KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — A victim of a robbery at a budget rice stall in Lebuh Meru Raya, Ipoh, yesterday said she remains traumatised by the incident.

Nor Atheerah Nadzirah Mior Ikram Shah, 21, said she has become easily startled and is now afraid to be alone following the ordeal.

“I can’t be by myself, I get scared. After that, I can’t handle being startled at all, anything that shocks me,” she told Utusan Malaysia when met at her stall here today.

Recalling the incident, the Ipoh Vocational College diploma graduate said she had been helping her mother at the stall and was alone at the time as her mother had gone out to deliver food with an assistant.

She said two men arrived on a motorcycle and stopped at the stall before one of them pretended to place a takeaway food order.

“I already had a bad feeling when I saw the man’s behaviour because he seemed to avoid making eye contact with me.

“When I was scooping the dishes, I noticed his legs were trembling. He also appeared to be pretending to look at the food, as though he was not genuinely interested in buying anything,” she said.

The third of four siblings said she panicked after the man grabbed the cash box and her mobile phone.

“I feel very guilty. I apologised many times because I failed to protect the business money. People may think RM300 is a small amount, but for us, it is very hard-earned,” she said.

She said she then chased after the suspect and shouted for help from a passing motorist before spotting her mother making a U-turn to return to the stall.

In the incident at about noon, two suspects on a motorcycle, posing as customers, fled with a cash box containing RM300 and an iPhone 13 belonging to Nor Atheerah.

The incident drew attention after a one-minute-25-second video recorded by Nor Atheerah during a TikTok livestream went viral on social media.

IPOH, May 22 — Police are tracking down two men suspected of stealing a cash box and mobile phone belonging to a female trader who sells budget rice at her stall on the roadside of Jalan Lebuh Meru Raya here.

Ipoh district police chief ACP Muhammad Najib Hamzah said in the incident at about noon, the 21-year-old victim was doing business and packing food when she was approached by two men riding a silver Yamaha Y15ZR motorcycle who were believed to be pretending to buy food.

“While the victim was packing rice, the suspect is believed to have stolen a cash box containing cash and an iPhone 13 mobile phone belonging to her before fleeing on a motorcycle and heading towards the Meru Raya roundabout.

“The estimated total loss is approximately RM2,000 involving cash and a mobile phone,” he said in a statement last night.

He said the incident also went viral on social media Facebook after a recording of the incident was uploaded by the public and attracted the attention of netizens.

“Members of the public with information regarding the incident are asked to contact the Ipoh District Police Headquarters Operations Room at 05-2451500 or go to the nearest police station to assist in the investigation.

“The case is being investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code for theft and the police are actively tracking down the suspects involved,” he said. — Bernama