KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — A 37-year-old man was murdered today in a gangland-style shooting in Penang’s capital George Town on the first day of the Aidilfitri public holiday.

The Star Online reported the unnamed man suffered 14 shots at point-blank range, mostly to his head, after pulling up in his BMW at a traffic light junction in the city at about 11.50am.

The assailant was reported to have fired multiple shots as more than 15 bullet casings were found at the crime scene.

The victim was of Indian ancestry and had three previous drug convictions, the news portal reported, citing George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng.

A surge in gun violence has captured the nation’s attention in recent days.

Another man had been shot in Chemor, near Ipoh last night, the news portal reported this morning, but survived the shooting.

The victim in the Perak incident is hospitalised after at least six shots were fired by two unidentified motorcyclists at his car.

His two other car companions were reported to be uninjured.

The high-profile assassination of Arab Malaysian Bank founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi in a busy car park in the heart of Kuala Lumpur on July 29 just three days after the attempted murder of anti-crime activist R. Sri Sanjeevan at a traffic light junction in Jempol, Negri Sembilan has shined a torch on the spike of homicides using firearms.

Prime Minister Dartuk Seri Najib Razak had pledged his government’s commitment to consider “anything” the police needs to fight serious crime, including extra powers under a new law that is expected to be tabled in the next Parliament session in September.