A thief, who had been severely beaten by several men after he stole a mobile phone, died from his injuries in Penang yesterday.
The man – Ooi Sim Guan, 38 – never regained consciousness after the assault on Friday and died at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital.
Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) police chief, Assistant Commissioner Rusli Mohd Noor, quoted by Bernama, said Ooi had stopped a lorry by the roadside at 2am to ask for a ride to Bandar Bukit Mertajam.
According to Rusli, the driver, 33, allowed Ooi in but had to stop after a kilometre because Ooi wanted to get off the vehicle.
The driver reportedly realised that his mobile phone was missing shortly after Ooi left and the drive turned back to look for Ooi.
“The lorry driver managed to find the man at a field near some shophouses and an argument ensued between them when the missing handphone was found on the victim,” Rusli was quoted as saying.
He added that a fight involving several other men in the area. Ooi was seriously injured in the melee.
An individual recorded the incident and uploaded the video on the Internet.
“We appreciate the action of the public (in wanting to catch criminals) but do not be rash and act outside the law. Instead, they should catch and hand the person to the police for further action,” Rusli was quoted as saying.
