Fight from Woodlands to JB: 2 men seen brawling on Causeway, continue altercation at JB petrol kiosk

Tempers flared along the Woodlands Causeway on Friday (March 22), after two motorcyclists were caught engaged in fisticuffs while on the way to Johor Bahru (JB). Footage of the incident was posted on several Facebook groups on Friday, reported Chinese media outlets.

According to Sinchew Daily on Saturday (March 23), five men have been detained by Malaysian police to assist with investigations into the brawl, with police still seeking the whereabouts of a sixth man.

A short clip posted by Muhammad Shahideen to the Both Checkpoint Facebook group on Friday showed one man without a helmet pinning down another man wearing a red shirt over a toppled bike. The man in red then gets up and continues to tussle with the other guy as bystanders jump in to try and separate the two.

The video swiftly went viral and was shared over 1,400 times in 22 hours, Shin Min Daily News reported, with other users also posting similar clips of the incident. 

The two reportedly move to the side of the road but continued their fight, with the man in red being shoved towards the barricade.

Although netizens had shared that the altercation started while the motorcyclists were on their way to the Singapore checkpoint, according to Sinchew Daily, the brawl happened after the parties had cleared Singapore immigration.

According to the Malaysian news site, the two men were again seen nearly coming to blows at the petrol station, leading one netizen to comment that the pair had fought "from the Singapore checkpoint to the Malaysia checkpoint".

It is not clear what sparked the initial fight. 

According to Shin Min Daily News, the Singapore police are investigating the case.

In comments to the first clip on Facebook however, many wondered why the two men could not live and let live.

"Queuing at causeway already so stress [sic], why can't we give and take and live in harmony. Why you guys must fight? Boleh (Can, in Malay) talk peacefully?"

Wrote another: "Just follow queue, even late for a few minutes...rushing go home [or] go work can't get extra money."

Others noted that they were foolish to risk having their Singapore work passes revoked for breaking the law.

5 Malaysians arrested

Sinchew Daily reported on Saturday (March 23) that five men, all Malaysians, have been arrested and are assisting the Malaysian police in its investigation into the case. Police are also searching for another man involved in the altercation.

The police confirmed that the incident had occurred on Friday at about 6.30pm and had occurred within their jurisdiction.

A Johor police spokesperson added that based on preliminary investigations, a 31-year-old Malaysian was assaulted by four other men aged 19 to 31.

The spokesperson added that the altercation was believed to have been triggered due to a misunderstanding.

One of the men was hit by a motorcycle helmet in the fight and suffered injuries to his eyes and head. Another person was also injured in the brawl, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that none of the suspects were found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time, but one of the five had a prior criminal record for causing harm to others.

Those convicted of armed rioting under the Malaysian criminal code may face a jail term not exceeding five years, a fine or both, Sinchew Daily reported.

ALSO READ: 'You cannot wait ah?' Driver of Singapore-registered car challenges man to fight at JB petrol station

candicecai@asiaone.com