At about 7.30 this morning, 65-year-old Ong Kah Hua went bersek and struck out at three female tenants living in his three-room flat at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.

In singlet and shorts, the knife-wielding man rounded up the three women and told them to sit on the sofa in the living room. He then demanded that one of his tenants douse herself with kerosene and set herself on fire, reported Shin Min Daily.

In the confusion, the tenants shouted for help and fled. Next, the old man turned his attention to his neighbour's home, where a Mr Su lived with his wife and daughter.

He smashed his neighbour's windows along the corridor and banged wildly on their door.

At the time, only Mr Su's daughter was at home. She called the police as the old man started to splash paint and kerosene outside the flat. He also threatened to burn the flat if she did not open the door at once.

When Mr Su came back, he saw the old man outside his flat, with knives strapped to his waist. Seeing Mr Su, the landlord chased him along the corridor and Mr Su's daughter took the opportunity to flee the flat.

Failing to catch Mr Su, he rushed back and stuck a wad of burning newspaper into his neighbour's home through the window, setting the sofa alight. He then dashed back to his flat and torched his own sofa, reported The Straits Times.

When the police arrived, they had to fire three shots from a stun gun to bring the old man down. In the fracas, one policeman injured his left eyelid and was warded for treatment.

The landlord's sister told The Straits Times that he had been admitted to hospital in April for depression. He was discharged from the Singapore General Hospital after a two-month stay.