Reporter was handcuffed for his own "personal safety".

This is what I gathered from the Temasek Review which is an amazing online news source.  See http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/07/18/singapore-police-wanbao-photographer-handcuffed-for-his-own-personal-safety/

Here's what it says:

Singapore Police: Wanbao photographer “handcuffed” for his own “personal safety”

July 18th, 2010 | Author: Your Correspondent

According to a press statement from the Singapore police, Lianhe Wanbao reported Mr Wu Qing Shun was handcuffed and detained by the police for his own “personal safety.”
Mr Wu was handcuffed by a police officer when taking photos of flooding at Upper Bukit Timah Road yesterday morning. He was later led to outside a condominium where he was detained for one hour.
The police claimed that Mr Wu was handcuffed as he was posing a “danger” to himself and others. He was released after “assessment” which confirmed that he would not “hinder” the police’s “rescue operations.”
The fracas sparked a massive outcry in cyberspace with many netizens lampooning the Singapore police for gross “misuse” of power. Public confidence in the Singapore Police Force has also sunk to a new low.
Lianhe Wanbao did not buy the police’s explanation as well and reserved its right to pursue further legal action against the Singapore police.
However, the Singapore police is adamant that it did nothing wrong and sent a threatening message that anybody convicted of ”interfering” with the police carrying out its “public duty” will be sentenced to a jail term no less than three years or fined up to $2,500 or both.
The Singapore police is overwhelming powerful in Singapore with no independent bodies such as a commission on police misconduct to check on it.