Ng Kim Ngweng, 49, was tried for threatening to hurt Jalan Besar GRC MP Denise Phua with intent to cause her alarm in a telephone message to a public hotline on Jan 12.

The alleged incident happened one day after Yio Chu Kang MP Seng Han Thong was torched by a former cabby at a community event.

Ng allegedly said in Mandarin to customer service officer Tan Chia Yong on the Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home (Reach) hotline that he could not not take it anymore and he did not know what he would do one day.

'I can't be sure on that...How can you not hit her? I get angry when I see her, so how can I not hit her?''

His lawyer, Ms Goh Siok Leng, said whatever her client had said should be read in context.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Imran Abdul Hamid said it was abundantly clear from a reasonable person's perspective that Ng intended to intimidate Ms Phua and cause alarm by making clear reference to MP Seng's case and by stating that there was no other solution.

Read the full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.