KOTA BARU, Malaysia: Two motorcycle theft suspects were severely beaten up by a mob at Jalan Pengkalan Chepa at about 11.30am yesterday.

The incident was witnessed by The Star's stringer here, C.A. Zulkifle.

He saw a group of men chasing and beating up two youths, in their early 20s, before a police patrol car arrived at the scene near a CIMB branch office.

According to eyewitnesses, someone saw the two suspects trying to steal a parked motorcycle and yelled for help.

Suddenly, a mob of some 30 people pounced on them, catching one while the other ran into a car and fell down.

Another group surrounded the other suspect and punched and kicked him.

Several passers-by intervened and urged the crowd to restrain themselves.

State Deputy CPO Senior Asst Comm (II) Amir Hamzah Hussin urged the public not to take the law into their own hands.