Man pulled open MRT train doors several times over two weeks after bipolar disorder relapse

Over a fortnight, a man pulled open doors of moving and stationary MRT trains on various lines as he wanted to test them and had suffered a relapse of his bipolar disorder.

He was caught on several videos that went viral on social media.

On Jan 5, Vanessa Wang Zi Qi, 47, whom court documents identified as male, pleaded guilty to two counts of being a public nuisance and one count of voluntarily causing hurt.

Another charge of being a public nuisance will be taken into consideration during his sentencing, scheduled for Jan 17.

District Judge Kessler Soh called for a mandatory treatment order (MTO) suitability report after both Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Yvonne Poon and Wang’s lawyer, Mr Kalaithasan Karuppaya, asked for one.

If given an MTO, Wang will undergo treatment for his mental conditions in lieu of jail time.

DPP Poon said Wang was diagnosed with gender dysphoria and bipolar disorder in 2019 and missed follow-up treatment for two years.

According to medical websites, gender dysphoria refers to a sense of unease that someone may have as a result of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity.

DPP Poon said there was a contributory link from Wang’s bipolar disorder to his offences, and that a hypomanic mood state would have impaired his judgment and his impulse control.

She said he was not of unsound mind then, and was fit to plead in court.

She added: “He would benefit from continued psychiatric treatment, including medication and psychotherapy. His compliance with treatment would significantly reduce both his risk of harm to others and his risk of re-offending.”

DPP Poon said that on Nov 29, 2023, at about 12.50pm, Wang pulled at the doors of an MRT train travelling between Khatib and Yio Chu Kang stations.

He wanted to test if the doors could be opened when the train was moving, and forced a gap between them.

The DPP said other passengers were alarmed and told Wang to stop. One of them asked him to wait for the next stop.

At Yio Chu Kang station, after Wang continued to pull on the doors and prevent them from closing, a passenger pressed the emergency button in the train.

Mr Foo Jee Yong, 65, an SMRT senior station manager, arrived with several colleagues.

Mr Foo asked Wang to leave the train with him and his colleagues, but Wang refused and shouted at them not to touch him.

Wang called the police, saying that SMRT staff were making him alight, and he wanted to meet the police at Bishan station rather than at Yio Chu Kang station.

The SMRT staff remained on the train with Wang as it travelled towards Ang Mo Kio station.

To avoid being touched, Wang swung his elbows and kicked Mr Foo’s leg multiple times.

When they reached Ang Mo Kio station, other SMRT staff removed Wang from the train as he was kicking violently and shouting.

He lay down on the platform and refused to move before calling the Singapore Civil Defence Force, claiming that he was injured.

DPP Poon said videos of Wang pulling open the train doors were uploaded on social media.

During investigations, Wang admitted he had been pulling MRT doors open along various lines from the middle of November to December 2023 and could not remember how many times he had done so.

On Nov 27, 2023, he had pulled open the doors of a train from the inside while it was stationary at Braddell station and created a gap wide enough that two to three people could walk through.

Videos of the incident were uploaded on social media.

A report by a senior resident at the Institute of Mental Health on Dec 20, 2023, said that around the time of his offences, Wang was experiencing a hypomanic relapse of his bipolar disorder.

This was characterised by elevated and irritable moods, increased energy, reduced need for sleep, and excessive involvement in activities that had potential for painful consequences.

DPP Poon, citing the report, said: “He was also suffering from borderline personality disorder, characterised by disturbances in his self-image and sense of self, fears of abandonment, a pattern of short-lived, unstable relationships, chronic feelings of emptiness, and difficulty controlling his temper.”

In mitigation, Mr Kalaithasan said his client has been unemployed since 2021, having previously worked as a technician.

He said Wang was married for 11 years before divorcing his wife in 2017.

Mr Kalaithasan said this was the first time Wang had run afoul of the law, and he was cooperative with the authorities.

He said: “He needs help, Your Honour. So, an MTO would be better suited to him and to prevent future risk of harm.”