Sigh, uncle tell you ah, some people really cannot stay peaceful. You know Gary Lim Kian Liang (46 years old), the big boss behind The Yang’s Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice in Serangoon Road and Yeo Keng Nam in Braddell Road? He went over to JB, then boom, whole high-intensity road rage drama unfolded right near the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) checkpoint.

The Midnight JB Checkpoint Battle

Around midnight on the road heading toward the causeway, a violent dispute blew up between Gary and a group of Malaysians. Things got so extreme that bystanders recorded videos that immediately went viral on Facebook and TikTok:

• Knife Attack Allegation: Gary allegedly whipped out an 8.5cm blade and slashed/injured a 30-year-old Malaysian woman.
• MMA-Style Showdown with Abang Polis: On viral videos, a man in black (alleged to be Gary) was seen repeatedly pushing, shoving, gesturing, and shouting directly into the face of Malaysian police officers on duty!
• Helmet Special Counter-Attack: A 28-year-old Malaysian guy, G. Thinesh Kumar, joined the fray and allegedly whacked Gary over the head with a motorcycle helmet.

The JB mata didn’t waste time—they swept in fast and arrested four people between 12:15 AM and 1:45 AM.

Gary was escorted to the JB Sessions and Magistrate’s Court, where he pleaded not guilty to three serious charges:

1. Carrying a dangerous 8.5cm knife without a permit (under the Dangerous Weapons Act).
2. Voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.
3. Intentionally obstructing a police officer (Lance Corporal Mohd Rahimi) from doing his job.

His lawyer pleaded for light bail, revealing that Gary suffers from major depression, requires ongoing treatment, and needs to support his wife and elderly mother. The court granted RM20,000 bail (around S$6,300) with three local sureties, fixing the case for mention on Sept 25. Meanwhile, the Malaysian guy who helmet-whacked him also pleaded not guilty and got RM5,000 bail.

The Lore: Gary Lim’s “Chicken Rice vs. Transport” Cinematic Universe

If his face or name looks familiar, it’s because Gary already built an entire multi-verse of drunken public drama back home in Singapore!

Episode 1 (April 2017): The S$1,000 Note “Flex of the Century”

This was the viral incident that turned him into an overnight Singapore legend.

• The Incident: Drunk after a night out, Gary took a taxi from Clarke Quay to Potong Pasir. The fare was $12.45, but Gary tried paying with a S$1,000 bill.
• The Hao Lian (Cocky) Taunt: When the driver (Mr. Sun) asked for smaller change and requested Gary step aside so he could close his door, Gary blocked the door, pulled out a thick stack of S$1,000 notes, and started counting cash in front of the driver’s face.
• Famous Quote: He taunted the cabby: “You know why you are a taxi driver today? Because you cannot achieve big things!”
• The Aftermath: Netizens were so furious they threatened to boycott his shop. To save face, Gary apologized on the news and offered to give away 200 free packets of chicken rice to cabbies. But Singapore taxi drivers were so offended that only 2 cabbies actually showed up to take the free rice!

Episode 2 (May 2019 / Court June 2020): Round 2 with Taxi & Cops

Giving away chicken rice clearly didn’t end his beef with the transport industry.

• The Incident: Gary passed out drunk in the backseat of another cab in Potong Pasir. When the driver woke him up to pay, Gary blew his top again.
• Shouting at Police: Cops arrived around 1:00 AM. Gary—reeking of booze—refused to cooperate, walked into the middle of the road, and began screaming at the top of his lungs.
• The Offense: When officers moved in to arrest him, he hurled a top-tier, mother-referencing vulgarity at an officer. His mother even came out and paid the driver an extra $50 to try and settle things, but Gary still got arrested and fined S$2,500 in court.

The Unintentional Prophecy

During his 2020 court sentencing, District Judge Eddy Tham warned Gary:

“If you don’t learn your lesson now, there’s a likelihood you will appear here again.”

When the judge asked him how he planned to stay out of trouble, Gary casually replied with his now-famous line:

“Don’t take taxi lor.”

Kopi Shop Gossip Verdict

Wahlau eh, technically speaking, Gary actually followed his own legal advice! He didn’t take a taxi this time—he drove his own car across the causeway into JB instead!

Unfortunately, he forgot to leave his temper back at Woodlands Checkpoint. Next time you drive across the border for bak kut teh and cheap groceries, keep calm and drink warm water—otherwise you end up paying RM20,000 bail instead of enjoying your JB weekend!