Outburst at Meet-the-People Session

This incident was reported in The Straits Times, May 7, 2009 but it had happened on April 27, 2009.

A 17 years old male youth was arrested by the police after his violent outburst at a Meet-the-People session.

Despite the government's "kind" gestures of helping his family by giving them food vouchers and getting them a rental flat and waiving their registration and administrative charges, the 17 years old youth's temper flared up and it was reported that he picked up a metal chair and slammed it twice on to the glass door but fortunately the glass door was still intact and no one was hurt.

This incident had happened at Serangoon North Avenue 1 and the youth was out on police bail.

What we have read about the incidents of assaults to the MPs in the past are rather mild - the mentally ill, lowly or uneducated and the poor.

What the MPs haven't experienced yet are severe crises - hostage taking, fatally shot or seriously wounded, real anthrax threat, improvised explosive device, acid attack, etc. carried out by hard-pressed professionals, militants, saboteurs, arsonists, armed professional killers, etc.

Before any readers dismiss that it can't be done right here in Singapore, in actual fact, it still can be carried out by transnational criminals, soldiers of fortune, terrorists, organized crime syndicates, etc and yes, coming soon, the revolutionized loan sharks - from unarmed or armed at the most with parangs, etc - with real weapons as they expand and protect their turfs.