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Woman in viral video at MBS seen outside court without mask

Phoon Chiu Yoke, 53, seen leaving the State Courts on Monday (24 May). She is currently on trial for breaching COVID-19 regulations by not wearing a mask while at Newton Food Centre in May last year. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore/Dhany Osman)
Phoon Chiu Yoke, 53, seen leaving the State Courts on Monday (24 May). She is currently on trial for breaching COVID-19 regulations by not wearing a mask while at Newton Food Centre in May last year. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore/Dhany Osman)

SINGAPORE — A 53-year-old woman who was seen not wearing a mask at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) two weeks ago in a viral video came to court on Monday (24 May) without wearing a mask.

Phoon Chiu Yoke put on a mask just outside the entrance to the State Courts building, where she was due to continue her trial for breaching COVID-19 regulations by not wearing a mask while at Newton Food Centre between 7.20pm and 8pm on 8 May last year, during the circuit breaker period.

In court on Monday afternoon, Phoon tried to take off her mask to speak into the microphone but District Judge A Sangeetha told her to wear her mask at all times and to adjust the microphone if necessary.

After the trial was adjourned upon the request of National Environment Agency prosecutor Imran Hamid, Phoon was again seen taking off her mask once she was outside the State Courts building at Havelock Square.

Her current case was first heard in court on 16 December but she was absent from the proceedings, according to the State Courts. She only appeared in court on 13 January.

Viral videos

Videos of Phoon supposedly not wearing a mask at various locations have been widely shared on social media.

Among them was the incident at MBS, where Phoon was seen in a video not wearing a mask despite being asked by a safe distancing ambassador (SDA) to do so. Phoon is heard in the video questioning the SDA, "If you have no badge, why are you asking me to do something? Who are you representing?"

The police later said they received a call at about 5.15pm for assistance at MBS, where Phoon had allegedly entered without wearing a face mask despite repeated advice from the SDA, according to local media reports.

She is currently being investigated for being a public nuisance and breaching safe distancing regulations for the alleged incident at MBS.

The police added that she is believed to be involved in other similar instances where she entered various buildings and establishments without a mask.

The maximum penalty for breaching COVID-19 measures is six months' jail and a fine of $10,000.

Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to one year and fined up to $20,000.

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