The man who allegedly attacked a woman in Seberang Perai for not wearing a headscarf is believed to be mentally ill, according to the police.

“Based on preliminary investigations, the police have found that the man is in his 30s and hails from Ipoh, Perak, and has had mental problems for 15 years,” Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief Nik Ros Azhan Hamid was quoted as saying in Utusan Malaysia.

He said the incident took place on Jan 6, when the suspect approached the victim and her sister who were waiting for a bus at Taman Perwira, Bukit Tengah, at about noon.

The suspect appeared unkempt at the time, he said, and asked the victim where she was going before becoming enraged while saying that he resents seeing women without headscarves.

He said the victim was unhurt in the ensuing scuffle, and lodged a report on the advice of the police.

The incident was caught on video and had since gone viral on social media channels. It depicted the suspect slapping the victim.

Previously on Jan 19, a group of Pakatan Harapan politicians had lodged police reports on the incident and urged the police to investigate.

Police reportedly said at the time that no report had been lodged over the incident.