KUALA LIPIS: A tahfiz centre caretaker received four stitches above his eyes after he was assaulted by a group of men following a dispute over meal price at a premises near here yesterday.
The suspects also attacked a tahfiz student, which left him with bodily injuries during the 5.10pm incident.
Lipis police chief Superintendent Azli Mohd Noor said the incident unfolded when five men, along with another tahfiz student, had gone to the premises before three of the men attacked the caretaker, in his 30s, who is also a teacher at the religious school.
"The suspects attacked the male caretaker and one of his students before leaving the premises. The student lodged a police report at 6.45pm.
"The caretaker received four stitches near his right eye, injuries on his hands and bruises on his body, while the students suffered injuries to the body," he said in a statement today.
He said initial investigations revealed the suspects had vented their anger on the caretaker over the price of meals at the tahfiz centre.
Azli said acting on information, police arrested two suspects in Damak, Jerantut, early today and were tracking down three others suspects who had been identified.
"The two men in their 30s with previous criminal and drug-related records have been tested positive for methamphetamine. They have been remanded for four days till Aug 15.
"The duo are being investigated under Section 147 of the Penal Code for rioting, Section 448 for trespassing and Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for consumption of drugs," he said.
Videos and images of the attack at the tahfiz centre had gone viral on social media.
Azli urged people not to speculate about the incident and to allow the police to complete their probe.