“Parrot Man” arrested at Orchard Road for unruly conduct

Former businessman with dashed political aspirations Zeng Guoyan, 64, was arrested at Orchard Road last Saturday (25 Aug) for allegedly hurling verbal abuse against a busker.

Police were informed of the incident at 5.40p.m. and had subsequently arrested Zeng.

A video that was uploaded by Facebook user Titus KC Yap, with a description that says “Fake beggar getting arrested”, had raked up 496,000 views as of today (Aug 28):

In the video, it can be seen that multiple police officers were trying to remove Zeng from his wheelchair, and that Zeng tried to resist by clinging to the armrests.

It is understood that the busker in this incident, who wished to be addressed as Tan, had requested Zeng, or infamously known as “Parrot Man”, to reduce the volume from his speaker, as Zeng was in an area that is designated for buskers to perform.

However, the busker was met with vulgar language by Zeng.

According to Tan, this is not the first time that Zeng had caused a ruckus at the busker-designated area, and that the latter has been doing so for the past two years.

“He normally comes on the weekends. He will wait for a crowd to grow around a performing busker before coming in to play loud music and pressure the crowd to give him money,” said Tan.

Tan added that at least 10 buskers have experienced a similar disturbance, and have complained to the authorities as a result. However, this incident sparked the first police report against Zeng for such disturbances.

Previously, Zeng found himself embroiled in a dispute with the management of Ngee Ann City for posing as a person with physical disabilities in a bid to lure cash from passer-bys by selling tissue paper packets along the walkway at the Orchard Road shopping centre last year.

Zeng was diagnosed with nose cancer in 2014. He is also known for having made unsuccessful bids to contest in the 2011 General Election and Presidential Election as an independent candidate, and later on in the Hougang and Punggol East by-elections the following year and in 2013 separately.

In 2009, Zeng was fined S$3,000 for putting up unapproved banners displaying a picture of terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari, and was convicted of molesting a woman at his former clinic in 1996.