SINGAPORE: A man who allegedly snatched a cap bearing an Israeli emblem from an older man and assaulted him on a bus in Sengkang will be charged on June 4.
The younger man will be charged with the offence of voluntarily causing hurt, said the police in a statement on June 3.
The incident occurred on Oct 27, 2025, with the police receiving a call for assistance over an assault in Rivervale Drive in Sengkang at about 10.40pm.
Preliminary investigations found that the younger man, 30, had allegedly snatched the cap bearing the Israeli emblem from the older man and assaulted him. The two men did not know each other.
The 55-year-old was injured and sought medical treatment, and the suspect was later tracked down by the authorities through ground inquiries and police camera images.
If convicted of his offence, the suspect faces up to three years’ jail, a fine of up to S$5,000 (US$3,901), or both.
The victim was also issued a stern warning for displaying a foreign national emblem in a public area.
“Members of the public are advised against the public display and wearing of articles associated with foreign conflicts,” the police said. “They are also reminded not to import overseas conflicts into Singapore, and to express their views in a lawful and responsible manner.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier in 2023 warned that publicly displaying or wearing foreign national emblems, including flags and banners of any state or relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict, without a permit is an offence.
Those who run afoul of the law can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to S$500.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in November that year also urged foreigners to avoid using Singapore as a platform to further political causes amid the Middle East conflict.
“Given the heightened tensions, it is important that we remain calm and not let these external events affect the racial and religious harmony and peace in Singapore,” an advisory by the MOM said.
The notice came a month after Islamist militant group Hamas’ cross-border attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, which triggered the Gaza conflict.
Despite a US-brokered ceasefire in October 2025, the truce has repeatedly been breached and intermittent clashes, air strikes and gunfire still occur regularly. - The Straits Times/ANN
