Man with history of drug abuse jailed for attacking Singapore MP

SINGAPORE, Oct 24 — He visited a Meet-the-People Session (MPS) one evening to get help with some matrimonial issues.

However, Mohammad Ameen Mohamed Maideen ended up attacking Member of Parliament Dr Tan Wu Meng.

The unemployed man grabbed Dr Tan by the neck, lifted him up in a chokehold and slammed him against the wall, before punching and kicking him.

The assault – which happened on April 16 this year at the People’s Action Party’s Clementi branch, where Dr Tan was holding his weekly MPS — lasted about 10 seconds before other people in the room pulled him away.

Dr Tan, an MP for Jurong Group Representative Constituency who was appointed Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade and Industry in May, suffered bruises on his arm and abrasions on his neck as a result.

Yesterday, Ameen, 32, was sentenced to three months behind bars for his actions. He pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt to Dr Tan, with another charge of criminal trespass taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that Ameen arrived at the MPS at about 9.30pm to take a queue number to meet with Dr Tan.

About half an hour later, when a volunteer called out his number, he followed the volunteer into the room to see one of the “writers”, who are tasked with noting down issues the residents wish to consult Dr Tan on before he attends to them.

In a video of the incident that was played in court, Ameen, instead of going to where the “writer” was seated, headed straight for Dr Tan and used his left hand to grab him by the neck.

He then lifted Dr Tan up in a chokehold, slammed his head and back against the wall, and yanked him into a kneeling position on the ground, before punching and kicking him.

After Ameen was restrained by other people in the room, he calmed down and assured them he would not be violent again. He then walked out of the room to smoke a cigarette.

Dr Tan was subsequently taken to the National University Hospital for treatment, and discharged with head injury advice.

The court heard that Ameen has a history of drug abuse, dating back to 2012.

He completed his second 24-month stint at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre a month before the attack.

His urine test results following the assault showed trace amounts of amphetamines and opiates, which deputy public prosecutor Tang Shangjun said “undoubtedly played a role in his commission of the assault”.

He could either have been going through withdrawal symptoms, or was high on drugs during the attack, the prosecutor added.

In his report, Dr Kenneth Koh, a psychiatrist from the Institute of Mental Health, said that Ameen’s family had also previously provided history of Ameen having consumed “magic mushrooms”.

Tang added: “When Dr Koh confronted the accused with his urine test results from the test performed by the Central Narcotics Bureau, the accused informed that he had been taking some traditional Indonesian medicines that contained some liquid, and which had already been seized by the police.”

These medicines included a bottle of “Innolife Assaudah”, which contained 23 transparent capsules containing a red liquid, and a container of “Pelet Azoo” with a brown granular substance.

Asking for at least three months’ imprisonment, Tang said that Ameen’s “violent and unprovoked attack” violated the safe space that MPS offer to constituents.

“Given the reality of the dynamics of MPS sessions, and the sometimes heated nature of the discussions, this court should send a clear message to all parties that they must refrain from violence. In order for the current system to function effectively, MPs, volunteers and constituents alike should be able to engage in meaningful discussions in a safe environment,” he added.

Ameen had consulted his MP on three previous occasions: In 2008 to appeal against a parking offence, in 2013 to appeal for a rental flat, and most recently in 2017 to appeal for leniency for a traffic offence, as well as for financial and social assistance.

Ameen — who was not represented — told District Judge Eddy Tham that he was depressed, and that he has been undergoing divorce proceedings for the past three years.

However, Dr Koh said in his earlier report that the “mild degree of his depression cannot account for his unprovoked outburst of violence”.

For voluntarily causing hurt, he could have been jailed up to two years, fined up to S$5,000, or both.