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SINGAPORE: A man was charged on Thursday (September 17) with assaulting a bus driver and carrying a knife on a bus in Pasir Ris.
According to SBS Transit, the altercation occurred due to the defendant’s alleged lack of a mask.
Ja’afally Abdul Rahim, 52, was charged with voluntarily wounding Mr. Low Kok Weng at around 2:30 pm on September 15, on the 21 bus service along Pasir Ris Drive 1.
A second charge was imposed for possession of an offensive weapon, a knife with a 6 cm blade and a 6 cm handle, on the bus.
SBS Transit said the victim, a bus captain, was assaulted for “a good 12 minutes.”
Ja’afally boarded the bus without wearing a mask and put it on only after being in the vehicle, SBS Transit said on Facebook Wednesday.
He then began hurling vulgarities at the bus captain, SBS Transit said. This continued for two more bus stops until the captain came to a stop and waited for police, who had been alerted to the case, SBS Transit said.
Before police arrived, the man attacked the bus captain, grabbing him by the neck and neck, SBS Transit said.
Three men at the bus stop intervened and accosted the assailant, pinning him to the ground until police arrived shortly after, SBS Transit said.
The bus captain sought treatment at a hospital and was granted a three-day medical leave.
“We are grateful that he was not seriously injured. He is in shock but is still in a good mood,” the bus operator said. SBS Transit also thanked the three men who “bravely stepped forward” to help.
The bus operator added that the case was not an isolated incident, with “several” bus captains “abused” in recent months “due to the application of the strict masking rule.”
“This is disgusting. And this must end,” SBS Transit said.
Ja’afally will return to court next month. If convicted of willfully causing harm, you could be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S $ 5,000, or both.
If you are found guilty of possession of a dangerous weapon, you can be jailed for up to three years. He cannot be given the mandatory minimum of six baton strokes as he is over 50.
