Kuala Lumpur - A Malaysian man suspected of snatching a woman's bag was almost beaten to death by an angry mob that attacked him with sticks and chairs, a news report said Monday.

The suspect, 29, was accused of snatching the bag and trying to run away late Sunday when he was chased and then beaten by a group of angry passers-by, the Star online news portal said.

A security guard who saw the attack intervened and called the police, who arrived to find the suspect suffering from bruises to his face and a broken arm.

"I tried to stop them from beating the man but was nearly beaten up by them," the security guard, who declined to be named, was quoted as saying. "One of the mob then told me they were chasing the man after he had snatched a woman's handbag."

Police said no arrests had been made because the perpetrators fled before the authorities arrived. (dpa)