"Parrot man" Zeng Guoyan shows up for City Harvest trial

"Parrot man" Zeng Guoyan showed up at the Subordinate Courts on Wednesday morning in an attempt to attend the City Harvest trial.

Dressed in an Arab-style long sleeved garment with a thick gold chain around his neck, Mr Zeng said he was there to support City Harvest pastor Kong Hee. He said: "I'm here to pray for him."

Mr Zeng, who claimed to have attended services at City Harvest Church before, joined a queue made up largely of church supporters waiting to get into the court for the afternoon session. He showed up around 10.15am, cut the queue near the back, and started singing Christian hymns. Security officers told him to go back to the end of the queue.

Midway through an interview with reporters, he started quarrelling with 59-year-old coordinator David Lim who was in the queue, who said Mr Zeng was not a Christian and asked him to quiet down.

Mr Zeng then said he wanted to go in, despite being told that the public gallery was full for the trial. He entered the courthouse with security officers trailing after him.

A court official later told The Straits Times that Mr Zeng went to a registry in the courthouse to conduct other business.

Mr Zeng is known for having unsuccesfully tried to contest the 2011 general election and presidential election, as well as the recent Hougang and Punggol East by-elections. He gained the nickname "Parrot Man" for blaming his pet parrot for getting him arrested and charged in 2008 for using abusive language at two police officers.

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