Singapore — Could this be the case of another ‘sovereign’ citizen? A maskless man was filmed on the MRT holding a cigarette, openly coughing and drinking from a bottle of Coca-Cola.
The video, which went viral on Tuesday (Sep 7) showed the man on the East-West line. In the video, he was also seen coughing in the direction of another commuter for nearly 15 seconds. According to a Facebook post of the incident, it occurred earlier this year, on Apr 1 at around 9.50 am.
It showed a man in black having his face mask pulled up over his forehead. The seat to his left is empty, but on his right is another commuter who is seen just using his phone.
In the video, the man holds a cigarette between his pointer and middle fingers, but it is not clear from the video whether the cigarette is lit.
He also opens his bottled soft drink to take a big gulp. After taking another drink from the bottle, he swallows the gulp and begins to cough lightly, without covering his mouth.
He continues to cough, makes a fist and coughs into his hand. A man wearing a blue shirt who is sitting two seats to his left glances over at him but does not move. The maskless man then turns toward the direction of the empty seat next to him, still coughing.
Responding to media queries, Margaret Teo, Chief Communications Officer at SMRT Corporation, said: “Last evening, we were alerted to an undated video showing an unmasked man drinking and smoking in a train on the East-West line. We have referred the incident to the authorities.
SMRT does not condone socially irresponsible behaviour that affects the safety of others, and strongly encourages our commuters to keep their masks on at all times and to observe safe commuting guidelines.”
Under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020, individuals found not wearing a mask or not wearing a mask properly outside their place of residence could face a fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both.
If an individual is caught smoking in a prohibited place, they are liable for a composition sum of S$200, or up to S$1,000 if convicted in court.
Smokers are liable to a composition sum of S$200 if caught smoking in prohibited places, or up to S$1,000 if convicted in court.
According to the Rapid Transit Systems Act, no food and drink may be consumed in MRT trains and stations. Individuals who do so are liable for a fine of up to S$500. /TISG