SINGAPORE, Aug 12 — When Osman Sidin heard shouts of “Run, run!” outside The Clementi Mall on Aug 10, the 56-year-old cleaner initially thought there was an outdoor concert.
But when he saw a knife-wielding man stabbing himself, Osman handed his belongings, including his guitar, to his wife and rushed towards him.
“There were so many people running, including kids; I didn’t want him to hurt them,” he told The Straits Times in an interview on Aug 11.
Osman managed to pin the man to the ground, causing the knife, which appeared to be a durian chopper, to fall some distance away.
“The man immediately said sorry to me, but by then, my shirt was all bloodied because he stabbed himself,” he was quoted as saying.
“I kept shouting, asking people to push the knife away.”
Police said they received a call for assistance at Block 441B Clementi Avenue 3 at about 12.20pm.
A 34-year-old man was taken to hospital, while Osman suffered an injury to his right wrist and received treatment that day.
Osman said he drew on martial arts training he picked up during a stint in prison about two decades ago to restrain the man.
He declined to elaborate on his past offences. “I used my martial arts training to tackle him and push away the knife,” he said.
His wife said she was proud of him and did not stop him when he decided to intervene. The couple, who work as daily-wage cleaners, live in a rental flat in Clementi while waiting for their HDB flat.
Osman, a former nightclub performer, said he brings his guitar everywhere and enjoys singing, playing the guitar and drawing.
After his release from prison, he said he had tried to give back to society through charity work, including with Jamiyah Singapore.
“This also feels like my payback time,” said Osman, who is part of the Yellow Ribbon Singapore community for former offenders.
He told The Straits Times that he was not seeking praise, adding that he wanted to contribute to society after he “did a lot of bad stuff” in his younger days.
Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP David Hoe, who had posted about Osman on Facebook, said his actions were commendable.
On Aug 11, Hoe and a grassroots volunteer gave Osman and his wife cash contributed by 22 residents to support their living expenses if he needed time off to recover.