A dramatic altercation involving five Indonesian women unfolded near Paya Lebar MRT Station on a Sunday afternoon in May, culminating in charges of affray being brought against them in court on Thursday.
According to CNA, The incident, which took place on May 19 at 15 Paya Lebar Road, was sparked by a pre-existing dispute between Sriani, 46, and three other women – Sulastri, 44, Nita Widia Rahayu, 34, and Siti Rukayah Kusni, 47. Maesaroh, 35, allegedly joined forces with Sriani, leading to a physical confrontation between the two groups.
A three-minute video clip that surfaced on Facebook captured the intense altercation, with the women shouting and engaging in a heated brawl as bystanders looked on. According to the charge sheets, Sriani exchanged blows with Sulastri and Siti, while Maesaroh clashed with Nita. Siti was also accused of fighting with Sulastri.
The authorities were alerted to the disturbance at around 2:55 pm, and four of the women were taken into custody on the same day. Siti was identified and arrested about a week later.
In court, the women stood separately, their faces somber as they listened to the proceedings. Sriani, Sulastri, and Siti indicated their intention to plead guilty and were scheduled to do so later this month. Nita and Maesaroh expressed their desire to plead guilty as well, but requested time to engage legal counsel. They will return to court on August 26 for further mentions of their cases.
The penalty for affray carries a maximum sentence of one year’s imprisonment, a fine of up to SGD 5,000, or both. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of allowing personal disputes to escalate into public altercations.