Restaurant owner cheats death twice

MALAYSIA - Less than two weeks ago, his restaurant was targeted by gunmen. Six customers were injured during the shootout.

On Wednesday, the owner, whose identity has been withheld, was targeted again. He survived the second attack, too.

The incident happened in Nibong Tebal, Penang, The Star reported.

The 43-year-old was shot at four times near a business centre, but only one shot hit his chest.

State CID chief Mazlan Kesah said the man was about to alight from a Ford Lynx car when he was shot at by one of two suspects who rode by on a Honda EX 5Dream motorcycle.

The man was alone in his car when he was shot.

Mr Mazlan said the restaurant owner was rushed to the Seberang Jaya Hospital for treatment, adding that both the suspects fled the scene on their motorcycle, which bore a false number plate.

Abandoned

He said: "They abandoned the machine about 5km from the crime scene after the motorcycle broke down. They then escaped in a car."

Mr Mazlan said a police forensic team found four bullet casings at the crime scene.

The case is being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian home ministry has identified politicians who are members of secret societies and is keeping a close watch on them.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the individuals identified were members of certain political parties but he did not name the parties.

He was commenting on a recent disclosure by former Bukit Aman CID director Zaman Khan Rahim Khan that a former convict, who was a triad chief, was now a low-ranking leader of a political party in Penang.

Said Dr Ahmad Zahid: "If those politicians are former members of secret societies, they might have already repented and it would not be fair to associate them with those societies again.

"But we are monitoring them and if investigations reveal that they still have a connection with triads, we will expose them and take legal action."

The minister also said that the police in Sabah and Sarawak will have more bite following the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 that will be tabled in parliament on Sept 23.

"The amendments will focus on crime prevention and also to give more power to the police force in Sabah and Sarawak," he said.

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