A Singaporean man almost became a target of a mob in Batam after his attempted gesture of kindness was mistaken for a kidnapping attempt on Apr. 29.

What happened

The man had gone to a convenience store in a residential area at Batu Aji, Batam, according to an iNews report on May 1.

He then gave some of his sweets to a child playing nearby after leaving the store.

A local noticed and accused the Singaporean of attempting to kidnap the child.

Hearing the commotion, more locals began to crowd around the man in an increasingly hostile manner.

Officers from a passing police patrol car then stepped in to take the Singaporean away from the mob.

As the Singaporean did not speak Bahasa Indonesia, he struggled to explain himself at the police station.

However, the police did not find any reason to suspect a kidnapping attempt as alleged by the locals.

Suspicion due to uncommon gestures

The community most likely grew suspicious as the gestures by the Singaporean were not common in the area, said an officer.

The officer also said the Singaporean was deported to remove him from the hostile situation.

Top image via TribunbatamID/YouTube