UPDATE (3.30pm): In a statement on Facebook, HDB said the 3 SDAs were capturing pictures for “routine reporting purposes” when the incident occurred.
The SDAs have since lodged police reports. Investigations are underway.
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Safe distancing ambassadors (SDAs) are trusted to uphold Covid-19 safety rules. We often see them in their conspicuous red T-shirts, snapping photos of people at places.
One couple’s encounter with SDAs, however, ended with a scuffle. The woman, who was heavily pregnant, alleged that one of them shoved and kicked her.
They have lodged a police report. However, they require witnesses to come forward with statements to help them build their case.
According to the Facebook post, the pregnant woman was with her husband and 3 kids at a playground at Block 536A Woodlands Ave 1 on Wednesday (16 Mar).
At around 6pm, they noticed 3 people snapping pictures of their children. The husband decided to approach them to ask why.
One of the strangers reportedly said, “Nothing concerns you. I will delete them later”, and shoved the husband before running away.
The man tried to chase after them while the woman took photos. When one of the strangers noticed her action, he allegedly pushed her to the ground and kicked her.
“I fell on my tummy, and knowing that I’m pregnant, he kicked me while I was lying down, trying to get back up,” she said, adding that she was 9 months pregnant.
During this time, she noticed a car drove by and honked at them.
When the husband managed to get a hold of the person who kicked her, they realised that the 3 strangers were SDAs.
I found the pass at the grass patch but we are still unsure if they are real SDAs.
Police arrived 10 minutes later. The couple proceeded to lodge a report and gave their statements.
Thankfully, the woman shared that her baby was fine, even though her face was swollen and bruised.
To make a stronger case, the couple is looking for witnesses, especially the driver who travelled past them during the incident, to give details.
The woman also called on the authorities to shed light on the pressing questions she has:
You can contact the woman via her Facebook post if you have details about the incident.
MS News has reached out to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) for comment.
SDAs are a part of Singapore’s collective efforts to keep the country safe during the pandemic. Hence, citizens are inclined to hold them to high standards.
While the case is under investigation, the circumstances described thus far are deeply concerning. Perhaps the authorities should relook the need to train SDAs to display professional behaviour at all times.
In the meantime, we hope witnesses can come forward to help with police investigations.
Have you had any unpleasant encounters with SDAs before? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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