Murtabak Zam Zam Restaurant Owner Sentenced For Slashing Rival Restaurant Next Door

Locals and travellers far and near usually come to the restaurant to try their popular murtabak.

But what we don’t know is behind those delicious murtabak lies a dark, vengeful secret.

Deep-rooted rivalry

According to Channel News Asia, the owner of Zam Zam Restaurant has been sentenced to six years' jail and six strokes of the cane on Monday (11 May) after he was found guilty of masterminding an attack on a staff member from a rival restaurant.

The rival restaurant in question is the restaurant just next door, Victory.

Zackeer Abbass Khan, 49, had been found guilty for conspiring with several others to have Victory restaurant supervisor Liakath Ali Mohamed Ibrahim slashed and scarred.

The Zam Zam Restaurant owner was convicted of another charge of criminal intimidation for threatening the victim just days prior to the attack, saying: "I see how you will work here and within one week I will either hit or kill you."

Timeline of the attack

The bad blood reportedly started over a decade ago since 2005 when Zackeer and Liakath were former business partners.

After the business failed, Zackeer blamed the victim for being "cheated" of S$80,000 (RM244,000) and tensions increased after the victim joined the rival Victory restaurant.

Liakath had been working with Zam Zam since 1985 and left the restaurant to work for Victory Restaurant in 2014.

Things took a turn for the worse after Zackeer instructed long-time friend Anwer Ambiya Kadir Maideen to attack the victim next door on 26 August 2015 after both restaurants allegedly started a spat by touting customers from each other’s restaurants four days earlier.

Liakath then lodged a police report on 24 August after Zackeer threatened him following the touting feud.

Anwer then reportedly hired secret society member Joshua Navindran Surainthiran to slash the victim on the face with a knife for the price of SGD1,700 (RM5,191.54).

The harrowing incident left Liakath with a 5cm-long permanent scar on his right upper lip.

Anwer received a five-and-a-half years’ jail term for being the middleman and Joshua was sentenced to six-and-a-half years' jail and six strokes of the cane in 2016, after pleading guilty to several charges.

Both Zackeer and Anwer had various past criminal records.

So, the next time you dine in at either Zam Zam or Victory Restaurant, think about the drama that transpired right in front of their doors.