Man, shot twice in the head, fighting for life in hospital

A man is fighting for his life at the Penang Hospital after he was targeted for murder and shot twice at close range at a restaurant in Sungai Daun here last night.

The 43-year-old victim, who sustained two gunshot wounds in the head, is in a coma at the hospital's intensive care unit.

He was having a drink with a group of friends at the eatery about 11pm, when a gunman wearing a crash helmet, walked up to the group and fired twice at the man.

Initial police investigations have not ruled out that the gunman could have been contracted to kill the victim.

Penang CID chief SAC Mazlan Kesah said the killer, in his haste to flee from the restaurant, had dropped a bag of ammunition and his helmet.

He said the gunman ran for about 30 metres and jumped on a motorcycle ridden by an accomplice before making good his escape.

"The victim was initially warded at the Sungai Bakap Hospital here. However, when his condition worsened, he was transferred to the Penang Hospital where he is now in a coma," he said today.