JOHOR BARU, May 6 — A man was assaulted by members of the public after allegedly honking his car in the midst of Friday prayers at a ‘surau’ (mini mosque) in Taman Austin Perdana here yesterday.

The incident, which was recorded by passers-by on mobile phones, went viral on Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp application.

Based on the videos, the driver was seen being chased by the public before he attempted to reverse his car which almost hit the people nearby and other vehicles.

There was also a man seen assaulting the driver using a traffic cone.

A witness, Muhammad Akmal Bakar, 18, said he heard the continuous sound of honking car during the prayers.

"The sound, which lasted over two or three minutes, was very loud and (that had) interrupted the prayers,” said the Form Six student who was at the surau for Friday prayers for the first time.

Muhammad Akmal said he saw several people slamming their hands on the car and chasing after the vehicle.

"The car was moving forward and back twice with speed. there were other individuals slamming the car using helmets,” he said, adding that other congregation members were also seen trying to calm down the situation.

Meanwhile, Johor Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said the 28-year-old driver, who sustained injuries in his head and body, had lodged a police report at the Setia Indah Police Station here.

"The incident was due to traffic congestion and obstruction in front of the surau which made it difficult for the driver to move. As a result, the driver honked (his car) and this had caused anger among the congregation,” he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 147 of the Penal Code. — Bernama