The man in the video, one Mr Sam Raj wrote to TISG with his side of the story:
He said: “I was just outside my house at level 10 without a mask and this stranger appeared from no where (sic) and started shouting and abusing me and asking me about the mask. He did use the f**k word few times very loudly.
I took the staircase again and went to the ground floor. Since I did not have a mask I went outside and has a smoke and was waiting for him to cool down. He was continuously filming me. After that I again went to the lift. But he came running and did the same thing again. He pressed and hold the lift button. And I could not go back home. He was filming me. I just pushed his home away. He tried to kick me and he fell down.
Singapore — An Indian national not wearing a mask refused to put one on and assaulted the man who asked him to do so.
In a viral video circulating on social media, the man can be seen at a HDB block’s drop-off point walking around and using his phone without wearing a mask.
As he walks by, the man filming the video says: “Go on, go on man. You’re not gonna (sic) wear a mask right?”
The man immediately runs towards the camera and hits it. “Wait, police is come (sic)” he says.
“Ya ya ya come, you want to fight with me is it?” he asks the man filming. The 41-second clip ends with the man not wearing a mask aggressively approaching the camera once more.
In a letter circulating online, allegedly by the man filming the video, the anti-masker was initially seen on his lift landing smoking and drinking.
The man filming wrote: “I told him politely to mask up. He refused. He then proceeded to the ground level and I was also headed out for breakfast at that time. He was now at my lift lobby at (sic) the ground floor smoking. That was fine. He then came up to me and started to yell at me and asked me who [I] was to tell him to mask up. To that I responded that I was a resident here and I felt safer if he had masked up”.
When the resident started to film the man, he “charged at me without provocation and hit me several times, I fell to the floor as it was a sudden attack and lost balance. He then began kicking me”.
Alleging that once the police arrived, they did not arrest the man, the resident asked: “Can I also do the same and walk around my neighbourhood without a mask? And claim [I] am a sovereign and above the law or don’t believe in one? Can I? Why are these people treated with so much respect and they blatantly break all the rules we follow?”
He added that he was conveyed to Changi General Hospital after the incident.
The full letter:
“Dear Editors, I have a case of an assault on me this morning by an Indian national who lives in my hdb estate.
The story was he was found sitting on my lift landing smoking and also consuming some drinks. He was not masked up.
I told him politely to mask up. He refused. He then proceeded to the ground level and I was also headed out for breakfast at that time. He was now at my lift lobby at the ground floor smoking. That was fine. He then came up to me and started to yell at me and asked me who i was to tell him to mask up. To that I responded that I was a resident here and I felt safer if he had masked up.
He then walked around my blk without a mask! I told him, look mask up or I have to call the cops. He refused and still blatantly walked around the block without a mask. I then decided that I would film this dude to ensure others take note of him.
When I started to film him, he charged at me without provocation and hit me several times, I fell to the floor as it was a sudden attack and lost balance. He then began kicking me.
Another resident nearby intervened and warned him to stop. He has his fist up at this resident as well and the resident warned him if he tried anything he would lay a few blows at him too.
He then stopped and still didn’t mask up. The police finally arrived and guess what? They didn’t arrest him!! I showed them the footage but still they didn’t arrest him. The witness or the resident testified to his kicking me but the cops did not make any arrests.
So here’s my wise or 2 cents worth of question. Can I also do the same and walk around my neighbourhood without a mask? And claim i am a sovereign and above the law or don’t believe in one? Can I? Why are these people treated with so much respect and they blatantly break all the rules we follow?
Is this fair to me? Who gives anyone the right to assault when I was trying to tell him to do this for the sake of the community? Was I wrong? Do I deserve that beating this man gave me?
I was conveyed conscious to CGH but CGH didn’t even do a good job checking my injuries out? We have foreign doctors and nurses and my a&e doc was from Hong Kong! So what is the value of the fabric of society or what is the value of nationalism? Anymore?”
/TISG