Work began as usual for Tham Kok Poi on 6 January this year. The Tower Transit Singapore bus captain got up at 2am, made the 10-minute journey from his home to Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub, and began his shift for bus service 969.
The 50-year-old never expected that his morning shift would be interrupted by a flurry of punches by a passenger while driving at speed along the Seletar Expressway.
Apparently, the assailant demanded to alight while on the expressway. But when Kok Poi informed him that he could only do so at the next stop, he got emotional and took to violence.
Kok Poi stayed calm, even after attempts by the aggressor to wrestle away his steering wheel. After all, there were more than 50 souls onboard.
The former auxiliary police officer kept a handle on the situation until exiting the expressway and stopping at the next bus stop. He got everyone – including the perpetrator – off the vehicle before contacting the control centre for help.
In February, Kok Poi received a Superstar Award from his employer for his bravery and keeping cool under pressure. More recently though, the bus captain became one of 1,471 transport staff to receive the Transport Gold Awards.
The annual award is organised by the Singapore Kindness Movement in collaboration with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and public transport operators like SMRT, SBS, ComfortDelGro, Grab, Gojek, and more.
The awards were held at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) on 18 November 2025 and officiated by Guest-of-Honour Jeffrey Siow, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance.
The bus captain was one of just 27 people to receive the award in the Outstanding category, denoting recipients who went out of their way to show kindness, resilience, and tenacity beyond their normal job scopes.
Other recipients included silver private hire driver Benson Lo, who helped children and families evacuate during a fire at River Valley, as well as SMRT’s Leong Chee Hong, who performed life-saving chest compressions for a collapsed passenger until paramedics arrived.
Tham Kok Poi: “My colleagues would’ve done the same”
While the young silver admits that he is “grateful and happy” for the award, he believes that everyone working in public transport is equally worthy of commendation.
"I don't think my past as an auxiliary police officer had anything to do with it – any of my colleagues would’ve been able to do the same," he says.
"When I stop for coffee and chat with the older, more experienced bus captains, they tell me incredible stories about the passengers they’ve met. I still have a lot to learn from them," he says with a laugh.
"Every job has its challenges, and we accept these challenges when we take the job."
For Kok Poi, it is more important that he focuses on the positive aspects of being a bus driver. Setting aside obvious perks like job stability, he says he appreciates his line of work for the daily interactions with people.
This ranges from the yearly red packets he receives during Chinese New Year to a more personal experience watching as a young passenger grew from the age of kindergarten to primary school.
"Sadly, she doesn't take the bus at the same time anymore, so I don’t get to talk to her anymore," he says.
One particularly memorable incident came years ago when he was driving through Changi Airport T3 for bus service 858. While passing through the terminal’s basement, he spotted a middle-aged man who’d fallen down by the road shoulder.
"He was all alone – I grabbed his hand and helped him up. He said, ‘Thank you very much’, and he smiled," says Kok Poi.
"I still remember that smile. I felt very good, because that day, I managed to help one person."
