KUALA TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA - A robbery suspect who tried to "rescue" his partner-in-crime who was detained by the police ended up being shot.

The 35-year-old parang-wielding man was shot in the left thigh on Thursday evening after he tried to attack two plainclothes detectives who had apprehended a 27-year-old suspect who was with him in Kampung Teluk Pasu, Manir, near here.

The detainee was on the wanted list for a series of break-ins in Gong Badak and Tok Jembal.

State deputy CID chief Supt K. Manoharan said as the policemen waited for a patrol car to take the younger suspect to the police headquarters, his accomplice who had run off, re-appeared armed with the parang to save his friend.

The policemen fired a warning shot but it did not deter the man. Another shot was fired, hitting the man in the thigh.

The assailant then tried to escape on one of the detectives' motorcycles but was detained after a short chase.

Police have remanded the man to facilitate investigations under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder.

He was sent for treatment to Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital where doctors removed the bullet from his thigh early yesterday morning.

It is learnt that he was also on the police wanted list for snatch thefts and break-ins.

In a separate development, a traffic policeman from the Dungun police headquarters suffered serious injuries after he was mowed down by an illegal car racer at the 79.6th kilometre of the Kuala Terengganu-Dungun road yesterday.

Korporal Azli Husin, 44, was manning a roadblock when the car rammed into him at high speed, dragging him several metres.

The policeman's superior, Sarjan Abdul Hakim Samingan, said the 27-year-old driver was detained on the spot in the 1pm incident.

Korporal Azli who was initially treated at Dungun Hospital, was rushed to the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital after his situation worsened.

He was reported to be in a coma at the hospital's intensive care unit.

--The Star/ANN