SINGAPORE – A bus driver who spotted a passenger with his mask down stopped the bus to approach the man and advised him to put on his mask properly. The passenger, Mohamed Reezal Abdullah, 49, followed the driver back to the driver’s seat and hurled vulgarities at him.
Mohamed Reezal was on Tuesday (Nov 9) fined $3,500 under the Protection from Harassment Act for using abusive language against a public service worker.
One other charge of failing to cover his nose with his mask was taken into consideration in his sentencing.
The court heard that on July 20 last year at about 7.30pm, Mohamed Reezal, a Singaporean, boarded SBS service 10 and sat on the upper deck of the bus.
The bus driver, Mr Chua Khea Boon, 61, saw on the closed-circuit television that Mohamed Reezal’s mask was not covering his nose and mouth.
The driver stopped the bus and went to the upper deck to advise him to wear his mask properly before returning to the driver’s seat to continue the journey.
Mohamed Reezal followed Mr Chua and confronted him at the driver’s seat in an aggressive manner.
The victim, fearing for his safety, called SBS’ site office to report the matter, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheah Wenjie.
For about five minutes after, as Mr Chua was driving the bus in Marine Parade, Mohamed Reezal used Hokkien abusive words to scold him.
Mohamed Reezal was represented by lawyer Kalaithasan Karuppaya from Regent Law, who told the court that his client was apologetic and understands the seriousness of the offences.
For using abusive words on a public service worker while the worker is executing his duty, Mohamed Reezal could have been fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or both.
