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Sunday, Sep 02, 2012
A clinic assistant in Kota Baru, the capital of Kelantan state in northern Malaysia, nearly lost her left arm to a parang-wielding thief in a botched robbery.

The victim, Ms Rohairani Abdullah Ibrahim, 36, had just left her car near a shop to buy some scarves at about 1.30pm on Wednesday when she was attacked by the man.

Witness Hidayah Daud, 21, said she heard a woman screaming. When she turned around, she saw Ms Rohairani wrestling with an unidentified man who was trying to snatch her handbag, Harian Metro reported.

Fight back

Ms Hidayah, who works at the scarf shop, said the snatch thief tried to grab the handbag from the victim.

"I saw the thief attacking the victim when she fought back. She was trying to save her handbag," The Star quoted her as saying.

"The woman fell on the pavement bleeding profusely. Soon, many people rushed to the victim's aid after hearing her loud screams.

"Even then, the thief was still trying to grab the handbag and in the process dragged the bleeding victim. But he gave up after a while."

She said the suspect then escaped on a motorcycle.

She said those who came to the victim's aid bandaged her almost-severed arm before she was taken away in an ambulance.

The victim had fainted by then.

Ms Rohairani, a mother of two, regained consciousness at the hospital.

Stable condition

She is now in a stable condition.

The victim's younger sibling, who declined to be named, said she and her aunt rushed to the hospital after they received a phone call from the hospital at 2.30pm.

Said the younger sibling: "I received a call from the hospital about my sister, but I didn't expect it to be this terrible.

"I was really shocked when I saw her arm almost completely taken apart."

Kota Baru's Assistant Commissioner of Police Azham Othman confirmed that a report had been filed regarding the incident.

He said the main arteries in her arm were completely cut off.

Said the Assistant Commissioner: "We urge the public to come forward, should they have any details that can help with the investigation."


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