72-year-old insurance agent shot outside house

[hokkien]

Monday, Oct 22, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR - A gunman fired five shots at a retired insurance agent outside his home, killing the 72-year-old victim in his car.

Fong Yen Chong was hit in the head when he, his wife and his maid were leaving their Taman Desa house in his car at around 9.10am yesterday.

Fong died on the spot while his wife also suffered a gunshot wound.

"Initial investigations showed the gunman had come in a Proton Waja and waited for the victim to leave the house before opening fire," said Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid.

"His wife was slightly injured in the incident," he told reporters at the scene yesterday.

A neighbour, who declined to be named, said there had been two previous shootings at Fong's house.

"Several shots were fired at the victim's house on the first day of the Chinese New Year early this year.

"Another incident occurred some time last year," he said.

The Star journalist Fintan Ng, 38, said he and a friend were taking a morning walk in the neighbourhood when they saw a commotion outside Fong's house at about 10am.

"When we arrived there, I saw the victim lying in a pool of blood in the driver's seat," he said, adding that he also saw a police forensic team there.

Those with information on the case should contact the police hotline at 03-2115 9999 or the nearest police station.

 

[hokkien]

Tuesday, Oct 23, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR - The victim of Sunday's shooting in Jalan Desa Utama, Taman Desa, here, could have been alive if he had cooperated with police earlier.

Police sources said despite two attempts made on his life in 2010 and last year, Foong Yen Chong, 72, refused to tell police why he was being targeted.

In 2010, a gunman fired seven shots at Foong's house in Taman Desa.

No one was injured.

The following year, on Chinese New Year's eve, a gunman fired eight shots at his house.

"In both incidents, the gunman stood outside the compound and fired into the house, hitting the front door, windows and cars in the porch.

"Foong held back something from us. He was reluctant to say anything."

Police could not determine if both incidents were committed by the same gunman, but believed the motive could be the same.

On Sunday, Foong's luck ran out.

He was driving out of his house with his wife and maid at 9am when a gunman fired at least five shots at his car.

Foong was killed by a shot to the neck while his wife and maid escaped unhurt.

Police had recorded statements from the wife, son and the maid.

"The wife is traumatised, so there wasn't much we could get out of her," the sources said.

Foong, a former insurance agent, was described as a "private man".

A neighbour, whose car Foong had knocked into after being shot, said he heard gunshots.

He then saw a silver Proton Waja driving away from the scene.

"The car stopped several metres away.

"One man, who was wearing a ski mask, wound down the window and fired another two shots at Foong's car.

Brickfields police chief Assistant Commissioner Wan Abd Bari Wan Abd Khalid believed that the first two incidents were a "warning" to Foong.

When met at Kuala Lumpur Hospital mortuary yesterday, Foong's family declined to comment, adding that "the family is still grieving".