KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 — A 25-year-old woman lost her company laptop to snatch thieves who slashed through her backpack outside the Sri Rampai LRT Station in Wangsa Maju here yesterday, following a massive disruption to 16 light rail transit (LRT) stations along the Kelana Jaya line.

Nur Sophia Jesmine Hasmin told news portal Astro Awani that the incident happened at about 7am yesterday while she was waiting at a junction between the Sri Rampai LRT station and a condominium for her father to pick her up and send her to work.

She related that she usually took the LRT on the Kelana Jaya line from the Sri Rampai station and alighting at the USJ 7 station to go to work but had to change her plans after an auxiliary policeman told her the station was closed that morning.

According to the news report, two men on a motorcycle approached Nur Sophia at the junction and one of them made a grab for her backpack that contained her laptop and smartphone.

"At first, I refused to let go of my bag. But then the man slashed my bag with a knife and I let go and they ran off,” she told the news portal.

She added that she was not injured but has filed a report on the snatch theft at the Setiawangsa police station and was told they would investigate the incident and check for closed-circuit cameras at the location.

LRT owner Prasarana Malaysia Bhd announced the closure of 16 stations on the Kelana Jaya line yesterday for one week due to a malfunction of its automated train control system.

The Kelana Jaya line is one of the most popular commuter routes in the Klang Valley.

The week-long closure triggered a storm of outrage on social media and has become a lightning rod for criticism in the run-up to the November 19 general election.