KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — Police have reportedly said that a recent incident at a karaoke centre in Cheras, where masked men were seen storming the premises, was a planned attack linked to a business rivalry.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said the group had been hired to carry out the attack, with 45 individuals aged between 14 and 57 detained, including two secondary school students, according to a report in The Star.

He said the incident took place in Taman Shamelin at about 1.30pm on Sunday.

“We are also investigating how much the suspects were paid for the attack,” he was quoted as saying.

Police also recovered the lorry used to breach the premises and seized weapons including metal rods, wooden poles and baseball bats, while confirming the outlet was operating with a valid licence.

Fadil said more than 60 individuals were believed to be involved based on video evidence, with several suspects still at large, adding that investigations are ongoing into payments made for the attack.

He also acknowledged there were delays in the police response to the incident, adding that improvements will be made