When he discovered that a man had allegedly molested a female commuter, SMRT Trains employee Tippu Sultan S Hamid sprung into action and detained the suspect until police arrived.
On Thursday (Sept 4), 60-year-old Tippu was among four public transport staff recognised for assisting the police in separate cases of outrage of modesty on the public transport network.
They each received the Community Partnership Award from the Public Transport Security Command (TransCom) for their contributions.
On April 18, 2025, the Senior Station Manager heard shouting and saw a female commuter chasing after a man at Pioneer MRT station.
Tippu approached the man and told him that he would need to come with him as some complaints had been made. He also asked to keep the suspect’s identification card to ensure the latter did not attempt to escape.
When Tippu approached the woman to investigate, she told him that she had felt the suspect grab her left buttock while she was riding the escalator.
Realising that he could not handle the situation himself, Tippu alerted TransCom and detained the suspect.
The man was then arrested and charged for outrage of modesty, subsequently convicted and sentenced to three weeks’ imprisonment.
This case had garnered online attention after the victim posted a video on Xiaohongshu about her experience, with netizens praising Tippu for his quick and efficient response.
Speaking to media after receiving the award, Tippu said: “For me, this is a part of my job….We are there to assist our commuters. Whatever assistance they need, we have to provide.”
“I felt it was my duty,” he said, adding that he felt he did the right thing for the victim to get justice.
Tippu, who has been with SMRT Trains for 38 years, praised the female passenger for being vocal about what she experienced as it greatly contributed to the suspect being apprehended.
“She created attention…that that’s the most important. If (it wasn’t) me, somebody else would have reacted,” he said.
“I think I was at the right place at the right time to attend to the issue.”
Three other public transport staff recognised during ceremony
Senior Station Manager for SMRT Trains William Koh, 60, was told by a female commuter on July 5 that a man had allegedly wrapped his left arm around her waist.
Koh managed to detain the man at the platform of Somerset MRT station and the suspect was subsequently arrested for outrage of modesty. Police investigations are ongoing.
Two SBS Transit station managers, Ethan Chan, 43, and Edward Thiah, 57, also received the award for separate cases of outrage of modesty.
Chan and another colleague were alerted on June 24 that a female commuter had felt a brush on her right shoulder and buttocks at Hougang MRT station.
The two station managers managed to detain the suspect before he could exit the station as the victim spotted him coming up the escalator while she was speaking to them.
On June 7, a female passenger told Thiah that a man had allegedly touched the back of her thigh in the train from Sengkang towards Woodleigh MRT station.
He and the commuter managed to detain the man at Hougang MRT station.
Both suspects were arrested for outrage of modesty. Police investigations are ongoing for both cases.
‘Zero tolerance towards sexual offenders’
Assistant Commissioner of Police (AC) Masagoes Idris Hussain, Commander of TransCom, expressed his appreciation to the award recipients for their public spiritedness.
He said: “The Public Transport Security Command works in close collaboration with the Land Transport Authority and the public transport operators to implement multiple crime prevention initiatives throughout the public land transport network.
“These initiatives…seek to enhance commuters’ awareness on the crimes of concern and deter potential offenders.”
“The police have zero tolerance towards sexual offenders who threaten the personal safety of the public,” AC Masagoes added.
“Apart from stepping up our patrols in the public land transport network, we will spare no effort to trace and arrest the offenders through ground operations.”
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The police have urged victims of molestation on public transport networks to move away from the perpetrator and report the incident immediately.
They are advised to call the police at 999 and alert station staff directly.
While ensuring their personal safety, victims should try to note key details such as the perpetrator’s physical appearance, clothing, and the time and location of the incident, said the police.
Moreover, bystanders to such offences should not remain silent and can help by alerting staff, calling the police, or if safe to do so, drawing attention to the situation.
Such actions can deter the perpetrators and provide crucial witness testimony. If they flee, bystanders are encouraged to take note of their description and direction of travel, said the police.
bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
