Court appearance
An e-hailing driver pleaded not guilty on Monday, Aug 24, to a charge of attempting to murder a woman by setting her on fire in Kepong earlier this month.
The accused, Ang Kam Tong, entered the plea before Judge Surita Budin at the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur. Reports differ on his age: one identifies him as 58, another as 59.
Ang is accused of attempting to murder Gan Siew Teen, a 62-year-old lottery outlet employee. The alleged attack occurred at a premises in Taman Pusat Kepong, Sentul, at about 7.51am on Aug 9. One report describes the location as a betting outlet; another refers to it as the victim's workplace.
The charge was framed under Section 307(1) of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years upon conviction.
Bail proceedings
Deputy public prosecutor Nur Shakila Mohd Shariff did not offer bail. Malay Mail quotes her as objecting to bail and telling the court that Ang had attempted to evade arrest, and urging consideration of the severity of the victim's condition, which Malay Mail states included third-degree burns. The Star's report frames the objection in terms of the seriousness of the offence, its non-bailable nature, and an alleged previous attempt to flee.
Defence counsel Lee Keng Fatt applied for bail on the grounds that his client is unmarried, works as an e-hailing driver with irregular income, and is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Lee told the court that Ang's siblings were ready to post bail, according to both reports.
Judge Surita granted bail of RM15,000 with one surety, and fixed Sept 25 for the case mention. The case will be heard again at that time for the submission of documents.
Victim's injuries
Reports differ on the extent of the victim's injuries. The Star, citing an earlier media report, noted that an elderly woman suffered burns to about 50% of her body after being splashed with a liquid believed to be petrol and set on fire at her workplace. Malay Mail reported that the victim sustained third-degree burns. The locations of the incident in both reports—a betting outlet and a workplace—are consistent with the victim's role as a lottery outlet employee, according to The Star.