'I only took off my mask to wipe my nose': Man, 75, says he was 'attacked' at Bukit Timah Market

Perhaps he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. A man's sneeze while standing outside a stall resulted in a loud argument, thrown water and torn clothes.

The incident occurred on Thursday noon (Feb 4) outside a vegetable stall at Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre.

"I only took off my mask to wipe my nose," the 75-year-old recounted in an interview with Shin Min Daily News. "The stallholder saw and started swearing at me. I responded, and we started arguing."

The noise attracted the attention of a pair of the stallholder's assistants. The elderly man claimed that one of them reached out and "clawed" at him, tearing his shirt and leaving scratches on him in the process, before throwing a bucketful of water at him.

The same assistant had hit him with the handle of a dustpan, which broke from the impact and left his arm swollen, he added.

According to him, the assistants were unhappy that he had stopped working for the stall and would regularly scold him for not wearing a mask whenever he took it off to eat and wash his mouth, or if he coughed or sneezed. 

The incident caused his daughter much heartache. She said: "My father doesn't hit people, he's never hit us. He's just an elderly man who's unable to defend himself."

She added that her father seldom spoke to others and would mind his own business, avoiding conflict as much as possible.

The man has since gone to the doctor for a check-up and lodged a police report.

Employee admits to splashing water, denies clawing at elderly man

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Speaking with the Chinese daily, the stallholder claimed the elderly man sneezed in his direction that day and had done so multiple times before, hence he decided to scold him.

His assistant, who happened to be his sister-in-law, admitted to splashing water on the older man, explaining: "I saw him arguing with my brother-in-law. Both of them were extremely angry and the situation was quite tense, so I threw water hoping they'd calm down."

While she said that she attempted to break up the fight by pulling the elderly man away, she denied clawing at him, saying she was incapable of tearing his clothes as her nails were short.

Holding onto the dustpan's handle had only been for self-defence at the other had glared at her, she added. 

The police confirmed a report was lodged and investigations into a case of voluntarily causing hurt are ongoing.

rainercheung@asiaone.com