JB mall hit with bomb threat, caller warns against backing Palestine

A mall in Johor Bahru was hit with a bomb threat earlier today by an anonymous caller who claimed to be from a foreign country.

The caller allegedly warned against backing Palestine, in the latest clash between Hamas and Israeli forces.

Johor Bahru Selatan district police chief Raub Selamat said they received a report from the Mid Valley Southkey mall management at 6.10pm today, and was informed of the threat.

“The management of Southkey reported receiving a phone call from a person, who claimed to be from overseas (foreign country).

“The man (the caller) said he wants to place a bomb in this area (Mid Valley Southkey) and he asked to not show support for Palestine,” Raub told reporters gathered near the location tonight.

Responding to the call, Raub said 12 senior police officers, 60 lower-ranking officers, two canine units, along with the Fire and Rescue Department, were dispatched to the scene.

Thousands evacuated

Thousands of shoppers, shop operators, guests, and staff of the adjacent St Giles Southkey hotel were evacuated as a bomb disposal team swept both areas including the carpark.

The Mid Valley Southkey mall contains 2.5 million sq ft of retail area, with 260 retail outlets on six floors.

On Facebook, the mall’s management confirmed it received a “security threat” via an anonymous phone call, which was immediately reported to the authorities.

“We can confirm that investigations by the relevant authorities are ongoing and we are assisting them.

“We were instructed by the authorities to evacuate the affected areas as a proactive measure,” it said in a statement.

Aside from shoppers, the management said it also assisted in the evacuation of guests and staff at the adjacent St Giles Southkey hotel.

Raub said some 5,000 people were allowed to remove their cars at around 9.15pm after the carpark levels were declared safe.

He estimated the total number evacuated to be around 9,000 people.

As of around 11pm, Raub said police were still sweeping the remaining mall areas and the hotel, and it remained unclear if business operations would resume tomorrow.

Earlier, Johor police chief Kamarul Zaman Mamat also confirmed the ongoing operations.

Separately, the Singapore Consulate General in Johor Bahru issued an advisory for its citizens in the vicinity of the incident to exercise extra precaution.

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