'I might have died': Man slashed in Buangkok incident says doctor told him attacker was aiming for his neck

The man who was attacked by a sword-wielding man on Monday (March 14) afternoon recounted that a doctor who attended to him said that the attacker had likely wanted to slash him on his neck.

"But fortunately he only slashed my shoulders and ears. Otherwise I might have died," said the 35-year-old man in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao.

He was conveyed to the Sengkang General Hospital after sustaining slash wounds on his shoulders, arms and ears, as well as bruises on his knees, elbows and back. 

Describing the incident, the man said that he was at Buangkok Square doing a grocery run when he spotted a man brandishing a sword and slashing at cars on the road. 

He retrieved his mobile phone to take a video of the armed man and the latter rushed towards him, yelling "Do you have a grudge against Muslims?" before attacking him with the sharp weapon.

However, his attacker slipped on the ground and the man bravely rushed forward to pin the man down. Four other passers-by also helped to restrain the man. 

"He was struggling profusely and was yelling repeatedly in Malay when we pinned him down. The few of us were restraining him until the police arrived. Those few minutes felt like a really long time," the man recalled. 

The slasher, a 37-year-old, was arrested by police that same afternoon. Police also seized his weapon as a case exhibit. 

In their statement, the police said that preliminary investigations do not suggest the incident to be an act of terror.

He will be charged in court on Wednesday for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, said the police in a statement on Monday evening. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had consumed some unknown pills before leaving home with his sword.  

The police also raided the slasher's residence and seized two packets of yellow pills. 

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The man has a history of multiple offences. He was released from prison on July 30, 2020 after serving a jail sentence of nine months and two weeks for multiple offences — including violent offences and offences against public servants. 

The armed man was previously remanded in the Institute of Mental Health and diagnosed with substance use disorder.

Another man also suffered minor injuries from the incident, but declined to be taken to the hospital. 

The police also commended the members of the public who had helped to restrain the man before the police arrived. They will be presented with the Public Spiritedness Award. 

claudiatan@asiaone.com