3 splashed with acid at Kedah hawker stall

PENDANG - A couple and their eight-year-old customer were injured in an acid attack at their nasi lemak stall here yesterday morning.

It was learnt that the boy, Abdul Hakim Fifi Abdul Razak, was buying nasi lemak from hawkers Shamsudin Samad, 58, and his wife Fatimah Shafie, 46, when a pillion rider who was passing the stall splashed acid on them.

The 7am incident was witnessed by Abdul Hakim's mother who was waiting in her car, parked about five metres from the stall.

Nazriah Abdul Rahman, who was still shaken by the incident, said she saw two men, both wearing full-face crash helmets, were passing the stall on a motorcycle when the pillion rider suddenly splashed a bottle of liquid on the hawkers and her son.

"Everything happened so fast. The next minute I saw my son running towards me screaming in pain and rubbing his eyes.

"I saw burnt holes on his clothes and that is when I realised that the liquid was actually acid.

"I shouted for help and several minutes later the Malaysian Civil Defence Department personnel arrived and rushed my son and the couple to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB)," she said when met at the hospital's burns unit yesterday.

HSB director Datuk Dr Juita Ghazalie said the incident left Abdul Hakim with three per cent burns on his body and face.

Shamsudin suffered 17 per cent burns while Fatimah had two per cent burnt on their face and body.

Pendang police chief Deputy Superintendent Abdul Aziz Ahmad confirmed the case and said it was being investigated for causing grievous injury using a dangerous weapon.

It was learnt that police had arrested the two suspects following the incident, including Fatimah's ex-husband.