Elderly man thrown to ground at Roxy Square coffee shop wishes to let man off & doesn't 'want to cause any trouble'

The elderly man who was shoved to the ground by a man at an East Coast coffee shop after he patted a young girl on the head has spoken about the incident, saying he does not want to pursue the matter further.

What happened

In an interview with 8world on Aug. 16, 73-year-old Yeo Song Khoon recounted what had happened.

Yeo has been selling wanton noodles at Bei-Ing Wanton Noodle, a stall at the Roxy Square coffee shop, for more than 40 years.

He said he had gone to get a cup of coffee after closing his stall.

Yeo, who has an injured leg, added that he has difficulty walking and needs to hold on to tables for support.

As he walked past the girl's table, he said he found her "very adorable" and patted her on the head.

"Old people like to pat young children’s heads," he added.

The girl's father then confronted him. Yeo told him that he had patted the girl's head because he thought she was cute.

However, he said the father became upset and shoved him to the ground.

Yeo's son-in-law subsequently helped him up.

Yeo said he told the girl's father that he had been working at the coffee shop for four decades and was known by many of the customers there.

"(I told him) I've had surgery all over my body and I don't have the strength to walk and you pushed me like that onto the floor. Is that a good thing to do?" he recalled telling the man.

Yeo said the girl's father later apologised and offered to buy him a drink, but he declined.

Back began to hurt

He said his back began hurting about two to three hours after the fall. However, painkillers eased the discomfort enough for him to return to work.

"I’m very hardworking," he said, adding that he works throughout the year and does not usually take breaks.

When asked if he would see a doctor, Yeo said he would see how he felt and might visit a traditional Chinese medicine clinic.

Despite the incident, Yeo said he doesn't really mind what happened and didn't want to cause further trouble.

"I don't really mind, just let him off. It's okay to just leave it, it's all right. I don't want to cause any trouble," he said.

Police report made

Yeo's family has since made a police report.

In response to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that a report has been lodged and that investigations are ongoing.

A Singapore Police Force (SPF) spokesperson said that a 40-year-old man has been identified in relation to the incident.

"Members of the public are advised not to speculate on the incident or its circumstances, and to allow the Police to conduct investigations and establish the facts of the case," the spokesperson said.

Reactions online

The incident was first shared on Aug. 15 on the Facebook and Instagram pages of Bei-Ing Wanton Noodle.

In a comment on their Instagram post, a family member said their elderly father "probably disturbed their peace".

"Some parents don't like strangers touching their kids and I completely understand that [to be honest] I wouldn't like it either," the family member wrote.

However, the family member noted that there were ways to tell someone to back off without getting physical.

Some commenters said they understood the father's concern about a stranger touching his child, but criticised the decision to get physical.

The incident also drew comments from local celebrities and online personalities.

Local actor Romeo Tan reposted the video of the incident on his Instagram stories, with the caption: "There was absolutely no need to get physical."

"Ah Boys to Men" actor Noah Yap, who previously said he has known Yeo for more than 20 years, also visited him at the Roxy Square coffee shop on Aug. 16.

Yap said Yeo was in good spirits and "still his usual chirpy self".

The actor also said he was heartened to see people checking in on the elderly man.

"I just want to put it out there that violence is never the answer to anything. I hope we can spread a little more kindness to each other," Yap said.

His post also drew further reactions from other public figures.

Presenter and actress Jade Seah thanked Yap for visiting Yeo, and tagged the Singapore Police Force in her comment.

DJ Glenn Ong also commented on his post, describing what happened as "ridiculous".

Online personality Amy Ang also offered to pay for Yeo's medical bills, to which Yap replied that Yeo had also refused to accept his money.