Klang: Police have arrested an unemployed local man on suspicion of causing a fire at several terrace houses in the Kampung Johan Setia housing area, near Masjid Al-Hidayah in Klang, yesterday. Klang Selatan deputy police chief Supt Kamalariffin Aman Shah stated that the 44-year-old suspect was detained by police at the scene.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the suspect has 15 criminal records and 11 drug-related records. An application for the suspect's remand will be made at the Klang Court today. The Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Klang Selatan district police headquarters (IPD) has opened an investigation under Section 436 of the Penal Code for the offence of mischief by fire with intent to destroy a house.

Earlier, Kamalariffin mentioned that the Klang Selatan IPD Control Centre received information from the public regarding the fire incident at a residential area in Kampung Johan Setia. The police team, which arrived at the scene, confirmed that the fire occurred at two separate locations, less than 500 metres apart, involving one house at the first location and five houses at the second location.

He confirmed that there were no casualties in the incident, adding that the extent of the damage and the cause of the fire are still under investigation. Earlier media reports indicated that five terrace houses in Batu 5, Kampung Johan Setia, near Masjid Al-Hidayah, Klang, were 95 per cent destroyed in the fire.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) assistant director (Operations) Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar reported that his department received an emergency call regarding the incident at 2.37 pm.