SINGAPORE – An outburst of anger from a boatman left a 68-year-old man with likely permanent disability, with a doctor saying there is no chance of a full recovery.

An argument led the boatman to punch the victim, a boat owner twice his age, at the Marina South Pier.

On March 15, Muhamed Munzir Mohamed Sharil pleaded guilty to one charge of voluntarily causing hurt. The 34-year-old was sentenced to a year and two months’ jail.

Munzir was working as a boatman for Seacabbie, a passenger boat transportation firm, at the time of the incident in 2023. He worked on board a vessel used to ferry workers within the port of Singapore.

On March 8 that year, at 8.51am, the victim, Mr Chee Tzy Seah, was on board his own vessel, which was berthed at Platform 1 of Marina South Pier.

Mr Chee and his shipmaster were in the vessel’s cabin when they felt a bump on their boat. They then spotted another vessel coming up alongside them, with Munzir at the helm.

The court heard Mr Chee and his shipmaster told off Munzir and asked him to slow his vessel down.

Following the argument, Munzir berthed his vessel behind Mr Chee’s boat. At this point, Mr Chee had left the cabin to check on his vessel after the bump.

Munzir then went on board the victim’s vessel and punched the 68-year-old man on his face, felling him.

Mr Chee was later taken to Singapore General Hospital. He was hospitalised and discharged on March 14, 2023.

Mr Chee, who is self-employed, was also given 30 days of hospitalisation leave.

On March 22, Mr Chee sought treatment at the Pinnacle Spine and Scoliosis Centre in Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre.

A physical examination showed that Mr Chee was suffering from a spinal cord injury. He had an operation on the injury on April 2, and was discharged eight days later. He was given another 29 days of medical leave.

On Oct 18, Mr Chee reported tiredness over both legs and numbness in his left thumb and index finger. There was also weakness in his right arm and swelling, and numbness and tingling in the same arm.

After another physical examination, his doctor said Mr Chee will likely have permanent disability, as a full recovery would not be possible.

The prosecution, which sought a jail term of at least 15 months, said the punch from Munzir was a highly disproportionate response to the argument between the men earlier. Munzir’s outburst of anger, which led to the assault, was entirely unjustifiable, it added.

Munzir was previously charged with rioting in 2021, and was sentenced to 18 months’ jail and three strokes of the cane.

The maximum punishment for each count of voluntarily causing hurt is a two-year jail term and a $5,000 fine.