Malaysian man takes sifu ‘hostage’, slashes Singapore apprentice with machete

IPOH — A 33-year-old man was arrested on Monday (July 2) after allegedly holding his ‘sifu’ — an elderly traditional Chinese shaman — hostage and severely injuring a Singaporean man with a machete in Taiping.

The suspect is believed to have slashed the 23-year-old Singaporean repeatedly with the weapon, wounding his right hand, legs and torso, over a grudge he held.

He allegedly assaulted the Singaporean at a terraced house in Taman Kami C, Taiping, which had been converted into a temple. 

Police say the suspect and the Singaporean had been under the tutelage of the 70-year-old ‘sifu’.

The suspect, the Singaporean, and the 70-year-old man were all staying in the house when the incident happened at around 4am.

Taiping police chief Asst Comm Mohamad Taib said police arrived at the scene at around 4.25am after being alerted.

“When police arrived at the scene, they found the suspect holding a machete to the 70-year-old’s neck. They were in the main bedroom of the house and the door was locked,” he said.

“Moments earlier, the Singaporean victim was sent to the Taiping hospital after he was allegedly assaulted by the suspect.”

The police have not identified the person who sent the Singaporean to the hospital.

Mr Mohamad said the suspect agreed to let his captive go at around 8.30am, after being coaxed by the police.

However, once the ‘sifu’ exited the room, the suspect locked the door again and barricaded himself in by slamming a cupboard against the door.

Around 10 minutes later, police managed to break down the door, finding the suspect slashing himself with a knife and a machete inside an attached bathroom.

“We managed to take the suspect into custody. He sustained self-inflicted wounds to the back of his head, his chest and his stomach.

“The 70-year-old did not sustain any injuries.”

According to Mr Mohamad, police suspect that the alleged assailant had mental problems.

He said the case was being investigated under multiple sections of the Penal Code, including voluntarily causing grievous hurt, attempted suicide, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation. MALAY MAIL