Malaysian man pleads guilty to setting Singaporean family’s front door on fire, no injuries reported

A Malaysian man pleaded guilty on Monday (4 May) to setting a Singaporean family’s front door on fire for S$2,500.

He had also locked the unit’s gate with a bicycle lock, preventing the family of seven, including two young children, from leaving.

Nearly two years after the incident, he surrendered to Malaysian police.

Malaysian man given S$400 deposit in Singapore

According to Shin Min Daily News, Vellu Pillai P Sivakkumar, a Johor Bahru (JB) resident, was facing financial difficulties in late 2023 and had been looking for odd jobs.

Shin Min Daily News reported his age as 32, while CNA identified him as 33.

In late November 2023, he received a text from an unknown person offering him a job to lock the door of a housing unit and set it on fire.

Sivakkumar initially rejected the offer, but later agreed after he was promised S$2,500, including a S$400 deposit.

The next day, he entered Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint and met an unknown man, who handed him an envelope containing the deposit.

Defendant uses petrol bottle to set fire to front door of Singaporean family

A few days later, Sivakkumar was given the target unit’s address. He also bought a bicycle lock as part of his preparations.

At about 4.25am on 8 Dec 2023, the defendant made his way to the T...