KL police arrest 44 for brawling

KL police arrest 44 for brawling

MALAYSIA: Police arrested 32 Indonesians and 12 Malaysians allegedly involved in a clash which left four people hospitalized in southern Malaysia, a news report said on Friday.

The brawl late on Thursday near a mall in Malacca state started after a quarrel broke out between an Indonesian man and a local resident, the national Bernama news agency reported.

The local allegedly attempted to extort money from the Indonesian, said Ariffin Sutan, a senior police official, without elaborating.

Ariffin said four people were hospitalized with face injuries. Those arrested face rioting charges, which carry prison terms of up to five years and a fine, Bernama reported.

The report did not say whether the arrested Indonesians had work permits or were in the country illegally.

Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia's richest nations, relies heavily on foreign labor for menial work in the agriculture, manufacturing and construction sectors. -- AP