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Did a knife-wielding Indian woman try to stab a man in Malaysia? Truth behind viral video
A woman, identified as Shannon Anne-Ooi, was arrested for brandishing a knife at Malaysia's Rain Rave Water Music Festival.
A video is being widely shared online with the claim that it shows a knife-wielding Indian woman attempting to stab a Chinese man. The one-minute video was posted on X yesterday with the caption “Indian female tourist attempted to knife a Chinese man after he caught her shoplifting at a Malaysian mall.”
The clip appears to show a man restraining a woman who holds a knife in her hand. A large crowd is gathered around the two. The woman tries to fight back and free herself, but is immediately held back by others. Soon, security personnel appear at the scene and grab the large knife from her hand. They also manage to handcuff the woman.
Watch the video below:
Fact-checking the ‘Indian woman’ claim
The video was shared on X with the claim that the woman it shows is Indian and that she attempted to knife a Chinese man.
However, that claim is false.
A Malay Mail report states that the woman was arrested after brandishing a knife during the final night of the Rain Rave Water Music Festival in Bukit Bintang.
The newspaper identified the woman as 28-year-old Shannon Anne-Ooi. She is currently being held at Kajang Prison, and is set to appear before the court on June 4.
There is nothing in local reports to indicate that the woman is Indian or that she was caught shoplifting. Instead, reports say that she brandished the knife during the Rain Rave Water Music Festival on Saturday night.
She has been ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation. Arrested for carrying an offensive weapon in public, she has been charged under Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act of Malaysia. The charge carries a jail term of between five and 10 years, as well as whipping, upon conviction.
