KUALA LUMPUR – Police are still tracing a suspect in the case involving an improvised explosive device (IED) placed under the car of prominent lawyer and activist Siti Kasim.
In a written parliamentary reply, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the probe is still ongoing, and police have also referred the investigation papers to the deputy public prosecutor.
“Efforts to trace suspects and a motive are still undertaken by police,” the minister said in a reply to Sim Tze Tzin (Bayan Baru-PH) who had asked for an update on the case.
Saifuddin added that the investigation is carried out under Section 7 of the Explosives Act 1957.
On July 21, Siti Kasim, whose registered name is Siti Zabedah Kasim, revealed on her social media that a bomb-like object had been discovered on the underside of her car when she sent the vehicle for a service.
Later on the same day, Brickfields police chief Amihizam Abdul Shukor confirmed that the object was an IED.
On July 24, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain confirmed that the IED was found to be part of a murder attempt on the lawyer.
However, on August 14, then Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain (now director of Bukit Aman’s criminal investigation department) said that the ongoing investigation hit a dead end after several CCTV recordings revealed no potential suspects.
In the same written reply today, Saifuddin said the authorities have investigated over 17 cases of threats involving explosives against individuals or organisations between 2019 to October this year. – November 14, 2023