KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — The police today confirmed that the suspicious object in the form of two plastic bottles under activist Siti Kasim’s car is suspected to be an improvised explosive device (IED) — a term commonly used to refer to bombs.
Local daily Berita Harian said this was confirmed after a bomb squad from the police carried out tests on the object, which was found under the car when it was sent to a service centre at Jalan Maarof at Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
In a brief video clip posted by national news agency Bernama on Facebook, Brickfields district police chief ACP Amihizam Abdul Shukor said that the police had inspected the object placed at the brake area of a tyre at the back of the car.
"So we had sent personnel to seal this area and called the UPB (Bomb Disposal Unit) and also the Bomba. The UPB has carried out its duty using their equipment, so I wish to confirm that the two plastic bottles are suspected to be an explosive of the IED type.
"However, further investigations will be carried out by the police for verification," he said in the video clip.
Separately, Berita Harian reported Amihizam as saying that police have yet to be able to verify if the IED was still active, and that it would be sent to experts to be analysed before a more detailed conclusion can be made.
Amihizam was reported saying that the police had yet to take further statements from Siti, and that Siti had verbally told the police that she did not receive any threats. But he added that further investigations are being carried out.
Berita Harian reported Amihizam as saying that the police received information from Siti at 12.58pm that she had sent her Toyota Celica to a service centre to be serviced, before she was informed by the mechanic that there was a bomb-like object under her car.
Berita Harian said the police had earlier today closed off almost the entire road near the service centre in Bangsar to enable the police's UPB or bomb squad to carry out tests to detect explosive materials with the assistance of Kuala Lumpur's Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (Bomba), to avoid any untowards incidents from happening.
It said the location of the incident had also been sealed off to the public with the police's yellow tape.
According to Berita Harian, the police had around 4.45pm reopened the road from the direction of Bangsar heading towards Bukit Bandaraya.
Siti, who is also a lawyer commonly fighting for causes such as the Orang Asli's rights, had earlier today posted videos streamed live on Facebook to announce the discovery of the alleged attempt on her life and the suspected bomb-like objects under her car.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain was reported to have also been at the scene of the incident.
In a statement today, Mohd Shuhaily said criminal investigative officers from Brickfields district police headquarters and the UPB had been sent to the scene at Tom Garage in Bangsar, following a phone call at 12.58pm from Siti to the police via MERS 999.
"Preliminary investigations found that there was material suspected to be explosive material," he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 7 of the Explosives Act 1957.
Section 7 is in relation to the offence of attempting to cause an explosion or making or keeping explosives with the intention to endanger life or property.
Under Section 7, it stated the penalty for anyone who unlawfully and maliciously conspires or does any act with intent to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious harm to property; or anyone who unlawfully and maliciously makes or possesses or has control of any explosive with the intent to use it to endanger life or cause serious harm to property or to enable any other person to use such explosives to do so.
Under Section 7, whether or not any explosion happens and whether or not anyone was actually injured or any property was actually harmed, the person who committed the offence is liable upon conviction to be jailed for seven years or to a RM10,000 fine or both.
In his statement, Mohd Shuhaily gave the Kuala Lumpur police's advice to the public to not make any speculations to the extent of causing public annoyance.
He urged anyone with queries or information to contact the Brickfields police hotline (03-22979222) or any nearest police station.
