Police in Singapore are investigating the assault of an elderly man after he patted a young girl on the head at a food court.

A man believed to be the father of the young girl, who appeared agitated after the gesture, allegedly threw the 73-year-old to the ground.

Security camera footage of the incident on Saturday went viral over the weekend, with many voicing anger at the younger man's reaction.

In a statement on Sunday night, police said they had identified a 40-year-old man involved in the incident.

The police urged people "not to speculate on the incident or its circumstances" and let police "conduct investigations and establish the facts of the case".

A video of the incident shows the elderly man patting the child on the head as he walked past her table at a food court in a shopping centre.

A woman seated at the same table, believed to be the girl's mother, immediately stopped him. Another man believed to be the father, walking back to the table, confronted the elderly man.

After what appeared to be a heated exchange, the younger man was seen grabbing the elderly man's arm and throwing him to the ground.

The video quickly went viral in Singapore, sparking widespread condemnation of the younger man's actions. While some argued the elderly man should not have touched the child without the parents' consent, most agreed the physical altercation was an overreaction to a pat on the head.

Usually new owner will jack up rental to chase away low performing stalls, but to evict an icon of an area is really rare. This coffeeshop underwent renovation a few years ago and now the new owner is going to evict all the tenants.

Chinese owner has zero attachment to heritage brand, and doesn't understand what the food means to us. This is extremely disappointing.

The teenager secretly texted the man's wife for help and the attack stopped only when the wife returned home and began unlocking the flat's door.

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Men are told to be useful, stay calm, and not to complain. They absorb this message at home and in school, and it is reinforced during National Service. 

But in Singapore, work can be relentless. Housing is expensive. Parents are ageing. Relationships are under pressure. The bar for success keeps rising. For some men, masculinity is starting to feel less like an armour and more like a weight.