33-year-old Siti Zulaika A Rahman was sentenced to a week’s jail for taking videos of her fiance at the Police Cantonment Complex, a protected area in Singapore, according to Channel NewsAsia.
The Case of Siti Zulaika A Rahman
She pleaded guilty to one charge of taking a video in a protected area with her fiance, Mohd Heirizal Kamarzaman, under the Infrastructure Protection Act.
A second similar charge was also considered during her sentencing. taken into consideration. She was jailed because she couldn’t afford to pay the $15,000 fine imposed on her.
What happened?
On 13 July, Siti accompanied her fiance, Heirizal, to report for bail at Central Police Division at Police Cantonment Complex.
During the first visit, Siti took a video of Heirizal with his consent as he exited the glass door. He was seen displaying offensive gestures, which he later uploaded to TikTok with the song “I’m a Gangster” in the background.
The video gained considerable attention, with over 380 likes and 125 shares.
During the second visit, Heirizal filmed the counter desk and a female officer’s face with his phone. After completing his bail reporting, he passed his phone to Siti, who filmed him from the back with his consent.
Heirizal’s exaggerated movements were intended for the camera, and the resulting video contained explicit language directed at the police.
The Legal Implications
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Siaw argued that the Police Cantonment Complex is a protected area under the Infrastructure Protection Act, and there were clear signs indicating that unauthorized filming was prohibited.
The building holds significance from a security perspective as the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department and is a symbol of the Singapore Police Force.
Unauthorized filming, even if unrelated to any malicious intent, undermines the message that the area is protected. The circulation of such videos online can lead to the perception that security measures are not enforced.
Sentencing and Mitigation
In light of the case, the prosecution sought a one to two weeks’ jail term if Siti couldn’t pay the fine. In her defense, Siti stated that she didn’t want to take the videos but feared angering her fiance, who was already facing assault charges in court.
Siti said in her mitigation that she “actually didn’t want to take the videos but I didn’t want to anger my fiance”.
She had reported a case of assault against him. She pleaded for leniency, promising not to repeat such offenses in the future.
S’pore police’s press release
COUPLE ARRESTED AND CHARGED FOR TAKING VIDEOS AT A POLICE STATION
On 4 August 2023, the Police received a report that two videos had been uploaded to social media, showing footage taken at a police station along New Bridge Road.
Following the police report, the Police have arrested a 41-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman separately for their alleged involvement in taking videos at a police station.
The man was charged on 5 August 2023 for making a video recording of a protected area without the permission of the authority of that protected area, an offence under Section 29(4) Infrastructure Protection Act 2017. The offence is alleged to have taken place on 1 August 2023.
The woman will be charged on 8 August 2023 for two charges of making a video recording of a protected area without the permission of the authority of that protected area with common intention, an offence under Section 29(4) Infrastructure Protection Act 2017 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code 1871. The offences are alleged to have taken place on 13 July 2023 and 1 August 2023.
As a police station is declared a protected area under the Infrastructure Protection Act 2017, it is an offence to take photograph, make any film or video recording of a police station without the permission of the authority of that protected area.
If convicted, the offender is liable under Section 29(4) of the Infrastructure Protection Act 2017 to a fine not exceeding $20,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, or both.
The Police would like to remind members of the public to refrain from taking photographs or filming at any protected areas and protected places without permission of the authority.
Screenshots of the videos retrieved from social media ▼
