A 69-year-old foreign man was arrested after allegedly causing a disturbance at a convenience store in Larkin, Johor Bahru, by verbally abusing workers, disturbing customers and pointing a cleaning brush at two employees on Wednesday.
Johor Bahru Selatan district police chief Assistant Commissioner Azri Hisham Mohd Shaffei said police became aware of the incident after a video showing two officers arresting an elderly man went viral on social media.
Police checks found that the suspect had been arrested by two Mobile Patrol Vehicle (MPV) officers from the Criminal Prevention and Community Safety Department of the Johor Bahru Selatan District Police Headquarters at around 1.50pm.
A report was subsequently lodged at about 4.55pm by a 29-year-old local woman who works as the manager of the convenience store.
According to the report, the incident occurred at around 1.40pm when the suspect allegedly hurled abusive remarks at the complainant and her colleague while also disturbing other customers inside the premises.
The suspect was also accused of carrying a cleaning brush and pointing it towards the complainant and her colleague before continuing to use offensive language inside the shop.
Initial investigations indicated that the incident may have started after the suspect claimed that the employee had failed to return his change following a purchase.
Police officers later managed to apprehend the man outside the shop, although a struggle reportedly broke out during the arrest. The suspect allegedly continued to verbally abuse both officers, forcing police to use minimum necessary force to restrain him.
A metal cleaning brush believed to have been used during the incident was also seized by police as part of the investigation.
Azri Hisham said checks found that the suspect had no previous criminal record. An initial urine screening also tested negative for drugs.
The case is being investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation and Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 for disorderly and indecent behaviour.
If convicted under Section 506 of the Penal Code, the suspect may face imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both. An offence under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 carries a fine of up to RM100.
The suspect was brought before the Johor Bahru Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday and remanded for four days to facilitate further investigations.
Police have also urged members of the public not to circulate videos of the incident on social media, warning that doing so could lead to misunderstandings or speculation that may affect public harmony.
Anyone with information about the incident can contact the Johor Bahru Selatan District Police Headquarters hotline at 07-218 2323.
