Woman shot dead while driving in Penang

Gunman fires about 10 shots at 49-year-old victim, hitting her six times in the chest

A witness said Ms Lee had tried to escape her attackers. Several bullet holes were found on the window of her car, which crashed into a vehicle before coming to a stop.
A witness said Ms Lee (above) had tried to escape her attackers. Several bullet holes were found on the window of her car, which crashed into a vehicle before coming to a stop. PHOTOS: SIN CHEW DAILY, STAR TV

GEORGE TOWN • A woman was shot dead by an unknown gunman while driving her BMW in Penang yesterday afternoon, police said. The 49-year-old victim died from gunshot wounds in the chest.

Police identified her as Penang resident Ruby Lee Poh Ai, The Star newspaper reported.

The close-range shooting took place in a residential neighbourhood in Sungai Dua, south of state capital George Town, at 5.45pm.

It was near the office of Ms Lee, who owned a logistics business, according to Sin Chew Daily.

Several bullet holes were found on the window of her car.

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After the shooting, the white BMW crashed into the back of a four-wheel-drive vehicle before coming to a stop near a double-storey house.

Penang Criminal Investigation Department chief Zainol Samah said preliminary investigations showed that the woman "was not linked to any gang member and the case has nothing to do with gang activities".

He said she was not a datin or datin seri. A datuk seri was among 22 men charged in court on Monday with being members of Gang 24, an organised criminal group.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Zainol said two men on a motorcycle approached the car and the pillion rider opened fire.

"About 10 shots were fired and she was hit six times in the chest," he said. Her body has been sent to hospital for a post-mortem.

A witness claimed that Ms Lee had tried to escape her attackers but failed, reported the New Straits Times.

A witness said Ms Lee had tried to escape her attackers. Several bullet holes were found on the window of her car, which crashed into a vehicle before coming to a stop.
A witness said Ms Lee had tried to escape her attackers. Several bullet holes were found on the window of her car, which crashed into a vehicle before coming to a stop. PHOTO: STAR TV

In a fatal shooting in Penang last December, businessman Ong Teik Kwong, 32, died after his bodyguard opened fire while they were travelling in a car.

Datuk Ong was allegedly shot in the back of his head by Ja'afar Halid, 37, who reportedly became upset when his boss asked him why he had taken out his firearm at a restaurant two hours earlier.

Stray bullets from Ja'afar's gun hit several passers-by on the highway.

He faces charges for three murders and five attempted murders, and one charge for voluntarily causing hurt using a dangerous weapon.

Last July, real estate agent Renyce Wong Siew Ling, 32, was gunned down by two assailants on a motorcycle while driving in Kuala Lumpur. Police said a businessman who owed her RM13 million (S$4 million) allegedly hired two hitmen from Perak to kill her.

Malaysia saw a spate of gun attacks last year. A Bernama report on July 27 said there were 14 shooting cases from January to July.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 22, 2017, with the headline Woman shot dead while driving in Penang. Subscribe