• Sulaiman Shaik Alladin, 53, repeatedly refused to comply with requests for his particulars
• The auxiliary police officers wanted to issue him a summons for littering
• Instead, he verbally and physically abused them

SINGAPORE — After two auxiliary police officers caught him throwing a cigarette butt on the ground in Tampines, a 53-year-old man not only refused to give them his particulars but used vulgar language on them. 

Sulaiman Shaik Alladin also kicked one of the Certis Cisco officers in the knees and tried to fling a bicycle at them. It did not hit them.

Sulaiman, a repeat offender, was on Friday (Dec 18) jailed 18 weeks.

The officers were performing anti-littering enforcement duties around Tampines Mall for the National Environment Agency (NEA).

On Friday, Sulaiman pleaded guilty to two charges under the Protection from Harassment Act, one count of causing hurt to a public servant, and another count of attempting to use criminal force on a public servant.

District Judge Marvin Bay considered two other charges during sentencing.

WHAT HAPPENED

The court heard that on June 6, the two officers spotted Sulaiman littering and asked for his particulars. They identified themselves as NEA enforcement officers.

Sulaiman refused and walked away, so they followed him to a park connector along Tampines Street 21.

When they told him to cooperate and provide his details so that they could issue him a summons for littering, he gestured aggressively and shouted phrases including: “Your father want to play with me, ah? Your grandmother want to play with me, ah?”

He also shouted Hokkien vulgarities at the officers and waved his fist at one of them while saying: “You want or what?”

He later handed over a card, which was not his National Registration Identity Card (NRIC), to one of the officers.

When the officer asked for his NRIC, Sulaiman replied by shouting: “You’d better go, lah!” 

He then walked off again.

When the officers pursued him once more, Sulaiman became unhappy and pushed one of them on his shoulder and kicked him on his knees.

He then picked up a bicycle parked along the footpath and threw it in their direction, before walking away and shouting: “Better go!”

‘WANTON ABUSE’ OF PUBLIC OFFICERS

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Jason Chua sought the sentence imposed, detailing Sulaiman’s criminal record that dates to 1984.

Most recently, in January, he was put behind bars for four weeks for criminal intimidation, using threatening words and behaviour, and breaching an expedited protection order, which protects victims at risk of violence.

He also served three stints at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre from 1987 to 1994.

In mitigation, Sulaiman, who did not have a lawyer, said that he has been a patient at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) since 1984.

As he is not permanently employed, he said that he would skip taking his medication if he could not afford it and would be unable to control himself. “However, I admit to my wrongdoings.” 

Although he had earlier claimed to have heard voices, DPP Chua noted that an IMH psychiatrist found that he did not suffer symptoms of psychosis or major depressive disorder at the time of his offences. 

He also did not show other associated signs of mental illness and had only a history of substance abuse and problems with alcohol use.

In sentencing Sulaiman, District Judge Bay said that such “wanton abuse and assault” of public officers cannot be tolerated.

“You have three school-going children and so should set a good example,” the judge told Sulaiman.

For using abusive language against the officers, he could have been jailed up to two years or fined up to S$10,000, or received both penalties.

For causing hurt to a public servant, he could have been jailed up to seven years or fined, or punished with both. Offenders may be caned, but those aged 50 or older cannot be caned by law.