Pahang police chief Yahaya Othman said police received a report on the incident the same day. The victim was reportedly hunting with six friends at the time.

“The homemade firearm is believed to have exploded, injuring the man’s finger before hitting the right side of his chest,” he said in a statement last night.

He said the post-mortem conducted at Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital yesterday confirmed the cause of death as a gunshot injury to the chest. The case has been classified as sudden death.

Meanwhile, Yahaya said police had arrested six men aged between 35 and 67 on suspicion of involvement in illegal hunting activities. Authorities also seized, among others, five homemade firearms and a Benelli Armi-Urbino shotgun.

He said further investigations are ongoing under Section 8 of the Arms Act 1960, and stressed that the police would not compromise with anyone found in possession of homemade firearms or firearms without a valid licence.

“We urge anyone in possession of homemade or unlicensed firearms to surrender them to the authorities immediately, or face legal action,” he said.