Two foreigners were beaten up by the public after they were accused of molesting a Grab driver in Seberang Perai, Penang yesterday.

Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid was quoted by Bernama as saying that the two men had requested for a Grab ride to return to their rented home in Taman Juru in the 5.30pm incident.

The two men, aged 23 and 29, were picked by the 27-year-old Grab driver.

"The woman driver had picked up the men, who were believed to be drunk, along Jalan Stesen in Bukit Mertajam and had requested that they sit on the back seat.

"However, midway, the 23-year-old man climbed to the front passenger seat. The driver tried to stop him but was unsuccessful," he was quoted as saying.

Frightened, the woman driver then stopped by the roadside along Jalan Betik, and asked the man to return to the back seat.

Nik Ros Azhan said when the car arrived along Jalan Song Ban Kheng, the man grabbed her hand and kissed it and also groped her breast.

The woman driver later warned that she would drive them to the police station.

"Despite the warning, the man continued with his antics until his friend vomited in the car. He became more aggressive and tried to pull the woman to hug and outrage her modesty," he said.

She finally stopped her car along Jalan Bukit Minyak and asked for help, leading members of the public to beat up the duo.

They suffered injuries to the face, and were brought to Bukit Mertajam hospital for treatment after police arrived.

"The two men have been remanded for further investigation and are being probed under Section 354 of the Penal Code for outraging modesty," he said.