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SINGAPORE: A man was fined S $ 2,000 on Friday (October 9) for using abusive words and behaving in a threatening manner towards a manager of the Housing Development Board (HDB), for an issue involving his neighbor’s dog .
Chong Pit Chung, 58, pleaded guilty to one charge under the Protection Against Harassment Act for his abusive words and threatening behavior towards a public servant.
The court heard that Chong had gone to the HDB branch in Block 118, Aljunied Avenue 2 on January 23 and requested that HDB install a closed-circuit television camera outside his apartment.
“The defendant said that his neighbor on level nine had been letting his dog poop outside his unit for the past few months and the problem had persisted, even though he had made multiple reports to the city council,” said Assistant District Attorney Regina Lim .
As Chong spoke very loudly and in an agitated manner, the HDB manager asked Chong to speak to her inside her office.
While in the office, Chong became “very angry” when the victim told him that HDB would not pay for the CCTV or install it for him.
She told him that HDB could write to the city council for a permit for the installation of CCTV, and that he would have to do the installation himself.
Chong continued to speak in a very loud voice, scolding the victim vulgarities and slapped his hand on the victim’s desk several times.
He also asked him to jump off a building. The victim tried to calm him down and eventually left the office.
Because of Chong’s words and actions, the HDB manager was frightened and alarmed, Deputy Prosecutor Shana Poon said.
She asked the police for help after he left, as she was worried that he would return.
As mitigation, Chong said he had a weak heart and was “hasty.”
“This problem arising from the neighbor’s dog poop has been bothering me for some time,” he said through a Mandarin interpreter.
“I admit my mistake. I hope you are lenient with me,” Chong said, adding that he is currently recovering from a car accident.
For using abusive words and threatening behavior towards a person doing his duty as a public official, Chong could have been imprisoned for up to a year, fined up to S $ 5,000, or both.
