If you’re going to act stupid at an airport, don’t do it in Singapore! When will people learn that?!
As I wrote about last month, so far this year 59 people have been arrested at Changi Airport for misusing boarding passes. While it’s a technique people use across the world for various reasons, in Singapore it’s a crime.
But even more importantly, if you’re going to be a drunk idiot at an airport, Singapore is a bad place to do that. About a week ago I wrote about a drunk New Zealander who was jailed for three weeks for grabbing a police officer’s collar.
Well if you thought that was bad, this is next level. An Australian man will be spending six months and two weeks in jail in Singapore for how he acted at the airport, and later how he acted while on bail. This story is just cringeworthy.
The 44 year old man was traveling from Perth to Cebu on April 19, 2017, to visit his girlfriend, and had a long connection in Singapore.
Due to his long layover he had some drinks at the airport, then went to Clarke Quay to continue drinking, and then went back to the airport. Then this happened, per The Straits Times:
Intoxicated, he returned to the airport later that night to catch his flight but could not locate the check-in counter in his drunken state. Shortly after midnight, he asked a passer-by – Mr Teh Gim Tuck, 48 – for directions.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jason Nim said: “Suddenly, the accused became agitated and began to hurl vulgarities at Teh. Teh ignored the accused and as he was walking away, the accused suddenly snatched Teh’s mobile phone from his back pocket and threw it on the ground before walking away.”
At this point the police got involved, and this is where the story starts to get crazy. The officers approach him, but he ignores them, puts on headphones, and taunts them. He then threatens to break the police officer’s face if he comes near him.
This is where the video footage picks up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwhQWo60Myo
Am I the only one who gets #DancingHotDog vibes from him at the beginning of the video?
As you can see, he resists arrest, and my gosh, the officers show a lot of restraint. In the US, at best you would have had a dozen officers pointing their guns at him trying to get him to comply, and at worst he would have been shot. He acts like a total moron, and these officers are saints for how they act, despite his violence towards them.
Eventually six police officers show up, and they manage to arrest him, which is shown in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSHROFMzgsY
Unfortunately that’s not the end of the story. When he gets out on bail, he manages to cause even more trouble, on multiple occasions:
On April 25, he was rearrested while out on bail, for being drunk and incapable at Orchard Towers.
He was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital because of an injured leg but there he abused Sergeant Ali Kamaruzaman, 28, using vulgar language.
Five days later, he was drunk yet again and annoyed a 29-year-old woman by touching his crotch in public in Tan Tye Place near Clarke Quay at around 5am.
So yeah, in the end he was sentenced to six months and two weeks in jail, which is well deserved, in my opinion.
(Tip of the hat to SINJim)
@cullvarin, lighten up. Can't you take a light hearted joke. By the way, am an Aussie and most other aussies would understand the humour. We are known for it. Anyway, sorry for any offence caused (if any other sensitivity felt across the forum)
Karma. You get what you deserve . . . In the case the offending Aussie was fortunate the stars were in order for his illegal and inappropriate behavior.
Six months in jail with a daily caning sounds about right in getting his attention and taking some aggression out of him.
Agree on the Caning comment..
Never late to learn..
Expecting some of your liberal first world privileged (and young of course) audience, to find an inexcusable weird twist to side with this jerk.. Like he deserves less time or something!.
I cannot understand why people have meltdowns in airports, unless it's due to a pathological fear of flying. I've never felt the urge to freak out.
As you say, Lucky, it's pretty daft to choose Singapore as the place where you freak out too. If you do have a propensity to lose it, avoid Singapore at all costs. If you don't believe me, there's an American former teenage graffiti artist who can confirm that it hurts!
@Navi75
I think your comment is totally unnecessary and can't understand how you haven't been removed from the site. To abuse all Australians because one behaved badly reflects poorly upon you.
Out of interest, where are you from?
Has nobody ever broken the law in your country?
What's the difference between an Aussie and a fat tub of yoghurt? The fat tub of yoghurt has culture.
@Joel I also imagine W is just being sarcastic. There is no crime become sentencing is brutal and there are cameras everywhere not because the guys are military trained. I live in Singapore as a foreigner and like someone mentioned most of the guys spend their time playing pokemon go and other video games. The military training probably trains physical endurance and how to handle a gun, not how to engage in a manual combat
44?
He acts 20
He clearly didn't want to be touched. Lol
But Lucky, why do you keep insisting the New Zealander went to jail for "grabbing" the policeman's collar when the police report cited in your article states additional facts?
Oh wait, sensationalist titles get more clicks.
Answered my own questions; carry on.
@keepingitreal
Touched a nerve? Lol...
Sigh, more generalizations of US policing policy and a media sound byte of so called "white privilege."
@W -- I hope I am missing your sarcasm here... :D
There is no crime in Singapore because the sentencing is brutal and most of the guys are too busy playing Bejeweled or trading FX.
The average Singaporean male's military training might deter a 13 year old from stealing an ice cream cone.
Horrible to say but thank goodness for a change it wasn't an American acting this way. Normally, it's the Americans who act in a privileged manner such as this in foreign countries. Oh, and yes, I'm American.
Obviously, this guy needs help. I hope he gets the help he needs.
@Joel
Singapore really isn't timid. One of the reasons it's so safe is that criminals don't really dare to mess with people there, since they know every 18+ male Singaporean is military-trained. One of the benefits of the draft I guess.
Anyone remember Michael Peter Fay? He never attacked a cop. He was convicted of simple vandalizm in Singapore in 1994 and was sentenced to 4 months in prison, 6 strokes of the CANE (reduced to 4), and a fine. Oh and it probably was a pretty big part of his subsiquent mental health problems. In no way is 6 months + 2weeks an excessive for far more servious (and violent) infractions.
If I am not mistaken, some Singapore police (and military) are citizens fulfilling a 2 year national service obligation. Not all are career trained professionals.
Many police at the SIN airport have "Auxiliary" on their name tags when I have passed through int he past.
flerk says: Try doing that in US, you’ll be shot dead
Yes and thats a problem US needs to fix!!!!!!! SAD! US police think they are military combatatants but all they are is murdering racist buffoons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
James says On the other hand, that aussie maybe thought he was in Bali, when bad behaviour while drunk commonly forgiven simply because tourism matters…. lol
DAMN YOU ARE DAFT YOU STUPID IDIOT!!!!!1!! They get awway with it in Bali b ecause the police accept cheap bribes you moron!!!!!!!
Freddie says: Not using excessive force hardly makes a police officer a saint.
You are correct it hardlyama kes a police officer a saint but it...
James says On the other hand, that aussie maybe thought he was in Bali, when bad behaviour while drunk commonly forgiven simply because tourism matters…. lol
DAMN YOU ARE DAFT YOU STUPID IDIOT!!!!!1!! They get awway with it in Bali b ecause the police accept cheap bribes you moron!!!!!!!
Freddie says: Not using excessive force hardly makes a police officer a saint.
You are correct it hardlyama kes a police officer a saint but it makes a police officer an officer of the peace and not a fat stupid bully eager to murder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!
What a jerk, I wonder if he acts like this if he ever transits through the middle east? Why did they release him on bail again and again, should have given him longer, how dare he assault police
This was a perfect opportunity to use non-lethal force such as a stun gun or pepper spray.
Six months is a minimum I think. The man made problems at an airport. Try doing that in US, you'll be shot dead, or Europe where they would slap some heavy charges as well. Not only did they give him bail but he also made problems several times. These kind of f***wits only know one language, and that is financial and/or criminal punishment. He should be deported after six months and then be banned to...
Six months is a minimum I think. The man made problems at an airport. Try doing that in US, you'll be shot dead, or Europe where they would slap some heavy charges as well. Not only did they give him bail but he also made problems several times. These kind of f***wits only know one language, and that is financial and/or criminal punishment. He should be deported after six months and then be banned to enter the country. If he behaved like that in Bangkok f.ex, the police would not be as easy in their handling of this idiot.
Why is it always the white foreigner men with Asian wives/girlfriends that are getting drunk and acting like they're above the law?
When the West sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.
Only 6 months? Just a reminder...
Why is it always the white foreigner men with Asian wives/girlfriends that are getting drunk and acting like they're above the law?
When the West sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.
Only 6 months? Just a reminder that white privilege works even outside of the West.
These officers are not saints.
The officers in the USA are assholes. And the public let's them get away with it. You are high school dropout making 100k. Your main job is to get hurry protecting the public. Don't make yourself out to be a hero getting paid that much, doing what you are supposed to do.
The behavior is unacceptable and the sentence is appropriate. He's lucky he wasn't banned from traveling to or thru Singapore.
Only 6 months? Singapore law surely nice to foreigners.... maybe because they rely on tourist?
On the other hand, that aussie maybe thought he was in Bali, when bad behaviour while drunk commonly forgiven simply because tourism matters.... lol
some of the comments here are hilarious but not surprising, no police officers in Singapore cannot hold their own, and no they are not fit nor can they fight, take away their gun and baton they are pretty much useless. precisely because they rely on people not resisting arrest. Also no police are not allowed to shoot you here. So far there is only one case of a person being shot by police and he...
some of the comments here are hilarious but not surprising, no police officers in Singapore cannot hold their own, and no they are not fit nor can they fight, take away their gun and baton they are pretty much useless. precisely because they rely on people not resisting arrest. Also no police are not allowed to shoot you here. So far there is only one case of a person being shot by police and he was carrying a cleaver of something and even then, the public outcry was intense. I guess it is a good and bad thing, they don't have crazy meat head officers always looking to be violent. but then again that can be easily solved like we do in canada where we mostly hire officers through police programs in colleges.
Currently travelling the Adriatic, I'm increasingly learning that this is the norm for travellers from my homelands of Australia. Great folks but not overly refined.
Police officers look like they have never had to use force in their careers or lives for that matter.
I wouldn't mess around with that dude he looks strong. I'm not surprised to see a guy from Perth do this.. I'm a FIFO worker that transits in and out of Singapore from Perth every 2 weeks like thousands of other guys do, getting status with airlines and then getting boozed up in the lounges...
Police officers look like they have never had to use force in their careers or lives for that matter.
I wouldn't mess around with that dude he looks strong. I'm not surprised to see a guy from Perth do this.. I'm a FIFO worker that transits in and out of Singapore from Perth every 2 weeks like thousands of other guys do, getting status with airlines and then getting boozed up in the lounges is something many Aussies can do on the daily due do to the nature of the FIFO lifestyle.
I've met fellow guys that look fresh out of jail more so than highly paid, highly skilled workers, which some are with platinum or high status with airlines due to the frequency we go to Asia. This guy happened to misbehave in the wrong place, wrong time, and too many times over. Shameful!! He will probably learn his lesson.
Cane him.
Meanwhile white people drama continues to unfold in the last 20 seconds of the first video.
I am not surprised with this guy behaviour unfortunately this seems to be a trend on Australians overseas. Just check the following article from an Aussie Paper http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/drunk-australians-turn-croatia-into-europes-party-central/news-story/1b68f48068e84cb92083a696628eeff2
Not using excessive force hardly makes a police officer a saint.
This isn't the police showing restraint, it's showing them being poorly trained in restaining someone.
6 months for this in Singapore is to be expected.
It isn't like they have overcrowded jails and they will make an example of your ass quicker than a bunch of aviation geeks jumping on a Qatar flash sale.
I may be jumping into conclusion here but this strikes me as one of those white guys who think they can come to Asia and behave like jerks cos of the perceived privileges they enjoy in many Asian, particularly South East Asian countries. His gf is in Cebu, probably a pretty Filipina in her 20s, and I hope he treats her well. Anyway hope he gets his act together
Do I want anything to do with that guy? No.
But let's be honest, this clearly shows the timidity of Singapore in general and it's police force.
You say they showed restraint, Lucky... I think it's more a case they didn't want to mess with this guy til they had a big group. Again, I don't wanna fight that guy either, but if you're a police officer you have to be able to hold your own better than this.
Even though I live in Perth and would like to be sympathetic his behaviour was unacceptable and got punished accordingly though maybe 6 months and two weeks is a bit long but hey don't do the crime if you can't do the time.