Klang residents ‘living in fear’ as gang shootings rip through Malaysian port city
A former MP blames the deadly violence on a resurgence in gang wars and criminal rings recruiting young boys to protect their territory
On Wednesday, two motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead a 43-year-old man in Taman Wangsa, a suburb in the port city near Kuala Lumpur, before fleeing, Selangor Deputy Commissioner Mohd Zaini Abu Hassan said.
Police also launched an investigation to hunt a suspect who gunned down a man outside a restaurant in Banting last week.
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago blamed the deadly violence on a resurgence in gang wars that roiled the city decades ago and criminal rings recruiting young boys to protect their territory, the New Straits Times reported.
“Living in fear goes without saying. Why talk about nights? Even during the day, people are afraid to leave their houses,” Santiago said.
He added that other crimes like robberies and snatch thefts have also plagued Klang, a major maritime transit hub, which he believed had boosted the proliferation of guns.