Hawker centre dispute: Porridge and drinks thrown

Displeased with his tablemate’s behaviour at a hawker centre, a man allegedly hurled drinks and food at a woman, including her bowl of porridge.

The dispute occurred at Haig Road Market and Food Centre, at around 10.10am on June 3.

Shin Min Daily News described seeing numerous police officers at the scene, with one woman being pushed away on a stretcher by paramedics.

When a reporter arrived at the scene, one ambulance and two police cars were parked at the car park.

One party involved in the dispute was a man clad in a dark-coloured T-shirt and green shorts, who was observed to be surrounded by four to five officers at the hawker centre.

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After police questioning, the man, who appeared uninjured, continued to sit at a table, but declined to speak to reporters.

Water stains and used tissues were also spotted on the same table.

Dispute stemmed from seating arrangement

Lin (transliteration), who sells bags at a stall outside the hawker centre, identified himself as the husband of the woman who was conveyed to hospital.

“My wife bought porridge this morning and wanted to sit somewhere where she could keep an eye on our stall. At that time, an uncle was already sitting there, so my wife sat opposite him, but he became unhappy.”

The 45-year-old said he was smoking nearby when he received his wife’s call alerting him of the altercation.

“I rushed over and saw that uncle about to throw something at my wife. He probably saw me coming because he stopped. When I saw someone bullying my wife, I was so angry I wanted to fight back. But I calmed down and called the police,” Lin said, adding that the man had thrown his wife’s porridge at her.

Liu, the owner of a nearby drinks stall, told Shin Min that both parties were at fault: “Actually, it was a minor issue. The woman had to look after her shop, so she kept going in and out of the hawker centre. The uncle felt it was affecting him, so an argument ensued. Both of them threw food, drinks, and the woman’s porridge at each other.”

The 60-year-old said the woman’s husband rushed over angrily after learning of the argument. “I saw he was about to fight back, so I shouted to stop him. He later called the police.”

In response to Stomp’s queries, a spokesperson from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they received a call for assistance at 14 Haig Road – the address of Haig Road Market & Food Centre – at about 10.10am.

One person was conveyed to Raffles Hospital.

The police confirmed a report was lodged.

Woman sent to hospital for breathing difficulties

Lin continued to tend his stall after his wife was sent to the hospital. She had a pre-existing asthma condition, with Lin explaining: “She had breathing difficulties after she was frightened by the uncle, so paramedics sent her to the hospital.”

The bag stall owner also revealed that they had only begun operating at the location two weeks ago.

“Seeing my wife getting bullied made me very angry. But I thought of my children and how I needed to support them, so I endured it.”

Drinks store business affected

After the altercation, Liu said he had to help clean up the food scraps on the ground as the incident occurred right next to his drinks stall.

“When the police came, they stood outside my stall. Those who didn’t know the situation thought I was involved, so they didn’t dare to come over. My morning earnings were slightly affected.”