A 60-year-old man allegedly robbed a woman at knifepoint and made off with items worth less than $15.

Now, Andrew Tan Siew Kwong risks spending at least five years behind bars.

Yesterday, he was charged with one count each of attempted armed robbery and causing hurt while committing armed robbery.

He is said to have armed himself with a knife that had a 9cm-long blade when he entered a lift with a 56-year-old woman.

The incident purportedly took place at a Punggol Central block of flats at around 9.50am on Tuesday.

Tan allegedly pressed the blade onto the woman's waist and navel before making off with her pouch and a packet of tissue worth $14.40 in all.

Court papers did not reveal details about the woman's injuries.

Tan purportedly went to a nearby bus stop about two hours later and tried to rob a 37-year-old woman of her handbag while armed with the weapon.

In a statement on Wednesday, the police said that officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division conducted their investigation after they were alerted about these incidents. They arrested Tan at around 6.45pm on Tuesday in Edgefield Walk off Punggol Central.

Tan, who is unrepresented, is now remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for a psychiatric assessment.

He will be back in court on Nov 9.

If convicted of causing hurt while committing armed robbery, Tan can be jailed for between five and 20 years.

And if convicted of attempted armed robbery, he can be jailed for between two and seven years.

He cannot be caned as he is above 50 years old.