Shoppers evacuate Johor’s Mid Valley Southkey mall after alleged bomb scare
Shoppers at the Mid Valley Southkey mall said they were told to leave the premises without being given a specified reason. STRAITS TIMES
A popular mall in Johor Bahru was evacuated on Saturday evening after an alleged bomb scare, Malaysian media reports said.
According to Free Malaysia Today website, Mid Valley Southkey shopping centre’s management received a phone call at around 6pm.
The unidentified caller made a bomb threat, after which the mall’s auxiliary police started evacuating the premises.
The Johor Fire Department told the Malay Mail news outlet that the incident is being investigated by the police.
Johor police chief Kamarul Zaman Mamat said police have been searching the mall.
They have also imposed a 100m-wide cordon to prevent people from entering the area.
The police are also looking at CCTV footage, Mr Kamarul said, and he urged the public to remain calm.
On social media, shoppers at the mall said they were told to leave the premises without being given a specified reason.
Several videos and photos on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, showed people gathered by roads around the mall.
They said they could not leave the area because their cars were still in the mall’s carpark.
A fire engine was seen parked outside an entrance to the mall, the Malay Mail reported, adding that the roads leading to the area were also cordoned off by the police.
Opened in 2019, the sprawling, gleaming Mid Valley SouthKey mall is frequented by Singaporeans, especially during the weekends and school holidays.
In a statement on Facebook, the Singapore Consulate-General in Johor Bahru said it is aware of reports that visitors to the mall as well as the nearby St Giles Hotel have been asked to evacuate temporarily due to security and safety concerns.
“Singaporeans in the vicinity are advised to exercise caution, monitor the local news, and heed the instructions of the local authorities,” the statement said.
They are also strongly encouraged to e-register with MFA if they have not done so.
Those who need urgent consular assistance can contact the Consulate-General at +60-19-7911166 or the 24-hour Ministry of Foreign Affairs Duty Office at +65-6379-8800/8855.
A popular mall in Johor Bahru was evacuated on Saturday evening after an alleged bomb scare, Malaysian media reports said.
According to Free Malaysia Today website, Mid Valley Southkey shopping centre’s management received a phone call at around 6pm.
The unidentified caller made a bomb threat, after which the mall’s auxiliary police started evacuating the premises.
The Johor Fire Department told the Malay Mail news outlet that the incident is being investigated by the police.
Johor police chief Kamarul Zaman Mamat said police have been searching the mall.
They have also imposed a 100m-wide cordon to prevent people from entering the area.
The police are also looking at CCTV footage, Mr Kamarul said, and he urged the public to remain calm.
On social media, shoppers at the mall said they were told to leave the premises without being given a specified reason.
Several videos and photos on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, showed people gathered by roads around the mall.
They said they could not leave the area because their cars were still in the mall’s carpark.
A fire engine was seen parked outside an entrance to the mall, the Malay Mail reported, adding that the roads leading to the area were also cordoned off by the police.
Opened in 2019, the sprawling, gleaming Mid Valley SouthKey mall is frequented by Singaporeans, especially during the weekends and school holidays.
In a statement on Facebook, the Singapore Consulate-General in Johor Bahru said it is aware of reports that visitors to the mall as well as the nearby St Giles Hotel have been asked to evacuate temporarily due to security and safety concerns.
“Singaporeans in the vicinity are advised to exercise caution, monitor the local news, and heed the instructions of the local authorities,” the statement said.
They are also strongly encouraged to e-register with MFA if they have not done so.
Those who need urgent consular assistance can contact the Consulate-General at +60-19-7911166 or the 24-hour Ministry of Foreign Affairs Duty Office at +65-6379-8800/8855.
