An e-hailing driver has pleaded not guilty to an attempted murder charge after allegedly dousing a 62-year-old woman in petrol and setting her on fire at a betting outlet in Kepong earlier this month.
Ang Kam Tong, 58, entered the plea at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur on 24 August after the charge was read before Judge Surita Budin, Malay Mail reported.
He is accused of attempting to murder Gan Siew Teen by dousing her with fuel and setting her on fire at a number forecast outlet in Taman Pusat Kepong, Sentul, at 7.51am on 9 August. The offence is framed under Section 307 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years upon conviction.
Gan, a counter attendant at the outlet, suffered third-degree burns covering about 50 per cent of her body and remains in an induced coma while receiving treatment, NST reported earlier. Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Shakila Shariff told the court that the prosecution opposed bail due to the severity of Gan’s injuries and Ang’s alleged attempt to evade arrest, according to The Star.
Defence counsel Lee Keng Fatt argued that Ang is presumed innocent until proven guilty. He told the court that his client is unmarried, works as an e-hailing driver with no fixed income, and that his siblings were ready to post bail on his behalf.
Judge Surita granted bail at RM15,000 with one surety and fixed 25 September for case mention.
Preliminary police investigations indicate the attack stemmed from a personal grudge over a lottery dispute. Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus described the incident as an extreme act of violence.
“Our investigations so far indicate that the incident stemmed from a personal grudge. Cases like this are very rare. Setting someone on fire is an extreme act of violence,” Fadil told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.
In the 9 August incident, a masked man allegedly approached Gan at the outlet, doused her with a liquid believed to be petrol, and set her alight. Police seized several items believed to have been used in the attack, including a container filled with fuel and a bicycle.
In the days following the attack, Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng offered a RM5,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest. Ang was eventually arrested at his home in Kepong on 18 August, more than a week after the incident.
