A Singaporean manager of a furniture factory in Johor Bahru was shot in the waist and bashed on the head by a gunman when he arrived at the factory gates at 9.10am on Saturday (July 2).

The victim, 45-year-old Mr Zhang Fuqiang, survived after fighting off his attacker.

STOMPer Artful Dodger, who read the report in The New Paper today (June 4), is concerned about the increasing number of Singaporeans getting attacked in Johor Bahru.

On April 17, a Singaporean man's car was badly smashed by a group of men in Johor Bahru, just because he failed to give way to a Malaysian-registered car.

Said the STOMPer:

"It seems like JB is getting more and more unsafe for Singaporeans.

"I've heard many stories of Singaporeans being attacked by robbers and carjackers, who are often armed with guns.

"I'm not sure if these crooks think Singaporeans are rich, or if they have a special dislike for us, but I think we need to be more careful when we go there."

According to The New Paper report, one of Mr Zhang's employees heard the gunshot, before witnessing his boss being bashed in the face with a gun by the gunman. Mr Zhang had been shot in the waist, and the bullet had gone through his back, before hitting a Mercedes Benz.

Mr Zhang managed to fight back, and the weapon was flung to the ground as he struggled with his attacker.

His employee, who had gone to get help, returned with a wooden stick, but the gunman managed to pick up his gun and flee on his motorcycle.

One of the factory owners said that Mr Zhang's accounts are clean and that the company do not have any debts. He described Mr Zhang as being a "very good-tempered man and does not offend other people".

Although it is unclear if he gambles, Mr Zhang's employees doubt that money was the motive for the attack, as his valuables were not taken.

This is not the first time a Singaporean has been shot in Johor Bahru.

A Singaporean money changer who went to Johor Bahru with his bodyguard in 2006 became a victim of an armed hold-up. The robbers fired two gunshots before fleeing, after failing to snatch the money.

In 2004, a Singaporean woman was shot while standing by a window at her mother's terrace house in Jalan Muhibah, Johor Bahru.

She had to go through a three-hour operation to remove the bullet stuck in the back of her neck.

In 2001, A Singaporean man was caught in a gunfire when robbers armed with M16 rifles and pistols shot at two jewellery shops in a Johor Bahru shopping mall.