2 days ago
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SINGAPORE: A man who was unhappy at the sound of his neighbour's children playing along the common corridor near his flat was especially aggrieved when they did so again on Deepavali.
Knowing that his neighbours were Malay-Muslim, he smeared pork luncheon meat across the common corridor, wanting the kids to step on the meat for "bad karma".
Vikneswaran V Moganaval, a 36-year-old Singaporean, was sentenced to 14 weeks' jail on Wednesday (Feb 11).
He pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in conduct that wounded religious feelings under the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act and another charge of using abusive words against a public servant.
THE CASE
The court heard that Vikneswaran lived at a Housing and Development Board block in Woodlands.
His female neighbour, who was down the corridor from him, shared a flat with her husband, three children, mother-in-law, sister and helper.
Vikneswaran was upset that two of the kids, aged four and seven, often played along the common corridor.
He had previously engaged with the Community Policing Unit (CPU) over this noise dispute.
At first, Vikneswaran felt that the intervention had improved the situation, but became upset again when the children played along the corridor once more on Deepavali in October 2025.
He felt aggrieved as it was his festive day, and claimed that he had to cancel a gathering that was supposed to happen at his house.
He called for the CPU at about 7.30pm on Oct 20, 2025. The children returned home about 15 minutes after this.
The CPU arrived, spoke to Vikneswaran and the children's mother, who was the victim in this case, and left.
However, Vikneswaran continued to feel upset at his neighbours and what he felt was an insufficient resolution of the noise dispute.
He knew that the victim's family was Malay-Muslim, and that consumption of pork or contact with it was forbidden in Islam.
He wanted to express his anger by throwing luncheon meat at his neighbour's flat but refrained from doing this.
Instead, he opened a can of pork luncheon meat and smeared it across the floor along the common corridor.
Vikneswaran intended for his neighbours to see the meat as they went past or walked along the corridor.
He knew that his act was an offence, as he was aware of news coverage of an offender who had been jailed for sending cans of luncheon meat to a mosque.
However, he rationalised that it was different as he was trying to stop the children from playing in front of his flat by placing what he regarded as a physical barrier of luncheon meat.
At around 10.15pm that day, Vikneswaran called the police and said: "I feel like throwing luncheon meat at my neighbour's unit. I need police."
He added that he would confront the police if they were not sent "now".
When the police arrived, they took photos of the corridor. Vikneswaran showed them an unopened can of luncheon meat and said that he would throw it at his neighbour's flat after the police left.
The police warned him not to do so and told him to clear the meat strewn across the corridor, but Vikneswaran refused.
When the police asked why he had placed the meat there as the children may not know what it was and may step on it by accident, Vikneswaran said that he wanted the kids to step on the meat so they would return home with the meat on their footwear. The family would then get "bad karma", he said.
The police relayed information to the Town Council to get a cleaner to come by.
Later that evening, the victim's sister looked at the brown substance but was unsure what it was.
The next morning, the victim's kids walked over the meat with their helper and father on the way to school and work.
Later that morning, the victim also walked over the meat with her one-year-old son.
The meat was cleared by a cleaner later that day. When the victim found out that the substance was pork, she was very angry and felt that Vikneswaran was being disrespectful towards her family's Muslim faith.
Vikneswaran was arrested on Oct 20, 2025, charged and was eventually remanded at the Institute of Mental Health.
He was initially on bail but later voluntarily opted to revoke his bail and has been remanded since.
Vikneswaran also pleaded guilty to an unrelated offence of cursing at the police in an incident in February 2025.
He had locked himself out of his grandmother's house after a drinking session and called the police for help.
When told that it was not an emergency and that he should engage his own locksmith, Vikneswaran scolded the operator with vulgarities and hung up.
He twice called the police emergency hotline again, demanding that officers come down. After being arrested, he sobered up and apologised.
IMMATURE, DISGRACEFUL: PROSECUTOR
Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Kee En asked for 14 weeks' jail, saying that Vikneswaran responded with "immaturity and with disgraceful actions" in a situation that called for "grace and maturity".
"Singapore is the world's most religiously diverse nation. It is also one of its most densely populated countries," said Mr Chong.
"Living in Singapore is to appreciate that our multicultural and crowded country can sometimes be a little messy and chaotic. Balancing the multiracial and communal-living aspects of our society requires us to show tolerance and sensitivity to each other."
He said Vikneswaran's actions were "a far cry from that tolerance or sensitivity".
"Upset with noise caused by children supposedly disrupting his festive day, he resorted to a racial-religious taboo," said Mr Chong.
He said the jail term was necessary to signal that Vikneswaran's "intolerant actions cannot, and should not, be tolerated in our multicultural society".
Vikneswaran has previous convictions for making a nuisance 995 call and using vulgarities on a police officer.
In mitigation, Vikneswaran apologised and said he was deeply regretful and remorseful.
He said he has undergone programmes that taught him how to handle such situations and has applied for a work-study diploma.
Mr Chong responded that he was glad that Vikneswaran had expressed remorse. He said he hoped that if he had any disputes with his neighbours in future, whom he still has to live with, he would not resort to such actions.
In sentencing, the judge said 14 weeks was "reasonable".
For knowingly engaging in conduct that wounds religious feelings, Vikneswaran could have been jailed for up to five years, fined, or both.
