Post by : Meena Ariff

Photo: AFP

A 57-year-old man in Singapore has been charged in court for damaging political party flags and posters and troubling party volunteers on the day of the country’s General Election.

The man, Seng Guan Heng, is facing five different charges. These include mischief, harassment, using force on others, and causing trouble while being drunk.

The incident happened late at night on May 3, which was the polling day for the Singapore General Election 2025. According to court papers, Seng damaged five posters belonging to the People’s Action Party (PAP) and broke two flag poles at an open-air car park in Hougang Avenue 5 at around 11.20 pm. The posters he damaged were worth about SGD 205, which is around RM 680.

He was also accused of using rude Hokkien words towards PAP volunteers, showing them his middle finger, and pushing two men on their chests. During this time, he was said to be drunk and shouting loudly.

Seng appeared alone in court. He spoke through a Mandarin interpreter and told the judge that he plans to plead guilty to the charges. He also said that he needs to travel often for his work and mentioned that he has upcoming trips to Vietnam and Indonesia.

However, the judge told him clearly that he cannot travel freely once he has been charged in court. The judge explained that every time he wants to travel, he must apply to the court for permission. The judge also said that his bail amount will increase each time he applies for travel.

The court has postponed his case to August for further discussion.

If Seng is found guilty of the mischief charge, he could be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both. For the harassment charge, he could face up to six months in jail or be fined up to SGD 5,000. Using criminal force on someone carries a punishment of up to three months in jail or a fine of SGD 1,500. Causing trouble while being drunk could lead to six months in jail, a fine of SGD 1,000, or both.