Man caught on CCTV defecating at Punggol HDB staircase; resident makes police report

A resident in Punggol was disgusted after she spotted a man defecating on a public stairwell on Monday (Feb 23). 

Shila Omar, a 36-year-old clinic executive, posted CCTV footage of the incident on Facebook that same day, appealing for help to identify the culprit. 

She captioned: "This person was seen at my staircase area earlier and left the place in a very unhygienic condition," she captioned. 

"If anyone recognises him, please PM me. This is concerning for the safety and cleanliness of our block. Thank you. Super disgusting!"

In the 48-second video, a man dressed in a turquoise top and dark-coloured bottom can be seen walking up the staircase with tissue paper in his hand.

The man seemingly peers around the corner to check the area before removing his pants and squatting to defecate on the floor. 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, Shila said that she was leaving for work at about 8.40am that day when she noticed something on the staircase landing. 

When she took a closer view and zoomed in with her camera, she realised it was faeces. She later reviewed her CCTV footage and saw the man defecating at the staircase landing area. 

Shila told AsiaOne she called Town Council and a cleaner arrived to clean up the excrement an hour later. She also filed a police report on Tuesday morning. 

Shina said: "I do not know who he is. It is very unhygienic and inappropriate behaviour." 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, Punggol Town Council said that it is aware of the incident and a conservancy contractor was deployed promptly to clean the affected area on the same day.

It added that the case has been referred to the relevant agency for investigation.

Advisories have also been placed in the vicinity to remind members of the public of the importance of proper conduct in public spaces.

@asiaone A resident in Punggol filed a police report after spotting a man defecating at a public stairwell on Feb 23. The incident, which left the area in an unhygienic condition, was cleaned up about an hour after she alerted the Town Council. According to NEA, urinating or defecating in public is an offence and offenders may be fined up to $1,000 for a first conviction. #Singapore #sgnews #NEA ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Urinating or defecating in public 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, NEA said that urinating or defecating in public is an offence under the Environmental Public Health (Public Cleansing) Regulations. 

The agency added that it will take enforcement action against any person found committing such unhygienic and socially irresponsible acts.

First-time offenders face a composition fine of $300 and may be fined up to $1,000, if convicted in court.

Members of the public who observe such acts may use NEA's online feedback form or the myENV app to report such incidents.

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esther.lam@asiaone.com