By Adib Povera

ARAU, MALAYSIA - A 21-year-old char kway teow seller, who ran amok and attacked his friend, was shot dead by police yesterday.

Acting Perlis police chief Datuk Jamshah Mustapa said the man went to the police station and informed officers of his intention to teach his friend, a 23-year-old contractor, a lesson.

It was learnt that the man was angry that his friend had left him in Alor Star on Friday, forcing him to walk back to his house, about 50km away.

Despite coaxing from the police, the man was adamant and headed for the Guar Sanji state assemblyman's service centre, where he had a heated argument with his friend.

Policemen tried to persuade him to stop, but to no avail.

A warning shot was fired when he tried to attack his friend with a knife. Jamshah said police managed to calm him down but minutes later, he tried to attack his friend again.

"At this juncture, he turned his attention from his friend and started to attack the policemen, forcing my men to fire another shot which hit him in the chest."

Jamshah, who was at the scene, said the man died at Hospital Tuanku Fauziah in Kangar.

Three hours before the shooting, the man was said to have attacked his friend with a stick.

The friend sustained wounds and bruises on his head, face and hands in the 5.30am incident.

The man's mother said she saw her son taking a knife from the kitchen before he left the house.

"Moments later, a few policemen came to inform me that my son wanted to attack his friend. They wanted me to follow them to try and talk to my son out of it.

"My husband and I rushed to the scene, but it was too late. I was shocked to find my son lying on the ground, with blood all over his body," said the 45-year-old woman.

She also claimed that her son was handcuffed. The father lodged a report at the Kangar police station.