DAP branch chief SHOT DEAD, Pakatan leaders call for CALM

UPDATE 5 PETALING JAYA - In a shock slaying denounced by his party and coalition mates, the DAP branch chief of Kampung Jering, Ayer Tawar, Perak was shot dead at his house by unknown assailants.

Wong Kong Ting, 56, was pronounced dead at Hospital Manjung where he was sent for treatment following the late-night attack on Wednesday.

Perak DAP adviser Ngeh Koo Ham has confirmed the news.

"Wong was a very good man. I cannot understand how anyone could do this to him. But this is a signal that the time has come for the police to really work at stopping crime instead of playing politics for the Umno-BN," Ngeh told Malaysia Chronicle.

Motive not clear but a grim reminder of recent anti-Chinese sentiments

The motive for the killing is not clear and Ngeh has called for calm.

"We don't know if there was any personal motive involved or whether the murder was related to politics. At this juncture, we hope the police will work fast and accurately because only the truth will satisfy the people," said Ngeh.

"For example, where do the killers get hold of their guns. Is it so easy to smuggle in firearms? From the Sanjeevan case to the Ambank founder's murder till now, what progress have the police made?"

PKR vice president Tian Chua was among those to offer his condolences to Wong's family. Like Ngeh, he too urged DAP supporters not to jump to conclusions.

"At this point in time, there is no evidence that this is a political killing. But it is a grim reminder that all this Chinese-bashing from extremist groups insisting that the Opposition and the non-Malays are threatening Islam and Malays do not help," Tian, who is also the Batu MP, told Malaysia Chronicle.

9 shots and more than one assailant?

According to Ngeh, the late Wong was fired at no less than 9 times and was hit at least 4 times. However, the Perak DAP adviser, who is also the Beruas MP, is waiting for more information to come from the police.

Meanwhile, the NST reported that Wong was shot at least 3 times, with one bullet hitting him in the chest.

It is not clear how many assailants attacked Wong but preliminary scanning of the site revealed several bullet casings and police concede there could be more than one.

Manjung district police chief Assistant Commissioner Jaafar Baba said that in the 10.13pm incident, the victim’s wife heard a loud bang that she initially thought was fireworks before she saw her husband lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

“Before the incident, the victim had just returned home at around 10pm after having drinks. His wife was in the house with his mother, child and cousin, and they were shocked to hear loud explosive noises from outside the house,” Bernama reported Jaafar as saying.

A special task force headed by the Chief of the Criminal Investigation department of Perak Datuk Mohd Dzuraidi Ibrahim will be formed to investigate the motive of the shooting.

“Members of the public with any information of the case could contact ASP Ahmad Hisham Mohamad Sani at 019-5753207, the IPD Manjung at 05-6835222 or any nearby police station,” said Jaafar.- MORE TO COME - Malaysia Chronicle