KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian police have not ruled out terrorism in Tuesday's hand grenade attack on a nightclub in Puchong, Selangor, which injured eight people.
Mr Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, director of the Malaysian Police Counter-Terrorism unit, told TODAY that police are conducting a thorough investigation on the incident. “(We are) looking at all possibilities: gang related, business rivalry and terrorism,” he said in a text message. “At this moment, investigation is still ongoing.”
The incident took place at 2.15am on Tuesday while about 20 patrons were watching a Euro 2016 football match.
The New Straits Times (NST) quoted an unnamed club employee as saying two men were seen hurling an object towards the crowd before an explosion occurred. The blast injured four men and four women, including a female Chinese national, and sent other patrons fleeing the location in panic.
NST also reported that a Facebook posting purportedly by a Malaysian Islamic State (IS) member claimed that the attack was carried out by the group’s members in Malaysia. The newspaper quoted Mr Ayob as saying the claim has yet to be verified.
Among those who were injured in the blast was Mr S Jaiseelan and his wife, known only as Ms Bavani. The couple was at the outlet for a surpise wedding anniversary celebration.
Mr Jaiseelan sustained serious injuries on the neck and leg, according to his brother Mr S Kavilan. Ms Bavani, meanwhile, fractured her wrist.
“My brother wanted to surprise his wife with the wedding anniversary celebration and chose this pub because Bavani had been wanting to come here for a long time. So last night was the first time the couple was here,” he told national news agency Bernama.
Following the explosion, police combed the blast site looking for clues. Investigators found the grenade’s safety lever on the blast site, while the safey pin was found along the road facing the club.
Initial police investigations revealed that one or more assailants threw the explosive at a particular couple in the outlet.
Selangor deputy police chief Abdul Rahim Jaafar had earlier told the Malaysian media the attack could be due to business rivalry, revenge, or a target killing. “We are still investigating who the suspects are, but the motives could be business rivalry, revenge, or one or more of the victims could have been a target,” he said. He said the case was being investigated as attempted murder, and police are going through all CCTV recordings from the surrounding area to find clues, including identities of the suspects.
Puchong Member of Parliament Gobind Singh Deo from the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) wrote on his Facebook page that he was “deeply troubled” by the incident. “I hope the police will act fast and keep us informed of developments in the probe and ascertain the real reasons behind it as soon as possible. Those responsible must be hauled up and dealt with,” he said.
“Although the police say it is not an act of terror, I think the police should nevertheless also tell us if there is any remaining security threat against the people of Puchong or elsewhere following this incident and how it should be dealt with if that be the case.”
In a similar attack in 2014, a Malaysian man was killed and 13 people, including Singaporean, Thai and Chinese tourists were injured, after a bomb exploded in front of a pub in Kuala Lumpur. The police had then said the attack was probably motivated by business rivalry among underworld figures and have ruled out terrorism as a motive.
The Malaysian authorities have been on high security alert after several militants launched an attack in Jakarta on Jan 14, and the police have foiled plans by individuals aiming to blow up strategic targets across the country. The police have also been bracing themselves for potential lone-wolf attacks by IS supporters in the country, as Malaysia has been identified by the militants as a high-priority target. In the latest IS propaganda video released last week, Malaysia was singled out as a nation that must be fought. However, Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar had said the Malaysian authorities were not intimidated by threats made by IS.
Another IS propaganda video released last month featured militant leader Zainuri Kamaruddin, who is reportedly leading dozens of Malaysian and Indonesian IS fighters. In the video, Zainuri declared that he and those under him were part of a “righteous army” and that IS fighters will one day bring the fight to Malaysia and Indonesia.
Since January last year, Malaysia has arrested at least 160 people on suspicion of being involved in militant activities. WITH AGENCIES
http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/eight-hurt-after-grenade-blast-malaysian-nightspot
