Clementi fish seller fined S$2,000 for harassing pork stall owner by telling customers to buy pork from another stall - Mothership

The fish seller alleged that the butcher was selling frozen pork at fresh pork prices.

A fish seller at a wet market in Clementi was fined S$2,000 on Sep. 18 for harassing a butcher whose stall was located directly opposite hers.

The 68-year-old woman, Xu Zhenji (transliteration), had reportedly told customers that the pork sold at a neighbouring stall was better and suggested that they buy from there instead.

According to Shin Min Daily News, Xu was operating a fish stall at the wet market at Block 448 Clementi Avenue 3 when the incident occurred.

She faced a total of three charges under the Protection from Harassment Act and pleaded guilty to one.

The remaining charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

In 2024, Xu and the victim had a dispute over the use of shared spaces around their stalls, Shin Min reported.

Following this, Xu repeatedly made remarks about the victim's stall, speaking loudly enough for customers who were intending to buy from him to hear.

The victim subsequently applied for an expedited order to stop Xu from making insulting remarks about his stall in front of his customers.

The court granted the order on Aug. 8, 2024, and scheduled a hearing for Feb. 24, 2025, to consider the victim's application for a Personal Protection Order (PPO).

The victim was granted the PPO on Feb. 24, 2025.

Xu was also ordered to pay S$2,000 in costs to the victim.

However, on Nov. 18, 2025, Xu saw a female customer standing at the victim's pork stall and told her that the pork sold at the neighbouring stall was better.

She then suggested that the customer patronise that stall instead.

The victim said he felt that the remarks affected his business and amounted to harassment.

Xu had also claimed on two occasions, Jan. 12, 2025, and Feb. 25, 2026, that the pork sold at the victim's stall was frozen and not fresh. That violated the PPO, Shin Min reported.

She had previously told the court that she had not fought with the victim or damaged any property, and had merely said that he was selling frozen meat.

Xu was fined S$2,000 on Sep. 18, which she was allowed to pay in instalments.

When approached for comment, Xu declined to discuss the case, saying only that she respected the court's decision, Shin Min reported.

A visit by Shin Min reporters on Sep. 18 found a CCTV camera installed outside the pork stall.

An assistant at the stall said the two stalls have been operating at the location for about six or seven years and had initially coexisted peacefully.

The assistant said: "One of us sells meat and the other sells fish. How could there be a conflict of interest?"

The assistant claimed that in recent years, Xu had repeatedly harassed them and told customers that they were selling frozen meat at the price of fresh pork.

As a result, some regular customers stopped patronising the stall, the assistant said.

The assistant added that Xu would also sometimes shout loudly so that people nearby could hear.

The owner eventually applied for a protection order, hoping to put an end to the remarks.

"She hasn't harassed us recently. We're all running businesses, and it's best to keep the peace," the assistant said.