He could have been ready to jump out of the eighth-storey flat at Block 330 Clementi Avenue 2 but was unable to, thanks to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and police.

Police said they were alerted to a case of attempted suicide at 3.38pm on Tuesday. After a two-hour stand-off with the authorities, a 47-year-old man was taken conscious to the National University Hospital and later arrested.

The New Paper understands that he had knife wounds on his chest and arms.

Investigations are ongoing.

Retiree Madam Feng was walking back to her flat in the opposite block when she noticed two SCDF personnel abseiling down the side of Block 330.

INFLATED A MATTRESS

She said: "There were many officers. They had inflated a mattress at the bottom of the block.It seemed serious."

The SCDF said two safety life packs were set up as a precautionary measure.

The Sparkletots pre-school at the foot of the block had its curtains drawn, to prevent the children inside from being affected by the incident.

Another witness, Ms Dinh Le Hang, 30, said she saw SCDF officers kicking the highly agitated man back into the flat after he stuck his head out the window.

She said: "It happened after some police officers had forced their way into the house. After he fell back into the flat, he shouted and the police officers in the unit wrestled him to the ground."

Mr Sarker Bablu, 43, a construction worker who was doing some work in the opposite block, said: "I could see the man through a window of his unit. He was not wearing a shirt and had a knife about half the length of my arm."

According to neighbours, the man had moved into the flat about two years ago and was well mannered.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a retiree who lives on the same level said: "We greet each other whenever we see each other. He told me he rents a room in his flat out to a couple."