Men slash M'sia store employee with parangs, allegedly flee in S'pore-registered car with S$160 cash & items

The Malaysian police are searching for the suspects who robbed a convenience store in Penang after slashing an employee with parangs.

It happened at an Easy To U Mart in Taman Bistari at 9:29pm on May 31, The New Straits Times reported.

Video clips of the robbery, captured on the store's CCTV footage, have circulated online.

Two men entered the store wielding a parang each, and cut the 27-year-old employee behind the counter on the arms and head.

They then fled with cash, several cartons of cigarettes, and a sling bag, all of which were estimated to be worth RM500 (S$160).

The men then ran out of the store and into a car with a licence plate that began with a "S". A third man was standing by the car, appearing to act as a lookout.

"Initial investigations indicate that the suspect may have used a vehicle bearing a foreign registration number," a local deputy police chief said.

Victim in stable condition

In the video, blood was flowing from the employee's arm and head after the assailants fled, leaving splatters on the floor.

A few passers-by went into the store looking alarmed, and tried to help the employee get assistance.

The deputy police chief said that the victim sustained injuries to his head and both hands, and received treatment at the hospital.

He updated on Jun. 2 that the victim was reported to be in stable condition.

The police have been working to trace and apprehend the suspect, and assured the public that investigations were being conducted thoroughly.

Store had just opened 5 days ago

The convenience store was new to the neighbourhood, having only started operating five days before the robbery, neighbouring traders told The New Straits Times.

They added that this was not the first robbery in their neighbourhood recently.

A workshop operator claimed that equipment and materials were stolen from his lorry on Jun. 2, just two days after the incident at the store.

He was not sure if the same robbers were involved, but he has made a police report.

"Many shop owners here have installed CCTV cameras because of such cases," he said, adding that they were now afraid of becoming the next target.