Police Investigating “Man in Woman’s Dress” Who Force Opens MRT Train Door & Lies At Station

If you happened to be aboard the train bound for Yio Chu Kang in the afternoon on Wednesday (29 November 2023), you might have witnessed a rather alarming incident involving someone attempting to open one of the train doors.

Even if you weren’t on that train, you likely came across several videos of the unsettling incident circulating on social media.

Singapore has long been celebrated for its top-tier public transportation system, but this incident raised serious safety concerns as someone dared to tamper with a moving train.

Dear reader, you’re probably echoing our sentiment: Open the door for what sia?

We’re left puzzled, just like you.

On Wednesday (29 November 2023), around 1pm, a person wearing a black tank top and a pink dress made a rather unusual attempt to forcibly open the door of an MRT train just as it was departing.

This incident didn’t go unnoticed, as a vigilant onlooker captured the entire episode on video. 

The footage was later shared within the Facebook group “2017不吐不快”.

Based on the video and its accompanying caption, this incident unfolded as the train moved to Yio Chu Kang MRT station along the North-South line.

What Happened

With their hair neatly tied in a ponytail, the person appeared to exert significant effort in trying to forcefully part the doors. 

The person is also speculated to be a man wearing a dress.

Failing to make headway, the person shifted their focus to the right panel in a desperate bid to pry it open.

The door budged a bit. However, as one eyewitness reported, some other passengers quickly stepped in to stop this person.

Off-camera, you can hear other passengers yelling at the person, telling them to knock it off. But it wasn’t until a guy calmly walked up and said, “Wait for the next stop.”

A photo at the end of the video shows the person lying on the station floor. 

Two station staff members are talking to them, and three Public Transport Security Command (TransCom) officers are hanging around.

Police Investigations Ongoing

Transport company SMRT is actively cooperating with the police in their investigation regarding the incident.

In response to CNA’s inquiries, SMRT Trains President, Lam Sheau Kai, acknowledged the existence of “multiple videos circulating on social media depicting the same commuter’s attempt to force open a train door”.

Currently, SMRT is providing complete assistance to the police as they conduct their investigation.

Furthermore, the police have confirmed that a report has indeed been filed, and their inquiries into the matter are ongoing.

Mr Lam reported that SMRT station staff received an alert around 1pm on 29 November 2023 about a male commuter, dressed in a dress, who was intentionally attempting to pry open a train door while the train was preparing to depart. 

He emphasised that this act jeopardised not only the safety of the commuter but also that of others aboard the train.

Mr Lam explained that SMRT station staff entered the train to address the situation. Still, the commuter proved uncooperative and became confrontational. 

He also resisted station staff’s efforts to leave the train, which would have allowed other passengers to continue their journeys without disruption.