JOHOR BARU: Two men, one armed with a parang, robbed a Malaysia Gazette journalist of her laptop and mobile phone at a coffee shop in Taman Molek here.
Ernalisa Othman, 38, said she was left traumatised by the incident, which occurred at around 9.45pm on Tuesday (Feb 6) night.
“I had just arrived at the coffee shop to do some work and sat at a table outside when I had a feeling of being watched.
“I noticed two men on a motorcycle who kept looking at me," she said here on Wednesday (Feb 7).
She said the men, wearing helmets and face masks, then walked towards her but she felt that she was safe as there were other customers sitting nearby.
“Suddenly, the men stopped next to me and I just froze. They grabbed my backpack, which had my laptop and two mobile phones in it.
“I tried to hold on to the bag, causing one of the phones to fall out. One of the men then threatened me with a parang and warned me to let go," she said, adding that the other patrons fled the scene while she was being robbed.
She said she then dashed inside the coffee shop while the two men made their getaway.
Ernalisa said that despite suffering about RM5,000 in losses, she was grateful to escape unharmed.
Seri Alam OCPD Supt Sohaimi Ishak confirmed that she lodged a report and said the case was being investigated under Sections 395 and 397 of the Penal Code for armed robbery.
He urged anyone with information to contact the state police hotline at 07-2212999 or lodge a report at the nearest police station.
