THE case of a security guard who was beaten and hacked by three individuals armed with machetes in Sungai Petani on Thursday did not involve triads, Kedah police chief Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad said.

Incident stemmed from a warning given by the victim to the suspects, before a misunderstanding cropped up, he said.

“Investigations found that before the incident the guard had reprimanded one of the suspects who was riding a motorcycle dangerously in the the Seira Housing Project 4 site, Bukit Banyan, Sungai Petani, which the victim was guarding.

“The victim, who was beaten and slashed, suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital before being pronounced dead at 5.30pm yesterday at the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital,” he said in a statement in Alor Setar today.

He said tip-offs received led to the arrest of two local men.

One of the detained suspects had a past criminal record involving crime and drug cases, he said.

Investigations, which were initially being carried out under section 326 of the penal code, but it has since been reclassified as murder under section 302 after the victim died.

“Today, one of the suspects was charged under section 302 of the penal code at the Sungai Petani magistrates’ court and is being detained at the Alor Setar prison, while the other has been placed under court bond as a prosecution witness,” he said.

Wan Hassan said police are still tracking down the third suspect.

“Police would like to advise the public not to make or spread any speculations on the incident, which can affect public order and cause anger in the community,” he said.

In the 4.40pm incident, Ismail Ahmad, 58, sustained injuries to his head and left hand after being slashed with a machete by one of the suspects, who was not happy because the guard had reprimanded him as he rode his motorcycle there. – Bernama, August 8, 2022.