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SINGAPORE: The man accused of threatening Member of Parliament (MP) Denise Phua broke down in court on Wednesday as he publicly apologised to her.
Rag-and-bone man Ng Kim Ngweng, who was testifying in his own trial, clarified that his utterances of "retribution" in the alleged threat had been a reference to Ms Phua's autistic son.
The father of two children said he felt Ms Phua's pain when he heard her testify in court about her son, and said he should not have referred to him.
The 49-year-old withdrew his remark about the "retribution" Ms Phua would receive, and apologised to all parents of autistic children here.
"I apologised to all autistic (sic), her child, Mother Mary and parents. Please forgive me. I'm sorry," he told the court.
Ng, however, maintained that his call to a Government feedback officer on Jan 12 was "a complaint" and he did not mean to hit or threaten his MP.
Cross-examined by Deputy Public Prosecutor Imran Abdul Hamid, Ng agreed that the remarks were "inappropriate" and could cause "hurt and concern" to parents.
But he disagreed with the DPP's suggestion that his call was "malicious" or a cause of worry for Ms Phua.
Ng had claimed that Ms Phua did not help him with financial aid. He had called the Reach hotline on Jan 12 and allegedly told customer service officer Tan Chia Yong in Mandarin: "I cannot take this any more and I don't know what I'll do one day, I can't be sure on that ... How can you don't hit her? I get angry when I see her so how can I don't hit her?"
Ng has also told the court that there were "minor issues" in his marriage and that he had once used a small water pail to hit his wife's head. This was her fault, he alleged.
When DPP Imran asked if he would classify an assault on his wife a "minor issue", Ng said: "Yes. Who never hit his wife? I'm a gentleman. I hit my wife, I don't hide."
Ng also admitted that he ran his family "like a army camp" and once spat in his son's food when he was eating too slowly.
An Institute of Mental Health (IMH) psychiatrist reported that Ng would use force to vent his perceived unhappiness against others and "was a danger especially to his family but also posed a threat to the general public".
Ng also apparently told another IMH psychiatrist the only way to respond to perceived injustice was to commit a violent act but not get caught.
The accused denied DPP Imran's suggestion that he was a victim of injustice.
"There is no reason for me to attack an MP for a bowl of noodles," said Ng.
The hearing continues. - TODAY
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