Tighter security measures at shopping centres across Malaysia following Setia Alam mall shooting
Various police units are still tracking the suspect’s whereabouts while Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail called for calm and said that there was no need for concern over the recent incident.
Social media has been abuzz with reports of the shooting incident with pictures and eyewitness videos taken from inside the mall circulating widely on Reddit and TikTok. (Sources: TikTok/@selmelanda, TikTok/@danishdhakim)
SELANGOR: Security measures at shopping centres across Malaysia will be tightened following a shooting at a mall in Selangor state on Saturday (Feb 8), while a minister has assured the public that national security and public order continue to be the authorities’ top priorities.
Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said on Sunday that auxiliary police officers and security guards working at shopping malls in the country have been instructed to remain vigilant following the incident at Setia City Mall.
The mall, located in Setia Alam, is about a 40-minute drive out of Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail urged for calm and said that there was no need for concern over the recent incident.
“There is no need for (the) public (to) panic, as PDRM has demonstrated a high level of preparedness. The swift response by the police reflects their competence, and any shortcomings in their capabilities could have led to a different outcome,” he said on Monday, referring to the Malay acronym of the Royal Malaysia Police.
Earlier, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan identified the suspect as a Malaysian man in his 30s who has a criminal record with 11 previous cases - including for drug-related offences.
Bernama reported that a preliminary investigation by the police found that the suspect had fired shots at a cleaner because he was angry after being told to shift his items in the area.
Various police units are still tracking the suspect’s whereabouts, with police in neighbouring states and border authorities also told to stay alert, Razarudin told Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
Separately, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has urged the public to refer only to official media and the police for updates on the Setia City Mall shooting incident.
He added that this was to prevent the spread of false information which could cause public alarm.
“Do not spread information as if you were present at the scene or investigating the case yourself … This leads to speculation and theories. What concerns me most is when such content or report is presented as if it were true,” Fahmi was quoted as saying by news agency Bernama on Sunday.
Social media had been abuzz with reports of the shooting incident with pictures and eyewitness videos taken from inside the mall circulating widely on Reddit and TikTok.
Police were first alerted to an incident reported at 10.50pm on Saturday at Setia City Mall.
The suspect fired four shots at a cleaner when he entered the shopping mall, injuring the worker’s legs and buttocks before escaping to another floor where he continued firing additional shots, Selangor police earlier said.
The suspect then fled the scene, went to the parking zone and forced a mall visitor at gunpoint to drive him out of the area, according to FMT. He ordered the driver to drop him off by the roadside near the Shah Alam Expressway, before the driver lodged a police report.
Six other police reports have been lodged over the incident, including one by the victim, according to Hussein, the Selangor police chief.
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the suspect was suspected to be under the influence of drugs during the incident.
“However the real motive has (yet to be determined),” he said on Sunday.
According to Shuhaily, the authorities are conducting further investigations and expressed confidence that the case could be solved soon.
Hussein said that the victim, a foreign citizen in his 30s, who was rushed to Shah Alam Hospital for treatment, is currently in stable condition, according to Harian Metro.
The incident is being investigated under Section 3 of the Firearms (Heavier Penalties) Act 1971 for discharging a firearm during the commission of an offence, which carries the death penalty if convicted.
Additionally, according to FMT, the case is also being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder, which carries a 20-year prison sentence upon conviction.
Gun-related violence in Malaysia is uncommon, though not entirely absent. Last month, a 40-year-old man was fatally shot in an incident in Johor Bahru. Authorities had said then that the incident was an isolated one and had no links to wider public safety.
