KUALA LUMPUR • A robber's brutal assault of a woman inside an MRT station's lift in the Kuala Lumpur district of Cheras has made headlines after it was caught on surveillance camera.

The video of last Thursday's incident, in which the man repeatedly punches and kicks the woman, has since gone viral.

A posting on the MyCrimeWatch community on Facebook logged some 50,000 views as at 6pm yesterday.

The 56-second footage begins with the woman entering the lift, followed closely by the man. The moment the lift doors close, the man lands a powerful right hook on the side of the woman's head, which floors her instantly.

He punches her several more times, drags her across the floor before grabbing her handbag. The woman attempts to hold on to her handbag, triggering another flurry of punches and kicks from the man.

The lift doors then open at one of the station's floors. The man pins the woman to the side of the elevator, standing still so as not to attract attention while waiting for the doors to close again.

As the doors shut, the man kicks and punches the woman several more times, and even beats her with her own bag.

As the lift moves down a floor, the woman attempts to stand - but is quickly kicked and punched.

The woman appears to beg the man to return her handbag, stretching her hands towards him, as he ransacks her belongings.

When the lift doors open at another floor, the man drops the bag, after having fished out the woman's wallet, and charges out of the elevator. The woman, by now apparently dazed, slowly walks out of the lift.

City Criminal Investigations Department chief Rusdi Mohd Isa said last Friday that the 48-year-old woman suffered multiple injuries to her body and bruises on her forehead. Senior Assistant Commissioner Rusdi said that the police have recorded statements from three witnesses.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK