Remember the two Chinese nationals who caused a furore among motorists when they knelt in the middle of Bendemeer road as part of their protest last month?
Welp, they’re in jail now. 29-year-old Bao Weilong and his 28-year-old wife Yang Xuemei admitted to the life-endangering antic along the road outside the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Services Centre on Aug 24, The Straits Times reports.
The story goes that the duo had gone to the MOM Services Centre that morning to see if Yang could get a $6,000 refund for the fees she paid to her agent in China before coming to Singapore to work. A customer service officer informed them that they could not assist them in the matter, and they reacted by kneeling at the foyer of the building. They held up papers written in Chinese, announcing that Yang had been cheated in China and was requesting help from MOM.
Their ploy to get attention was a success, and they were ushered into an interview room. However, they couldn’t agree to a settlement, so the two went to kneel again at the pavement near the bus stop outside the building.
Again, they couldn’t agree to a settlement, even though MOM staff told them that only half of the fees could be refunded. So again they went out to kneel, this time in the middle of the fucking road, amidst oncoming traffic.
Their stubborn antics caused a proper nuisance as they risked great danger to themselves and motorists. Even as security officers tried to persuade them to move away from the road, the two refused to budge, leaving them to choice but to divert traffic around the protesting couple.
The two Chinese nationals were eventually dragged off the road and taken back to MOM Services Centre.
In court, they also pleaded guilty to criminal trespass at the centre by unlawfully remaining in the foyer with intent to cause annoyance to ministry staff. They’ve since been sentenced to five weeks’ jail each, where they can kneel all they want if they’d like.
Photo: Shin Min Daily News reader
