A 30-year-old man was arrested after punching a fellow diner so hard that blood stained the floor of a hawker centre at Marsiling Mall on Tuesday night (May 27), reported Lianhe Zaobao. The altercation reportedly started over a minor collision and some nagging remarks.
According to a witness, the attacker was carrying a bowl of mee hoon kueh when he lightly bumped into a younger man.
The younger diner didn’t react, quietly walking away to eat. However, the red-shirted man appeared upset and started “muttering” under his breath while gesturing animatedly.
Another nearby stallholder at the hawker centre told Shin Min Daily News that the red-shirted man kept going on for about two minutes. The younger man, visibly annoyed, stood up and confronted him. That’s when things escalated — the younger man suddenly punched the red-shirted diner in the face, causing him to fall and bleed from his head.
Photos sent by a reader showed a large bloodstain on the ground and bloodied tissues on a table nearby. Police later cordoned off the area.
The Singapore Police Force confirmed that a 23-year-old man was conscious when taken to the hospital, and a 30-year-old man was arrested.
Investigations are ongoing.
Other Hawker Centre Diners Step In to Stop Fight
According to hawkers, the red-shirted man’s parents were also at the scene. His mother screamed and rushed forward, yelling “Stop hitting him!” as she shielded her injured son.
Other diners quickly stepped in to break up the fight. Some helped to hold back the attacker while others supported the injured man. Several stallholders also gave him tissues to stem the bleeding.
One hawker noted that the man who threw the punch is a regular customer who’s usually quiet. “Maybe the hot weather is making people more irritable,” she added. “We’re all just here to enjoy a meal — no need for such violence.”
