Public outraged at couple who bullied old man at Toa Payoh hawker centre – queries sent to UOB and petition started

UPDATE: UOB has verified that the couple in the video is not their staff.

The public has expressed outrage at how a couple treated an old man at Lorong 8 Toa Payoh hawker centre. Janice Lim, a witness of the incident, has also come forward to describe what happened.

Janice said the incident happened on Friday evening (21 April), between 8.45 – 9pm and that except for one short umbrella to indicate that it was reserved, the table the old man tried to sit at was empty. He then asked the woman nicely if the table was taken when she shouted at him using vulgarities before calling her friend.
The video shared by Facebook user Manny Quest showed a man emerging from behind the old man soon after the woman got on the phone, and banging on him. Only the table in front of the old man prevented him from serious injury from falling on the floor. The old man can be heard asking, “I was just talking to her. Why must you bang me?”

The video also showed another man trying to pacify the older man and asking him to move to another table. The old man relented reluctantly.

According to Janice, the man who banged the old man knocked all the plates and cups on the floor when others chided him for knocking the old man over.
Some netizens identified the woman and her companion who knocked the old man over, as employees of the UOB branch in Toa Payoh. A netizen have reached out to UOB on FB to ask if the bullies are its employees.

UOB has replied saying: “We are investigating the matter to ascertain the identities and determine if either or both parties in the video are members of our staff. UOB cannot condone such behaviour which neither reflects our values nor the standards we expect of all our employees.”

Another netizen, Trish Suan, has started a petition to help the old man raise funds to take civil action against the couple.

Writing to this publication about the petition, Trish said: “as a middle-aged woman with elderly parents, I was irked when I saw the way the young couple bullied the old man over seats at Toa Payoh Lor 8 hawker centre.

“The uncouth woman repeatedly used vulgarities on the old man. (We must) raise awareness that the Silver Generation should be respected, and not abused”, she added.

The petition is here: Civil action for old man against young couple in Toa Payoh hawker