Malaysian man remanded after viral video shows alleged caning and assault of nephews at home

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: A 38-year-old man in Petaling Jaya has been remanded for two days to assist investigations after a video showing the alleged abuse of his nephews circulated widely on social media.

Petaling Jaya district police chief Assistant Commissioner Shamsudin Mamat confirmed that the remand order will last until 19 January 2026. The order was obtained after the suspect was brought before the court on 18 January 2026.

According to Shamsudin, the remand was necessary to allow police to conduct further investigations into the incident, which drew public attention following the spread of CCTV footage online.

The case came to light after a video allegedly showing children being violently caned inside a house in Petaling Jaya circulated on platforms including Reddit and Facebook.

In the footage, a man is seen repeatedly striking several children with a cane. At one point, he is also alleged to have thrown a chair at one of the children.

Police said they received a report regarding the incident at about 1.21pm on 17 January 2026.

The report was lodged by a local resident following the circulation of the video.

Following the report, police detained the suspect earlier on 18 January 2026.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the alleged incident took place inside a residential house.

Shamsudin said the suspect is the uncle of the children involved.

The victims are believed to be aged between eight and 11 years old.

Police said initial findings suggest the incident may have occurred after the children allegedly retaliated against the suspect’s mother.

However, investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

The CCTV footage also showed the man’s parents seated in the living room during the alleged assault. They appeared to take no action to stop their son from hitting the children.

The children could be heard screaming in pain and fear during the ordeal, according to observations from the circulating footage.

After the video spread online, a relative of the children came forward, requesting anonymity.

The relative claimed that the incident was not an isolated case.

According to the relative, the children had allegedly endured multiple beatings by their uncle in the past. These claims have not yet been independently verified by police.

In one segment of the footage, the man was seen pulling a child off a sofa before beating him severely. He was also seen cutting up a pair of shoes in front of the child.

The shoes were said by the relative to have been a birthday present for the boy, adding to the distress experienced during the incident.

Shortly after the first video went viral, a second clip began circulating online. The video was reportedly recorded shortly before the alleged beating.

The second clip appeared to show events that led to the confrontation. In the footage, one child was seen touching a cane held by his grandmother and pushing her.

The grandmother was seen swinging the cane and having a brief argument with the child. She later contacted her son to inform him of the incident, according to the relative.

“He tried to take the cane away because he was afraid,” the relative was quoted as saying. The relative added that the child feared being beaten again.

The children’s mother was said to be working in Singapore. Due to marital issues, the children were reportedly staying with their grandparents in Petaling Jaya.

The relative further claimed that both boys, aged nine and 12, were later sent to hospital for treatment. According to a report by China Press, the older child allegedly experienced difficulty walking and psychological trauma.

Shamsudin confirmed that the Royal Malaysia Police are investigating the case. He said further details would be provided once investigations are completed.