Don't Accept Being Moved To Work Location, Train Station Cleaner Spit On His Boss

Illustration of a train station (Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - An elderly train station janitor is angry that his boss has moved his work location. Disapproved, the officer then spat in the face of his superior who was none other than a woman.

The officer's name is Kang Poh Kim, who is 70 years old. He got into an argument with his boss, a 50-year-old woman. Then spat in his boss's face after he was told he was going to be transferred to another job location.

Thursday 2 December, Kang Poh Kim was found guilty by the Singapore Court. He was sentenced to two weeks in prison.

Kang is a janitor stationed at Tuas Link MRT Station. Last July 30, his supervisor instructed him to clean the area on the concourse, including the carriage gantries and engine top-up.

Kang refuses to obey his instructions and yells at his boss. The boss just kept going and continued her work. But she also informed the management of their cleaning company about Kang's behavior.

And this is not the first time Kang has refused to comply with her instructions, according to the court.

Later that day, the area supervisor went to the train station, informed Kang that he would be transferred to another work location, and drove him to the warehouse to change his uniform.

The victim was doing her duties when Kang confronted her later. He spat on her, with spit landing on her face. The area supervisor saw this and immediately intervened.

In front of the judge, Kang did not argue. In fact, he said he planned to beat his boss because she never gave him instructions on how to work.

"I said 'No, my section area is in the concourse'. So she called me and I screamed at her. Yes, I did yell at her, 'You have to find someone to replace the absentee, not me'. He's not right. And arrogant, bullies, liars," said Kang.

"But that doesn't give you permission to spit on her," said District Judge Bala Reddy.

Kang asked to be given leniency on the grounds that he was old.

Kang also had contact with the judge during the trial. The judge then read out to Kang a list of his past sentences, dating back to 2013. In April 2013, Kang was fined S$400 for using abusive and threatening language, but did not pay the fine and was instead jailed for two days.

In February 2015, he was fined for commotion and using threatening, abusive, and insulting words.

"You weren't convicted of that now, you were convicted of that in 2015," the judge said.

"May I ask?" asked Kang.

"Why are you bringing up the past? It's over. You're doing this to incur additional costs."

"Let me explain to you. When a person has not been convicted of any charge, he comes to court, the sentence will be lesser," replied the judge.

"The second time is higher. The third is even higher," said the judge.