Twins Assaulted Police Officer at Void Deck Coz’ They ‘Don’t Like His Face’

Discrimination exists in many forms.

Some, for instance, may judge others by their intelligence.

Others by their social standing.

In this time and age, however, visuals seem to reign supreme. And so it’s hardly alien how several would judge based on looks.

But here’s the thing.

Despite societal discriminations nowadays, discriminators still don’t usually punch faces just because they, well…

Dislike what they see.

Twins Assaulted Police Officer at Void Deck Coz’ They ‘Don’t Like His Face’

According to TODAYonline, an encounter between a gang member and a group of patrolling officers soon turned nasty when the former decided that he did not like one of the officers’ faces.

The violent incident transpired on 23 February 2020, at Block 755, Jurong West Street 74.

According to the news report, Muhammad Farhan Jaffri had been arguing with his wife at a void deck on that day, at around 4:00 a.m.

He was reportedly in a drunken stupor.

After a member of the public alerted the cops, four police officers turned up to investigate the scene.

The officers then inquired whether everything was alright.

Farhan, however, was defensive and expressed scepticism about their intentions. But it was not until his twin brother’s intervention that the situation escalated in tension.

Apparently, Farhan’s twin brother Muhammad Fiqkri Jaffri was aggressive when he came down from a nearby staircase, and reportedly ordered the officers to shut up.

He then asked his brother, Farhan, and wife to go up to his flat.

They complied.

Farhan soon returned, however, and reportedly threw vulgarities at the officers, stating that he “did not like their faces”.

His brother then asked Farhan to be more specific, and the latter pointed at Sergeant Chong Jiawei.

They began to rain blows on the affiliated officer.

A tussle soon broke out, and it wasn’t until an officer hit Fikqri with a police baton that he was restrained.

Farhan was subsequently contained as well, though he proved uncooperative and even ended up breaking the rear window of the police vehicle.

Injuries

Sergeant Chong was eventually conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where it was determined that he had sustained a head concussion and abrasions.

According to a medical report, he had momentarily lost consciousness during the assault.

Chong was then sent to the neurological ward for two days for more extensive monitoring, and was subsequently given 29 days of hospitalisation leave.

According to the news report, Farhan had been part of the Sio Kun Tong secret society from February 2014 to June 2020.

He also had an earlier affiliation with the gang since 2007.

Sentencing

On 11 June 2021, Farhan was sentenced to two years, nine months and four weeks’ imprisonment and three strokes of the cane.

He also received a fine of S$3,500.

In total, Farhan pleaded guilty to five charges, including one for causing grievous hurt to a public servant.

Meanwhile, his brother has also been charged.

For harming a public servant, offenders could face up to 10 years in jail, a fine or caning.

Secret Society

Though uncommon, gangsterism undeniably remains here in Singapore.

And despite a multitude of arrests in recent times, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam have maintained that the situation in Singapore remains under control.

An average of 112 rioting and serious hurt cases have been linked to local secret societies each year for the past five years, he said.

However, cases involving the use of weapons such as parangs have declined over the same period.

These days, secret societies are chiefly loosely-organised gangs, and mainly comprise youths who jump from group to group, Mr Shangmugam said.

The number of youths who fell afoul of the law for secret society-related offences has remained stable in the last five years, but youth gangs remain a serious concern for the authorities.

The focus on gang-related activities was likely triggered by the arrests of 151 individuals for being suspected members of unlawful societies.

The authorities conducted a two-week enforcement operation to suppress gang activities between 21 Dec last year and 3 Jan 2021.

They first arrested 24 men on 24 Dec, 2020, 75 men about a week later, and another 52 later on.

The arrests came after a series of rioting attacks last December, some of which led to serious injuries.

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