GEORGE TOWN, March 4 — Police are investigating possible links between two murders that occurred hours apart on Monday in two states, Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said.
He told reporters that the modus operandi for both incidents, one in Penang and another in Sungai Petani, Kedah, was similar.
“We are investigating to see if the two murders are linked in any way,” he said after a visit to SMK Teluk Bahang this morning.
He said Penang police are working closely with their Kedah counterparts to determine if the cases are linked.
They are also looking into possible links to secret society activities, Abdul Rahim added, despite refusing to confirm if the murders were gangland attacks.
In the first murder, E. Selvakumar was shot nine times in the head, arms, legs and body when he stopped at a traffic light junction on Penang’s Scotland Road at around 9.30pm.
The 51-year-old was in a car at the traffic light when two gunmen on a motorcycle pulled up beside him and fired shots at him.
Another man, Selvakumar’s friend, who was seated next to him escaped unhurt.
Several hours later, in Sungai Petani, S.Thanabalan was shot at least seven times at around 12.15am.
Three men, aged between 28 and 51 years, were remanded for seven days from yesterday to assist in investigations into Selvakumar’s murder.
According to Abdul Rahim, the three men are believed to be members of a gang.
“We are now investigating several leads into the case and we may be closing in on the mastermind behind Selvakumar’s murder,” he said.
