Singaporean actor Noah Yap has hit back at online critics who accused him of visiting an injured elderly hawker at Roxy Square as a publicity stunt to "fight for the limelight".
The 32-year-old Ah Boys To Men franchise star (2012 to 2017) addressed the criticism on social media on Aug 17. This was two days after an altercation involving 73-year-old wanton noodle seller Yeo Song Khoon at the Roxy Square coffee shop in East Coast Road.
A netizen alleged that Yap had visited the hawker’s stall to “show concern and gather publicity”, adding that the actor was a “smart actor fighting for limelight immediately before others”.
Yap, who is currently starring in Channel 5 police drama Yes Captain!, shared that his connection with the hawker predates the incident.
He said he has been a regular customer of Bei-Ing Wanton Noodle for more than 20 years, dating back to his primary school days. Yap said that Yeo and his family have always asked about him whenever he visited the stall, adding that “Uncle practically saw me grow up”.
Yap wrote in his post that after hearing about the incident, he decided to visit Yeo the following afternoon to check on him, and posted about the encounter to raise awareness about what had happened.
“Get a life la. I’m not as free as you think,” Yap added.
His response came after a video of a scuffle between a young man and Yeo at the coffee shop went viral on Aug 15.
According to accounts from Yeo and his family, Yeo was walking past a table after closing his stall when he noticed a young girl, whom he thought was adorable. Yeo said he reached out and patted the child on the head.
The girl’s father subsequently confronted him. CCTV footage shared online appeared to show the younger man grabbing Yeo and shoving him to the ground. The police have confirmed that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.
Yap visited the elderly hawker on Aug 16 and found him in good spirits, although Yeo was initially reluctant to seek medical treatment.
In his social media post, Yap stressed that “violence is never the answer” and that people should show more kindness to one another. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
