KUCHING, March 17 — A 30-year-old man was arrested by police following an attempt to abduct an eight-year-old girl outside her house here recently.

Kuching police chief ACP Ahsmon Bajah said a police report on the alleged incident, which happened at a housing area near Kuching International Airport, was lodged at 6.55pm on March 11.

"The girl was playing outside her house when the incident happened. Acting on information from the public, police arrested the man at the scene and seized a sedan car used during the incident,” he said in a statement.

Ahsmon said the case is being investigated under Section 365 the Penal Code which provides for imprisonment which may extend to seven years and also liable to a fine, upon conviction.

He said initial investigations found the suspect was a person with learning difficulties and has been receiving treatment at Sarawak General Hospital since 2001 for attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).

A background check also found that the suspect did not have any prior criminal records, he added.

"On March 15 at 9am, the suspect was brought to court and charged under Section 365 of the Penal Code read together with Section 511 of the same Code.

"The court ordered the suspect to be detained at Sentosa Hospital for psychiatric evaluation, and the case will be mentioned again on April 22 after medical reports are received,” he said.

Ahsmon also extended his gratitude to the public for their swift action in apprehending the suspect, and reminded the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities.

It was learned that the father of the girl had posted about the incident on Facebook. — The Borneo Post