KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian police on April 14 launched a manhunt for a man suspected of trying to murder his wife at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in an incident that has triggered a review of security at the airport.

The police said Mr Hafizul Harawi fired two shots at his wife, Ms Farah Md Isa. One bullet struck her personal bodyguard in the abdomen and the other missed her. The bodyguard is in critical condition.

The bodyguard’s wife, Ms Siti Noraida, 28, told Malaysian news agency Bernama that her husband was assigned as a part-time bodyguard before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

“The hospital informed me that my husband’s condition is critical... There was severe bleeding, and when he arrived at the hospital, he had difficulty breathing. However, no vital organs were hit,” the housewife was quoted by Bernama as saying.

The police’s Criminal Investigation Department director Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain told a press conference that in the incident, which took place at 1.20am, Mr Hafizul first threw two firecrackers and injured two members of the public before moving in at close range to open fire at Ms Farah.

Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said the suspect used a 9mm semi-automatic pistol believed to have been purchased illegally from a neighbouring country.

The 38-year-old suspect fled the scene and is believed to have headed to the north of Malaysia. He has been identified as Ms Farah’s business partner, and they were in the midst of a divorce.

The police are confident he is still in the country, but more officers have been deployed at the Malaysia-Thailand border to ensure he does not escape.

The last social media post by Ms Farah with her husband was on March 4, when the family visited a mosque in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. She had hoped their marriage would last forever.

“Today, my husband took us to visit Malaysia’s Taj Mahal, with our two (little) warriors (sons). God willing, may our marriage last till we are in heaven. Amen,” said the 38-year-old owner of a tour company that specialises in Muslim pilgrimages to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Attempts by The Straits Times to contact her have been unsuccessful. In a Facebook post, Ms Farah said her lawyer has advised her not to make any more statements as the matter is under police investigation.

Datuk Seri Shuhaily said: “The police have classified the suspect as armed and dangerous. Anyone who spots him is urged to share the information with the police, but not to act alone.”

He said the case is being investigated as attempted murder.

He advised the public to keep their distance and call the police immediately if they see the suspect.

The police also revealed that Mr Hafizul has had reports lodged against him since 2016 and that his wife had made two reports for criminal intimidation, the latest in December 2023.

“Based on that report, the suspect was arrested, and we submitted the investigation paper (to the deputy public prosecutor), but we were then given additional instructions,” said Mr Shuhaily, noting that the incident led Ms Farah to hire bodyguards.

He said the police had also previously investigated the suspect for theft and impersonating a public officer.

Noting that this was not the first time a security breach had occurred at KLIA, he said security measures will be reviewed at the airport.

On Feb 13, 2017, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s estranged half-brother, Mr Kim Jong Nam, was assassinated at KLIA by a Vietnamese woman who covered his face with a cloth drenched in liquid VX, a chemical weapon. He died in an ambulance on the way to hospital.

Former police officer Kamal Affandi Hashim told The Straits Times that the authorities did a good job managing the shooting on April 14 without further collateral damage.

“The priority of the authorities is to save lives, not to confront the shooter. You don’t want the shooter to hide in the terminal because then you would have to shut down the entire airport,” said Mr Kamal, who is also a crime analyst.

“You don’t want him to be cornered because three things might happen: He surrenders, he commits suicide, or he opens fire into the crowd and the officers, injuring or killing others. The police can always track him down.”

He agreed on the need for a review of current security measures, saying that all stakeholders should go back to the drawing board to plug any possible weaknesses.