Two recent incidents have sparked a debate about the best way to react when a stranger makes you feel unsafe in public.

In August, two girls in Sengkang said a man kept walking around them in an HDB estate, offered them money for “something”, and later watched them from a car park while hiding behind pillars. One girl confronted him and, together, they chased him while filming his escape, as shown in a TikTok video.

In another case, a woman who was sketching outdoors in Ang Mo Kio reported that an older man hovered nearby and kept looking at her. She decided to confront him and shouted vulgarities to “outcrazy” him, according to a Reddit post.

Under Singapore’s Protection from Harassment Act (POHA), unlawful stalking is defined as a “course of conduct” that causes harassment, alarm, distress or humiliation. The Act lists following, loitering near a person’s usual places and surveillance as examples of stalking behaviour.

Taking a video or photo in a public space is generally not illegal, but publishing the footage to shame the person can trigger defamation claims or fall under POHA if the person’s identity is disclosed without a lawful reason.

Police advise anyone who thinks they are being followed to stay calm, move to a crowded area, and call the police – either dial 999 for emergencies or send an SMS to 70999 if speaking out loud is unsafe.

In practice, the safest response is to avoid a risky confrontation, seek help from nearby people or a shop, and record only if it can be done from a safe distance. If you feel threatened, call the police immediately and let the authorities decide whether the conduct meets the legal definition of stalking or harassment.