Malaysian police kill 5 suspects in shooting cases

Malaysian police on Monday killed five suspects who were believed to be linked to a series of murder cases in several states.

Police said the five suspected gang members were killed in a shootout with police during an early morning raid to an apartment in northern island state of Penang.

National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said the group were behind at least 12 shooting cases in Penang and other two states.

Penang, a famous tourist attraction in Malaysia, and other parts of the country were shocked by a spate of brazen gun killings recently.

A prominent victim Bahrain-born banker Hussain Ahmad Najadi, who founded one of Malaysia's largest bank AmBank, was gunned down in downtown Kuala Lumpur late July.

Some in the government and the police have blamed the repeal of Emergency Ordinance, which saw the release of some 2600 suspects previously detained without trial, for the increase of serious crimes.

Meanwhile, the opposition has criticized the ill-management of police recourses.

Prime Minister Najib Razak has repealed several harsh laws as part of his reform agenda since taking office in 2009. The government insisted the actual crime rates were dropping despite more brazen shooting cases.