An 80-year-old security officer, Kwek Moh Chai, ended up in the hospital after he was punched by a man.

The assault happened after the officer found the man snoozing on a bench at Bedok Central.

The Singapore Union of Security Employees (USE) informed the public about the incident in a Facebook post, with the hopes that the assailant would be brought to justice.

Man sleeping on public bench

On the night of Sep. 9, Kwek was deployed to carry out his duties at a public area in Bedok Central.

At about 2am, the elderly officer set off to make his rounds around the estate.

This was when he came across a man sleeping on a public bench, which according to the USE, is prohibited.

Kwek informed the man, who seemed to accept the reprimand and left.

But he apparently only pretended to leave, as Kwek later spotted the same man dozing away on the bench.

When the officer approached the sleeper this time, though, things got violent.

Attacks security officer

"The man got agitated and started hurling vulgarities at [Kwek]," said the USE.

The aggressor then socked Kwek in the face, which caused the elderly man to fall and break his glasses.

When this happened, two workers from a nearby restaurant emerged to subdue the assailant.

The police were alerted, and Kwek was sent to the hospital for treatment.

In photographs shared by the USE, Kwek could be seen with thick bandages wrapped around his head, a swollen black eye, and lacerations around his eye socket.

He was placed on medical leave.

Chicken essence

On Sep. 12, the USE's general secretary, Raymond Chin, the director of Aedge Services Pte Ltd, Blaise Ong, and USE’s mediation services supervisor, Murugason S/O Muthusamy, paid Kwek a visit at his home.

They bore get-well gifts in the form of "quick relief vouchers" and chicken essence.

Kwek's assault is not the first of its kind.

In April 2023, a 74-year-old security officer was repeatedly assaulted by a condominium resident in Potong Pasir after witnessing an altercation between his assailant and a taxi driver.

Just a month later in May 2023, another security officer, aged 56, was allegedly assaulted by a group of people during a regular entry check at City Square Residences.

The Private Security Industry Act was amended in 2022 to provide better protection for officers, including enhanced penalties for offenders who intentionally cause harassment, alarm or distress, assault, or use criminal force on and voluntarily hurt security officers.

Offenders can be jailed for up to a year, fined up to $5,000, or both.

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Top images via USE