When he heard cries for assistance while on the way to work, Corporal (APF) Ng Wee Chuan acted without hesitation. His quick thinking played a part in helping the Singapore Police Force apprehend an individual suspected for outrage of modesty; for his civic-mindedness, CPL Ng was awarded the Public Spiritedness Award on 19 March 2020.

On the morning of the incident, CPL Ng was walking towards a bus stop when he suddenly heard a lady shouting for help. Turning to look, he was startled by a man sprinting directly past him, with the lady in question close behind. She stopped and appealed to the surrounding crowd for assistance in stopping the man; upon hearing “molest”, CPL Ng gave chase without further thought.

Catching up was no easy feat, but CPL Ng eventually closed in on the suspect, who had stopped against a railing. He then attempted to pin down the suspect, who put up a fierce struggle. Fortunately, another member of the public came forward to assist, and the pair was able to subdue him successfully, with the police arriving shortly afterwards.

“It is important to know how to handle difficult situations like this”, said CPL Ng. While being able to adapt and think on his feet is important, knowing what he can or cannot do as an Auxiliary Police Officer is also crucial, and he credits the training he received for helping with both. However, during the actual incident, he acted based on “gut feeling” as he had to react quickly or the suspect would have escaped. “I think we have to balance both”, he concluded. “We must not hesitate to do the right thing when the situation calls for it”.