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Little India Riot: One year later

Have we moved on?

The Straits Times looks at what has happened since that fateful Dec 8, 2013 night

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Foreign workers line up to board a shuttle bus at the newly-built bus shelter at Tekka Lane on Nov 30, 2014. More sheltered waiting areas are being built to better manage the flow of workers in the area after a bus accident sparked a violent riot last year.

One man's death, an angry mob and a nation in shock. The fiery scenes of rioting in Little India on Dec 8, 2013, have led to much soul searching on Singapore's relationship with its foreign workers.

We talk to eight people whose lives have been altered by the events of the night, and get their take on how life has changed one year on.

JUMANI HORI,
52, a resident of Buffalo Road

NATARAJAN MURUGANANDAM,
26, a construction worker with TTJ Design

LEE KIM HUAT,
55, bus driver of BT & Tan Transport company

GRACE WONG GECK WOON,
38, former bus timekeeper with the Singapore School Transport Association

T RICHERD LEO,
41, manager of Komala Vilas Vegetarian Restaurant at Race Course Road

RAJA ATHAN,
43, who owns a shop selling phonecards and mobile phone accessories along Chander Road

PALANIYAPPAN SAKTHIVEL,
34, a construction worker with TTJ Design.

MARTIN PEREIRA,
45, a former Tekka Residents’ Committee chairman

“

JUMANI HORI,
52, a resident of Buffalo Road

“
What have we learnt? That they are the majority on Sunday and I’m the minority, and on the weekend this is considered their place.What is the signal to me? That we have to accept them coming here ... that there has to be acceptance and co-existence in Little India.

THEN: Mr Jumani said immediately after the riot, steps like the complete alcohol ban led to a lull in activity and a quiet period – something he never experienced in the 15 years he has lived in Little India.
NOW: Crowds have largely returned to the pre-riot days. But shorter bus operating hours and a greater police presence mean there is more order in Little India and slightly lower noise levels on Sundays.

JUMANI HORI,
52, a resident of Buffalo Road

NATARAJAN MURUGANANDAM,
26, a construction worker with TTJ Design

“
Back in India, a driver may be drunk or careless and cause a fatal accident. Then sometimes aggressive people will beat up the driver. If the driver made a mistake, sometimes they can’t control their emotions ... They think it’s his fault and they’re angry.

THEN: Some workers would eat and drink on the field across from Race Course Road, leaving their rubbish behind. He recalls there were occasional fights and drunk workers sleeping in public.
NOW: Little India is cleaner with the public consumption of alcohol law in place. He still goes there on one Sunday a month to remit money and to meet friends. But he limits his time there, preferring to head back to his dormitory earlier so he can avoid the crowds, and the rush for transport now that bus services for foreign workers end earlier at 9pm.

NATARAJAN MURUGANANDAM,
26, a construction worker with TTJ Design

LEE KIM HUAT,
55, bus driver of BT & Tan Transport company

“
I have not been back to Little India after the incident. I avoid going there as I don’t want to be reminded of the incident. I am also afraid people there would recognise me and start attacking me.

THEN: Mr Lee drove the private bus in the fatal accident that sparked the riot. Indian national Sakthivel Kumaravelu, 33, died after he fell and was run over by the bus at Race Course Road. Arrested and released on bail, Mr Lee resumed driving in February after he was cleared of any criminal charges.
NOW: He stopped ferrying foreign workers from Little India, has downsized to driving smaller buses and ferries students from international schools most times.

LEE KIM HUAT,
55, bus driver of BT & Tan Transport company

GRACE WONG GECK WOON,
38, former bus timekeeper with the Singapore School Transport Association

“
I’m still scared of that place. I won’t go back again...My husband won’t allow me to go back (to my old job). And I don’t want to either. It’s too dangerous. I just want to put this all behind me.

THEN: Madam Wong was attacked on the night of Dec 8 by rioters who threw concrete slabs and glass bottles at her, and hit her with a stick. She was left with cuts and bruises on her face and limbs, and a minor fracture on her right hand.
NOW: She sells children’s clothes at flea markets and takes care of her five-year-old daughter. She has vowed never to go back to her old job.

GRACE WONG GECK WOON,
38, former bus timekeeper with the Singapore School Transport Association

T RICHERD LEO,
41, manager of Komala Vilas Vegetarian Restaurant at Race Course Road

“
My food is economical. It is $2.50 for a thosai so workers can afford it. They like to come here. They used to alight in front of our shop. But now, they alight at the bus station and fewer come by here. The workers also have less time to eat in the restaurant because the last bus leaves earlier now. Sometimes, they tell us to pack food quickly for them.

THEN: A liquor bottle was thrown at the restaurant’s glass door on Dec 8 last year. But it did not shatter the door. Mr Richerd instructed his staff to pull down the shutters. He told customers to finish eating as soon as possible and to leave by the back door. He also instructed staff to quickly pack up and also leave by the back door.
NOW: Although the area is safer because there are tighter controls on alcohol sales and drinking in public, his business is down by 20 to 30 per cent. This stems from changes, including the shorter operating hours of the bus services for foreign workers. He hopes the bus operating hours can be extended.

T RICHERD LEO,
41, manager of Komala Vilas Vegetarian Restaurant at Race Course Road

RAJA ATHAN,
43, who owns a shop selling phonecards and mobile phone accessories along Chander Road

“
Workers have to go back to their dormitories earlier so some of them don’t even come here anymore because the trip is very rushed. Some employers also don’t allow workers to come here even on a public holiday. Business has gone down by 40 per cent because most of my customers are the workers. I hope it improves.

THEN: Mr Athan was at the shop with his wife when the riot broke out. Worried for their safety, they immediately closed the shop and headed home – a flat just 15m away from his Chander Road shop.
NOW: Compared to the lively atmosphere previously, the area is much quieter. Shops in dormitories now also sell phonecards. Because of the poorer sales, Mr Athan closes his shop by 10.30pm when he previously did so at around midnight.

RAJA ATHAN,
43, who owns a shop selling phonecards and mobile phone accessories along Chander Road

PALANIYAPPAN SAKTHIVEL,
34, a construction worker with TTJ Design

“
Singapore is a very clean and safe city. So if workers vomit or they anyhow throw rubbish, and if the local people get angry, it’s because the workers made these mistakes. So I can understand the reaction ... They made mistakes and so they are punished by the government. They deserve it.

THEN: On Dec 8, he was in Little India to remit money and to meet a friend who was returning to India the following week. He headed towards Race Course Road but found many people walking in the opposite direction. “Inside got problem,” one told him. He detoured and headed back to his dorm by train. By midnight, police were at the dormitory, interviewing workers.
NOW: He says Little India is safer with the alcohol curbs, and now that bad behaviour, noise-making and littering are being dealt with more severely. In the past, police officers on patrol exercised a lighter touch and usually did not intervene unless they really had to. This has also changed.

PALANIYAPPAN SAKTHIVEL,
34, a construction worker with TTJ Design

MARTIN PEREIRA,
45, a former Tekka Residents’ Committee chairman

“
Before the riot, the authorities had felt the best way to go was to apply a light touch, thinking that it would work on this group of people. Unfortunately the trust given to them was, in my opinion, abused when they decided to riot. The measures need to be what they are today so that there’s no ambiguity as to what you can and cannot do when you are here.

THEN: Mr Pereira was unhappy with the proliferation of liquor businesses along Chander Road, half of which opened in 2013 alone.
NOW: The temporary public consumption laws have made the neighbourhood cleaner, he said, while stepped up patrols have made residents feel safer. A resident told him that, with less drinking, the neighbourhood smells better now.

MARTIN PEREIRA,
45, a former Tekka Residents’ Committee chairman

INSIGHT STORIES

The night that shook Singapore

A year after a part of Little India erupted in chaos and confusion, much has changed for the residents in the area and the workers who gather there every Sunday

Driver: It wasn’t my fault. I have moved on

Mr Lee Kim Huat, who drove the bus in the accident that sparked the riot, says although he was cleared of wrong-doing, his life will never be the same

Bus timekeeper: I’m still scared of that place

One cracked tooth and a faint scar above her left eye are physical reminders for Madam Grace Wong Geck Woon of that terror-filled night

Residents: Keep alcohol curbs

MP Denise Phua says residents want temporary measures, which were put in force in the area after the riot, to remain

Workers: We come to earn money, not to riot

Two foreign workers who were in Little India on Dec 8 talk about the night, the aftermath & why they just want a quiet life

A different Little India, one year on

ST Photojournalist Mark Cheong, who was on the scene to capture images of the riot, looks at how different the area is now

PHOTO ESSAY

ST photojournalist Mark Cheong looks at how weekends for foreign workers in Little India have changed since the Dec 8 riot.

Foreign workers hang out around the playground at Blk 661 Buffalo Road on the evening of Nov 30, 2014. A worker told The Straits Times that since the riot, fewer foreign workers have been going to the area on weekends. Those who show up do not stay long - They remit money to their families and then head back to their dormitories.

Foreign workers sit on the railings opposite Yeo Buan Heng Liquor Shop along Chander Road on the evening of Nov 30, 2014. The shop's manager Ms Irene Yeo, who experienced the riot, said the number of foreign workers hanging outside the area has drastically decreased since the alcohol restrictions kicked in.

A member of cricket team Singha Guys bowls during a friendly match against an opposing team at the grassy field along Race Course Road on Nov 30, 2014. Team member Appadurai Prabu, 24, said the riot has not deterred people from coming to play and watch the sport every Sunday.

A foreign worker talks on his phone while sitting on industrial material at a field along Race Course Road on Nov 30, 2014. Foreign workers are scattered around the field, lying under the trees or leaning against grassy embankments while using their phones or watching cricket games.

Auxiliary police officers patrol a HDB block at Chander Road on Nov 30, 2014. The presence of the police and security officers has increased, but the number of foreign workers patronising this particular area has stayed the same as a year ago as most come here for cheap haircuts and affordable passport photos.

The stretch of shophouses at Buffalo Road selling fruits and vegetables is bustling with people on Nov 30, 2014 but according to a shopkeeper, the number of foreign workers patronising the stalls has fallen dramatically since the riot last December.

An auxiliary police officer manages foreign workers rushing to catch the last shuttle bus along Race Course Road on Nov 30, 2014. The once chaotic crossing is now manned by several auxiliary police officers and policemen. Barricades have been set up to control the flow of pedestrians.

Ramaiya Sivasankar (left), 33, and Sriramulu Nagendiran, 29, both from Tamil Nadu, take turns to talk to an ex-colleague on the phone on Nov 30, 2014. Before the riot, the area was a lively spot popular with foreign workers who gathered here to drink. Now, it is quiet with only small pockets of workers who come here to eat.

Foreign workers cross a junction along Race Course Road under the watchful eyes of an auxiliary police officer (far left) and a plainclothes police officer (centre), on Nov 30, 2014. This junction, situated outside Little India MRT station, is busiest on Sunday nights when people rush to catch the shuttle bus at Tekka Lane.

A sign outside a restaurant indicating the no-alcohol drinking zone along Kerbau Road. Foreign workers can be seen enjoying their beers behind the cordon tape, used in recent months to mark the boundary between the no-alcohol zone and the area where people can consume alcohol.

Foreign workers enjoy beer on Nov 30, 2014, at a restaurant surrounded by cordon tape. The tape marks the boundary between the no alcohol zone and the area where people can consume alcohol. Such tape is now a common sight in food and beverage establishments in the area.

Foreign workers wait behind a barricade for their shuttle bus back to their dormitories along Hampshire Road on Nov 30. 2014. Hampshire Road, which a year ago was the scene of burning police cars and debris, is now divided into sections with numbers representing the different buses. Ushers are present to help with crowd control.

A view of the newly-built bus shelter for foreign workers at Tekka Lane on Nov 30, 2014. Initiated by the Land Transport Authority, the bus terminal is fenced and closes at 9pm, which is when the last shuttle bus leaves for the dormitories. The terminal is part of the new passenger facilities in the area which will cost $3.58 million.

Foreign workers line up to board a shuttle bus at the newly-built bus shelter at Tekka Lane on Nov 30, 2014. Auxiliary police officers and Singapore Police Force (SPF) personnel patrol the perimeter, and also direct workers who have missed the last shuttle bus to public transport options in the neighbourhood.

A foreign worker from Bangladesh carries blankets into the newly-built bus shelter at Tekka Lane on Nov 30, 2014. The shelter was completed recently and has been in use for the past couple of weeks. About 200 shuttle buses ferry workers to and from their dormitories and Little India on Sundays between 2pm to 9pm.

WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT AND IN THE AFTERMATH

RACE COURSE ROAD SERANGOON ROAD KAMPONG KAPOR ROAD JALAN BESAR DESKER ROAD ROWELL ROAD Cricket field HAMPSHIRE ROAD BUFFALO ROAD The death of Indian national Sakthivel Kumaravelu, who was killed after he was run over by a bus in Little India on Dec 8, 2013, triggered the worst violence seen on Singapore’s streets in more than 40 years. We look at the sequence of events leading to his death, how the police defused the riot, and the actions taken by the government thereafter. December 8, 2013 9.17PM: Mr Sakthivel Kumaravelu, a 33-year-old construction worker from Chennai, India employed by scaffolding company Heng Hup Soon, boards a private bus driven by Mr Lee Kim Huat back to his dormitory at Jalan Papan. Some workers in line complain to timekeeper Wong Geck Woon that he is drunk and has jumped the queue. TEKKA LANE RACE COURSE ROAD Parked bus Parked bus TEKKA LANE 9.18PM: Madam Wong boards the bus and sees that Mr Sakthivel has dropped his bermuda shorts. She asks him to alight. He does so voluntarily, without being pushed or manhandled. TEKKA LANE RACE COURSE ROAD 9.20PM: The bus moves off slowly at 4.2kmh. Mr Sakthivel keeps pace for 11 seconds, but trails behind as the bus speeds up. He starts chasing after the bus in an unsteady manner, catching up when the bus slows down as it approaches the stop line at the junction between Tekka Lane and Race Course Road. RACE COURSE ROAD 9.21PM: Mr Sakthivel places his right hand on the side of the bus. As the bus turns onto Race Course Road, he loses his balance and falls onto the path of the bus RACE COURSE ROAD Seconds later, the front wheels of the bus roll over Mr Sakthivel. Mr Sakthivel is killed on the spot. A crowd of onlookers gather around the bus, shouting at Mr Lee and Madam Wong.
RACE COURSE ROAD SERANGOON ROAD KAMPONG KAPOR ROAD JALAN BESAR Cricket field HAMPSHIRE ROAD BUFFALO ROAD The death of Indian national Sakthivel Kumaravelu, who was killed after he was run over by a bus in Little India on Dec 8, 2013, triggered the worst violence seen on Singapore’s streets in more than 40 years. We look at the sequence of events leading to his death, how the police defused the riot, and the actions taken by the government thereafter. TEKKA LANE RACE COURSE ROAD Parked bus Parked bus December 8, 2013 9.17PM: Mr Sakthivel Kumaravelu, a 33-year-old construction worker from Chennai, India employed by scaffolding company Heng Hup Soon, boards a private bus driven by Mr Lee Kim Huat back to his dormitory at Jalan Papan. Some workers in line complain to timekeeper Wong Geck Woon that he is drunk and has jumped the queue. TEKKA LANE 9.18PM: Madam Wong boards the bus and sees that Mr Sakthivel has dropped his bermuda shorts. She asks him to alight. He does so voluntarily, without being pushed or manhandled. TEKKA LANE RACE COURSE ROAD 9.20PM: The bus moves off slowly at 4.2kmh. Mr Sakthivel keeps pace for 11 seconds, but trails behind as the bus speeds up. He starts chasing after the bus in an unsteady manner, catching up when the bus slows down as it approaches the stop line at the junction between Tekka Lane and Race Course Road. RACE COURSE ROAD 9.21PM: Mr Sakthivel places his right hand on the side of the bus. As the bus turns onto Race Course Road, he loses his balance and falls onto the path of the bus RACE COURSE ROAD Seconds later, the front wheels of the bus roll over Mr Sakthivel. Mr Sakthivel is killed on the spot. A crowd of onlookers gather around the bus, shouting at Mr Lee and Madam Wong.
December 8, 2013 The man in checkered shirt (second from right) tried to stop rioters from attacking the bus. – PHOTO: STOMP Screenshot of a video taken by car valet Chia Boon Juay. Screenshot from the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) video footage showing Lieutenant Tiffany Neo (wearing white hard hat), managing the situation. Screenshot of video footage taken from a camera inside the bus. It shows Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) lieutenant Tiffany Neo shielding bus driver Lee Kim Huat’s head with her arms as projectiles fly into the vehicle. Several men hurling projectiles. Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Lu Yeow Lim, leaving the State Courts on 4 March 2014. DAC Lu, who led the operation to quell the riot in Little India on 8 December 2013, faced intense questioning on the witness stand during a hearing called by Committee of Inquiry (COI), set up to investigate what led to the riot. Some of the men being detained by the police. 9.23PM: Police receive a call saying: “A bus has knocked down someone here. Ambulance required.” 9.25PM: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is alerted. December 9, 2013 12.01AM: Investigations at the scene commence. December 13, 2013 DPM Teo convenes Committee of Inquiry (COI) into the riot, comprising retired Supreme Court judge G Pannir Selvam (middle) as chairman, as well as former police commissioner Tee Tua Ba, former NTUC president John De Payva (left) and Mr Andrew Chua (right), chairman of the West Coast Citizens’ Consultative Committee. December 14, 2013 No alcohol allowed to be sold or consumed in a blanket ban within a 1.1 sq km zone declared as a “proclaimed area” under the Public Order (Preservation) Act (POPA). Private bus services stopped. December 18, 2013 Government announces relaxation of blanket alcohol ban. On weekends, public holidays and the eves of public holidays, restaurants and businesses with public house and beer house licences are allowed to sell alcohol but cannot let customers consume the drinks outside their premises. Convenience and liquor stores can sell alcohol on a takeaway basis between 6am and 8pm. The Land Transport Authority announces shorter hours for private bus services, which will end at 9pm instead of 11pm. December 2013 Prosecutors proceed on charges against 25 Indian nationals for their involvement in the riot. Another 57 – all Indian nationals except one Bangladeshi – are deported with stern warnings and banned from entering Singapore. A further 200 foreign workers are given police advisories and are allowed to continue working here. February 18, 2014 Public Order (Additional Temporary Measures) Bill (POATM) is passed in Parliament. It gives the police powers to interview and search people in the area for alcohol and prohibited items. It also limits the sale and consumption of alcohol. Six of the 16 MPs who spoke opposed the Bill as a knee-jerk reaction, lacking safeguards, and too broad. But they are in broad agreement that an appropriate response is needed to maintain peace in the neighbourhood. February 19, 2014 COI public hearings start, featuring 93 witnesses over 24 days. April 1, 2014 POATM takes effect. It replaces the POPA, and is valid for one year until March 31, 2015. June 27, 2014 The COI submits its report to the DPM Teo. The report is released to the public three days later. 12.39AM: Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean arrives with Deputy Commissioner of Police T. Raja Kumar. 5.08AM: Clean-up of the area begins as site investigations are completed. 6.45AM: Race Course Road is open to traffic. 9.45PM: ASP Tang radios Tanglin Police Division to request assistance from the Special Operations Command (SOC), whose officers are trained to handle riots. By now, the size of the mob has swelled to about 400. 9.31PM: The first SCDF ambulance arrives. 9.37PM First two police officers arrive. A group of 100 people has surrounded the bus. 9.40PM: Assistant Superintendent of Police Jonathan Tang arrives at the scene. 9.54PM: Mr Sakthivel’s body is extricated from beneath the bus by SCDF officers. The sight of his mangled body further riles the mob, which by then has started pelting emergency first responders with drain covers, concrete blocks and beer bottles. More police officers arrive. 9.39PM: SCDF Red Rhino fire engine arrives. 10.04PM: The first Police Tactical Troop, callsign PTT KA, from the SOC is activated. They start moving to Little India from South Bridge Road, where they had been performing counter-terrorism security patrols nearby. 10.03PM: DAC Koh approves the request to activate SOC troops. 10.24PM: Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Lu Yeow Lim, Tanglin Police Division commander, requests all available resources to the scene. Minutes later, rioters start flipping police vehicles and setting them on fire. 10.42PM: The PTT KA, which was hit by traffic snarls, arrives at the scene. It forms a cordon across Race Course Road to contain the rioters. Their tactical vehicles play dispersal warnings in various languages, including English and Tamil. 10.48PM: PKK KG arrives and takes up position near the junction of Hampshire Road and Race Course Road. 10.54PM: SOC troops are given the green light to use hand-held tear gas sprays for close engagements with rioters. These are not used. 11.25 PM: The last group of rioters is dispersed. 11.45 PM: High-visibility patrols are deployed to prevent rioters from regrouping. 10.15PM: A second troop, callsign PTT KG, is activated from the SOC base in Queensway. 9.51PM: Combined Operations Room seeks approval from covering director of operations, DAC Koh Wei Keong, to activate SOC. He asks for more information about the situation at the scene. 10.08PM: SCDF officers locate bus driver Lee Kim Huat and Madam Wong, the timekeeper, taking cover from the rioters in the bus. The police later use shields to protect the two civilians as they are escorted to safety by the SCDF.
December 8, 2013 9.23PM 11.25 PM 11.45 PM The man in checkered shirt (second from right) tried to stop rioters from attacking the bus. – PHOTO: STOMP Screenshot of a video of the Little India riot taken by car valet Chia Boon Juay. Screenshot from the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) video footage showing Lieutenant Tiffany Neo (wearing white hard hat), managing the situation. Screenshot of video footage taken from a camera inside the bus. It shows Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) lieutenant Tiffany Neo shielding bus driver Lee Kim Huat’s head with her arms as projectiles fly into the vehicle. Several men hurling projectiles. Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Lu Yeow Lim, leaving the State Courts on 4 March 2014. DAC Lu, who led the operation to quell the riot in Little India on 8 December 2013, faced intense questioning on the witness stand during a hearing called by Committee of Inquiry (COI), set up to investigate what led to the riot. Some of the men being detained by the police. Police receive a call saying: “A bus has knocked down someone here. Ambulance required.” 9.25PM The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is alerted. December 9, 2013 12.01AM Investigations at the scene commence. December 13, 2013 DPM Teo convenes Committee of Inquiry (COI) into the riot, comprising retired Supreme Court judge G Pannir Selvam (middle) as chairman, as well as former police commissioner Tee Tua Ba, former NTUC president John De Payva (left) and Mr Andrew Chua (right), chairman of the West Coast Citizens’ Consultative Committee. December 14, 2013 No alcohol allowed to be sold or consumed in a blanket ban within a 1.1 sq km zone declared as a “proclaimed area” under the Public Order (Preservation) Act (POPA). Private bus services stopped. December 18, 2013 Government announces relaxation of blanket alcohol ban. On weekends, public holidays and the eves of public holidays, restaurants and businesses with public house and beer house licences are allowed to sell alcohol but cannot let customers consume the drinks outside their premises. Convenience and liquor stores can sell alcohol on a takeaway basis between 6am and 8pm. The Land Transport Authority announces shorter hours for private bus services, which will end at 9pm instead of 11pm. December 2013 Prosecutors proceed on charges against 25 Indian nationals for their involvement in the riot. Another 57 – all Indian nationals except one Bangladeshi – are deported with stern warnings and banned from entering Singapore. A further 200 foreign workers are given police advisories and are allowed to continue working here. February 18, 2014 Public Order (Additional Temporary Measures) Bill (POATM) is passed in Parliament. It gives the police powers to interview and search people in the area for alcohol and prohibited items. It also limits the sale and consumption of alcohol. Six of the 16 MPs who spoke opposed the Bill as a knee-jerk reaction, lacking safeguards, and too broad. But they are in broad agreement that an appropriate response is needed to maintain peace in the neighbourhood. February 19, 2014 COI public hearings start, featuring 93 witnesses over 24 days. April 1, 2014 POATM takes effect. It replaces the POPA, and is valid for one year until March 31, 2015. June 27, 2014 The COI submits its report to the DPM Teo. The report is released to the public three days later. 12.39AM Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean arrives with Deputy Commissioner of Police T. Raja Kumar. 5.08AM Clean-up of the area begins as site investigations are completed. 6.45AM Race Course Road is open to traffic. 9.45PM ASP Tang radios Tanglin Police Division to request assistance from the Special Operations Command (SOC), whose officers are trained to handle riots. By now, the size of the mob has swelled to about 400. 9.31PM The first SCDF ambulance arrives. 9.37PM First two police officers arrive. A group of 100 people has surrounded the bus. 9.40PM Assistant Superintendent of Police Jonathan Tang arrives at the scene. 9.54PM Mr Sakthivel’s body is extricated from beneath the bus by SCDF officers. The sight of his mangled body further riles the mob, which by then has started pelting emergency first responders with drain covers, concrete blocks and beer bottles. More police officers arrive. 9.39PM SCDF Red Rhino fire engine arrives. 10.04PM The first Police Tactical Troop, callsign PTT KA, from the SOC is activated. They start moving to Little India from South Bridge Road, where they had been performing counter-terrorism security patrols nearby. 10.03PM DAC Koh approves the request to activate SOC troops. 10.24PM Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Lu Yeow Lim, Tanglin Police Division commander, requests all available resources to the scene. Minutes later, rioters start flipping police vehicles and setting them on fire. 10.42PM The PTT KA, which was hit by traffic snarls, arrives at the scene. It forms a cordon across Race Course Road to contain the rioters. Their tactical vehicles play dispersal warnings in various languages, including English and Tamil. 10.48PM PKK KG arrives and takes up position near the junction of Hampshire Road and Race Course Road. 10.54PM SOC troops are given the green light to use hand-held tear gas sprays for close engagements with rioters. These are not used. The last group of rioters is dispersed. High-visibility patrols are deployed to prevent rioters from regrouping. 10.15PM A second troop, callsign PTT KG, is activated from the SOC base in Queensway. 9.51PM Combined Operations Room seeks approval from covering director of operations, DAC Koh Wei Keong, to activate SOC. He asks for more information about the situation at the scene. 10.08PM SCDF officers locate bus driver Lee Kim Huat and Madam Wong, the timekeeper, taking cover from the rioters in the bus. The police later use shields to protect the two civilians as they are escorted to safety by the SCDF.
December 8, 2013 9.23PM 11.25 PM 11.45 PM The man in checkered shirt (second from right) tried to stop rioters from attacking the bus. – PHOTO: STOMP Screenshot of a video of the Little India riot taken by car valet Chia Boon Juay. Screenshot from the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) video footage showing Lieutenant Tiffany Neo (wearing white hard hat), managing the situation. Screenshot of video footage taken from a camera inside the bus. It shows Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) lieutenant Tiffany Neo shielding bus driver Lee Kim Huat’s head with her arms as projectiles fly into the vehicle. Several men hurling projectiles. Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Lu Yeow Lim, leaving the State Courts on 4 March 2014. DAC Lu, who led the operation to quell the riot in Little India on 8 December 2013, faced intense questioning on the witness stand during a hearing called by Committee of Inquiry (COI), set up to investigate what led to the riot. Some of the men being detained by the police. Police receive a call saying: “A bus has knocked down someone here. Ambulance required.” 9.25PM The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is alerted. December 9, 2013 12.01AM Investigations at the scene commence. December 13, 2013 DPM Teo convenes Committee of Inquiry (COI) into the riot, comprising retired Supreme Court judge G Pannir Selvam (middle) as chairman, as well as former police commissioner Tee Tua Ba, former NTUC president John De Payva (left) and Mr Andrew Chua (right), chairman of the West Coast Citizens’ Consultative Committee. December 14, 2013 No alcohol allowed to be sold or consumed in a blanket ban within a 1.1 sq km zone declared as a “proclaimed area” under the Public Order (Preservation) Act (POPA). Private bus services stopped. December 18, 2013 Government announces relaxation of blanket alcohol ban. On weekends, public holidays and the eves of public holidays, restaurants and businesses with public house and beer house licences are allowed to sell alcohol but cannot let customers consume the drinks outside their premises. Convenience and liquor stores can sell alcohol on a takeaway basis between 6am and 8pm. The Land Transport Authority announces shorter hours for private bus services, which will end at 9pm instead of 11pm. December 2013 Prosecutors proceed on charges against 25 Indian nationals for their involvement in the riot. Another 57 – all Indian nationals except one Bangladeshi – are deported with stern warnings and banned from entering Singapore. A further 200 foreign workers are given police advisories and are allowed to continue working here. February 18, 2014 Public Order (Additional Temporary Measures) Bill (POATM) is passed in Parliament. It gives the police powers to interview and search people in the area for alcohol and prohibited items. It also limits the sale and consumption of alcohol. Six of the 16 MPs who spoke opposed the Bill as a knee-jerk reaction, lacking safeguards, and too broad. But they are in broad agreement that an appropriate response is needed to maintain peace in the neighbourhood. February 19, 2014 COI public hearings start, featuring 93 witnesses over 24 days. April 1, 2014 POATM takes effect. It replaces the POPA, and is valid for one year until March 31, 2015. June 27, 2014 The COI submits its report to the DPM Teo. The report is released to the public three days later. 12.39AM Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean arrives with Deputy Commissioner of Police T. Raja Kumar. 5.08AM Clean-up of the area begins as site investigations are completed. 6.45AM Race Course Road is open to traffic. 9.45PM ASP Tang radios Tanglin Police Division to request assistance from the Special Operations Command (SOC), whose officers are trained to handle riots. By now, the size of the mob has swelled to about 400. 9.31PM The first SCDF ambulance arrives. 9.37PM First two police officers arrive. A group of 100 people has surrounded the bus. 9.40PM Assistant Superintendent of Police Jonathan Tang arrives at the scene. 9.54PM Mr Sakthivel’s body is extricated from beneath the bus by SCDF officers. The sight of his mangled body further riles the mob, which by then has started pelting emergency first responders with drain covers, concrete blocks and beer bottles. More police officers arrive. 9.39PM SCDF Red Rhino fire engine arrives. 10.04PM The first Police Tactical Troop, callsign PTT KA, from the SOC is activated. They start moving to Little India from South Bridge Road, where they had been performing counter-terrorism security patrols nearby. 10.03PM DAC Koh approves the request to activate SOC troops. 10.24PM Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Lu Yeow Lim, Tanglin Police Division commander, requests all available resources to the scene. Minutes later, rioters start flipping police vehicles and setting them on fire. 10.42PM The PTT KA, which was hit by traffic snarls, arrives at the scene. It forms a cordon across Race Course Road to contain the rioters. Their tactical vehicles play dispersal warnings in various languages, including English and Tamil. 10.48PM PKK KG arrives and takes up position near the junction of Hampshire Road and Race Course Road. 10.54PM SOC troops are given the green light to use hand-held tear gas sprays for close engagements with rioters. These are not used. The last group of rioters is dispersed. High-visibility patrols are deployed to prevent rioters from regrouping. 10.15PM A second troop, callsign PTT KG, is activated from the SOC base in Queensway. 9.51PM Combined Operations Room seeks approval from covering director of operations, DAC Koh Wei Keong, to activate SOC. He asks for more information about the situation at the scene. 10.08PM SCDF officers locate bus driver Lee Kim Huat and Madam Wong, the timekeeper, taking cover from the rioters in the bus. The police later use shields to protect the two civilians as they are escorted to safety by the SCDF.
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