PAP volunteer releases footage of altercations with PSP
One of the PAP volunteers involved in altercations with the opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has released video footage from the incident on social media.
Mr Azman Ibrahim in a Facebook post on Jan 9 identified himself as one of the volunteers involved in the series of altercations between the parties during outreach efforts in Bukit Gombak on Jan 4.
Each side is alleging harassment by the other and offering a different account of what happened. A PSP volunteer lodged a police report over the incident and investigations are ongoing.
In his post, Mr Azman uploaded two videos showing interactions with PSP volunteers.
The first shows a group of PSP members standing in a circle speaking to an unidentified female People’s Action Party volunteer.
Subtitles on the video state: “I saw my fellow female volunteer being surrounded by the group of PSP volunteers. Was concerned and started shooting a video of the encounter.”
The video goes on to show a female PSP volunteer moving close to the camera, using fliers to cover the lens.
The second video shows a male PSP volunteer taking videos of himself with Mr Azman.
Subtitles on the video state: “A PSP member kept taunting me, forcing me to take a selfie with him.”
Another PSP volunteer can be heard in the video telling the first man that they should leave, before the pair walk away from Mr Azman.
As they pass Mr Azman, the men appear to make contact off camera. Mr Azman subtitled this part of the video with the statement: “I got slapped as they walked past me.”
In his post, Mr Azman said he released the videos because he has been troubled since the incident.
He said: “That day, I was supporting my fellow volunteers doing visit. I saw my female volunteer being surrounded, and I was worried. At that point, both sides were taking video of each other.”
He added: “What I didn’t expect is that they will get agitated and physical. My family and I have been targeted online. My family and I have been hurt. Now that a police report is made, I hope truth will come out.”
The Straits Times has confirmed that Mr Azman is a PAP volunteer, and that he was one of the volunteers mentioned in Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Low Yen Ling’s account of the incident.
Her account differs from an earlier one from PSP member and former election candidate S. Nallakaruppan, which was posted on Facebook on Jan 4, the day of the incident.
The PSP has also released video footage of the incident. On Jan 8, PSP chairman Tan Cheng Bock posted a video allegedly taken by a PSP volunteer in a lift.
In the video, a man, allegedly a PAP volunteer, is seen filming PSP volunteers with a mobile phone.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now