Man seen swinging sword in Punggol - here's what happened

[Update 6.10pm] In response to AsiaOne's queries, Mediacorp clarified that the video circulated was a scene being filmed for Channel 8 drama Healing Heroes.

A sign was "placed prominently in the vicinity of the filming area" and members of the production crew were also dressed in visibility vests, it added. 

Mediacorp also apologised for any alarm caused, and urged members of the public to refrain from circulating videos without context.

A recent video circulating online of a man wielding and swinging a sword at passers-by in Punggol has sparked concern among some netizens. 

The 27-second video, uploaded to Facebook on Monday (Oct 17) by District Singapore, shows a man dressed in a striped shirt swinging a sword at passers-by. 

He then charges at a black car and falls to the ground, before getting up to brandish his weapon at a woman who got out of the car. 

Several curious cyclists were also spotted looking on at the commotion. 

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/asiaonecom/videos/799828467951889[/embed]

Within an hour, the video rapidly garnered comments from concerned netizens, one of whom brought up the recent case of the Buangkok slasher. 

Back in March, clips of the man running around Buangkok with a sword emerged online. 

He had allegedly swung the weapon toward members of the public, and had damaged at least three cars in the vicinity. Five members of the public detained the man before he was arrested by the police. 

On the flip side, some seemed to know better and commented that the sword-wielding man in the recent incident was part of a crew filming over at Punggol on Sunday.  

Responding to the public's concerns, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Sun Xueling, who is also the Member of Parliament for Punggol West SMC posted on Facebook today reassuring residents that filming was taking place and it was not a "real" incident. 

ALSO READ: Man arrested after allegedly chasing someone with a katana sword in Hougang

claudiatan@asiaone.com

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