PETALING JAYA – Hafizul Harawi, the suspect in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) shooting on April 14, has been arrested.
Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain confirmed that Hafizul, 38, was arrested at around 3pm in front of a private hospital in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, on April 15.
The arrest was made by the Kelantan Criminal Investigations Department.
“He was alone and a scuffle ensued before he was arrested. The police also seized a firearm from the suspect,” a source told Malay-language daily Sinar Harian.
A press conference on the arrest will be held at 9am on April 16 at the Kelantan police headquarters.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigations Department director Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the suspect is unhurt and is expected to be remanded on April 16.
It is alleged that Hafizul fired twice at the airport, severely injuring a bodyguard, before fleeing.
Follow-up investigations showed he had intended to shoot his estranged wife, who runs a travel agency. She was at the airport to receive Muslim pilgrims returning from Mecca.
He and his wife are in the midst of a divorce, investigators said.
“This incident is unrelated to terrorist activities or groups and originated from a personal issue. The situation at KLIA is secure and under control,” Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan told reporters.
He said officers at the scene refrained from shooting the suspect to avoid hitting bystanders.
“It was better to let the suspect leave the area and keep members of the public safe. If we had engaged him, there would have been a shootout. There were children there,” he said.
It is believed that Hafizul used a 9mm semi-automatic pistol he purchased from outside Malaysia. Three bullet casings were recovered from the scene.
Datuk Seri Shuhaily said Hafizul has had reports lodged against him since 2016.
He added that the suspect’s wife had made two reports for criminal intimidation, the last in December 2023. She later hired bodyguards.
Mr Shuhaily said the police had also previously investigated the suspect over theft and for impersonating a public officer. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
