4 days ago
Man, 81, burns care centre following row with caretaker
PADANG BESAR: An elderly man allegedly set fire to a senior citizens' care centre in Kaki Bukit today after he was denied permission to travel to Kangar with his girlfriend to get a hearing aid.
Padang Besar district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Shokri Abdullah said preliminary investigations into the 8.31am incident revealed that the facility housed 20 elderly residents, one of whom is believed to have started the fire.
"Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the care centre showed that the blaze was believed to have been ignited by an 81-year-old male resident.
"The suspect allegedly started the fire in a cupboard in the kitchen area, which then spread to the main hall, destroying about 50 per cent of the space," he said in a statement today.
Shokri said investigations later found that the act was fuelled by the suspect's dissatisfaction with the centre's caretaker.
"The suspect was reportedly upset after being refused permission to travel to Kangar to get a hearing aid with his girlfriend, who is also a resident at the centre.
"The estimated losses are still being assessed," he said, adding that the suspect has been arrested and later released on police bail.
The case is being investigated under Section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire, which carries a maximum 14 years' imprisonment and a fine upon conviction.
Meanwhile, a Perlis Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said the blaze damaged about 50 per cent of the building's structure.
"Firefighters from the Padang Besar fire and rescue station were dispatched to the scene after we received an emergency call at 8.32am.
"They used a 60-metre hose line with two water jets to bring the fire under control by 9.31am.
"No injuries were reported, and the operation ended at 9.34am," the spokesman said.
