IPOH, Aug 14 — A local man has been arrested by the police for causing a disturbance when he wielded a knife at Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Square along Jalan Dato Panglima Bukit Gantang yesterday afternoon.

Ipoh police chief ACP Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad confirmed the incident, which went viral on social media through a video showing the incident.

He said the police were alerted by the public about a man, suspected to be mentally unstable, brandishing a knife at the location around 1.56 pm today and managed to apprehend him at 2 pm while he was causing a commotion and seized a meat cleaver from him.

"The suspect, a local unemployed man, 31, has four previous criminal records and nine previous drug-related records," he said in a statement this evening.

Abang Zainal said the case is being investigated under Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958.

He added that a check with the Hospital Bahagia Hulu Kinta revealed that the suspect has a history of mental health treatment and that the suspect has been taken to the hospital for further treatment. — Bernama