The walkabout of presidential candidate Ng Kok Song was disrupted on Tuesday evening, August 29th, at Clementi Central.
A man, riding his bicycle into the crowd not once, but twice, was seen in videos creating a scene filled with profanities and threatening gestures.
According to CNA, the man had shouted another presidential candidate’s name, Tan Kin Lian, during Ng Kok Song’s walkabout in the evening as he shouted vulgarities at the 75-year-old presidential hopeful.
Fortunately, Ng Kok Song emerged unscathed from the incident. His team released a statement confirming that he was not hurt and affirmed their commitment to continue his campaign activities without interruption.
What was in the video
The man responsible for the disruption appeared near the fountains adjacent to Clementi Mall, clad in a red T-shirt. The timing was crucial, as Ng Kok Song was engaged in posing for photos with his fiancee Sybil Lau and engaging with members of the public.
Reacting swiftly, Ng’s younger brother, Charles Ng, positioned himself between the presidential candidate and the disruptor. Gesturing for the man to leave and emphasizing the disruption he was causing, Charles played a crucial role in maintaining order during the chaos.
The situation escalated as the man continued to shout at Ng Kok Song, urging him to “go home.” He further intensified the disturbance by hurling vulgarities and menacing gestures. In response, Charles Ng and other team members interposed themselves between the disruptor and the candidate, signaling to the public that the photo session was momentarily halted.
After a short standoff, the man eventually left the scene, allowing Ng Kok Song to resume taking photos with those who patiently waited. However, to everyone’s astonishment, the man returned for a second time, cycling once again into the crowd.
Tan Kin Lian responds
Following the incident, Tan Kin Lian spoke to the media and said that the man was not among his regular supporters, based on the circulating videos of the incident, according to Mothership.
He also issued a statement on his Facebook page, saying that they “cannot confirm if the individual involved in a real TKL (Tan Kin Lian) supporter,” but appealed to his supporters to behave themselves in a respectful manner to all candidates and members of the public.
He also urged Ng to report the incident tot he police.
Tan Kin Lian’s Facebook statement
STATEMENT
Mr Tan Kin Lian has been informed of an unfortunate incident involving a disruption to another candidate’s walkabout and hopes no one is hurt by this.
While we cannot confirm if the individual involved is a real TKL supporter, Tan Kin Lian would like to take this opportunity to request that all his supporters behave in a respectful manner to all candidates and members of the public.
Featured Image Source: Screen capture from CNA Youtube Video and Tan Kin Lian Facebook