Cassandra See, Cherie Lim & Other Ex-Mediacorp Stars Turn Up To Support Huang Yiliang, Say He's "Misunderstood"

Several former Mediacorp artistes have rallied behind former actor-turned-hawker Huang Yiliang, whose crab beehoon stall, Old Fisherman, at Circuit Road Hawker Centre made headlines last month after he was allegedly assaulted during a dispute with a neighbouring chicken rice stall owner.

In a video posted on TikTok account Bing Bing Biang Biang, a live streaming platform co-founded by actress Cassandra See, the seven artistes are seen striding towards the camera in formation like they’re the Avengers assembling for one last mission. The clip then cuts to an all-smiles Yiliang, chest puffed out as he awaits his entourage.

Set to Michael Jackson's ‘Billie Jean’, the clip is rather dramatic, complete with fist-pumping and slow-walking.

The group included Cherie Lim, who is married to Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim, Amy Koh (the aforementioned fist-pumper), Celine Neo, Jason Oh, Cassandra, Joy Yak, who some of you might remember as Ji Ji of hosting duo Ji Ji and Zha Zha, and Apple Hong. Henry Thia was also present but had left before the clip was filmed.

“We gathered our troops to support Brother Yiliang,” read the caption.

Speaking to 8days.sg, Cassandra said the group wanted to show support for Yiliang and "stand up for the truth" after seeing what they felt were misleading portrayals of him on social media.

She cited an anecdote shared by Jason, who recalled that in the 1990s, Yiliang had offered him the keys to his Marine Parade home so he could shower and rest there after jogging at East Coast Park.

Cassandra said the story illustrates Yiliang’s generous and trusting nature.

She drew parallels to the recent controversy involving Yiliang’s female stall assistant, saying his offer to let her rest at his home was similarly motivated by convenience and kindness, but was later misconstrued by others.

"That's just how Yiliang is. He's very loyal and brotherly and always willing to help people," said Cassandra. "We wanted to use our platform to let people see another side of him."

She added that the group also hoped to drive more customers to Yiliang’s stall and remind the public that social media narratives do not always tell the full story.

"He may have a bad temper and do crazy things sometimes, but he's actually a very caring person and very misunderstood," she said.

Many netizens applauded the show of support and friendship.

"That's what friends are for," wrote one commenter.

Another simply said: "Powerful."

Others praised the artistes for standing by Yiliang, with one netizen commenting: "Good and loyal friends stick together to support. Hope to see more of HYL's good friends from Mediacorp."