‘Duty with kindness’: Singapore ‘Abang Polis’ touched by fame over banter with Malaysian anglers

SINGAPORE – It was just another routine day for Police Coast Guard officer Mohd Ramdzan Yahya when he conducted checks on a vessel that had drifted into Singapore waters.

Little did he expect that his five-minute interaction with a couple of Malaysian anglers would go viral on social media, earning him wide­spread recognition, praise for his professionalism and the nickname Abang Polis.

On Nov 15, Station Inspector Mohd Ramdzan, 47, and two of his colleagues spotted a motorised wooden boat while they were doing­ their patrols north-east of Pulau Tekong at 2pm.

They immediately realised the vessel was in Singapore’s territorial waters.

As their high-speed patrol craft approached the smaller boat, Station Insp Mohd Ramdzan noticed that the two men, whom he could tell were recreational fishermen, looked nervous.

“I cracked some jokes to put them at ease and, at the same time, I asked for their identification for us to conduct checks,” he told The Straits Times on Dec 3, adding that the men were cooperative.

“I also told them I understood they might have accidentally entered Singapore waters, and they would need to return to Malaysian waters.”

However, he did not realise that the interaction was being recorded by one of the anglers, and then posted on TikTok.

In the video posted on Nov 18, a TikTok user with the handle @Fizreeajie said he and his friend were having a meal and did not realise strong winds had caused their boat to drift away from their original spot.

Station Insp Mohd Ramdzan says on the two-minute video: “If you entered accidentally, we won’t make things difficult.

“Some boats run on purpose, that’s different. Even if you didn’t do anything, we still have to conduct our checks.”

The atmosphere turns friendly when Station Insp Mohd Ramdzan cracks a joke about whether the men had the “green light” from their wives to go fishing, adding that his wife would be upset if he did the same thing.

The light-hearted banter between Station Insp Mohd Ram­dzan and the two men was a hit with netizens from both countries, who praised his warm but firm approach, affectionately calling him “Abang Polis”.

Station Insp Mohd Ramdzan was unaware of his newfound fame until his friend forwarded the video to him.

His family and friends also tagged him on Facebook.

The soft-spoken man was quite shocked and initially worried about how the video would be perceived by his superiors, colleagues, family and the public.

He consulted his team leader, who was happy that he was professional and followed procedure. But Station Insp Mohd Ramdzan was still concerned about his wife’s reaction.

“She understood that I was just making the fishermen feel at ease. She also received positive responses from her friends,” he said.

Saying that this has been one of the most memorable experiences in his 23-year career, he said the term “Abang Polis” particularly moved him.

“Abang in Malay means a protective older brother, someone reliable. It’s quite humbling to be called that,” he said.

In fact, colleagues, staff at the gym he goes to and even the uncle who sells epok-epok near his house call him Abang Polis now.

“Some of my friends take selfies with me to show their wives, as they (the wives) don’t believe their husbands know Abang Polis,” he said.

Station Insp Mohd Ramdzan is taking his newfound fame in his stride, adding that it is his duty to guard Singapore’s territorial waters against illegal entry.

“Our main priority is to ensure the safety of Singapore’s territorial waters while being kind to others,” he said, exemplifying one of the police force’s pledges of being courteous and humane.