Batman Suparman, 29, got into an altercation with 40-year-old Eng Guan Hong at the FoodPanda company headquarters on January 28. Batman fought Eng and ended up with a nasty gash on his face and several bruises on his arms as he was also thrashed with a helmet.
Eng has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison and six strokes of the cane on Wednesday, August 14.
The two men are in the business of delivering food to customers using the FoodPanda service. The root of the altercation started in a WhatsApp group chat for fellow delivery persons, where Eng had used the word “Bodoh.” This word means “stupid” in Malay. Eng used the word to describe any delivery rider who did not use a new feature or scheme that FoodPanda had implemented.
Batman did not like the term he used and asked him (probably not in a gravelly voice) not to use that word in the chatroom. From that point, their communication escalated into a heated argument. The argument then lead to repeated challenges where the other man wanted to face off with Batman and settle their differences.
Proescutor Dillon Kok said that Eng repeatedly issued the challenge, and Batman eventually relented as he was meeting his friends nearby.
The Batman Suparman fight with Eng
The two agreed to meet outside the FoodPanda office. Eng was in the building and had told his boss that he needed to step out for a bit to adjust his scooter. He also took the time to stow a knife on his person as he left the building, which was a a penknife bearing a 10.5cm-long blade. He also took a motorcycle helmet with him.
When they two met, Eng then started bashing Batman with the helmet, but the latter blocked the blows. Batman still sustained a bad knock on the left side of his head.
Their friends and colleagues tried to step in and stop them from fighting, but were unsuccessful in preventing the violence wrought with Batman around. Eng then picked up the knife which had fallen to the ground in the scuffle. He then charged at Batman, who backed away but still got slashed in the face with the knife.
According to a report from Channel News Asia, “Although Mr Batman tried to ward off the blows with his arms, he was cut near his nose and above his ear.”
The fight finally ended when FoodPanda personnel arrived, and Batman was taken in for medical attention. The doctor said he would still have the scars for a long time and that they would be extensive.
Batman was annoying
The prosecutor in the case said that since Eng had premeditated the attack for some time between the chat group and the physical altercation, a harsher charge and sentence was needed for the case.
The defence lawyer on the other hand, said that Batman annoyed him and he had cause to retaliate, even if it was excessive.
Eng has previous offenses of the same violent nature, but since he faced off with Batman, he finally met his match and justice was served.
