UPDATE: Police announced moments ago that they have identified the suspect in the clip. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.
Local Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng announced today that a private citizen had given his office RM10,000 (about US$2,450) to be put toward an award for information leading to the arrest of the man who attacked a woman inside an MRT elevator in Kuala Lumpur’s Cheras neighborhood last week.
CCTV footage of the vicious incident was leaked online, leading to widespread public outcry. In the clip, taken in the early morning hours of Thursday, Feb. 14, the 48-year-old victim is show entering an elevator, with the suspect entering behind her.
Within moments, the man wheels and violently sucker punches the woman in the face, dropping her to the ground. When she then attempts to hold onto her bag, more brutal punches and kicks follow.
We’ve included an embed of the clip below — we advise extreme caution while viewing it, and ask that any readers who recognize the perpetrator please contact police, or MP Lim at parlimenkepong@gmail.com.
Community leaders, including the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation senior vice-chairman, Lee Lam Thye, have asked for tighter security measures at MRT stations, saying that CCTV is not enough to protect commuters. He’s suggested that auxiliary police should be on patrol, especially during the early morning hours before sunrise.
“This is a very unfortunate incident and must be condemned in the strongest manner,” he told The Star.
Strangely, the clip soon began to circulate among social media users in Hong Kong, who claimed that the clip had happened on their shores, and used the incident to swirl anti-South Asian rhetoric.
Following the incident, RapidKL has since stepped up security, and passengers using the MRT, LRT, Monorail and BRT stations can request an escort through parking lots areas from any customer service counter. Staff will also now have a direct feed to footage from elevator CCTV while on duty.
SAT (Special Action Force) members have also been sent to patrol several spots in plainclothes.
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