SINGAPORE - He had just enjoyed a meal with friends at a restaurant in Merchant Road and had left the group to buy a drink at a convenience store.
But in a flash, the financial consultant, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chua, was struck multiple times on the back of his head with a sharp object.
He trudged back to his friends, who called for an ambulance to take him to hospital, where he needed 20 stitches for cuts up to 10cm long.
The incident happened on Sunday night (March 20).
Speaking about what happened with The Straits Times on Thursday, Mr Chua, 30, said he had no clue who had attacked him.
"I'm shocked and clueless as to why I was attacked by a stranger," he said.
He is recovering at home after his discharge from hospital on Wednesday and said he did not wish to speak further as he needed to rest.
His girlfriend, who wanted to be known only as Miss Low, subsequently spoke on his behalf and said he still experiences sharp headaches and dizziness, and has had nightmares since the incident.
Miss Low said Mr Chua was celebrating a friend's birthday with four friends at the restaurant near Clarke Quay when he left to go to a 7-Eleven to buy a drink at around 10.40pm.
Said Miss Low, 26, a freelance designer: "He was alone at the time and on the way there, someone attacked him from the back and struck around the back of his head.
"He told me he didn't see who attacked (him) as he was in shock. We have no clue who did this and we are looking for eyewitnesses."
Mr Chua's friends were shocked when they saw him upon his return and called for an ambulance, she added.
In a video posted on social media, paramedics can be seen tending to Mr Chua, who lay limp on the ground; his clothes and napkins around him soaked in blood.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it received a call for help from the area around 11.05pm that night and took a man to Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
Miss Low said she later joined the friends at SGH, who were seated in a waiting area in tears, their clothes bloodied.
When she saw her boyfriend, his head had been shaved and he was given some 20 stitches to patch up three large gashes on his head.
She said her boyfriend did not know what object was used to strike him, but heard from a doctor that it was likely to be a sharp object.
Mr Chua, who was given 17 days of medical leave after he was discharged, said he was well looked after in hospital and thanked his friends for their support.
The police confirmed that a report has been made and that investigations were ongoing.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...harp-object-in-random-attack-near-clarke-quay
