JOHOR BARU: A bank employee attending a dinner party never thought that it would lead to her boyfriend getting beaten up by a group of men.

       Tai Yoke Eng, 25, said that she attended the gathering on Dec 11 held at a seafood restaurant in Taman Impian Emas here after being invited by a friend.

       “My friend told me that it is just a small group of people where she wanted to celebrate her boyfriend’s homecoming who just returned back from Singapore.

       “At first, it was just a few people but then there were more people attending the party,” she said in a press conference organised by Pasir Gudang MCA Public Complaints Bureau chief Lim Thow Siang here on Tuesday (Dec 21).

       Tai claimed that her friend’s boyfriend then started to touch her shoulder, which made her feel uncomfortable during the party.

       She then called up her boyfriend, Benjamin Low, 27, asking him to pick her up at the restaurant as she felt uneasy staying at the party.

       “Low arrived at the restaurant at around 12.30am but out of a sudden, he was hit from behind with a plastic chair by one of the men who attended the party.

       “Then more people started to punch and kick my boyfriend and I tried to intervene but my friend held on to my arm,” she said, adding that no one came to their aid despite the fight taking place in a public area.

       Tai also said that they managed to escape but one of the assailants followed them to Low’s car before kicking the vehicle’s side causing it to dent.

       She added that she always maintained a good relationship with her friend who organised the party and she did not know any reason why her boyfriend got beaten up.

       Meanwhile, Low said that the assault caused many bruises on his body and face where he went to a private hospital to seek medical treatment.

       “I even vomited blood following the injuries I got from getting beaten up for no apparent reason,” he said, adding that he had to fork out RM8,000 to foot his medical bill.

       When contacted, Johor Baru North OCPD Asst Comm Rupeah Abd Wahid confirmed the police reports lodged by the two victims and said the case was being investigated under Section 148 of the Penal Code.