The victim's chain was pulled off by a stranger who had entered the lift with her. She suffered a bruised cheek from the struggle.

The man escaped when the lift doors opened on the eighth floor of Block 13 York Hill.

Police said he has a dark complexion, is about 1.75m tall with short black hair, and was wearing grey tee-shirt and pants.

In an other theft, $4,000 worth of goods and cash were stolen from a kiosk near Commonwealth MRT station.

The shop owner secured his shop at 10.30pm on Jan 16, but came back the next morning to find one of the entrances opened.

About $2,600 worth of cigarettes and mobile phone top-up cards and $,1400 in cash were reported missing following the break-in.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the robbery and the break-in.