Only right to confront wrongdoers, says S’porean who caught suspect filming ‘upskirt’ video

SINGAPORE — Mr Fitri Hakim believes witnesses should confront those committing wrongdoing in public, and he is speaking from experience.

Last Thursday (May 3), the 27-year-old process engineer stopped a man who was seen using a mobile phone to film up a woman’s skirt at Bishan MRT Station. The man was arrested later.

For his vigilance, collection of evidence and act of justice, Mr Fitri was given the Public Spiritedness Award by the police at the police's Public Transport Security Command on Monday.

When asked whether he was worried at first that the suspect may retaliate when confronted, Mr Fitri replied that doing the right thing was more important, and he would likely have “fellow Singaporeans” backing him up.

He believes that Singaporeans can take the initiative when they see such incidents and be more daring and confident in doing what is right.

He added that he was taught to stand up for people in need and did not expect that he could receive an award for this.

“All my life I have been raised by my family, especially my parents, to take care of one another … I see Singaporeans as my family members,” Mr Fitri said of why he intervened. “I am doing it voluntarily, as a citizen.”

He makes it a point to be “alert” to his surroundings, not just to prevent crimes, but also to see if there are people who need help, such as those who are wheelchair-bound or are blind.

After his encounter, Mr Fitri used social media to raise awareness about such crimes, and posted an account of what happened on Facebook. He later took down the post to avoid jeopardising the ongoing police investigations.

A BLINKING SIGNAL

On the day of the incident, Mr Fitri saw a man walking swiftly in front of him, holding a mobile phone that was partly covered by his wallet and pointing at an awkward angle.

He later realised that the suspect was holding the phone below a woman’s skirt. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a red signal flashing at the top of the phone’s screen, which showed that it was in recording mode.

When they reached an escalator, the guy inched even closer to the woman. “I believe he was less than a step away from her,” Mr Fitri said, adding that that was when he started to take a video of what the man was doing.

After they got off the escalator, the woman went in another direction while the man turned around and took a flight of stairs that led towards the ticketing office.

Mr Fitri followed the man and stopped him midway up the staircase by grabbing his arm and asking, “So did you manage to get the videos?”

“At that point, his whole body was shaking, especially his hands,” Mr Fitri recalled. He then told the suspect to unlock his phone, and he allegedly discovered not one but two “upskirt” videos in there.

The suspect was then taken to the ticketing office and handed over to security personnel at the MRT station. 

Assistant Commissioner (AC) of Police Lee Su Peng, Commander of Public Transport Security Command, said that in the crowded public transport system, every commuter can help to look out for one another and step in to help when a criminal act is spotted.

“Mr Fitri played a critical role as he was vigilant in spotting and recording the criminal act. He then went a step further to detain the suspect. His display of public-spiritedness is indeed commendable,” AC Lee said.

In cases where women suspect someone of taking photos or videos up their skirts, the police advise them to call for help immediately by shouting, or to seek help from people nearby to increase the chances of apprehending the culprit early. They should also call 999 as soon as possible.