SEGAMAT July 13 — A rubber tapper who was alleged to have murdered two senior citizens in a robbery in Buloh Kasap yesterday was remanded for seven days beginning today.

The remand order was issued by magistrate Salina Omar who allowed for the suspect, 33, to be remanded until July 19 to help in the investigations.

The suspect who wore a white T-shirt and red short pants arrived at the Segamat Court Complex at about 9.30am.

Yesterday, a rubber-tapper suddenly went amok and randomly killed two senior citizens in two separate locations yesterday evening.

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Segamat District Police Deputy Chief, Deputy Superintendent Noor Ariffin Mohamad Nasir said the man, 33, who was riding a Honda Wave motorcycle suddenly became aggressive and went amok in a coffee shop near a petrol station in Buloh Kasap.

“In the incident at 6pm yesterday, customers in the coffee shop scrambled for safety when the suspect started swinging a parang at them, wrecking a bun warmer in the front of the shop.

“A man, 74, who was known as Ku Cheng Liong, could not escape in time and died at the scene from injuries caused by slash wounds on his left cheek to his head, cuts on the chest and left fingers,” he told reporters at a press conference held at the Segamat District Police Headquarters today.

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He added that five minutes later, the father of three left the coffee shop and headed towards a durian stall about 200 metres away.

“The suspect then slashed the chest of the durian seller, Ng Wan Hong, 60, who later succumbed to his wounds while on the way to the Buloh Kasap Health Clinic,” he said.

He added that based on reports from the public, police detained the suspect at the second scene, still holding a parang in his hand.

He said police also seized a parang measuring 45 centimetres which was used by the suspect, and a sling bag containing another 43-cm parang, as well as the suspect’s personal belongings.

The bodies of both victims have been taken to the Segamat Hospital for a post-mortem.

Noor Ariffin dismissed the news that went viral on the social media that the attacks were due to revenge or were racial in nature and advised the public not to spread false news.

He added that investigations were still being conducted into the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code. — Bernama