JOHOR BARU, Nov 14 — A religious preacher managed to escape with just minor injuries after he was attacked by a drunk man armed with knives and a glass bottle at a surau in Taman Universiti here yesterday.

Johor Bahru North police deputy chief Superintendent Fariz Ammar Abdullah said the preacher was giving a religious talk after Maghrib prayers when the authorities were alerted to the incident at 7.55pm.

"During the incident, the suspect believed to be intoxicated entered the surau and attacked the preacher using two knives and an alcohol bottle.

"However, the surau’s congregation managed to stop the suspect and the police were alerted,” said Fariz Ammar in a statement today.

He said policemen who arrived at the scene shortly after managed to arrest the 38-year-old suspect and seized the knives.

He said checks revealed that the suspect was unemployed and is wanted by authorities in connection with a previous drug case.

"However, the suspect’s urine test for narcotics abuse returned negative,” he said.

Fariz Ammar said the Johor Baru Magistrates’ Court had granted police a four-day remand order on the suspect until Thursday to facilitate investigations.

He added that initial investigations revealed that the suspect had no motive to commit the attack, other than being under the influence of alcohol to the point of losing self-control.

"We have also recorded the statements of witnesses at the incident scene to assist in the probe,” he said.

Police have classified the case under Section 506 and 352 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation and assault, as well as Section 6 of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Dangerous Weapons Act 1958 for possession of an offensive weapon.