SINGAPORE: Kwok Yen Ming, 36, was at Sengkang MRT station on July 8 when he noticed a man holding a mobile phone at an awkward position at chest level.
The healthcare worker realised the man was pointing his phone towards an unsuspecting female commuter on the escalator and confronted the culprit.
On Friday (Sept 4), Kwok was among three members of the public and two public transport employees who were recognised for stopping and catching voyeurs at MRT stations.
Held at the Punggol Coast MRT station, the Public Transport Security Command Community Roadshow also launched a new digital storybook aimed at empowering readers to be more active in spotting and reporting suspicious people, items or acts on their daily commute.
A refreshed slate of crime prevention advertising and visuals will also be displayed at some MRT stations to raise public awareness.
Kwok, who received the SaferSG Public Spiritedness Award, said: “I observed the man was shadowing the woman and I suspected he may have been filming. So, I quickly let her know and asked if she needed my assistance.”
He said he chased the man, and put his arm around him to prevent him from escaping.
During the confrontation, Kwok flagged down the train station’s assistant station manager, Tan Seng Huat. Tan, 52, was awarded the SaferSG Partner (Individual) Award for his role in the incident.
They checked the man’s phone and discovered voyeuristic materials before calling the police.
Said Kwok: “It was the right thing to do. I’m sure this type of things happen daily and we need more members of the public to step up and do their part to assist victims.”
Speaking at the roadshow on Sept 4, Second Minister for Home Affairs Sim Ann said Singapore must do better even as the number of outrage of modesty cases occurring on public transportation dropped from 84 cases in the first half of 2025 to 60 cases in the first half of 2026.
She added that the drop in cases was significant as the train network had expanded, which would mean an increase in commuters.
Sim said: “While Singapore’s public land transport network is generally safe, an alert and vigilant community remains an important defence against crime and security threats. A timely observation, a prompt report, or a willingness to help someone in need can make a real difference.”
One way is to join the Riders-on-Watch network, which allows participants to receive information on crime, alerts and advisories from the police related to public transport.
It comes under the SaferSG, Together movement that was launched on Nov 29, to address the growing need for community involvement in Singapore’s safety and security.
Four key areas were identified: crime prevention, scam awareness, road safety education, and emergency preparedness.
Sim said there are currently more than 17,000 members in the group which was launched in 2019.
She added the Government will also amplify the police’s “Don’t be a Bystander! SPOT it. Report it” year-long campaign that was launched in 2026.
This includes a series of crime prevention visuals at key MRT stations.
Sim added: “With more than seven million commuter riders daily, we hope the campaign will help us raise public awareness of safety and security issues in our public land transport network.”
Samri Kudin, senior assistant engineer at SMRT Trains was one of two recipients of the SaferSG Partner (Individual) Award on Sept 4.
Samri said he was on the way to work at Caldecott MRT station when he noticed a young man standing very closely to a female student.
Suspecting the man was filming the girl, Samri stopped him when the pair reached the MRT platform before calling for security.
“At that point, all I knew was that what he was doing was not right and I wanted to stop him and make sure the girl was feeling all right,” said Samri.
Official statistics show there were 486 cases of voyeurism reported to the police in 2025, compared to the 519 cases in 2024, and 476 such cases in 2023.
The police say most reported cases occur at residential premises, shopping malls and on public transport. - The Straits Times/ANN
