'Everyone else is wearing, why I still have to wear?' Drunk man arrested after refusing to wear mask, cursing at SMRT staff

From using a neck warmer as a face mask to simply acting like the law does not apply to them, anti-maskers have been a real thorn in the side of many frontline workers since masks were made mandatory in April.

In yet another incident, a 51-year-old man was arrested at Yishun MRT on Sunday (Aug 23) after refusing to wear a mask and verbally abusing multiple SMRT staff, police confirmed. 

The man, who boarded the Circle Line train that day at Holland Village station at about 3.30pm, had been drinking earlier and was even carrying a few bottles of alcohol, an eyewitness told Stomp. 

In one video circulating on social media, the man, who was not identified, was caught raising his voice and swearing at SMRT staff member in red who had approached him on board the train. Squaring up to the staff member, the man was heard saying, "Tell me what you want. I ask you. I ask you. What you want? [sic]"

When two other employees in grey boarded the train at Farrer Road station and tried asking the man to step off the train, he retorted, "Why must I go out? I pay money leh." 

He also appeared to put his hand on one of the employees' chest at one point. 

[embed]https://youtu.be/20piHJh0O3o[/embed]

In a second clip, filmed at Bishan MRT interchange station's North-South line platform, two train service employees were shown calmly appealing to the man to put on a face mask.

But as one of them tried to explain to him that doing so would protect him from Covid-19, the man interjected, swearing at him and insisting in Mandarin that he "just doesn't want to wear a mask".

Pointing his finger in one of the employee's faces, he challenged them to call the cops on him.

He continued at the top of his lungs, punctuating his sentences with more Hokkien swears, "Everyone else is wearing, why I still have to wear?

"Use your brain and think. Mask no need use money buy ah?"

The video cut off as the man boarded the train that had arrived at the platform.

The man was arrested for causing annoyance to the public when drunk under Section 14(2)(b) of the Liquor Control Act and using abusive language against a public servant, the police said. 

Investigations are ongoing. 

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kimberlylim@asiaone.com