The suspect remains at large and is believed to be linked to the discovery of a woman’s body inside an abandoned car at the scene.

Perak police chief Noor Hisam Nordin said a patrol team from the Simpang Pulai police station detected a suspicious vehicle at Taman Desa Pakatan at about 1.15am.

When the policemen tried to stop the car, the suspect fled, leading to a pursuit that ended at an oil palm plantation.

“A struggle broke out between the suspect and the officer during the attempt to detain him,” Noor Hisam said in a statement. “The suspect seized the officer’s service pistol, shot him in the abdomen, and stabbed him before escaping with the firearm.”

The injured policeman has warded at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here and is in a stable condition.

The case is being investigated under Section 302/307 of the Penal Code and Section 3 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971.

Police are the hunt for the suspect, and appealed to those with  information to contact investigating officer Fadli Ahmad at 012-2500019.