The former national athlete who assaulted Grab driver Wayne Chow did not appear at a press conference today where they were supposed to make amends.

The press conference, organised by veteran social activist Kuan Chee Heng, saw only Chow and his mother in attendance.

"Had our the roles been reversed and I was the one who assaulted her, I would not be here today. I would have been in jail," a dejected Chow said.

Chow, 22, said all he wanted was an apology, but even in the assailant's absence, he forgave her anyway.

"Forgiveness is a virtue," he said.

Chow claimed that he was punched in the eye by a passenger, who turned out to be a former national athlete, after giving her a ride last Friday.

The athlete has since posted a hand-written apology on her Facebook page.

Mother thanks supporters

The police do not appear to be pursuing the matter on grounds that it was a misunderstanding.

Chow said he would not pursue legal or criminal action against his assailant because it was too troublesome to do so.

Kuan had mediated a public meeting between the two to put the matter to rest.

Chow's mother thanked those who had offered to help her son.

"I would like to thank our friends and people who have shown their concern.

"It shows that there is hope in this world and there are people who value righteousness," she said.

Be fair, Grab told

Meanwhile, Kuan urged Grab to investigate fairly conflicts between drivers and passengers.

"I think the most important thing is Grab must listen to both sides (of an argument).

"I feel that Grab does not really protect its drivers. From the feedback I've received, a lot of times, customers become very unreasonable.

"I hope after this incident, Grab can investigate and be fair to its drivers," he said.

He also urged ride-sharing passengers to be courteous and respectful to drivers.

"They are not trying to get rich (by driving). They are just trying to make a living," Kuan said.