JOHOR BAHRU: On Jan 8, three thieves took the belongings of a Malaysian man who was on his way home after his job in Singapore. One of the culprits held the man at knifepoint and took his wallet and other valuables.
The incident is now under investigation, according to local reports.
Like many Malaysians, the 28-year-old man, a Mr Chen, works in Singapore and goes home to Johor every day. The incident took place around 7:30 in the morning.
After he got off a bus at Tebrau Road near Lotus hypermarket, three men approached Mr Chen, a report in China Press said. One of them pointed a knife at him.
The thieves took his wallet, robbing him of his work permit and driving licence, along with the identity cards of his two children. His ATM card was also taken.
Within half an hour of the robbery, RM3,000 (approximately S$950) was withdrawn from Mr Chen’s account and transferred to an account in another country.
The reports added that the thieves took Mr Chen’s mobile phone and his other belongings as well.
His distraught wife shared what happened to him on social media, saying that the robbers ran off after the incident, but Mr Chen decided not to follow them so that nothing untoward would happen to him. He then proceeded to go home.
Is Johor Bahru safe?
Johor Bahru is relatively safe, although like many sizable cities, crimes such as knife-point robberies do occur from time to time, especially in more secluded places late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
For example, at 6 a.m. on Jan 17, 2025, a robber threatened the cashier of a snooker parlour in Stulang Laut with a folding knife, but was apprehended by local police five days later.
According to The Star, this gave rise to two raids leading to the arrest of two Singaporean men, a Singaporean woman, and a Thai woman, all of whom tested positive for amphetamines.
Most experts would say that Mr Chan did the right thing by not going after the thieves, since safety should be a victim’s first priority. Cooperating fully and immediately is probably the best advice to follow. /TISG
Read also: Teen who punched, threatened father with knife, pleads guilty to 4 charges
