[Faigokilix]

IPOH - A 31-year-old man was slashed by a parang-wielding man at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital, apparently due to rivalry between two coffin seller groups.

"The attacker had ambushed him near the emergency entrance inside the hospital. He managed to run to safety before hospital workers found him lying in a pool of blood inside a room," said Ipoh deputy OCPD Supt Ahmad Termizi Abdul Haq.

He ended up with wounds on his neck, face and right hand during the 10.30pm incident on Monday. The assailant managed to flee.

Supt Ahmad Termizi said there had been a dispute between the rivals, adding that one group had accused the other of stealing its business.

"Police have identified the assailant and are hunting for him," he added.

On an unrelated case on the same day, Supt Ahmad Termizi said a businessman was robbed of RM5,000 (S$ 1,987) by three masked men at the IGB Industrial Park, Kampung Tawas, here at about 9.30pm.

He said the 39-year-old businessman was collecting his daily transportation rental fee outside his office when he was confronted by the suspects, believed to be in their 20s.

One of them was armed with a pistol. Coincidentally, a policeman was nearby as he was also looking for the suspects in relation to another robbery.

Supt Ahmad Termizi said the policeman tried to stop the confrontation but then a suspect fired a shot into the air, jumped into a Proton Waja and fled the scene.