SMRT staff come to the aid of distressed man with special needs

They are commended by passenger for their care and gentleness in dealing with situation

- Esther Loi

It was an ordinary day at work for assistant station manager Husri Hussein on Jan 3, until he received an alert on his walkie-talkie at 1:45pm that the emergency communication button had been activated on a train pulling into Dover station.

With no other information, Mr Husri and Mr Tan Tuck Yong, senior station manager at Dover station, swiftly boarded the train, where they spotted a young man shouting "mummy not picking up" in agitation and slamming his hands on the seats next to him.

The other passengers were either moving away from the cabin or staring at the young man in fear, observed Mr Husri, 40.

As the father of a child with special needs, the scene was all too familiar. His 10-year-old son, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also shows his anxiety through actions whenever his daily routine is disrupted. The assistant station manager knew he had to approach the young man gently, so he sat next to him and was quiet for close to 30 seconds to give him time to cool down.