The brother of a man who was involved in a fight at VivoCity, after his wheelchair was blocked from exiting a lift, has died.
In a Facebook post on Sunday (30 Aug), Mr Suresh Vanaz announced that his brother Gunaseelan (also known as Seelan), who suffered from cerebral palsy, had passed away peacefully the day before at the age of 42.
In his post, Mr Suresh said he was “deeply saddened” by the sudden loss of his younger brother, adding:
Words cannot express the pain of losing my brother. He will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will forever cherish all the beautiful memories we shared.
He asked family and friends to keep him and his loved ones in their prayers.
According to an obituary he shared, he leaves behind Mr Suresh, their sister, their respective spouses and three nieces.
Source: Suresh Vanaz on Facebook
His wake is currently being held at Block 236 Serangoon Avenue 3, and he will be cremated at Mandai on Tuesday (1 Sept).
Mr Suresh, who is five years older than Seelan, had previously told MS News in a 2024 interview that he had been his brother’s primary caregiver for more than 20 years after their mother passed away.
Due to Seelan’s cerebral palsy — which leads to poor motor skills and stiff muscles — he was immobile from the neck down and thus required a wheelchair to get around.
He was also fully dependent on Mr Suresh for daily activities such as feeding, bathing, and medication.
Despite his condition, Seelan led a full life as Mr Suresh took him on outings to places such as the beach and shopping malls.
Image courtesy of Suresh Vanaz
The brothers would visit the Batu Caves in Malaysia for Thaipusam every year, with Mr Suresh carrying his brother all the way, he told The New Straits Times in 2025.
Image courtesy of Suresh Vanaz
Seelan also attended a school for individuals with cerebral palsy and loved eating, especially chicken chop and sausages.
Source: Suresh Vanaz on Facebook
While he had speech limitations, he was able to communicate his thoughts with help from Suresh and could even whistle at passing women on Orchard Road.
However, Mr Suresh had complained of inconsiderate behaviour and lack of empathy faced by him and his brother almost daily.
An example was the VivoCity incident, when he was trying to wheel his brother out of the lift but someone allegedly blocked them and scolded him.
This resulted in a melee that went viral over social media and also deeply upset Seelan.
Source: Imgur
Mr Suresh has called for more empathy for vulnerable groups, with even small actions like smiling, greeting, and speaking to them enough to lift their spirits.
In December 2025, Mr Suresh was involved in another fight at a mall in Johor Bahru (JB), when his brother was not present.
The incident started when he spilt beer on a woman, triggering a brawl with a family of three who are also Singaporeans, according to the JB police.
Source: China Press
About an hour later, the two men fought again when they met at the police station.
Mr Suresh eventually pleaded guilty to hurting the other man, while the family of three pleaded not guilty to hurting Mr Suresh.
He and the other man were also charged with disorderly conduct in a police facility.
While Mr Suresh had shared the physical, emotional, and financial burden of caring for Seelan with MS News, he remained steadfast in his commitment to him.
When a friend asked what he would ask God for if given one chance, he replied that he wanted both his and his brother’s lives to be taken away so they could go to a better place.
But he promised not to do “anything stupid” and reiterated that he was dedicated to his brother, adding:
No matter what it takes, I will do my duty till the end.
Also read: Man behind viral VivoCity scuffle shares struggles as caregiver for brother with disability
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Featured image by MS News and adapted from Suresh Vanaz on Facebook.