Police have arrested 12 Malaysian men and a Vietnamese woman following a violent attack at a mamak restaurant in Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru, last weekend.
Johor Bahru Selatan police chief ACP Raub Selamat said the incident occurred at about 3.50am on Dec 27, when a group of suspects allegedly assaulted several victims using metal chairs and a meat cleaver.
“Initial investigations found that the attack was triggered by a misunderstanding involving a personal debt,” he said in a statement.
Acting on information received, police carried out a series of arrests at several locations around Johor Bahru. Officers also seized seven mobile phones, a knife and clothing believed to have been worn during the assault.
Background checks showed that seven of the suspects have previous criminal and drug-related records, while six tested positive for ketamine.
The male suspects, aged between 20 and 40, have been remanded for seven days to assist investigations, while the Vietnamese woman was remanded for three days. Police are still tracking down several other individuals believed to be involved.
The case is being investigated under Sections 148 and 326 of the Penal Code for rioting with weapons and voluntarily causing grievous hurt, as well as Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for drug consumption.
Videos of the incident, which went viral on social media over the weekend, show a chaotic scene with suspects swinging metal chairs at the victims. In one clip, a man is seen raising a meat cleaver and striking at a victim, tearing his shirt before the weapon slips from his hand.
Police confirmed that two victims sustained injuries to their heads, arms and legs as a result of the attack.
