Man jailed for assaulting bus driver who told him to don mask
Jobless 53-year-old given 16 weeks' jail for attack, fined $1,000 for not wearing a mask
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SBS bus driver Low Kok Weng (above) was punched multiple times in his face and the back of his head by Ja'afally Abdul Rahim on Sept 15, 2020.
PHOTO: SBS TRANSIT LTD/FACEBOOK
An SBS bus passenger flew into a rage and repeatedly punched the driver who had told him to wear a mask.
Ja'afally Abdul Rahim, 53, was sentenced yesterday to 16 weeks' jail for assaulting bus captain Low Kok Weng, 39.
The jobless Singaporean, who appeared in a district court via video link, was also fined $1,000 for failing to wear a mask - an offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act.
Mr Low, who is a Malaysian, was driving an SBS service 21 bus along Pasir Ris Drive 1 around 2.45pm on Sept 15 when he pulled up at a bus stop. Ja'afally boarded the vehicle without wearing a mask.
He became angry when Mr Low advised him to don one.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Andrew Low said: "The accused became agitated and went to the front of the bus to confront the victim... The victim tried to calm the accused down but to no avail.
"The victim decided to keep quiet and move off, while the accused ranted and pointed aggressively at the victim."
Ja'afally continued to berate the driver and shoved his shoulders.
Unable to continue with the journey, Mr Low opened the bus doors for passengers to alight around 2.55pm. Ja'afally then took the driver's sunglasses and flung them on the floor.
The DPP told District Judge Christopher Goh: "The accused then continued to confront the victim, who remained quiet all this while. At about 2.58pm, the accused grabbed the victim's vest near to his neck and continued behaving aggressively towards the victim.
"The victim tried to resist and managed to pull away the accused's left hand that was holding onto the victim's vest... The accused punched the victim multiple times in his face and the back of his head."
The court heard that Ja'afally stopped attacking the driver only when witnesses intervened.
They got him out of the bus and restrained him until police arrived at the scene. An ambulance took Mr Low to Changi General Hospital and he was given three days of outpatient medical leave.
For assault, Ja'afally could have been jailed for up to three years and fined up to $5,000.
