A 47-year-old librarian was fined S$4,000 for kicking an elderly commuter during a heated dispute over seat space on Singapore’s East West Line.
MRT Bag Placement Sparks Violent Confrontation
Endon Abu Bakar pleaded guilty to voluntarily causing hurt to a 66-year-old woman during an incident that occurred on 5 Dec 2024.
The victim boarded the East West Line at Clementi MRT station at approximately 10.30am. She placed her plastic bag on an empty seat beside her.
Around 11am, Endon boarded the same train at Paya Lebar MRT station. She sat down on the seat where the bag was placed, making contact with it in the process.
The victim felt Endon had sat down forcefully, hitting her bag. Endon believed the seat should not have had a bag placed on it since no person was occupying it.
The older woman told Endon she should have asked her to move the bag first. This sparked an argument between the two passengers.
During the dispute, Endon pointed her mobile phone at the victim. The 66-year-old woman responded by smiling, making a peace sign, and pointing her own phone back at Endon.
This response angered Endon further. She snatched the victim’s phone away from her.
The victim stood up and attempted to retrieve her phone. Endon then used her right leg to kick the woman once in the abdomen, intending to hurt her.
Emergency Button Pressed as Train Stops at Tanah Merah
The confrontation drew attention from other passengers on the train. One commuter pressed the emergency button, causing the train to stop at Tanah Merah station.
MRT staff arrived and interviewed both women about the incident.
After the altercation, the victim experienced pain in her abdominal area and complained of a headache. She sought medical attention for her injuries.
A doctor examined her and found she was alert, comfortable, and able to walk steadily. The medical assessment concluded the pain was consistent with a bruise to the abdominal area and minor soft tissue injury from being kicked.
The victim did not require hospitalisation and declined medical leave.
Court Imposes Heavy Fine Despite Financial Difficulties
District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan described the case as “borderline” for imposing jail time but opted for a substantial fine instead.
Endon works as a librarian earning approximately S$2,500 (~USD$1,940) per month in basic salary. She submitted a written mitigation letter that was not read aloud in court.
The judge noted the harm caused was “not so severe” and not inflicted on a vulnerable part of the body. However, he emphasised that the incident occurred on public transport and caused disturbance to other passengers.
“This happened in an MRT train, caused disturbance to others, and the accused clearly appears to be the more aggressive party in this matter,” Judge Koo stated.
Endon revealed she has significant financial obligations, including S$1,200 monthly payments for her HDB flat and multiple other instalments.
“You have all these difficulties in your life, I understand. Then you shouldn’t have committed this offence,” the judge told her.
The court allowed Endon to pay S$500 on 5 Aug 2025, with the remaining balance to be settled in seven monthly instalments of S$500 each.
For voluntarily causing hurt, she could have faced up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:
