KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Police cordoned off Low Yat Plaza tonight following the gathering of about 200 people at the mall in reaction to yesterday’s brawl inside the building, Malaysiakini reported.

According to the news portal, a group claiming to represent Malay NGOs such as Persatuan Kebajikan Islam dan Dakwah Islamiah (Pekida), had tried to enter the the building at about 8.35pm, but were prevented from doing so.

By 9pm, Low Yat Plaza was shuttered after police sealed off the area with yellow tape.

Malaysiakini reported a man who claimed to be an Ayahanda (Pekida leader) telling reporters that they were standing up for the man who had been beaten up by mall staff yesterday.

"We want to get fairness and justice. We want to show MCMC (Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission) justice. We don't want counterfeit goods here.

We will sent lawyers to help," he said. The man also denied that his group was motivated by racism and violence.

"Inside the picture (of yesterday's scuffle) its not just Malays and Chinese. We are from Islamic NGO. I am from Pekida Malaysia," he was quoted as saying.

Kuala Lumpur CID chief Zainuddin Ahmad reportedly confirmed that a mall staff had been arrested for wielding a weapon.

Earlier, Bernama reported police had arrested a 22-year-old local man believed to be involved in a brawl at the mall yesterday.

Zainuddin was quoted as saying the brawl that happened at 7.38pm yesterday started because a suspect was not happy when he was caught by security guards at the complex for allegedly stealing a mobile phone.

“The security guards handed the suspect over to the police.

The youth then contacted his friends who reacted by beating the workers at the shop (where the phone was allegedly stolen from) and broke several things there causing estimated losses of RM70,000” he told Bernama.