SIBU: Sarawak police have set-up a task force to investigate the case of two men who were shot dead in broad daylight while drinking outside a cafe today.
State Police Commissioner Datuk Amer Awal said it was too early for him to divulge any information on the shooting incident at Jalan Pahlawan here.
“The public should not speculate. Let the police conduct their investigation,” he said in a statement.
Amer confirmed that the victims, aged 47 and 21, were having drinks at on the sidewalk when the incident happened at 12.15pm.
“A man wearing a helmet fired gunshots at the two men, who died on the spot in the incident.
“According to witnesses, the attacker fled the scene on a motorcycle,” he said.
Amer, however, declined to reveal the identity of the two victims.
News reports however identified the victims as Lau Ngik Yin, 47 and Loh Lik Siong, 21.
It was learnt that Lau, a businessman, had previously survived two assassination attempts - one in 2012 and another in 2014.
In the first attack on Nov 3, 2012, gunmen opened fire at Lau, who was having lunch with his wife and a cousin at a cafe, also in Jalan Pahlawan.
Although Lau survived the attack, his wife, Law Leh Kuong, 44, was killed in the shootout.
Two years later, in September, Lau, who was having lunch with a friend at another coffee shop in the same area, was fired at in a drive-by shooting.
The gunmen came in a dark-brown Proton Wira.
Lau survived the attack with minor injuries to his fingers. One of his friends was wounded in his right cheek and ear after being hit by pellets.
Yesterday, luck was not on his side. Lau and Loh were drinking on the sidewalk of the cafe when a lone gunman, wearing a helmet and clad in a red jacket, opened fire at them. The man fled the scene on a motorcycle.