Netizens criticise K Shanmugam for sharing video on alleged Bukit Gombak harassment incident

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SINGAPORE: Netizens have questioned K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, regarding his recent Facebook post about an alleged harassment incident.

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The incident, which occurred during a walkabout in Bukit Gombak, Choa Chu Kang GRC, has sparked a clash between Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).

Some netizens, commenting on Shanmugam’s Facebook post, questioned whether it was appropriate for the Minister to comment on the matter, given that police reports had already been filed regarding the incident.

PSP volunteer filed police report alleging harassment during walkabout  in Choa Chu Kang GRC

The issue first unfolded when PSP member S Nallakaruppan and volunteer Stella Stan Lee alleged harassment by purported PAP supporters during a walkabout on 4 January at Block 386, Goodview Gardens, in Bukit Gombak, Choa Chu Kang GRC.

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Nallakaruppan claimed that individuals closely followed PSP members, photographed them, and disrupted their outreach efforts by distributing flyers, despite requests to conduct outreach at separate locations.

Lee, who filed a police report on 5 January, posted a photo of an individual filming her at close range, describing the incident as unsafe and a potential violation of privacy.

Low Yen Ling accuses PSP of “twisting the truth”

Following PSP’s accusation, Low, in an 8 January Facebook post, accused the PSP of having “twisted the truth” and presented an inaccurate account of the events.

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Low, who is also Chua Chu Kang GRC MP and Chairperson of the Mayors’ Committee and Mayor of South West District, accused PSP members of slapping a PAP volunteer twice, verbally insulting others, and forcibly taking selfies.

She also claimed that PSP members harassed female PAP volunteers by recording their interactions with residents, which allegedly led to incidents of doxxing.

Despite these allegations, Low did not share photos or videos to substantiate her claims, which PSP leaders have strongly contested.

One of the male volunteers, identified on Facebook as Azman Ibrahim, claimed that he was manhandled by PSP volunteers and shared videos of the incident on 9 January. Azman alleged that a PSP volunteer had slapped him during the walkabout.

However, many criticised the videos for being heavily edited and noted that there was no evidence of the alleged slap.

PSP leaders refute PAP harassment claims

PSP Chairman Tan Cheng Bock later refuted Azman’s allegations in a Facebook post on 10 January, stating that the video provided “no evidence of any slapping” and that the claims were supported only by subtitles.

He also rejected earlier accusations by Low that a PSP volunteer had pulled the shirt of a PAP volunteer during the same incident.

Ms Low responded on Facebook, saying she would leave the matter to the police and that her volunteers would provide evidence to assist with investigations.

Shanmugam’s Facebook post on harassment incident sparks netizen criticism

Notably, despite the incident reportedly being under investigation, Minister Shanmugam shared the self-proclaimed PAP volunteer’s video on 9 January, along with a brief comment: “PSP conduct.” The remark appeared to imply support for Azman’s version of the events.

Shanmugam’s Facebook post subsequently drew criticism from netizens.

Among them, law practitioner Yeoh Lian Chuan questioned whether it was appropriate for the Minister to comment, given that police reports had been filed. Yeoh remarked that such comments might undermine the ongoing investigation.

Other raised concerns over the fairness and neutrality of Minister Shanmugam’s actions, particularly in light of the ongoing police investigation.

A comment expressed the view that, unless the footage shared was part of the official CCTV evidence provided by the police, the Minister should not have posted a video that appeared to support one side of the story, potentially showing bias toward his own party.

The comment urged both Shanmugam and PSP to remove their posts to ensure the police can conduct an unbiased investigation without external influence.

Call for unbiased investigation and ethical conduct

Another netizen questioned if the minister’s comment implied the police had already concluded their investigation and whether charges would be brought, suggesting it indicated premature conclusions.

Some criticised Shanmugam for posting the comment during the ongoing investigation, arguing that higher ethical standards are expected, especially when the post presented only one side of the story.

A netizen commented, reminding everyone to let the police investigation reveal the truth, stating that video edits and such actions were only creating more trouble for both parties, and suggesting that they either settle amicably or face charges for false reporting.



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