SINGAPORE: A woman made the news a few days ago when a video of her tearing off some decorations from a Boon Keng HDB unit door was shared online. She was roundly criticised on social media, but after she posted a video about the homeowner, it was revealed that there was more to the story.
Shawn Loh, Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar, has even weighed in on the story. Writing in a January 18 (Sunday) Facebook post that community bonds are strong at Whampoa-Boon Keng, “there are times when relationships between neighbours break down.”
Investigations are now ongoing.
The initial video
A woman was caught on camera behaving rather oddly just outside an HDB unit, repeatedly ringing the doorbell and asking the occupant if he was all right. Moreover, she took down pieces of Chinese New Year decor from the door and threw them to the ground.
The videos of the incident were posted on YouTube and TikTok on Jan 12.
The woman’s response
On Jan 18, the woman, who goes by @kaurprabhmeet11, posted a nearly 6-minute apology video on TikTok, saying she does not condone such behaviour.
The homeowner, a man named Mr Lim, apparently had an image of one of his relatives on his door, and in a spur-of-the-moment decision, he behaved rashly, admitting that his emotions got the better of him.
“Completely not right, I take full responsibility,” she said, adding that she deserves the comments that she has since received.
@kaurprabhmeet1 The real story behind behind the video that has gone viral. Mr Lee, isn’t just an innocent victim he has painted himself out to be. I am sorry for my actions but can now use this platform to help the neighbours living in his torment? #sgfyp #wakeupsingapore #sgtiktok The points shared are based on observations and accounts received and are alleged, subject to further verification.
However, she went on to lengthily explain why she behaved in the way she did, explaining what the man has done, including the man’s prior conviction, how he harassed his upstairs neighbour, clanging water pipes at all hours of the day, throwing things, delaying the lift, hitting neighbours on the shoulder while they’re in the lift, saying racist things, and so on.
He has also claimed to be the victim in neighbour disputes, calling the police on them.
The TikTok user then called on the public to band together to focus on helping the community who have been victimised by the man.
A Mothership report from Jan 18 says that when residents of the HDB block in question were spoken to, they confirmed that there has been harassment from the man in question, and that it has been going on for years. A family with young daughters, in particular, has been the target of his actions.
On his part, Mr Loh wrote that the dispute “is one of the most frustrating and hard-to-resolve cases in my constituency, despite the best efforts of our agencies.
The neighbours came to see me last year. They told me of inconsiderate behaviour that led to emotional trauma, and of children who had exam preparation disrupted and who were afraid of taking the lift by themselves.”
He is also aware of what the woman did and is leaving the investigation in the authorities’ hands.
“With the start of this new year, I hope we can all be considerate to our neighbours so that we can all live in a more harmonious environment. Ultimately, our homes are not just about how good our physical infrastructure is, but about how strong our social bonds are,” the MP added. /TISG
