SINGAPORE: A 29-year-old SBS Transit bus captain was
robbed and slashed by two men in a bold robbery attempt in the
southern Malaysian city of Johor Bahru on Tuesday evening.
The incident happened onboard Service 160 which had just left
Kotaraya Shopping Centre.
It was headed to the Malaysian Customs Checkpoint when the
assailants, believed to be in their 30s, boarded posing as
passengers.
In a statement, SBS said that the parang-wielding robbers first
approached a middle-aged Chinese woman and tried to rob her.
The passenger shouted for help which drew the bus captain's
attention. The driver immediately stopped the bus and told the
robbers to stop what they were doing.
The suspects then turned on the driver and demanded his wallet,
which contained RM$260 and S$40.
The robbers took the wallet and slashed the bus captain several
times on his upper limbs before fleeing.
The victim sustained a deep gash on his left wrist and a bone
fracture.
He was rushed to a hospital in Johor Bahru, then later moved to the
Singapore's National University Hospital, where he underwent
surgery on Wednesday morning.
The three passengers on board were not injured.
SBS said this was the first time such an incident had occurred on
its buses. It is currently assisting the Malaysian Police in their
investigations.
Service 160 plies between Kotaraya in Johor Bahru and the Jurong
East Interchange in Singapore and the journey usually takes about
70 minutes.