THE early Saturday morning brawl in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, which left one dead and one seriously injured, has got nothing to do with restaurants selling alcohol in the area, the Bangsar Bar and Restaurant Owners association said

Its spokesman, Joshua Billique, said it would be unreasonable and unfair to point the finger solely at restaurant owners just because those involved in the brawl were drunk.

“Police had said that the motive for the incident was revenge and the videos of the incident clearly showed the brawl started in a back lane and not in a restaurant,” said Billique.

“It wasn’t just because they were drunk, but it was because some outsiders brought their issues here.”

Pubs and night entertainment outlets have not been allowed to operate since the movement-control order (MCO) was first imposed nationwide in mid-March last year.

They remain among the few economic sectors still not allowed to operate even under the conditional MCO and recovery MCO.

In the incident, a 28-year-old man was killed while his 30-year-old friend suffered severe injuries when two groups clashed in Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar.

Videos of the brawl went viral, showing a shirtless youth being attacked by a mob, while trying to defend himself with a crash helmet. Another scene showed a passer-by attempting to resuscitate the injured youth.

The incident took place just after midnight not far from the upscale Bangsar Village mall, after the victims had come out of a restaurant.

The incident raised concerns among residents in the upscale neighbourhood.

Bukit Bandaraya Residents Association adviser Mumtaz Ali said that over-commercialising the area has compromised the safety and security of the residents, adding this was not the first incident to occur here.

Police arrested one suspect on Saturday afternoon while a search is still going on for the others.

Although the brawl was not linked to any bars, pubs or restaurants, Billique admitted the incident has now created fear among people coming to Bangsar.

“Judging on the crowd in the vicinity last night (Saturday), it is definite the incident has created a negative perception to businesses and sales.

“For a Saturday night, it was relatively quiet here and businesses barely made 10% of their usual sales,” he said.

Billique said he was glad to see police doing more frequent patrols and hoped they continue to be more vigilant.

“Police know what they are doing and they are good at it, and we are always ready to work with them,” he added.

Brickfields police chief Anuar Omar assured Bangsar residents they have nothing to be worried about as there were enough police personnel to ensure their wellbeing and security in the area.

“There are multiple teams dispatched to cover the whole of Brickfields on a daily basis, 24/7. Police are on patrol day and night, not just in Bangsar but the whole district,” he said.

Anuar added that the public can call police if they suspect anything unusual in their area. – March 15, 2021.