Videos of a man being assaulted outside a surau in Taman Setia Indah, Johor Bahru, have gone viral on social media.

According to media reports on the matter and Facebook accounts, the incident occurred when the man, driving a white Toyota Camry, honked incessantly during the Friday prayers.

Apparently, his vehicle was blocked by the cars parked outside the surau.

In one of the videos, the driver is seen attempting to speed away when confronted by a group of people who hit and kicked the car, but was unable to do so.

One man was seen hitting the driver with a red traffic cone repeatedly, while there were also others calling for calm.

A woman, who was believed to be in the car as well, was spotted attempting to stop the assault.

Meanwhile, Utusan Online quoted a witness, Muhammad Akmal Bakar, 18, as stating that the driver repeatedly honked until the end of the prayer recital.

Oriental Daily, on the other hand, quoted the driver's father as stating that his son suffered injuries to his back and spells of dizziness due to the assault.

Surau authorities, victim have filed police reports

It is learnt that both the surau authorities and victim have filed separate police reports over the incident.

Later today, Johor Criminal Investigations Department director Kamarulzaman Mamat confirmed the incident.

Kamarulzaman said the it occurred due to traffic congestion outside the surau at Taman Setia Indah, Johor Bahru, which had caused difficulty for the driver to pass through.

"The Chinese man had honked, which angered a few Malay men who were there for Friday prayers at the surau.

"In response to the Chinese man's action, a few individuals damaged his vehicle and assaulted him.

"Police, who received information (about the incident), rushed to the scene and managed to control the situation," he said in a statement this evening.

Kamarulzaman said police have met with all quarters involved in the incident, including the surau's committee and all parties have agreed to leave the matter to the police.

"The police urge the public not to viral the video and allow police to conduct the investigation in a just and transparent manner," he said.

He also warned members of the public against using the incident to threaten public order or disrupt police investigations.

"Malaysia comprises diverse communities. Tolerance is highly importantly to maintain peace and to ensure race relations are at a healthy level.

"Tolerance and understanding are the key to racial harmony in the country," Kamarulzaman added.