TAMPARULI: Police are on the hunt for the suspect who allegedly slashed an Australian homestay operator with a machete near Kampung Kiwoi, here, Thursday.
As at 3.20pm Friday, police have not revealed any information on the identity of the suspect in his 30s.
Tuaran Police Chief DSP Dzulbaharin Ismail said police having been using the canine unit to track down the suspect since Friday morning.
“We are still searching for the suspect and can’t reveal any information yet,” he said.
“We don’t want to jeopardise our investigation or cause panic among the people. The public are urged against speculating and spreading unconfirmed information.”
The 46-year-old victim, Daniel Boardhurst, is reported to be in stable condition at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1, Kota Kinabalu.
A disagreement between the suspect and the victim caused the former to be angry before he chased the Australian with a machete in the 2.30pm incident.
It was learnt that Boardhurst tried to run away and screamed for help in the secluded area but nobody came to help. He was slashed on both arms and the back of his head.
Dzulbaharin said the suspect fled into a forest area nearby and urged those with information to come forward.
He said investigators found two pools of blood about 40 metres apart at the scene.
The case is being investigated under Section 324 of the Penal Code for causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.
