Zam Zam Boss Gets 6 Years’ Jail For Hiring Hitman To Slash Murtabak Competitor

Zam Zam Owner Faces 6 Years’ Jail & 6 Strokes Of The Cane For Plotting Attack

Many Singaporeans would be aware of the long-standing rivalry between murtabak stalls Zam Zam and Victory restaurant — 2 establishments located next to each other in Kampong Glam.

Friction between the 2 eateries reached a breaking point in 2015, and Zam Zam’s owner Mr Zackeer Abbass Khan reportedly hired a hitman to slash a supervisor working at Victory restaurant.

On Monday (11 May), Mr Zackeer was found guilty and was sentenced to 6 years’ jail and 6 strokes of the cane.

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Zam Zam owner plans to appeal sentence

According to ChannelNews Asia (CNA), the 49-year-old owner of Zam Zam was given the punishment for plotting an attack on Mr Liakath Ali Mohamed Ibrahim — a supervisor at Victory restaurant.

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He was also charged for criminal intimidation when he threatened Liakath by saying,

I see how you will work here and within one week I will either hit or kill you.

Zackeer’s lawyer, however, said that he plans on appealing the sentence.

His associate, Mr Anwer Ambiya Kadir Maideen, who helped ‘arrange’ the attack, was given 5.5 years’ jail for similar charges, reports CNA.

The 50-year-old also admitted to being a secret society member.

Joshua Navindran Surainthiran, the person hired for the attack, was sentenced to 6.5 years’ jail back in 2016.

Incident boiled down to a failed business venture

The incident reportedly started as a result of a failed business venture involving Zackeer and Liakath which eventually led to  “persistent touting of patrons”.

But things weren’t always like that. In fact, the pair were once business partners in 2005.

Their relationship, however, crumbled sometime in 2006 when Zackeer apparently accused Laikath of cheating him $80,000.

Tensions reached a boiling point on 22 Aug 2015 and the cops were called in to advise both shops from touting.

But that didn’t stop Zackeer from threatening Anwer, which he was eventually charged for.

4 days later on 26 Aug 2015, Joshua – hired by Anwer – slashed Laikath with a knife, leaving him with deeps cuts to his nose and right upper lip. The attack also left Laikath with a permanent facial scar.

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Hope parties involved will mend their relationship with one another

We hope Zackeer and Anwer will learn their lessons and will turn over a new leaf. Though challenging, we hope all parties will aside their differences and mend their relationships.

While competition is unavoidable in life, it’s how we approach it that determines its effects on us. Competition can get in our way, but it can also motivate us to do better.

In any case, we should never resort to violence. Not only does it not get us past the hurdle in front of us, but it may also get us in trouble with the law.

Featured image adapted from Google Maps.