SINGAPORE: A 29-year-old SBS Transit bus captain was robbed and slashed by two men in a bold robbery attempt in the southern Malaysian city of Johor Bahru on Tuesday evening.
The incident happened onboard Service 160 which had just left Kotaraya Shopping Centre.
It was headed to the Malaysian Customs Checkpoint when the assailants, believed to be in their 30s, boarded posing as passengers.
In a statement, SBS said that the parang-wielding robbers first approached a middle-aged Chinese woman and tried to rob her.
The passenger shouted for help which drew the bus captain's attention. The driver immediately stopped the bus and told the robbers to stop what they were doing.
The suspects then turned on the driver and demanded his wallet, which contained RM$260 and S$40.
The robbers took the wallet and slashed the bus captain several times on his upper limbs before fleeing.
The victim sustained a deep gash on his left wrist and a bone fracture.
He was rushed to a hospital in Johor Bahru, then later moved to the Singapore's National University Hospital, where he underwent surgery on Wednesday morning.
The three passengers on board were not injured.
SBS said this was the first time such an incident had occurred on its buses. It is currently assisting the Malaysian Police in their investigations.
Service 160 plies between Kotaraya in Johor Bahru and the Jurong East Interchange in Singapore and the journey usually takes about 70 minutes.