A security guard has been dismissed from his job after allegedly harassing several hawkers at ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre, including making unreasonable demands and taking photographs of stalls following disputes with stall owners.
The allegations came to light after a member of the public posted about the man’s behaviour in the Facebook group Complaint Singapore. According to the post, the middle-aged man had approached several hawkers on different occasions and became confrontational when his requests could not be fulfilled.
The man allegedly told hawkers, “I’m going to make you famous” after some of the incidents before taking photographs of their stalls. The post claimed that there had been three separate occasions involving similar behaviour, although the allegations have not been independently verified.
Disputes over food and service
One of the alleged incidents involved the man asking a hawker for a refill of soup despite not having purchased anything. He reportedly continued arguing with the stall owner after his request was rejected.
In another incident, the man allegedly approached hawkers while they were busy preparing noodles. According to the complaint, he became upset when they did not respond to him immediately and accused them of being rude.
A separate dispute reportedly occurred after a hawker told him that the stall could not provide a one-person portion of claypot rice. The man’s reaction allegedly caused a disturbance at the stall. Members of the public who encountered him reportedly estimated that he was around 60 years old and said he was wearing a security company uniform.
Employer launches investigation
The security company involved, Amber Regency, said it was aware of the incident involving one of its security guards who had been stationed at one of its duty locations.
The company said it treated the allegations seriously and launched an internal investigation after learning about the complaints.
Following the investigation, disciplinary action was taken against the employee and his employment was terminated with immediate effect for what the company described as serious misconduct.
Company says inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated
Amber Regency also said it would not tolerate employees harassing, insulting or intimidating members of the public, or engaging in other inappropriate conduct while carrying out their duties.
The dismissal means the security guard is no longer employed by the company, following the complaints concerning his alleged interactions with hawkers at the Bukit Merah-area food centre.
The allegations have also renewed attention on the difficult interactions that can sometimes occur between customers and hawkers, who often have to manage food preparation, orders and payments simultaneously during busy periods.
While disagreements over service or food requests can happen, the incident highlights how confrontational behaviour can quickly escalate, particularly when stall owners are working in a crowded and fast-paced environment.
The allegations against the man remain allegations, based on the reported complaints and social media post. However, his employer’s subsequent investigation and decision to terminate his employment demonstrate that the company considered the matter serious enough to warrant disciplinary action.