SINGAPORE — A 63-year-old man who has been on the run for 38 years for unlawful possession of a pistol was finally brought to justice last Thursday (March 22) with the assistance of the Royal Malaysia Police.

Detailing the case in a media release on Sunday, the police said on Oct 3, 1980, the fugitive, Seow Lam Seng, and his companion Lee Ah Fatt were stopped by two police officers along Tanjong Katong Road as they were behaving suspiciously.

When they were checked, Seow was allegedly found to have a pistol in his possession.

Lee, who also allegedly had a pistol, had supposedly drawn it from his back trouser pocket, and pointed it at the officers who approached them.

Lee’s act prompted one of the officers to open fire on him with his service revolver.

“Despite being shot, Lee Ah Fatt was believed to have continued to struggle with the two police officers,” said the police.

But they added that he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

Seow, however, had used the ensuing chaos to escape, and had been on the run for more than half his life.

“Since the incident, the police have been regularly reviewing the case to trace the whereabouts of Seow Lam Seng,” the police said.

The fugitive was found in Penang last Thursday, with the assistance of their Malaysian counterparts, and extradited back to the Republic on Friday.

On Monday (March 26), Seow will be charged in court with the offence of unlawful possession of firearms.

If convicted, he could be jailed for life.

This is the second case this month in which a joint effort by the Singapore and Malaysia police saw a fugitive from the Republic being brought to justice.

On March 5, Singaporean Foo Siang Thian was apprehended in Kuala Lumpur for an armed robbery outside an OCBC bank branch in 1996.

Foo was charged in court on March 8 with armed robbery with common intention, an offence that carries a jail term of between two and 10 years, with up to 12 strokes of the cane.