Penang businessman who rebuked JPJ officer shot dead, says report

A 46-year-old businessman who was charged in court recently for uttering foul language at a Road Transport Department (JPJ) officer, was shot dead this morning at Jalan Datuk Keramat in Penang, The Star reported. Syed Amen Jainul Abdin, who owns a nasi kandar restaurant and a car wash centre, was shot five times in his head, chest and arm. The report said that he had pulled over his Mercedes-Benz in front of a superbike shop when he realised he was being followed by a motorcycle. One of the assailants then got off the bike and fired six shots, with only one missing him during the incident this morning at 3.30am. The assailant also fired a shot at two Rela personnel who were on guard at the shop, but missed, Penang CID chief Datuk Zakaria Ahmad was reported saying in the report. He added that it was too early to establish a motive and that the case would be thoroughly investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder. The report said that the businessman had received several death threats in past years, and that on November 13, 2014, one of his cars was torched at his car wash centre. In 2012, a gun was left in his vehicle and he was said to have been threatened twice at his car wash centre after the incident. On December 31 last year, Syed Amen was charged at the Penang magistrate’s court with outraging the modesty of JPJ officer Asymal Mansur, 41, in an incident that was recorded on video where Syed Amen was seen airing his grouses over JPJ's practices. He claimed trial to the offence allegedly committed at the lobby of the Batu Uban JPJ branch in Gelugor at around 4.45pm on November 26. The case was fixed for mention on February 17. – February 11, 2016.