Suspecting that an elderly man was secretly taking photos and videos of his stall, a confrontation between a curry puff hawker and the stranger escalated into a scuffle.

The elderly man was left with a bloodied arm after the commotion which occurred at Hong Lim Market and Food Centre at 11.05am on Sunday (Nov 12), reported Shin Min Daily News.

Peter Ng, stall owner of Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff Original, told the Chinese evening daily that they had discovered an elderly man pacing around the stall, seemingly taking videos of them with his phone.

The same man was also spotted loitering around the stall and taking photos a few months ago, said the 57-year-old hawker.

He revealed that two weeks ago, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) had issued them a warning for non-compliance to mask/spit guard wearing requirements for food handlers.

According to SFA, food handlers are required to wear a mask or spit guard to prevent the contamination of food during the preparation and handling process.

"We suspected that this elderly man secretly took photos of us when we took our masks off to talk and lodged a complaint using the photos," he told Shin Min, adding that he and his employees would typically wear masks while working.

Wanting to clarify matters, Ng chased the man down and requested to check the man's phone gallery.

"He was unwilling to let me check his phone and I didn't touch him," recounted the hawker.

"My fiancee wanted to take his phone and both of them got scratched in the ensuing scuffle. My fiancee's hand was also injured."

Ng called the police as the dispute between the two continued.

Responding to Shin Min's queries, the police confirmed that a report was lodged.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force also confirmed that they conveyed one person to Singapore General Hospital on Sunday.

Family feud

Ng believes that the elderly man is colluding with his younger brother Ray Ng, who runs the rival store Tanglin Crispy Curry Puff located just one stall apart from his.

In May 2022, it was reported that disagreements about the running of the stall between the two siblings caused a split in the business.

The older Ng told Shin Min he often sees the man together with his younger brother and second sister. 

He added that his second sister had also rushed to the stall once she heard about the commotion, which led him to believe they were in cahoots.

Ray Ng, 51, disputed the claims, however, stating that he had not instructed anyone to secretly photograph his older brother's stall.

"This has nothing to do with us, he (Peter Ng) is also unable to prove that others are taking pictures of his stall," he told Shin Min.

When interviewed, Ng's second sister said that the elderly man is 79 years old. "We only got to know each other this year, and we'd usually have meals together."

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com

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