KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — Police have arrested 12 men and a Vietnamese woman in connection with an armed clash at a restaurant in Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru yesterday.

Johor Bahru South district police chief Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said a video of the incident, which also went viral on social media, is believed to have occurred at about 3.50am.

“Preliminary investigations found that the incident occurred when a group of men attacked the victim and his friend using metal chairs and a meat cleaver, causing the victim to suffer injuries to the head, arms and calves, as well as scratches all over the body.

“The motive is believed to stem from a misunderstanding between two individuals over a personal debt,” he said in a statement.

Raub said that through an operation carried out, all the suspects were arrested between 3am and 12.40am yesterday at several locations around Johor Bahru.

“All the suspects are aged between 20 and 40. Police also seized seven mobile phones, a knife and clothing worn during the incident for investigation purposes.

“Record checks showed that seven of the suspects have previous criminal and drug-related records, while urine screening tests found that six of them tested positive for ketamine,” he added.

He said the case is being investigated under Sections 148 and 326 of the Penal Code, as well as Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for suspects who tested positive for drugs.

“The male suspects have been remanded for seven days until January 3, 2026, while the female suspect has been remanded for three days until Tuesday to assist further investigations,” he said.