10 days’ jail for contractor who spray-painted over rivals’ ads at Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio BTO estates
SINGAPORE - To sabotage other contractors’ advertisements at new Build-To-Order (BTO) estates in Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio, a man spray-painted posters put up by his rivals.
On Sept 22, Lee Sai Koon, 75, was sentenced to 10 days’ jail after pleading guilty to three charges of mischief.
The court heard that police became aware of the act after residents living in Lorong 1 Toa Payoh alerted them in August and September 2025 that advertisements stuck on their doors appeared to have been intentionally damaged.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Chia said contractors competing for business at newly completed HDB blocks would cover up the posters or cut them up with penknives to render their competitors’ advertisements ineffective.
Lee, the sole proprietor of a firm called Tong Sheng Impex, which designs, manufactures, and installs metal racks for storage purposes, was one of the contractors involved.
He committed the offences at Block 403A Lorong 1 Toa Payoh - part of the Toa Payoh Ridge BTO project - and Block 246A Ang Mo Kio Street 21, which is part of the Kebun Baru Edge project.
On June 29, 2025, Lee was at Ang Mo Kio Street 21 to put up posters to advertise his firm’s services when he saw six posters put up by a competing company on the notice board at a lift lobby.
When he failed to open the notice board to remove the posters, he took a can of black spray paint from his vehicle and sprayed it over all the posters.
His actions were captured on CCTV.
When Lee was told by the police that his actions were being investigated, he returned to the block in an attempt to clean the paint off but was unsuccessful.
On another occasion in August 2025, Lee and his wife removed the posters pasted inside the lifts at Lorong 1 Toa Payoh before putting their own posters up.
Lee then used a penknife to cut his own posters to make it more difficult for his competitors to remove his posters, as they would come off in bits and pieces.
Lee was arrested in January, while his wife was given a conditional warning for her actions.
Those convicted of mischief can be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.
Nadine Chua is a correspondent covering crime and court at The Straits Times.
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