The woman whose claim to fame was to ask for safe distancing ambassadors’ badges when they asked her to put on a face mask while standing in line at Marina Bay Sands is out and about.
And yet, despite Singapore’s Covid-19 case count still being in the thousands daily, she’s allegedly going around with her face exposed to the world. Just how long this will go on is anyone’s guess. If she continues unmasked, she may yet end up in jail again.
This is the second sighting of Phoon Chiu Yoke, 54, in as many weeks.
Last week, on March 6, she was spotted—sans face covering—by popular blogger Wendy Cheng aka Xiaxue along Orchard Road, where the influencer just happened to be filming at the time.
And on Saturday (March 12), Phoon was seen again, this time at Jewel Changi Airport shortly before 4:30 pm.
A netizen submitted a six-second video of Phoon to mothership.sg walking around with what appeared to be a bag of food in her hand.
Pictures of Phoon were also posted on the Instagram account of Singapore Incidents.
And maybe she gets a pass this time for being unmasked because she was eating? Maybe, maybe not.
In May of last year, the Badge Lady, a former naval officer, had her 15 minutes of fame (or the opposite) not only for refusing to wear a mask but for demanding that the safe distancing officers who asked her to cover her nose and mouth amid the Covid-19 pandemic produce and show her their badges.
Hence, the nickname.
She was spotted repeatedly asking for the safe distancing ambassadors’ badges as they advised her to wear a mask while queueing at MBS.
“If you have no badge, why are you asking me to do something?” she was heard saying. “Who are you representing?” she asked.
The 54-year-old failed to wear a mask last year on numerous occasions in public places, including the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) integrated resort and outside the State Courts.
She admitted to her offences in a district court on Sept 6, 2021, and was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail.
Last week, when she was first spotted after some time, Xiaxue approached her and asked for an interview.
“She ignored me just glared at me then I asked if she is the badge lady and she glared at me in silence and walked off,” Xiaxue wrote in an Instagram Story.
She added, “She really next level really not wearing mask!!! I love how she really die die stick to her principles”.
Xiaxue added that half an hour later, Phoon walked by her again and was still not wearing a mask. /TISG
Badge lady in hot soup again after being spotted along Orchard Road without mask by Xiaxue