A former college lecturer in Malaysia has been sentenced to 30 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane after firing a gun during an armed bank robbery in Selangor.
42-year-old Chai Kong Wee, also known as Chia Kong Wee, admitted to firing two shots inside a bank in Glenmarie, Shah Alam on 3 June 2019.
The Malaysian High Court delivered the sentence on 11 February 2026 after considering the details of the robbery as well as several other serious offences Chai had previously pleaded guilty to.
Chai, a father of two, was also previously convicted over the killing of a policeman in 2017 and another firearm discharge offence linked to a separate robbery incident in 2020.
Lecturer Pretended To File Police Report Before Killing Officer
One of the most disturbing cases linked to Chai took place during Malaysia’s Merdeka Day celebrations in 2017.
At around 3.25am on 31 August 2017, Chai allegedly entered a police station in Subang Jaya, Selangor under the pretext of lodging a robbery report.
Authorities said he then attacked Lance Corporal Valentino Mesa with a hammer before stealing the officer’s service revolver and fatally shooting him.
The murder shocked many in Malaysia due to the bold nature of the attack inside a police station.
He was sentenced for the policeman’s murder earlier in January 2026.
Armed Bank Robbery Involved Gunshots Inside Bank
Two years after the killing, Chai allegedly carried out an armed robbery at a bank in Glenmarie, Selangor.
According to court proceedings, he entered the bank wearing a mask and held a security guard at gunpoint before firing a shot at the ceiling.
Customers were reportedly ordered to lie on the floor while he demanded money from bank tellers.
He later fired another warning shot before fleeing with RM137,220 in cash, equivalent to approximately S$44,100.
The stolen amount reportedly included RM61,000 from the bank counters and another RM76,220 taken from the bank’s cash room.
Investigators later revealed that Chai had surveyed the bank beforehand as part of his robbery planning.
Judge Says Suspect Could Have Continued Committing Violent Crimes
The former lecturer was eventually arrested on 11 March 2022 after another bank robbery in Puchong, where a 24-year-old security guard, Muhammad Aiman Hakim Md Zakri, was killed.
Police later recovered the revolver stolen from the murdered policeman years earlier.
During court proceedings, Chai’s lawyer reportedly argued that his client suffered from antisocial personality disorder.
However, prosecutors maintained that he fully understood the consequences of his actions despite the condition.
High Court Judge Adlin Abdul Majid reportedly noted that Chai may have continued committing serious offences if he had not been detained in 2022.
The case has continued to draw attention in Malaysia due to Chai’s background as a former educator and the violent nature of the crimes spanning several years.
Top photo from China Press