SINGAPORE - When Mr Choo Chiang Poh saw a man leaving with an accident victim's mobile phone, he instinctively grew suspicious.

"Personally, I thought he wanted to protect the phone so it wouldn't be kicked away. But when he walked away with it, I thought something was wrong," said the 61-year-old coffee stall assistant, who was at the scene of the accident at Jalan Besar on July 9.

When he heard the injured victim, who had just been resuscitated by a member of the public, asking the medics for his mobile phone to call his mother, he immediately alerted the police officers about the fleeing man.

Mr Choo was one of two men who received the Public Spiritedness Award on Sept 28 for assisting the police.

In a twist of fate, Mr Choo later learned that the victim was the grandson of an old friend, who was searching for the man who saved his life.

"If it's not our belongings and there are things lying on the floor, we shouldn't pick it up. Anything removed from the accident site needs police approval, so we should just leave it there," said Mr Choo.

The other awardee who was commended last Monday is Mr Alwin Goh Jun Da for reporting a man who was arrested for outrage of modesty on March 8.

Mr Goh, who works for his family's drinks stall at Bugis Village, had seen the man taking advantage of the crowds at Bugis Street to rub himself against women over 10 times. He posed as as shopper by carrying a plastic bag to blend in with the surroundings.

"He walks up and down the street on weekends and public holidays. No victim would notice because the street was very crowded," said the 29-year-old man.

Lacking the authority to confront him in the act on previous occasions, he seized the opportunity to do so when some police officers walked by.

"I have a sister. I don't wish for my own family members to go through this kind of thing," said Mr Goh.

In recognition of their efforts, Assistant Commissioner of Police Gregory Tan Siew Hin, Commander of Central Police Division said: "We would like to express our gratitude to these individuals' acts of public-spiritedness. Their commendable acts of stepping forward to provide valuable information to assist the police in apprehending those who flouted the law have highlighted the importance of building a trusted partnership between the police and the community."