SINGAPORE – Local actor Ryan Lian has hit back at inmates who were rude to him after learning he was injured in a recent knife attack.

The 39-year-old man, who was attacked outside Nex Mall in Serangoon on Nov 22, was slashed three times on the face. News of the attack was first reported by the Chinese-language Shin Min Daily News on November 26. Lian told Shin Min that she doesn’t know the attacker or his motive.

He was hospitalized and discharged on November 25.

The suspect is 21-year-old Aaron Samuel Yukon, who has been charged with one count of voluntary wounding with a dangerous weapon.

But it seems netizens have not been kind to Lian following the horrific incident. The actor, who has appeared in films such as Ah Boys To Men 4 (2017) and Money No Enough 3 (2024), posted a rant on his Instagram story on November 26 and said he saw netizens reacting to news of smiley face emoji attack.

He wrote: “I go home after work and I don’t hang out with anyone. I have never used what little power I have to hurt someone else’s livelihood, I will not even kill an ant. I didn’t say a single bad thing about the person who attacked me when I was answering reporters’ questions.

“However, I have to put up with others gossiping about me. How much do you want to destroy me?

He added: “I thought I was the one who wasn’t mentally well and I felt bad about it. But it seems society is sick.”

It’s been a tumultuous year for Lian, who was arrested in September under the mental health act. He was caught on video allegedly tampering with the digital door lock of an HDB flat in Telok Blangah.

He later spoke to Chinese news outlet Lianhe Zaobao about his long battle with depression and revealed that he spent five days at the Mental Health Institute after being arrested.

He told Zaobao, “This year was hard for me, but I didn’t give up. I hope that those who are going through a hard time will not give up either. If you don’t give yourself a chance and just give up on yourself, you won’t see the beautiful things ahead.”