'Suddenly, he struck his head': Man nabbed for attacking Malaysian actor Kamal Adli at Singapore fan meet

SINGAPORE – Malaysian actor Kamal Adli, 36, was hospitalised after he was attacked during a fan meet at the Singapore Expo on Sunday (March 12) night.

A 33-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.

A police spokesman said that they were alerted to a fight at 9.19pm on Sunday.

"Preliminary investigations revealed that a 33-year-old man armed with a baton had allegedly assaulted a 36-year-old man at the location.

"The 36-year-old man was conscious when conveyed to the hospital," said the spokesman. The baton was seized as case exhibit, he added.

The incident happened when Mr Kamal and his wife, fellow actress Uqasha Senrose, made an appearance on the last day of Hari Raya Mega Sale 2023, a three-day fair at Singapore Expo Hall 5A.

Mr Roslan Shah, a celebrity host who had invited the couple to the event, said he was not present during the attack but was informed by Ms Uqasha that a heavily-tattooed man had approached Mr Kamal during a photo-taking session.

The man said some words to Mr Kamal before allegedly striking him on the head with a baton, which made him fall and hit his face on a table, said Mr Roslan.

The alleged assailant then continued hitting Mr Kamal's body with the baton.

Said Mr Roslan: "I was outside the Expo hall at the time of the attack, but I hurried back when I saw many people exiting the hall. I went back in and saw Ms Uqasha crying for help and lots of blood on the floor."

As Ms Uqasha tried to stop the bleeding with a cloth, members of the public prevented the attacker from leaving, before police arrived and arrested him.

Mr Kamal was rushed to Changi General Hospital and received stitches.

Ms Uqasha, 31, recounted in a teary Instagram post that the attacker used a weapon she described as a "chota" and hit Kamal repeatedly on his head, face, chest and back.

"We thought that he wanted to take a photo. Suddenly, he struck Kamal's head with a long chota," she told Berita Harian in Malay.

She described the attacker as having a "sinister smile" and said that he did not seem to care that the assault happened in public. She thanked those who helped to apprehend him.

She also added that Mr Kamal's head wound was deep but was thankful that his memory was not affected as he was able to answer after doctors asked him if he knew what date and time it was.

Mr Roslan, who is a Singaporean but has been based in Malaysia for over 22 years for work, has brought in several Malaysian actors and singers for events like the Hari Raya Mega Sale. He said this is the first time an incident like this has happened.

"Previously, some of the celebrities would choose to bring their bodyguards. But as this was a joyous Hari Raya event, Mr Kamal and Ms Uqasha opted not to have one. They did not expect this to happen," he said.

Police investigations are ongoing.

The Straits Times has also contacted Singapore Expo partner Constellar for comment.

Mr Kamal and Ms Senrose recently acted together in Akira Khan, a Malaysian television romantic drama series.

This is the second time Hari Raya Mega Sale 2023 had made headlines.

On March 11, it was reported that 24 food stalls and food trucks were suspended after officers from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) officers found them operating without licences.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.