 A policeman checking a Proton Wira damaged during the Low Yat riot. | |
| Date | July 12, 2015; 10 years ago (2015-07-12) |
|---|---|
| Location | Jalan Imbi,Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia |
| Cause | Misunderstandings related tosmartphones with racial incitement by various media[1] |
| Target | Plaza Low Yat |
| Outcome | Losses are estimated at more than RM70,000 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 3 |
On 12 July 2015, a riot occurred atPlaza Low Yat,Jalan Imbi,Kuala Lumpur.[2] Three people were injured including a journalist during the commotion.[3] This riot had been widely covered in the Malaysian mass media. Police believed that the riots occurred following a fight involving seven men at Plaza Low Yat, over alleged theft and a misunderstanding ofsmartphones,[4] with losses estimated at over RM70,000.[5] A total of 18 people were reportedly arrested for being involved in the riot.[6]
Following the riot, the Prime Minister at the time,Najib Razak insisted that the incident should be seen as a criminal act and not a racial problem. Najib described the actions of some parties who usedsocial media to incite the racial element in the incident as irresponsible and gave an inaccurate perspective on what actually happened. He also asked theInspector-General of Police,Khalid Abu Bakar to take effective action to prevent similar incidents from happening again.[7] Five days after the riots, Plaza Low Yat continued to be the main choice for visitors to buy mobile phones as well as computers and software.[8]
