‘Badge Lady’ Allegedly Seen Walking Around Orchard Road With No Mask On
Last year, a video of a woman refusing to comply with safety measures and going maskless at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) went viral online. The ‘badge lady’ went on to make the news multiple times before she went quiet following a jail term.
It seems like old habits die hard, as she was once again spotted without a mask.
On Sunday (6 Mar), Singaporean influencer Wendy Cheng, or Xiaxue, uploaded a video of the ‘badge lady’, Ms Phoon Chiu Yoke, walking behind her at Orchard Road.
In the video, Phoon was seen walking past Xiaxue without wearing a mask.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) commented that they were aware of the alleged incident.
They are now carrying out investigations, reported The Straits Times (ST).
‘Badge lady’ allegedly caught walking around without a mask
On 6 Mar, Xiaxue uploaded an Instagram Story showing a woman who appeared to be Phoon, 54, walking along Orchard Road.
In the video, Phoon evidently did not have her mask on.
Xiaxue shared that she later approached Phoon who merely “ignored me (her)” and “just glared at me (her) in silence”.
According to ST, the influencer was filming interviews with passers-by outside Mandarin Gallery when the incident happened.
Served jail term for failing to wear a mask at MBS
In May last year, a video of Phoon’s refusal to wear a mask at MBS despite a Safe Distancing Ambassador (SDA)’s warning went viral.
After multiple court proceedings which eventually saw her pleading guilty to 9 charges, Phoon was jailed for 16 weeks in September.
‘Badge Lady’ Gets 16 Weeks’ Jail For Not Wearing Mask At MBS & Public Places
She admitted to not wearing a mask when visiting several public places such as Newton Hawker Centre, St Andrew’s Cathedral, and most infamously, MBS.
STB currently investigating alleged incident
TODAY Online reported that STB is aware of the alleged incident.
Though they didn’t confirm that the lady was Ms Phoon, they stated that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
STB also took the opportunity to remind the public to comply with safe management measures (SMMs) including mask-wearing.
Anyone guilty of disobeying the rules could face enforcement actions, including fines and prosecution under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020.
Once bitten, but not twice shy
This time around, it seems like the ‘badge lady’ didn’t go around asking for anyone to show her their badge.
Jokes aside, we hope that the authorities can resolve the matter smoothly.
Hopefully, the lady will finally learn from her mistake and refrain from repeating her offences.
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Featured image adapted from The Straits Times on YouTube.
