SINGAPORE, Aug 17 — A 17-year-old has been arrested for purportedly vandalising several Singapore flags and vehicle emblems at residential estates in Tanjong Pagar since last month, the police said yesterday.
TODAY understands residents of Parkstone Drive, Goodman Road and Crescent Road were among those who had complained about damage to the flags hung outside their homes or to the emblems of vehicles parked along the road.
The youth was arrested on Sunday and investigations are ongoing. A convicted vandal can be jailed for up to three years or fined up to S$2,000 (RM5,955) and caned between three and eight times.
Connie Sales, a 32-year-old domestic helper working at Parkstone Drive, said she left her employer’s house to walk the dog on Sunday when she noticed a Singapore flag hung at their gate missing. It was found tucked at a neighbour’s window, she said, adding that it was their second encounter with such an incident.
Judy Lui, 70, who lives in the same house, said their CCTV recording showed a figure dressed in black removing the flag at 1am that day. Several other households in the area said their flags were removed, with some thrown in dustbins and drains.
One of the residents, Arlene Alegre-Wood, said she felt very upset by the incident.
“It’s having no respect for a country where the citizens have so much national pride,” she said. “When I was a kid, nobody would ever dare to do that.” — TODAY
