KLANG: Pulau Ketam is best known as a tranquil haven for seafood and fishing, with 12 homestays and inns on the island providing temporary lodging for tourists who missed the 5.30pm boat to the mainland.
However, its reputation as a peaceful fishing village was shattered in the wee hours yesterday by several gunshots from a hotel room, resulting in the death of a suspect known in the underworld as Ah Boy.
Ah Boy, 34, whose real name is believed to be Yap Chin Boon, gained prominence after he was said to be responsible for the high-profile shooting incident at a mall in Shah Alam’s Setia Alam 10 days ago.
Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team from Bukit Aman and Selangor raided the hotel at about 3am, resulting in a shootout after the suspect fired several shots.
“The suspect, in his mid-30s, was killed after the police were forced to return fire,” he said, adding that two pistols with bullets were also seized from the hotel room.
“The suspect’s record has seven instances of theft and a drug-related offence, and we believe he was the person responsible for the shooting incident at the Setia Alam mall,” he said.
He added that the deceased was responsible for a crime spree with a pattern reminiscent of the Grand Theft Auto video game series.
The series revolves around building an underworld career through criminal acts involving guns, car thefts and robberies among others.
The phrase “grand theft auto” is also a term for motor vehicle theft in the United States.
“The suspect would carjack victims at gunpoint before using the stolen vehicles to commit other crimes. The modus operandi would continue for a series of crimes.
“We believe he was responsible for 15 criminal acts such as robbery and carjacking since the middle of last year.
“This also includes five criminal acts following the shooting incident at the mall on Feb 8.
“He committed his first robbery in 2014. Sometimes he would work in groups, but since last year he operated solo,” Comm Hussein told a press conference at the Pulau Ketam jetty.
The suspect’s “resume” includes hits on goldsmiths in Kajang and Klang.
Comm Hussein said after the Setia Alam shooting incident, the suspect fled to Melaka using an e-hailing driver by force.
“He was there for five days before going to Banting, Selangor.
“Two days ago, he broke into a house in Sabak Bernam and stole a motorcycle.
“We believe that along the way, he forced lorry and e-hailing drivers to drive him, including to Klang before heading to Pulau Ketam,” he said, adding that the suspect checked in at the hotel in Pulau Ketam on Monday night.
Police are not ruling out the possibility that the suspect had been planning to flee the country.
“We also do not discount the fact he was planning to rob a goldsmith or other premises prior to the Setia Alam mall shooting, given his record.
“He has no connection to the cleaner who was shot. We believe the victim was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said, adding that the public can rest assured the suspect is no longer a threat and the case has been solved.
“We are still investigating where he obtained the pistols, whether from a neighbouring country or the black market in Malaysia.
“The body was sent to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang for post-mortem,” he added.
On Feb 8, a man caused chaos at a mall in Setia Alam when he fired several shots, which hit a cleaner on duty.
The cleaner, a foreigner, was putting away cleaning supplies when he was shot.
The suspect then went to the mall’s P2 level and fired several shots at a sliding door before exiting to the parking area.
A mall patron was hailed down by the suspect but he kept on driving. The suspect then fired a shot that hit the car.
The suspect then pointed his pistol towards another driver, who stopped.
The suspect forced the victim to drive him out of the mall, before ordering to be dropped off near Klang.
