Assailants of lecturer linked to foreign intelligence organisation: Zahid

BAGAN DATUK: The two assailants of a Palestinian university lecturer in Kuala Lumpur today are believed to be Caucasians linked to an intelligence organisation of a country, according to caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Ahmad Zahid, said the police would work with Interpol and Aseanapol to immediately track them down.
"The police will conduct their investigation by covering all angles. We will investigate the case until the arrest of the perpetrators of the crime.
"We will provide information on the developments in the case from time to time," he said to reporters after opening a new building of GiatMara in Hutan Melintang, here today.
Ahmad Zahid was asked to comment on the shooting of the 35-year-old lecturer that occured at about 6am today, as he was walking from his condominium to a nearby surau in Jalan Meranti, Setapak, for the dawn prayers.
Kuala Lumpur Police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim disclosed details of the shooting but did not reveal the name of the lecturer. The Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia, Datuk Dr Anwar H. Al Agha, speaking to reporters at the scene, said the dead man was Dr Fadi Al Batsh.
Ahmad Zahid said a preliminary investigation showed that the lecturer was planning to leave for Turkey this afternoon to attend an international conference.
He said the lecturer, who was an electrical engineer and an expert at making rockets, had had links with an intelligence organisation of a country and had been active in Islamic NGOs that championed the Palestinian cause.
"The lecturer, a permanent resident of that country, is believed to have become a liability for a country hostile to Palestine," he said. — Bernama