<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Certis Cisco officers weren't on the ball
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to Mr Terrence Voon's Wednesday article, 'Probe into fan clashes'.
I was seated in the Vietnamese section of the crowd during the Suzuki Cup semi-final that fateful Sunday of Dec 21 and would like to clarify some inaccuracies in the report.
Contrary to what was reported, Certis Cisco officers directed Vietnamese fans out of the stadium. The officers stood in a line and ushered the Vietnamese fans out of the stadium. It seemed the easy option, as the officers could then 'finish' their duty for the night and go home.
The officers did not even escort the Vietnamese fans to ensure their safety as the latter were in fact being herded into the waiting mob of so-called Singapore fans.
Many of the Vietnamese fans are students at the Nanyang Technological University, so language difficulties did not play a part, contrary to what the Cisco spokesman claimed. How can a simple instruction to stay put not be understood? Even a simple hand gesture would have sufficed.
I, for one, refused to follow the instructions to leave the stadium at that moment. I went to the first row of seats, pulled out a red Singapore Lions supporter shirt from my backpack, and pulled it over the white Vietnamese football jersey that I was already wearing. Only then did I feel safe enough to walk out of the stadium. Call me a coward if you must. At least I will own up to that.
But Certis Cisco's core business is providing safety and security services. And on that night, it failed miserably. Can't the agency even own up to that?
Simon Owen Khoo (aka Traitor)
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to Mr Terrence Voon's Wednesday article, 'Probe into fan clashes'.
I was seated in the Vietnamese section of the crowd during the Suzuki Cup semi-final that fateful Sunday of Dec 21 and would like to clarify some inaccuracies in the report.
Contrary to what was reported, Certis Cisco officers directed Vietnamese fans out of the stadium. The officers stood in a line and ushered the Vietnamese fans out of the stadium. It seemed the easy option, as the officers could then 'finish' their duty for the night and go home.
The officers did not even escort the Vietnamese fans to ensure their safety as the latter were in fact being herded into the waiting mob of so-called Singapore fans.
Many of the Vietnamese fans are students at the Nanyang Technological University, so language difficulties did not play a part, contrary to what the Cisco spokesman claimed. How can a simple instruction to stay put not be understood? Even a simple hand gesture would have sufficed.
I, for one, refused to follow the instructions to leave the stadium at that moment. I went to the first row of seats, pulled out a red Singapore Lions supporter shirt from my backpack, and pulled it over the white Vietnamese football jersey that I was already wearing. Only then did I feel safe enough to walk out of the stadium. Call me a coward if you must. At least I will own up to that.
But Certis Cisco's core business is providing safety and security services. And on that night, it failed miserably. Can't the agency even own up to that?
Simon Owen Khoo (aka Traitor)
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