A 32-year-old suspect lunged forward from the back seat of a patrol car, pushed out a policeman who was about to start the engine and made a daring escape.
He sped off in the patrol car from Kamunting, Taiping, and was believed have headed north.
A manhunt is on to track down the suspect.
The brazen escape took place in Kampung Pak Dollah at 7.45am yesterday, minutes after policemen had put the man in the back seat.
Taiping OCPD Asst Comm Yusof Diah said villagers spotted the “suspicious man” sleeping inside a lorry at about 7.30am.
“The villagers caught him and called the police. A patrol car with two personnel rushed to the scene to investigate.
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“The villagers caught him and called the police. A patrol car with two personnel rushed to the scene to investigate.
“He was not caught for any crime but he failed to produce his identity card when questioned,” ACP Yusof said, adding that they then decided to take him to the Kamunting police station for questioning.
Initial investigations also revealed that the man from Pokok Tampang, Tasek Gelugor, Penang, had five convictions related to drugs and car theft.
ACP Yusof said it was weaknesses on the part of the policemen for allowing the suspect to escape and, worse still, in a police vehicle.
The case will be investigated under Section 223 of the Penal Code for negligence of a public servant to allow a man under his custody to escape, and Section 224 for escape from custody.
The two policemen will be referred to the disciplinary board for further action.
In Penang, a local security volunteer patrol member found the car abandoned at about 9pm behind a clinic in Bukit Minyak, some 70km from Taiping, and alerted the police.
“We hope to find evidence which can lead us to the suspect and the ammunition, which was supposedly left inside the patrol car,” a police spokesman said.
He added that police would shift their manhunt operations to the neighbourhood where the car was found.
Police are seeking Muhamad Hafiz to help in the investigations. Anyone with information is to contact the nearest police station.
