By Hedy Khoo

A DRESSCODE for the beach?

Don't laugh, because a regular East Coast Park beachgoer claims he was warned that his swimming trunks were too skimpy for a day of sun, sea and sand.

Mr Pang Buck Seng, 54, saw red when he was stopped by two NParks officers who told him his neon green swimming trunks were 'inappropriate'.

The incident took place on 17 Feb, at about 3pm.

Mr Pang, a retired fisherman, had gone to the beach near the former Big Splash to swim and get a tan.

He was walking towards the water when he was stopped by two NParks officers, both women, at a boat storage area.

'They were very rude,' claimed Mr Pang.

'One of them pointed at my swimming trunks and said 'cannot wear like that, wear proper swimming trunks'.'

Mr Pang said he tried to explain that he was properly attired in beachwear.

'I was wearing proper swimming trunks with lining, not underwear,' he said indignantly.

'My swimming trunks are decent. It doesn't even have a G-string back.'

But the officers insisted his trunks were inappropriate. Mr Pang tried to argue. Then, exasperated, he called the police.

When police officers arrived, he lodged a police report about being stopped by the NParks officers for wearing 'inappropriate swimming trunks'.

The police confirmed that the report had been made.

'I didn't break any law. I was not indecently exposing myself,' he insisted.

An NParks spokesman, in response to The New Paper's queries, said that Mr Pang was indeed advised by its officer to be dressed more decently, but the incident was sparked off by harassment of one of its officers.

NParks lodges police report

NParks, too, has lodged a police report and would be seeking legal advice.

Mr Pang, who lives at nearby Marine Drive, said he is a regular beachgoer and goes to suntan and swim at the beach almost daily.

He said he would always be in bermudas and a polo T-shirt when walking from his home to the beach.

'I dress appropriately in public. I don't walk from my home to the beach in my swimming trunks. I only change into them at the beach,' he added.

'It's ridiculous. This is the beach. Obviously I am not going to be wearing my swimming trunks to parks like the Botanical Gardens.

NParks advises visitors on its website to 'be decently dressed at all times' under the 'Dos' and 'Don'ts' section.

When asked about this incident, the NParks spokesman said swimming attire is acceptable at their beach parks.

'We have investigated the incident and we think this is more than a case of appropriate swimwear at beach parks.

'There are grounds to believe that our female officer has been harassed by the park user.'

The spokesman said the NParks officer had been supervising workers removing unwanted items from East Coast Park when she was approached by Mr Pang from behind.

'She turned around and was surprised to see a man skimpily clad in swimming trunks. Our officer requested that he cover himself more appropriately, as she noted that his swimming trunks were 'revealing,' said the spokesman.

The spokesman declined to elaborate on what exactly 'revealing' meant.

'The man responded by raising his voice at our officer, while pulling his swimming trunks in an indecent manner. Our officer felt intimidated by his actions and walked away. After dressing up, he further provoked her by waving his swimming trunks menacingly in front of her,' added the spokesman.

But Mr Pang was adamant that he had been approached by two NParks female officers first.

He then went to a nearby changing room to put on a pair of bermudas and went up to the two female officers to show them his swimming trunks.

'I turned the swimming trunks inside-out to show them the label and lining,' said Mr Pang, who admitted that he raised his voice in the process.

'But I didn't behave indecently or expose myself.

'I was fed up to be told I cannot wear swimming trunks at the beach, but I didn't hurl vulgarities,' he insisted.

This article was first published in The New Paper.