‘Badge Lady’ convicted of not wearing mask in Orchard Road and not helping in STB investigation

Phoon Chiu Yoke, more popularly known as “Badge Lady”, was convicted of four charges after a trial, three of which were for not wearing a mask in Orchard Road.

The first charge was for walking maskless at Mandarin Gallery in Orchard Road from 3.02pm to 3.04pm on March 6, 2022.

The second was for not wearing a mask while walking past a Victoria’s Secret outlet between 3.35pm and 3.37pm.

Wearing masks outdoors became optional in Singapore only from March 29, 2022.

Another charge was for walking within ION Orchard mall without a mask on Aug 16, 2022. Mask-wearing indoors in places such as malls was made optional only on Aug 29.

On Friday, District Judge Tan Jen Tse said video evidence showed the accused without a mask, and she was also positively identified by witnesses.

The judge said she had no reasonable excuse for not wearing a mask, and convicted her on the charges.

Also on Friday, Phoon, 56, had earlier said in her closing submissions that there was no longer a requirement to wear a mask today, and questioned the need for prosecution.

She said: “If the section (in the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020) has been revoked, then why are we sitting here discussing an offence that is no longer an offence?

“It comes across as being very vindictive, it comes across as getting back onto this person, looking for the slightest problem.”

Pressing her point, Phoon asked: “Is there a victim in this case? Is there someone else who was seriously hurt because I was not wearing a mask? Was there huge financial losses incurred because I was not wearing a mask?”

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Heershan Kaur said at the point in time when Phoon committed the offences, it was a chargeable offence.

DPP Kaur firmly rejected this allegation and said the IO impounded Phoon’s passport under the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Phoon also faced another charge of failing to attend an interview into an investigation by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) regarding a mask-related offence.

In the prosecution’s submissions, DPP Kaur said Phoon had been given three chances to go to STB.

She did not comply with the first two orders on Mar 19 and 23, 2022, and she made a police report on Mar 24 accusing someone of impersonating STB officers.

On the same day of the report, STB’s investigation officers explained to Phoon about their powers and showed her their badges. Phoon suggested going to STB on Mar 31, said the prosecutor.

But she didn’t turn up or answered the officer’s calls.

Phoon claimed that anybody familiar with the STB would know that it “does not have enforcement powers”, and claimed she had filed a police report as a dutiful citizen.

She also cast doubt on the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of her not wearing a mask that had been submitted as evidence, describing it as “staged” footage that did not verify her identity.

Phoon, who served 12 years of service in the Republic of Singapore Navy as one of the pioneer female naval commanding officers, was sentenced to 16 weeks’ jail in September 2021 for a separate set of mask-related offences.

Phoon first made headlines when she was caught on video not wearing a mask at Marina Bay Sands on May 15, 2021. The clip, which went viral, showed her telling safe distancing ambassadors: “Who are you? Who are you representing? Where is your badge? Show me your badge.”

Images of her were circulated on social media, as she went around without a mask at several locations, including Jewel Changi Airport and Orchard Road.

She will be sentenced on Sept 11.

Phoon is liable for stiffer punishment as a repeat offender. For each charge she faces, she could be fined up to $20,000, or imprisoned up to 12 months, or both, which is twice the maximum fine or jail time as compared to a first offender.