Parking at Ngee Ann City at night

Dear All

I got this email from a friend. For what it is worth, in case it actually happened, please
take extra care.


This came from a reliable friend whose friend this is (someone
named Nancy), and is so detailed, I can imagine it happening.
Please inform women friends who like to gallivant at night.

I wish to bring to your attention an incident that happened to me
on the 5th July 2005, at Ngee Ann City, in Singapore. I was man-
handled by a dark-skinned male assailant and robbed. Please
be very careful when you park in that building or if you walk
around that building late at night.

Account of Incident:

After dinner with 2 girlfriends at Orchard Road around 11.20pm
on 5th July, I walked alone to Ngee Ann City to pick up my car
which was parked at Basement 3. I tried to enter Ngee Ann from
the doors facing Civic Plaza but found ALL of them locked (the
last time I entered the building at this late hour was about 2yrs
ago, and then, there was a door near Mont Blanc/Cartier that
was still open). I tried all the doors twice to double-check there
was no way of entry. There were no security guards around that
Civic Plaza side whom I can approach for help. The only
signboards available were the ones placed at every automated
door saying that the business hours of Ngee Ann ends at 11pm.

After trying in vain for 15 mins, I called up a male colleague to
ask if he possibly knew the way of entry to the carpark. He told
me that very likely, the entrance is now situated at the back of
the building (the side where the taxi stand and Sushi Tei is)
facing Orchard Turn. While still on the phone with him, I walked
via the pavement next to Louis Vuitton boutique to the back of
the building. I remember that most of the lights along that
pavement were not switched on, so it was very dim. As I make
a left turn at the corner near Crystal Jade Hu Cui, someone
grabbed me from the back and covered my face with his palm
and wrestle me. Instinctively, I screamed and shouted very loudly,
thinking of the worst that could happen. My retaliation and reaction
must have shocked him, because he panicked and only ran away
with my mobile phone. I saw him running down Orchard turn, in the
direction towards Mandarin Hotel. I was in a shock for a while and
decided to walk back to Civic Plaza to get help. The shop attendant
at the 7-11 kiosk at Civic Plaza helped and we called the Ngee Ann
security office. 2 security officers turned up a few mins later and
took the details and my contacts down. They also confirmed that
the ONLY way to get to the carpark after 11pm is via the Firemen's
Lift near the corner I was attacked. I asked to report to the police.
The patrol car came about 10mins later with 3 police officers. They
interviewed me and filed a report. By this time, the security officers

had gone off and left me to my wits to get to the carpark again! It
was the 3 policemen who were nice enough to walk me to my car.
Enroute, we passed the place I was attacked and they saw that
there was a security camera situated there. We have hope to be
caught on tape. By the way, the Firemen's Lift is situated at a dark
corner and encased by 2 doors. If I had been attacked there, it
could have been worse, because no amount of screaming would
help! The next day, around 12noon, I rang up the Senior Manager
for Ngee Ann City Management Office, Mr Leon Tan, to ask why
no one bothered to follow-up with me. I was shocked to learn that
he was not even informed of the attack! At 2.30pm that day, Mr
Kenny Seah (Security Manager for Ngee Ann) rang me. He
claimed that he tried to contact me around 9 plus in the morning.
However, I had no missed calls or messages left for me. I asked
to view the security videos and went down to see him around
2.45pm. He played back a tape for me, which showed the
camera where I was attacked facing the other direction. I asked
him if there were any other cameras there. He walked me back
to the scene and there was another camera facing the stairs
where I walked up just before I was attacked. Kenny said he
viewed that tape too, but it was too dark to make out any details.
(Too dark confirmed that the lights were not switched on
sufficiently). And, why didn't he show me that tape??? I asked
Kenny why the ONLY way to the carpark after office hours was
so dimly lit. He replied that the security tried to reflect that to
the
management before, but the management felt that too much
lighting is a waste of money!! Kenny also rang Toshin Company
(which he said is in charged of the doors facing Civic Plaza to
ask if any doors were opened past 11pm the night I was attacked).
Kenny claimed that one was open, but this conflicts with my
personal experience and the statement made by his OWN security
officers who came to the scene after my report of being attacked!

What I do not understand is:

1. Why was the only entrance to the carpark after 11pm, the
Firemen's Lift situated in the dark corner at the back of the
building, which can ONLY be accessed via
2. A walkway where lighting was minimized to cut down cost?
3. No security officers were seen at the side facing Civic Plaza
patrolling the grounds?
4. Why after the incident, no one from the management bothered
to do any follow-up and why the claims made were all
contradictory to the facts???

I was very blessed that the assailant is not armed. Rather than
leaving it to chance, this lapse in security at Ngee Ann City has
to be addressed before someone really gets hurt or raped!


Take Care & God Bless!