One moment, she was crossing the road. The next, her handbag was snatched away by a passing motorcyclist in Johor Bahru.
However, the thief failed to make a getaway, falling off his vehicle mere metres away from his victim.
The woman, 30, chased after the snatch thief who got back on his bike and attempted to flee the scene.
Hearing the woman’s screams for help, a city council enforcement officer came running to her aid and took down the motorcyclist with a flying kick.
Other members of the public also rushed to the scene to help the victim.
Video clips of the daring rescue on Tuesday (Sept 1) afternoon soon went viral on social media, with some racking up over 300,000 views and a flood of comments from Facebook users commending the men for their bravery.
In the clips, they were seen trying to restrain the suspect as they waited for the police to arrive. The suspect was also seen fighting back as the group of men surrounded him to prevent him from fleeing.
Local police told The Star that they arrested a 32-year-old man and seized his motorcycle as part of investigations into a case of robbery.
If found guilty, the suspect faces up to 20 years in jail and a fine or caning.
