Condo resident who yelled at security officers: Man's employer looking into matter

SINGAPORE - The security employees' union said it stands united with its officers after a video of a man yelling and hurling vulgarities at his Whampoa condominium's security guards went viral.

The man's employer, JP Morgan, also told The Straits Times on Sunday (Oct 27) that it is looking into the matter.

In a video uploaded to YouTube on Friday, a man dressed in a sleeveless shirt and shorts is seen expressing his displeasure virulently after being told he needed to pay parking fees for guests visiting his condo.

He told security officers that he had bought his apartment for $1.5 million and then is heard swearing at one officer who responds: "We are just enforcing the rules here."

The Union of Security Employees (USE) said in a statement on Sunday that it is working with the police on the case, and that it has been handing out notices about respecting security officers who are performing their duties.

It said: "While we empathise with the resident on his unhappiness with the rules of the estate, his right of recourse should be through his management committee.

"We strongly condemn any form of abuse of our security officers. The union stands united with our officers."

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The incident has been reported to the police.

The presidents of the Security Association Singapore and the Association of Certified Security Agencies spoke out on Saturday to defend the security officers in the video, saying that they were just enforcing rules set by the condo's management.

Meanwhile, JP Morgan, which employs the man, said it is aware of the video and it is looking into the matter. It declined to say whether it paid for the man's accommodation and for how long he has been a JP Morgan employee.

Labour MP Zainal Sapari cited the incident in arguing for more protection for security officers.

Mr Zainal said in a Facebook post on Sunday that the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) should be extended to include security officers in condos and private establishments, in addition to the public service workers that it currently protects.

Those found guilty of abusing or insulting condo security officers could then be fined up to $5,000, jailed up to a year, or both.

Mr Zainal wrote: "Myself and MP Patrick Tay have urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to consider covering all private security officers under POHA regardless of their worksite. They must be protected regardless of any artificial boundary of public or private common spaces."

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A screenshot of the man explaining his side of the story was making the rounds online on Sunday after being posted on a Facebook page for his condo's residents.

He claimed that the security officers were "bullying" his visitors by asking what time they were going to leave.

The man said his Deepavali weekend had been ruined by the incident as he had received more than 200 threatening calls after he disclosed his mobile number in the viral video.

"I am threatened by the same security (that is) supposed to protect me," he wrote.

The Straits Times attempted to contact the man but calls went straight to his voicemail.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.