The Straits Times

Nov 11, 2008
Failed robbery attempt
Man in disguise tried to rob the United Overseas Bank (UOB) branch in City Plaza on Geylang Road, but failed.
By Esther Tan

AT FIRST, bank teller Ow Soon Hock thought he had one of those pesky customers when the woman walked past the queue of waiting people and approached his counter.
He told her to get back in line. But the tudung-clad customer, who had on a coat and gloves, placed a green paper bag on the counter and told him there was a bomb in it.
Despite the lipstick, the voice was clearly that of a man's.
He ordered Mr Ow to fill up a plastic bag with cash in three minutes, or he would activate the bomb with his cellphone.
In the tense 25 minutes which followed yesterday, gutsy staff at the United Overseas Bank (UOB) branch in City Plaza on Geylang Road overpowered the would-be bank robber, and held him down until the police arrived.
A man in his mid-40s was arrested for attempted robbery.
Mr Ow recalled that moment in an otherwise ordinary afternoon: 'He told me: 'Don't be a hero, I'm desperate'.'
The bank's Certis Cisco officer, Mr Rosli Mohamad Sa'ad, 45, came up beside the man, as the small crowd slowly began to realise what was happening.
'I followed him the moment he came in. He looked suspicious wearing a black tudung, black gloves and a long coat,' said Mr Rosli, who has 20 years of experience as a security officer.
Mr Ow, who was barely four months into his job, got up and went to the back room to tell the branch manager what was happening.
'I had to stay calm. If not the other staff might panic and all would be chaos,' said the 46-year-old teller.
While he was gone, the man again warned the security officer not to be a hero.
'We stared at each other, then he showed me his watch and told me one minute had gone by,' said Mr Rosli.
The guard got his chance to act when the man looked away for a moment to fumble with his cellphone.
Mr Rosli hit him on the arm and wrestled him to the ground. Five UOB male employees, including Mr Ow, helped pin him down until the police arrived.
While this was happening, the customers in the bank retreated into a corner to watch.
Outside the bank, security guards were cordoning off the area to secure it.
'While we were holding him down, he shouted that he was in pain and asked us to let go of him,' said Mr Rosli.
The police said they received a call for help at about 3.40pm, and arrived 10 minutes later. They would not disclose the contents of the bag while investigations are going on.
Mr Ow said: 'I didn't fear for my life at that time. Everything happened so fast there was no time to be scared.'
In 2004, there was an attempted robbery on a Maybank branch in Upper Bukit Timah. The suspect was seriously injured after being shot by a Cisco officer but survived.
In 2003, an attempt was made to rob the Hong Leong Finance branch in Holland Drive. The masked robber was nabbed later the same day.