A viral video circulating on X shows a chaotic scene at what appears to be a shopping complex or grocery store, where a man was allegedly caught stealing before attempting to flee.
Eyewitnesses said that as he was being chased and cornered by members of the public, the suspect suddenly tried to grab a baby from her mother, seemingly as a hostage.
The struggle sparked panic, with people lifting chairs to hit him and items scattering across the floor. Fortunately, the baby was unharmed and quickly pulled to safety.
Moments later, someone in the crowd shouted that the man had a knife. Another individual was seen bleeding from the head, believed to have been injured by the suspect.
The man was then repeatedly punched and kicked by bystanders before some urged the crowd to stop and call the police, allowing authorities to handle the situation.
Influencer Ceddy (@ceddyornot) reacted to the clip, saying:
“Wait!!! Am I seeing this right? He already got caught and he’s still trying to grab the kid??? Dude, you think you can outrun everyone or what?! Huge respect to these gentlemen for stepping in!”
Many commenters praised the unity shown in the video, where all races could be seen working together to subdue the suspect.
User @tohka_aryani called it “national month pride — all Malaysia unite to stop this person.”
However, others raised concerns about the extent of the beating, arguing that once the man was caught, only a few people should have restrained him instead of continuing to assault him.
Still, most agreed that the moment he tried to snatch the child, the situation escalated beyond control.
Twitter user @cestmeow commented:
“His big screw-up was trying to take the kid—especially one that small. If he had just run off, no bystander would’ve cared.”
The video has since sparked a wave of public outrage online, with many calling for both justice for the baby’s family and caution against mob violence.