Lift contractor allegedly insults Jurong resident who complained about lift, calls him 'bastard' & 'c*ck'

UPDATE on Feb. 4 at 11am: This article has been updated with new information from the Jurong-Clementi-Bukit Batok Town Council.

A lift contractor engaged by the Jurong-Clementi-Bukit Batok Town Council allegedly used offensive language against a resident who complained about a lift.

The daughter of the 67-year-old resident, who gave her surname as Koh, told Mothership that her father was subjected to derogatory words including "bastard" and "cock" during a lift servicing incident.

What happened

The incident occurred on Jan. 22 at Block 269 Toh Guan Road, where the elder Koh, a cleaner in the area, lives.

According to his daughter, a persistent sound issue from a newly installed lift at the block led to him filing at least eight complaints to the Town Council.

He did so as he was formerly a qualified engineer with a professional background, and was concerned that the sound could pose a safety hazard.

On Jan. 22, a team of lift contractors was sent down to the block to check on the lift.

Koh said her father joined them personally "in good faith" to assist them in identifying the source of the problem.

During the appointment, the elder Koh provided suggestions to the team on how to rectify the lift issue, including a solution he said would cost about S$1,000.

Commotion broke out

However, one of the men, Yusri, questioned why he filed the complaint.

The elder Koh repeatedly replied that he was a qualified engineer.

A commotion then broke out between both men, wherein Yusri questioned his supposed qualifications and the authenticity of his claims.

He could also be heard using vulgarities on the elder Koh and mocking him for being "just a cleaner".

"You're a cleaner here, you know? Your job is to clean. You see, so dirty, why you never clean?" he said.

The pair continued sparring verbally in the four-minute clip, with the elder Koh threatening to take the matter up to a member of parliament and the police.

Confrontation

In another video provided by Koh's daughter, the resident was seen confronting Yusri again for his language at a coffeeshop during a lunch break on the same day.

He also accused Yusri of lying about being an engineer, saying that he was actually "just a technician".

"You are technician only, don't tell everybody you are engineer," he said.

In retaliation, Yusri doubled down on his earlier sentiments, saying, "You're a cleaner what? Your place so dirty you don't want to complain, you complain the lift."

The argument nearly turned physical when both men stood up and dared each other to take the first punch, but it was quickly mediated by a member of the public.

Town council aware

When Mothership reached out Jurong-Clementi-Bukit Batok Town Council, a spokesperson said that they were aware of the incident and acknowledged the distress caused.

An employee from the Town Council had been present but was uninvolved in the dispute, while Yusri was said to be a lift contractor from an external lift company.

The matter has since been referred to the company for an internal investigation and appropriate actions will be taken where necessary, the spokesperson added.

Koh's daughter told Mothership that a meeting was arranged between her father and the Town Council some days after the incident, where a member apologised to the elder Koh on behalf of Yusri, who was not present.

He did not accept the apology, however, due to Yusri's absence.

"The Town Council upholds clear standards of conduct, and we expect all contractors and partners supporting our operations to behave professionally and respectfully at all times," the Town Council spokesperson said.

In a Feb. 4 update, the Town Council said that it is investigating a possible case of vandalism which may have contributed to the lift issues highlighted.

Investigations are ongoing.

As a precautionary measure, the lift issue will be closely monitored to ensure it remains safe and fully operational.

Top images via Koh