In a Kuala Lumpur courtroom, a 58-year-old e-hailing driver entered a plea of not guilty to one of the law's gravest charges — attempted murder by fire — accused of dousing a 62-year-old woman with petrol and setting her alight outside a Kepong betting shop on an August morning. The case places two enduring human tensions before the court: the severity of harm visited upon a vulnerable person, and the presumption of innocence that the legal order extends even to those accused of the most violent acts. With bail granted and a September mention date set, the slow machinery of justice has begun i
E-hailing driver pleads not guilty to attempted murder of woman in Kepong fire attack
A 62-year-old woman suffered third-degree burns from being doused with petrol and set on fire, resulting in serious injuries requiring medical treatment.
Innocent until proven guilty, but tethered to the court's authority
Mark
What makes a case like this move through the courts so quickly—from arrest to bail hearing in just over two weeks?
Mimi
The severity of the charge forces the system to move. Attempted murder is not something that gets delayed. The prosecution has to act fast, and the defense has to respond. But speed doesn't mean certainty. The real work—proving what happened, why it happened—that takes time.
Mark
The prosecutor mentioned he tried to flee during arrest. How much does that detail matter?
Mimi
In the eyes of the law, it matters enormously. Flight suggests consciousness of guilt. But it could also mean panic, confusion, fear of the system itself. The judge has to weigh it against everything else—his ties to the community, his employment, whether he's likely to run.
Mark
He's an e-hailing driver with no fixed income. How does that factor into bail?
Mimi
It cuts both ways. No fixed income means less stability, which worries prosecutors. But it also means he's not wealthy, not someone with resources to disappear. His siblings stepping forward to help—that's what the defense is banking on. It shows community, obligation, reason to stay.
Mark
Third-degree burns. What does that mean for the victim?
Mimi
It means the deepest layer of skin is destroyed. Scarring, loss of function, pain that lasts. She'll carry this for the rest of her life. That's what the prosecutor was really saying to the judge—this isn't a minor assault. This is catastrophic harm.
Mark
Why does the case go to mention on September 25 instead of trial?
Mimi
A mention is just a checkpoint. The lawyers report on discovery, on whether evidence has been exchanged, on whether there's any movement toward a plea or a trial date. It's the machinery of the courts keeping things moving, making sure neither side is stalling.
Mark
What happens if he doesn't show up on September 25?
Mimi
Then the bail is forfeited, the surety loses the money, and a warrant is issued for his arrest. That's the leverage. That's why the surety matters—it's not just money, it's accountability.
El Pulso
- A 62-year-old woman, Gan Siew Teen, suffered third-degree burns — the most destructive classification — after being doused with petrol and set on fire outside a betting shop at dawn on August 9.
- Prosecutors fought hard against bail, pointing to the accused's alleged attempt to flee during arrest and the irreversible nature of the victim's injuries as reasons to keep him in custody.
- The defense countered with the bedrock of criminal law — innocence until proven guilty — portraying Ang Kam Tong as a working man of modest means whose siblings stood ready to post surety.
- The judge threaded the needle: bail was granted at RM15,000, releasing the accused but binding him to the court's authority as the case moves toward a September 25 mention.
- The charge under Section 307 of the Penal Code carries up to 20 years imprisonment, and the question of premeditation and motive will define the trial's outcome.
In a Kuala Lumpur courtroom, a 58-year-old e-hailing driver entered a plea of not guilty to one of the law's gravest charges — attempted murder by fire — accused of dousing a 62-year-old woman with petrol and setting her alight outside a Kepong betting shop on an August morning. The case places two enduring human tensions before the court: the severity of harm visited upon a vulnerable person, and the presumption of innocence that the legal order extends even to those accused of the most violent acts. With bail granted and a September mention date set, the slow machinery of justice has begun its work, while the woman at the centre of it all continues to heal from burns that will not soon be forgotten.
On a Monday morning in late August, 58-year-old e-hailing driver Ang Kam Tong stood before judge Surita Budin in a Kuala Lumpur courtroom and declared he did not do it. He faces a charge of attempted murder under Section 307 of the Penal Code — accused of dousing 62-year-old Gan Siew Teen with petrol and setting her on fire outside a Taman Pusat Kepong betting shop at 7:51 in the morning on August 9. The victim suffered third-degree burns. If convicted, Ang faces up to 20 years in prison.
The prosecution opposed bail, telling the court that Ang had attempted to flee during his arrest and urging the judge to weigh the severity of the victim's injuries — burns that destroy skin and tissue and leave permanent damage. Deputy public prosecutor Nur Shakila Shariff argued these facts warranted detention while the case proceeded.
Defense lawyer Lee Keng Fatt appealed to the presumption of innocence, describing his client as an unmarried working man without steady income and no compelling reason to abscond. He noted that Ang's siblings were prepared to post bail on his behalf.
The judge granted bail at RM15,000 with one surety. The case was adjourned to September 25 for a mention, where the next steps will be mapped out. For Gan Siew Teen, recovery continues. For Ang Kam Tong, the legal reckoning has only just begun.
A 58-year-old e-hailing driver walked into a Kuala Lumpur courtroom on a Monday morning in late August and told the judge he did not do it. Ang Kam Tong stood accused of one of the most violent crimes imaginable: dousing a 62-year-old woman with petrol and setting her on fire. The woman, Gan Siew Teen, suffered third-degree burns in the attack. It happened just over two weeks earlier, on the morning of August 9, outside a betting shop in Taman Pusat Kepong, in the Sentul area, around 7:51 in the morning.
Before judge Surita Budin, Ang entered his plea of not guilty to the charge of attempted murder, filed under Section 307 of the Penal Code. The law is unforgiving on such matters. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. The charge itself carries the weight of premeditation and intent to cause grievous harm—the kind of case that sits heavy in a courtroom.
The prosecution, represented by deputy public prosecutor Nur Shakila Shariff, pushed hard against bail. She told the court that Ang had tried to flee during his arrest, a detail that suggested consciousness of guilt or at least panic. She also drew the judge's attention to the nature of the victim's injuries—third-degree burns, the most severe classification, the kind that destroys skin and tissue and leaves permanent scars. These facts, she argued, warranted keeping Ang in custody while the case proceeded.
Ang's lawyer, Lee Keng Fatt, took a different tack. He reminded the court of a principle that underpins the legal system: a person is innocent until proven guilty. He painted a picture of his client as a working man without steady income, unmarried, with no roots that would make him a flight risk. More than that, he said, Ang's siblings had offered to post bail if the court would allow it. The defense was asking for a chance, for trust in the system to work.
The judge granted it. Bail was set at RM15,000 with one surety required. Ang would be released, but tethered to the court's authority. The case was adjourned to September 25 for a mention—a procedural checkpoint where the lawyers would report back on progress and the judge would set the next steps. Between now and then, the evidence would be gathered, the witnesses prepared, the narrative of what happened on that August morning in Kepong would be assembled piece by piece. For Gan Siew Teen, the physical healing would continue. For Ang Kam Tong, the legal reckoning had only begun.
Citas Notables
Ang attempted to flee during his arrest, suggesting consciousness of guilt or panic— Deputy public prosecutor Nur Shakila Shariff
A person is innocent until proven guilty; Ang's siblings are prepared to help post bail— Defense lawyer Lee Keng Fatt
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Crime & Justice