The “False Characterisation” in Zakir’s Poem
Earlier today (22 June 2022), the Ministry of Manpower released a strongly-worded statement regarding Zakir Hossain Khokan. Besides arguing that Zakir had overstayed his welcome, MOM also took issue with a specific poem he wrote in October 2021 addressed to the Manpower Minister titled “Please do not call us your brothers”.
MOM stated that the poem contained “a false characterisation”. According to MOM, Zakir alleged that “soldiers and armoured vehicles had surrounded a dormitory, Westlite Tukang”.
For clarity, it may be worth reproducing the relevant portion of Zakir’s poem verbatim:
Further down the poem, the reference to soldiers appears.
For avoidance of doubt, the Ministry’s position is as follows:
… He also alleged that soldiers and armoured vehicles had surrounded a dormitory, Westlite Tukang.
This was a false characterisation. Because of the situation at that time in the dormitory, Police personnel were on standby nearby as a precautionary measure. They never surrounded the dormitory or engaged workers there. Rather, MOM officers and dormitory personnel engaged the workers to address their concerns. There were no soldiers, let alone armoured vehicles, around. Though Mr Zakir had signed off his post as from the “workers of Westlite Tukang”, he himself had never lived there.
CNA’s report on the Tukang Dormitory incident
On 14 October 2021, CNA published a video report on the Tukang Dormitory incident. The title of the video was “Riot police deployed to Westlite Jalan Tukang dormitory in Jurong”.
The description of the video noted that Special Operations Command vehicles and several other armoured police vehicles were seen at Jalan Tukang
You can watch the video for yourself below.
CNA’s report also contained the following photos which, once again, made reference to armoured police outside the Dormitory.
Fact-Checking
It appears that there was no military presence there, but only riot police and armoured police (according to CNA). This misidentification may be an innocent one as a layperson who is unfamiliar with the different units may assume that such vehicles or armoured men belong to the military. Looking at all the gear, or the brown beret, one may be forgiven for confusing the police with the military.
In respect of MOM’s assertion that there were no armoured vehicles, this appears to be inconsistent with CNA’s report. It would appear to us laypersons that, even without CNA’s description, that the vehicle below may be considered an armoured one. But perhaps MOM’s definition of armoured vehicles is a narrow and/or techincal one that, for example, only includes tanks but not vehicles like this.
Nevertheless, this does not address MOM’s other allegation that Zakir signed off his post as from the “workers of Westlite Tukang” although he himself had never lived there.
Why never POFMA?
Journalist Kirsten Han and some Reddit users wondered why POFMA was not used at the material time of Zakir’s allegations.
https://twitter.com/kixes/status/1539611440000417793
Having read MOM’s statement, and having viewed the video and photos above, what are your views?
All photos and videos in this article are by CNA and Calvin Oh.
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