Hairstylist and girlfriend robbed in mall carpark

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI and STEVEN CHIEW
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

Frightening experience: Darren demonstrating how the robbers held his girlfriend Lee during the incident.

PETALING JAYA: A Christmas eve date ended in a nightmare for a hairstylist and his girlfriend when a group of men armed with machetes ambushed them in a mall carpark and fled with RM4,000 from his pocket and the pair’s mobile phones.
Darren Lee, 26, said he and his girlfriend, 24, who only wanted to be known as Lee, had just left a Christmas eve party at the Sunway Pyramid at about 4am on Tuesday when they were waylaid by seven motorcycle riders, who were all armed, in the car park.
“We feared for our lives. They were were really rough,” said Lee, adding that the mob pushed and shoved them and demanded that they surrender their money and valuables.
“They threatened to abduct my girlfriend if I did not hand over all my cash,” Lee told reporters here yesterday.
“I gave the RM4,000 I had, as well as our mobile phones.”
Lee said the culprits sped off on their bikes after the robbery. “It happened so fast,” he said.
Lee then pressed the I-Alert button at the carpark.
Security guards who arrived at the scene within a minute helped Lee and his girlfriend lodge a police report at the Bandar Sunway police station.
Meanwhile, the mall’s chief operating officer Kevin Tan said security would be stepped up in light of the incident.
“It is unfortunate the group of motorcyclists had tresspassed into our parking area after the mall was closed.
“With the New Year coming, our security officers will be more alert and vigilant,” he said yesterday.
“We are committed towards ensuring the safety of our customers... this incident is an isolated case,” he said.
Subang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Yahya Jamil confirmed the incident.