Canto-pop singer Shirley Kwan arrested for hitting and threatening to ‘chop’ worker at hotel

HONG KONG — Canto-pop singer Shirley Kwan Suk-yee has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting and intimidating a worker at a Discovery Bay hotel.

The 50-year-old Hong Kong entertainer was trying to place an order at a restaurant at 5.30am on Thursday (March 16) at the Auberge Discovery Bay on Siena Avenue, Hong Kong, where she had been staying for a period.

But her order was rejected by a 29-year-old employee because of an unpaid hotel bill of an unknown amount.

Kwan became agitated and was heard saying to the worker: “Do you believe I’ll get a knife and chop you?”

She was also said to have hit him in the chest. Police were called in, and Kwan was arrested.

The worker was taken to North Lantau Hospital for medical examination.

Kwan was later released on bail and must report back to the police at the end of this month. A Lantau district investigation team is handling the case.

When the singer was first approached by the press outside the hotel on Thursday night, she pretended she was someone else.

She then said she had nothing to clarify and refused to comment further. She also pushed away a camera as she tried to avoid being videotaped.

Kwan, known for her cutting-edge image, had held a concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum in April and performed at The Venetian Macao in July.

In October, she was hospitalised after being rescued from the waters near the same Discovery Bay hotel.

Police said Kwan was uninjured and conscious when taken to North Lantau Hospital, where she was found to be in stable condition.

The incident happened after the singer and a female friend were walking along seaside Siena Avenue after having dinner at the hotel. A police source said the friend told officers that Kwan was unhappy because of work and had walked down to the sea for a swim.

The friend sought help as the singer could not be persuaded to return to land. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST