around us! Me and Dinesh decided to go for a quick drink and also to see if we can buy some vegetarian food for Charles.
So we headed across the road towards Boat Quay and sat at a table at Killiney Kopitiam. No sooner had we sat down, I noticed two persons, one chinese-looking Malay (CUTE!) and another is obviously malay, who passed by us along the streets, as if looking for food also. Dinesh was chatting on the phone with Charles. They disappeared from my view and then I saw them walking back. Immediately, I could sense that they were actually following us, not just a causal diner.
Sure enough, these 2 guys came towards us, with Dinesh still chatting on the line, and proceeded to sit beside us. I thought it was quite rude not even to ask permission if they could join us… don’t they teach PR skills in Police force?
So in clockwise, its me, the cute one (CU), Dinesh and the other one (TO). We were ordering our drinks and I casually asked if they also wanted to order drinks, they kept quiet. Dinesh actually thought that they were my friends (and what a cute friend you have!).
After Dinesh finish his phone conversation with Charles, they started to reveal their identity. (Okay, the sequence and who spoke what may not be exactly correct, but the contents is about there!)
CU: Hi, may we have a look at your particulars please?
Dinesh: What!?
TO: You know we have a job to do, so can we have look at your particulars?
Me: Why? Why are you demanding our particulars?
Dinesh: You know, you don’t just show any strangers your particulars right?
TO: Okay, we are from the police, now can we see your particulars?
Dinesh/Me: How do we know you are really from the police?
(Both CU and TO, showed us their ID card)
Me: I can write them down? (I proceeded to write down their particulars)
CU: Now can we have your particulars? (as I was writing)
Dinesh: On what basis do we have to give you our particulars?
TO: Well, you were talking to someone in there just now and we need if you are part of them or not.
Me: Well, I am here to support Charles, his my friend.
TO: Oh.. okay
CU: (Now a bit edgy): Can we have your particulars?
TO: Can you show us your particulars, now that you have seen our ID?
Dinesh: Well, we never promised to show you our particulars what!
TO/CU had a stunned look, don’t know how to reply
TO: You should show us your particulars.
Me: Yeah, why must we give it to you, on what basis should we give it you?
Dinesh: Are you demanding it from us?
TO: No, we are asking
Dinesh: What if we don’t give it to you?
TO: You should give it us. (Apparently they could not quote which law says that!)
(Up till this point, I noticed TO lower lips where quivering a bit and he stammered a bit. CU is edgy (and CUTE) as ever and very impatient.)
Dinesh: And what if we don’t? Are you intimidating us? What are going to do with our particulars?
TO: Oh, no nothing, we will just write it down.
Dinesh (in his philosophical mood): You know this is horrible, you should be ashamed of doing things like this to ordinary citizens! This is intimidation! Why do you need to write down out particulars.
Me: Yeah, its such a shame that our laws and police are supposed to protect the citizens instead they are there to protect the powers to be and the PAP government! I don’t understand why must we be afraid of the government.. this is wrong, the government should be afraid of us instead.
CU: Look we are just trying to do out job
Me: Yes, we know you are trying to your job and we are trying to our job also!
TO asking me: Okay, okay… Are you Singaporean?
Me: Of course I am
TO: How long have you stayed in Singapore?
Me (like duh!): All my life, I am 37 already and I have been in here for practically all my life.
TO (to Dinesh): Now what about you? Are you Singaporean?
Dinesh: I will answer your question if you answer my question first
TO: ….umm… okay…
Dinesh: Since you guys are here for a while, where can I find vegetarian food around here? (Dinesh is obviously asking the wrong guy! How many Malays are vegetarian?)
CU (is now very pissed of with us): Okay! We have all we need, thank you for your cooperation!
He walks off and asks if TO is going also. TO replied that he will stay and chat with us a bit more. We lashed out philosophy and politics at TO, but were speaking on friendly terms…He was quite calm and friendly and chatted with us.
At the end TO said “You know, I am just collected my pay and doing my job”
Me: Yes we know, it’s not you we are pissed off with, its the outfit you are with.
After that, we concluded our conversation and he went back to his post. Till the end, none of them got our particulars and we went back into the circle, chatted somemore with Charles and left.
In the car, Dinesh told me that after this incident, he is now more fired up and motivated to do something about it (i.e the situation here). Yes, its only times like this that we only realise how bad our system have become. What (the laws) was used to keep peace during the troubled times in the past, is now used to squash dissent and to protect the people in power. What is the difference between this and having an monarch, I wonder?
It is very sad to see Singaporeans continue not seeing the facet of the trouble Singapore, but bought in by their peaceful air-con life could only see the short-sighted version of a well-off and happy society.
Caveat: You have certain rights as citizen and police have some rights to demand for your name and address (not necessarily your NRIC, though). YawningBread have A Guide to your Legal Rights… here is an excerpt
…There’s no legal obligation to carry your NRIC at all times. A uniformed police officer can demand to inspect your NRIC if you have it on you. If you don’t, he or she can ask that you produce it within a certain period.
He/she cannot detain you. A plainclothes police officer can only demand to inspect your NRIC if he/she can produce a written authorisation from the Commissioner of National Registration.
You can be arrested (without warrant) if, and only if, on demand, you refuse to give your name and address. Or, if you give a name or address which the officer has reason to believe is false. Or if you give as your address, a place outside Singapore.
(Practical tip - if the officer still insists that you follow him/her despite your having given the officer your name and address when you are not carrying your NRIC, ask the officer, in the presence of others, the reason for believing that the given particulars are false. You may use this information should you later decide to sue the police for false arrest…. continue to read
21 Responses to “The little incident at Hong Lim”
- 1 Pingback on Sep 19th, 2006 at 10:43 pm
Hmm…you definitely look “yummier” with short, closely cropped hair. Have a good day!
You mean Charles?
No, I mean you!
(Apologies to Tim, if he is reading this; lucky soul!)
;-D
Thank you for sharing your experience with us heart-landers. Because of the government encouragement of long-hours, highest productivity, working at all hours policy, instead of supporting causes which we support , I spent the week-end doing the overdue laundry, buying groceries, cleaning up the house, looking at my children weekly lessons, going through their homework and spending time with the kids and elderly parents; and therefore only know what´s happening in my beloved country through reading blogs.
Sadly, no one can question the top brass in the police as to why the policemen are deployed to intimidate opposition party members. When did our tax dollars which are used for the hiring and running of the police for the protection of the ordinary citizens (that is to check road bullies, assault, robberies, etc) switch towards the protection of the government in power? The police should be doing the actual jobs which we the citizens have been paying them to do through our tax dollars.
Nevertheless, if the crime rates have actually gone down and there is less ´work´ for the police to do, for heaven´s sake let the policewo/men go home to their spouses, children and families to spend quality time instead of ordering them to intimidate ordinary citizens for their details at HL Park, cordoning opposition members from having a peaceful march, and generally making a nuisance of themselves.
Wah! I was there too! I didn’t know it was still on because the papers reported that they dispersed after dunno what time.
So anyways, I was on my way to yoga class at One George Street, when I saw the policemen. So I called Charles from across the street and then saw him getting up.
I went over to say hello, show my support for him (I like Charles alot!) and to give him a hug.
No one followed me leh!
You are right.
There are terrible things going on in the world right now, and these guys who are suppose to be protecting us.
Sighs.
No, I mean you!
(Apologies to Tim, if he is reading this; lucky soul!)
;-D
Hello! Hello! who talking bout me har?
U sound like Roy? (i may b wrong)
Aiyah, anyway it takes 2 hands to clap lah!.
I dont think there is anything “lucky” if its just 1 sided.
(if u r refering me as the “lucky soul” that is)
LOL yes you are right Charles does often have a tired look hehe .good that you guys were looking out for him The speach by Dr Chee and the failed march on sat got very good coverage on SBS news on sunday here in Australia . The PAP will be pissed off that the only coverage abut the IMF and World Bank meeting on AUS news was because of the SDP protets,
Cheers Guys Roger Perth West Aus
Hi Tim,
No it’s not “Roy”; and you’re both “lucky”. Are you the “chubalicious” mystery man (woof, BTW) captured in one of the “House Reno (Week 5)” photos? Nice place! Warmest regards and best wishes to you and yours!
;-D
And back to your regular programming; Kelvin wrote:
“What is the difference between this and having (sic) an monarch, I wonder?”
Not having to bow and say “Your Majesty”?
(or is it “your travesty?”)
8-D
(Sorry, couldn’t resist it!)
Erm,
isn’t Minister Mentor a mouthful more than your majesty? or milord?
When a father refuses to let his children mature and grow up, the children will end up with more negative than positive memories of the father.
I guess he wants to write his own epitaph; pithy it is the people’s perception that will write the final epitaph, and one day, historians will say - “what a pithy, he never could to let go.”
its sad that our police do not even seem to understand and comprehend the laws they are supposed to enforce. What are taxpayer dollars being used for then? political skullduggery?
E.o.M.
Hi Kelvin. I like that conversation you had with our men in blue.
To run a competent police state we need more competent policemen who will strike fear in the hearts of the citizens.
I would like to document this incident in my blog (http://singaporemind.blogspot.com). Then I’ll write a letter to my MP to request for intimidation training for our policemen. One person they can learn from is James Gomez he really terrorised that civil servant with only one wagging finger.
Hopefully our policemen improves after my feedback.
So is it okay for me you “cut & paste” this incident into my blog?
Lucky… no problems… please go ahead
well… actually most of the lower-ranking (and i suspect some higher-ranking) uniformed personnel in singapore are just there to “do their jobs and collect their salary”, literally, without feeling a need to question what the job is and why the job is needed. after all, they’re just employees, and they’re getting paid, Singapore or not… those of us who’d been through NS could probably place those pompous and uselss Emperors-new-clothes-type DXOs in the same category.
Hi Kelvin!!!
I stumbled onto you and the link to your blog while reading an article on wikipedia about gay events and activism. I just came back today to SG after some years. Still remember me?
Email me if you need more clues. Would be great to get back in touch and catch up with you and what is going on in SG while I was away.
Cheers,
EC
Hi Tong Neo,
Nice to hear from you again. We had an idea that you went to the states, but lost contact I guess. Yup, will need to catch up with you and Issac. But I will be off to Thailand next week (yeah, got coup, but tickets already bought) and will arrange when I get back
Hi kelvin, the police cannot ask for your IC actually. They can only ask for your particulars. You hv the right to refuse to let them see your IC. However if they require to ascertain your particulars, you can tell them verbally.
Thanks for that. That’s quite right. That is why I include a summary from YB at the end of this post, so that we are all legally aware.
thanks for the wonderful article.
Its great to know our legal rights.
I sthis a gay blog site? Are u ppl gay?
Why is it that when I’m in the Hong Lim Park toilet at 2 am in the morning and these strange men are flashing their dicks at me, there’s not a single policeman in sight?
Actually, I’m relieved, not complaining.
Thank goodness Dr. Chee doesn’t take a pee there after midnight.
And yo! ASD, I don’t know if this is a gay blog site or not because we’re not gay…but our boyfriends are.