The family of a woman who suffered burns to around 50 per cent of her body after allegedly being doused with petrol and set on fire in Kepong is seeking clarity over her relationship with the suspect.
The victim’s daughter, Yap, said the family was relieved after police arrested the suspect but remained frustrated as they had yet to receive an official explanation about what prompted the attack.
“Personally, a heavy weight has been lifted off my chest. Now that he is caught, we can fully focus our energy on my mother’s recovery.
“But we still deserve to know the real reason why he did this to her,” she told the New Straits Times.
Yap, the fourth of five siblings from a single-parent family, said the family was particularly concerned after police described the 59-year-old suspect and her 62-year-old mother as acquaintances.
She said the family was still waiting for police to clarify the nature of their relationship, including whether they were friends, had a business or customer connection, or had communicated through the victim’s phone.
“At this point, we’re still waiting for confirmation from the police. So far, we’ve only seen police reports and articles saying the suspect claimed that they knew each other or that there was a personal grudge.
“But what exactly does ‘acquaintance’ mean? Were they friends? Was it simply a business or customer relationship? Did the police find any contact between them on my mother’s phone?” she said.
Yap said her mother remained in the intensive care unit in an unstable condition and was still sedated and intubated.
The victim underwent her fourth surgery yesterday after the procedure was postponed because doctors considered her condition too fragile. Despite the difficult circumstances, the family remains hopeful for her recovery while awaiting further updates from police.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said preliminary investigations showed that the suspect knew the victim, although they were not believed to have been close.
He said the suspect was allegedly unhappy with the victim over an issue involving lottery numbers, while investigators were also looking into whether other factors had contributed to the attack.
“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,” he said during a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.
The suspect was arrested at his home in Kepong on Tuesday (Aug 18), more than a week after the incident on Aug 9. He is also believed to have sustained burns to his hands during the attack.
