Singapore – A man was fined for swearing at a National Environment Agency (NEA) officer after getting caught smoking in a no-smoking zone in Orchard Road.
On Monday (Jan 18), 31-year-old Kenneth Tan Wei Liang was fined S$1,500 in court for using abusive words on an officer while in an open-air car park near 313 Somerset in Apr 2020, reported channelnewsasia.com.
Mr Tan was smoking in a no-smoking zone near a lamp post in Orchard Road on Apr 28, 2020, when two NEA enforcement officers spotted the violation.
The officers approached Mr Tan and asked for his identification details for issuance of a summons.
The report noted that Mr Tan retrieved his identification card from his car and threw it on top of his bonnet before hurling vulgarities at one of the officers.
“F*** your whole family man,” on top of “c***b** if I zao (run) how are you all going to chase me man” were some of the offensive statements used by Mr Tan.
The officer lodged a police report at Orchard Neighbourhood Police Centre, noting Mr Tan had cursed at him while he was on duty.
Using abusive words on a public servant could yield up to one-year imprisonment, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
The court also considered a second charge of smoking in a no-smoking zone near a lamp post.
According to gov.sg, smoking is not allowed in most indoor locations in Singapore. However, there are certain premises or designated areas which permit smoking. 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.
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