A 17-hour stand-off between police and a man who had locked himself in a Sembawang flat with a two-year-old boy ended at noon on Wednesday (Sept 28) when police broke into the fifth floor unit.
The 39-year-old man was arrested for wrongful confinement and drug-related offences, while the boy – who was unharmed – is now in the custody of the authorities.
The boy’s mother, who was involved in an alleged dispute with the man before the stand-off occurred, was also arrested at the scene for drug-related offences.
Officers from Special Operations Command broke into the unit at 12.03pm, police said in an update on its Facebook page.
The dramatic stand-off at Block 462, Sembawang Drive, started when police received a call at 6.44pm on Tuesday.
The Straits Times understands that the man and the boy’s mother are friends.
The man (on the boot of the car) is placed in a police car shortly after his arrest. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERNThe man (in white shirt) who locked himself in the flat can be seen standing behind the gate. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JINThe situation at Block 462, Sembawang Drive on Wednesday (Sept 28). ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
A resident of the block, Mr Adam Bhai, 33, a personal trainer, said he heard the loud cries of a child coming from the flat at around 8pm.
“The man refused to open the door to police,” a police spokesman had said.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it set up a safety life air pack at the foot of the block on Tuesday evening.
SCDF also dispatched a fire engine, a red rhino, two fire bikes, an ambulance, and three support vehicles.
Its Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team was also put on standby.
Sembawang GRC MP Lim Wee Kiak, who was at the scene earlier, said the police had been working hard to negotiate with the man and their most pressing concern was the safety of both the individual and the child.
He said they were trying to resolve the family dispute and based on database checks, the family was not on the Government’s ComCare financial assistance.
Dr Lim said the mother has three other children, who are with their grandmother in Woodlands.
All 12 members of SSgt Jailani’s family poses for a fun shot at their chalet.
Returning to his flat in Woodlands, Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Mohamed Jailani, 36, is greeted by his wife and ten children.
“When people hear that I have ten children, they are astounded, but to me, it’s just having a bigger family that’s all, no different from everyone else,” says SSgt Jailani
The rescue specialist is part of the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s elite unit – the Disaster and Rescue Team (DART) which handles complex rescue and fire-fighting incidents such as urban search and rescue, prolonged fire fighting, height and confined space operations and water rescue.
Only the best officers join DART and they undergo an extremely grueling selection test.
View the SCDF DART Selection videos as Home Team News tails 16 DART hopefuls, of which SSgt Jailani was one of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TF142sb-S8
During the selection, SSgt Jailani often came close to giving up due to the sheer physically and mental stress of the 28-hour test that included a 7km run, 21km road march, concrete wall breeching, height and confined space test and heat and humidity endurance.
As they say, looks can be deceiving.
Although SSgt Jailani stands at 1.58m and weighs only 49kg, he was able to carry dummy casualties heavier than him (wearing his breathing apparatus which weighs 15kg) and perform the other range of challenging and sometimes excruciating exercises.
“What other officers can’t do, DART must do, because we are called in to perform the more complex and demanding emergencies, so we cannot afford to slip up because real lives are at stake in every crisis, that’s why the selection is so tough,” says SSgt Jailani.
To train for his selection, he had to sacrifice some family time, but it was worth the while and SSgt Jailani was one of 8officers of 16 officers who signed up for the DART selection back in 2012.
What keeps him in the force for 8 years is his passion for rescuing people.
“When you save someone, the feeling is indescribable,” say SSgt Jailani.
He says that height rescue operations are challenging due to the danger and to have many people watching from the ground.
“Any rescue job that cannot be done we must be able to finish it. We cannot afford to make mistakes because real lives are at stake. So it is really demanding to hold on the DART tag,’ says SSgt Jailani.
Not only is SSgt Jailani a passionate rescue specialist, he is also a generous and loving father to ten children.
“Sometimes, I also don’t know how I manage ten children. Without the support and love of my wonderful wife, it would be impossible,” SSgt Jailani smiles lovingly at his wife Rohana of 11 years.
His youngest child is five years old and SSgt Jailani calls himself the luckiest man on earth to have a supportive wife.
During the tough 28 hour DART selection, Rohana was supportive of his ambition but was saddened as she knew how physically and mentally drained SSgt Jailani was that week.
“My children too adore my work, they are proud of me and I share some experiences with them like the road traffic cases I attend to – to help them understand the importance of road safety. But the difficult and gruesome cases I will not share as I don’t want to worry them,” says SSgt Jailani.
Having ten children who are understanding and mature has made parenting a little more easier for Jailani and Rohana.
The family enjoys simple outings the beach, playing charades and having BBQ sessions.
Having to raise so many children in Singapore is a formidable feat but it does not come without challenges.
“Finance is of course the toughest, I don’t need to explain more as Singapore is the most expensive city in the world,” jokes SSgt Jailani who lives in a 5-room flat with his family.
His wife Rohana has given up her job to be a stay-home mother to look after her children.
When he went on dates with his wife, his children would tag along and they would go window shopping or have long walks in the park and sit by the playground.
“My other worries are to teach them not to mix with bad company, how to save money even with little money, learning the needs and strengths of all my ten children and helping them to love me as their father,” says SSgt Jalani.
This fathers’ day, SSgt Jailani celebrates with his family at a chalet where they bond over good food and a splashing good time at the pool.
