SUBANG JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - His fiancee was sick and he had scooted off to buy medicine for her. Subramaniam, a 30-year-old canopy dealer, never came back with the medicine.

Subramaniam had parked his motorcycle in front of a supermarket in Taman Puchong Perdana at about 8.30pm on Friday. Six men with parangs approached him and started attacking him.

Subramaniam managed to run to the road but was hit by a car, which smashed and almost severed his head.

District police chief Asst Comm Yahaya Ramli said Subramaniam was slashed several times on the body by his attackers.

"He tried running away but only made it as far as 10m before he was knocked by a white car believed to be a Proton make.

"His assailants fled the scene after they saw the car crashed into Subramaniam. The driver also took off," he said.

ACP Yahaya ruled out gangland war as the cause of the attack.

"We believe it was an act of revenge to settle an old score," he said, adding that Subramaniam was released last year after serving a five-year jail term for causing grievous hurt to a relative.

Police have obtained a closed circuit video recording of the incident. The case is being investigated for murder.

Subramaniam's fiancee, known as Jessie, said she could not recognise Subramaniam as his face was badly crushed.

The 25-year-old bank executive said she was only able to identify Subramaniam from his slippers and motorcycle.

The pair were engaged three months ago and lived in a low cost terrace house nearby.