Ex-actor Huang Yiliang on Roxy Square altercation: Dad ‘overreacted’, but ‘you can’t just go & touch other people’s children’

"You can't just go and touch other people's children," former actor Huang Yiliang said in a recent interview with 8days, weighing in on the altercation at Roxy Square coffee shop on Aug. 15.

The incident involved 73-year-old wanton mee stall owner Yeo Song Khoon, who was thrown to the ground by a 40-year-old man, after Yeo patted the man’s young daughter on the head.

"Times are different"

Huang said he understood why parents might be uncomfortable with strangers touching their children, but said the girl’s father had "overreacted" by resorting to violence.

"Times are different, you can't just casually touch someone else's kid," he told 8days, adding that he would not want strangers touching his own children either.

"If you come and kiss and hold my child saying, 'So cute', please go brush your teeth and wash your face," he said.

"People these days, (if you go up to their child) and say 'So cute' (while touching them), they'll hate it too."

Huang said that as a father of two, he is also not too comfortable with other people touching his children.

When asked if he would pat a customer’s child on the head if he found the child cute, the 64-year-old, who owns a seafood stall at Circuit Road Hawker Centre, told 8days he would refrain from doing so.

"However, it’s a different story if the kid is very cute and comes up to hug me first. And if the kid’s mum also tells the kid to let me hug them, only then will I hug the kid," he said.

@8dayssg Let’s just say, he’s a protective dad. #8dayssg #8dayssglocalent #child #father #fypsg ♬ Best for video background music Chill Trap Hip Hop(837066) - KIh

Background

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

CCTV footage showed Yeo patting a young girl on the head before her mother appeared to stop him.

The girl's father then rushed over, grabbed Yeo by the arm and swung him around, causing him to fall to the ground.

According to his family, Yeo, who has been selling wanton noodles at the stall for more than 40 years, suffered a fracture to his back following the incident.

He returned to work at his stall on Aug. 20.

When Mothership visited the stall the following day, at around lunchtime, Yeo was seated at the stall and taking orders.

Among the customers were well-wishers who went to check on Yeo and offer their support.

One customer also brought his one-year-old daughter to the stall, hoping to encourage Yeo to interact with young children and to check in on him.