JOHOR BARU, Dec 8 — A late-night altercation between a man and a woman at a Stulang al fresco restaurant turned physical, sparking online discussions about domestic violence, gender equality, and cultural attitudes.

In a 1.29-minute video shared on Reddit, the man, dressed in a red T-shirt, and the woman, visibly shorter than him, appear to be having a heated exchange in a Hokkien dialect. The argument escalates when the man suddenly gets up, approaches the woman, and strikes her several times.

Undeterred, the woman grabs a plastic chair and throws it at him, even as a man in a black T-shirt tries to intervene. She then quickly retreats into the restaurant's interior, while the man is restrained by several others at his table.

The scene, which was witnessed by several restaurant patrons and staff, including two young boys, raises questions about the bystanders' response to the violence. It’s unclear if the man and woman were a couple or related, or when the incident took place. No information has been provided on whether a police report was filed.