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SINGAPORE \u2013 It was just another routine day for police coast guard Mohd Ramdzan Yahya when he conducted checks on a vessel that had drifted into Singapore waters.<\/p>\n
Little did he expect that his five-minute interaction with a couple of Malaysian anglers would go viral on social media, earning him widespread recognition, praise for his professionalism and the nickname Abang Polis. <\/p>\n
On Nov 15, Station Inspector Mohd Ramdzan, 47, and two of his colleagues spotted a motorised wooden boat while they were doing their patrols north-east of Pulau Tekong at 2pm. <\/p>\n
They immediately realised the vessel was in Singapore\u2019s territorial waters. <\/p>\n
As their high-speed patrol craft approached the smaller boat, Station Insp Mohd Ramdzan noticed that the two men, who he could tell were recreational fishermen, looked nervous. <\/p>\n
\u201cI cracked some jokes to put them at ease and, at the same time, I asked for their identification for us to conduct checks,\u201d he told The Straits Times on Dec 3, adding that the men were cooperative.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also told them I understood they might have accidentally entered Singapore waters, and they would need to return to Malaysian waters.\u201d <\/p>\n
However, he did not realise that the interaction was being recorded by one of the anglers, and then posted on TikTok.<\/p>\n
In the video posted on Nov 18, a TikTok user with the handle @Fizreeajie said he and his friend were having a meal and did not realise strong winds had caused their boat to drift away from their original spot. <\/p>\n
Station Insp Mohd Ramdzan says on the two-minute video: \u201cIf you entered accidentally, we won\u2019t make things difficult. Some boats run on purpose, that\u2019s different. Even if you didn\u2019t do anything, we still have to conduct our checks.\u201d<\/p>\n
The atmosphere turns friendly when Station Insp Mohd Ramdzan cracks a joke about whether the men had the \u201cgreen light\u201d from their wives to go fishing, adding that his wife would be upset if he did the same thing. <\/p>\n
The light-hearted banter between Station Insp Mohd Ramdzan and the two men was a hit with netizens from both countries, who praised his warm but firm approach, affectionately calling him \u201cAbang Polis\u201d. <\/p>\n
Station Insp Mohd Ramdzan was unaware of his newfound fame until his friend forwarded the video to him.<\/p>\n