PUBLISHED ONJuly 15, 2024 9:15 AMByKhoo Yi-HangThis stall owner has moved from being involved in a fruit fight to giving out free fruits - and his customers certainly aren't rejecting his generosity.
The fruit seller in Jurong West has apologised for a fight that occurred last Thursday (July 11), giving out $2,000 in free fruits to residents to make amends, Shin Min Daily News reported on Monday (July 15).
The fight, which saw one party flinging a durian at another - and one man reciprocating by brandishing a knife - had been caused by a dispute over a queue that formed outside a durian shop, obstructing traffic to a different stall near Block 964, Jurong West Street 91.
Three men, aged 30, 52 and 58, were arrested for affray, while two of them were conveyed conscious to the hospital.
Now, one of the fruit sellers surnamed Lan, who was involved in the fight has given back to his community as part of an apology for the incident.
The fruit giveaway, which began at 5am on Sunday, saw 200 kg of durians sold out within two hours.
Lan, 52, also had a variety of other fruits such as lychees, cherries and watermelons for his customers to take, either for free or at a heavily discounted price.
"I spent over $2,000 to buy these fruits and was ready to sell them after midnight," Lan told Shin Min.
When a reporter from Shin Min visited around 10am, they noted that about 20 to 30 customers were seen flocking the stall to get free fruits or buy them cheaply.
The other party involved in the fight was also open for business at the time, although an employee simply told the Chinese publication that both sides were "doing their own thing", unaffected by the altercation.
Durians aren't the only thing prickly about the durian season - it seems temperaments may also have been affected during this period.
Earlier this month, a man was seen on video confronting durian sellers for allegedly shouting "offer" at another stall in Jurong East, angrily berating them.
At one point, the man punched a nearby pillar, adding that he's part of a gang. Then he went on to slap the durian seller across the face.
A woman who appeared to also be working at the durian stall screamed at the man to stop, but ended up gaining his ire as the two challenged each other to fight.
Three men, aged between 18 and 54 and a 36-year-old woman were subsequently arrested for public nuisance, according to the police. No injuries were reported.
ALSO READ: Gone in 2.5 hours: Hougang durian stall gives away 1,000kg of durians worth $15k
khooyihang@asiaone.com
