SINGAPORE — The police commended three members of the public yesterday for their public-spiritedness during an armed robbery at Raffles Green last month.

Bank analyst Wilson Benedict Lim, 27, and auditor Mohamed Nazir Abdul Rahiman, 28, helped detain the robber along Chulia Street, while Dr Jacqueline Yam, 37, provided medical assistance to the victim, who had been stabbed.

On Nov 14, Arun, the 39-year-old suspect, allegedly stabbed Indonesian money courier Kang Tie Tie, 37, with a knife in an attempt to rob him of cash and cheques amounting to S$800,000.

Mr Lim said he was on his way back to the office after lunch when he saw that a man had been stabbed in a robbery and was chasing down his assailant. When he realised that no bystanders had stepped in to help as they were in a state of shock, he decided to pursue the robber and eventually pinned him down with Mr Nazir’s help.

Dr Yam, whose clinic was located nearby at the Golden Shoe Carpark, said two onlookers had gone into her clinic to tell her that someone was bleeding and needed help. She rushed to the scene to help Mr Kang and tried to stop the bleeding by applying pressure to his wounds.

She said the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived about five to 10 minutes later.

Dr Yam said it was natural for her to help the victim as she was a doctor and that the commendation had come as a great surprise and honour.

Said Mr Lim: “The victim couldn’t go far because he was wounded, so I felt that I had to take the initiative or else the robber would go scot-free.”

Added Mr Nazir: “My office was surprised when they found out I had helped pin down the robber and they, too, gave me an award.”

Arun was charged on Nov 15 for the offence of armed robbery. If convicted, he could be jailed up to 14 years and given at least 12 strokes of the cane. Elgin Chong