Singapore Man, 60, Jailed After Threatening 70-Year-Old With Knife Over Alleged Debt

A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 weeks in jail after threatening a 70-year-old acquaintance with a knife during a dispute over money in Marsiling.

Mah Wye Horng pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal intimidation on Aug. 12. Two other charges — possessing a weapon and using criminal force — were taken into consideration when the court determined his sentence.

According to Shin Min Daily News, The incident happened at a pavilion shelter on Mar. 31, 2026, after Mah and the older man became involved in an argument concerning money that Mah claimed was owed to him.

Man returned home to retrieve a knife

Court documents stated that the two men were at the pavilion at around 9am when their argument began. Mah subsequently left the location and returned home.

He then retrieved a knife from his kitchen before returning to the pavilion. The weapon had a 21cm-long blade and a 12cm-long handle.

Meanwhile, the 70-year-old man had also left the pavilion but returned at around 9.10am to rest. Mah went back to the location looking for him, carrying the knife concealed at the back of his trousers.

Mah confronted the man again and demanded that he return the money he allegedly owed. When the victim refused, Mah took out the knife and began waving it in front of him.

The confrontation then became physical, with Mah pushing the older man by the neck. The victim fell backwards from his seat before Mah pinned him to the ground for several seconds.

Knife waved close to elderly victim’s face

After Mah got up, the victim also stood. Mah then continued threatening him, this time waving the knife close to his face while standing nearby.

The prosecution said Mah threatened the victim with injury with the intention of causing him alarm.

A bystander who witnessed the confrontation intervened and attempted to calm Mah down. He eventually sat down but later tried to leave the area.

The same bystander persuaded Mah to remain at the scene until police arrived. Mah was subsequently arrested on the same day.

Court considers premeditation behind confrontation

The prosecution sought a jail term of between 10 and 12 weeks, pointing to the seriousness of the threat and the size of the knife involved.

The prosecution also highlighted that the weapon had a relatively long blade and that Mah had waved it extremely close to the victim’s face.

Another aggravating factor was the fact that Mah had left the pavilion specifically to retrieve the knife before returning to confront the victim. This indicated a degree of premeditation rather than an entirely spontaneous reaction during the argument.

The court ultimately sentenced Mah to 10 weeks’ imprisonment. His sentence was backdated to Mar. 31, the day he was arrested.

The case serves as a reminder of how disputes over money can escalate quickly, particularly when weapons are introduced. Under Singapore law, criminal intimidation involving threats of injury can carry serious consequences, with the circumstances of the offence and the manner in which the threat was made taken into account during sentencing.

Image Source: Shin Min Daily News/Singapore Uncensored