KUALA LUMPUR: A ‘koay teow’ cook who was accused as the foreign national who triggered the blaze at a kongsi house near the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, Putra Heights, Subang Jaya today comes forward to clear his name.
Sulaiman Abdullah, 32, said, during the incident at 1 pm on Monday, he found his kongsi house, which was made out of (shipping) containers, on fire when he returned to fetch his clothes to be washed.
"I saw two containers on fire when I arrived and I immediately went inside but only managed to save a bag containing a Quran and prayer mat.
"When I exited the container, a group of men surrounded me and accused me of starting the fire because I was wearing a glove on my left hand and started assaulting me," he said when met at his younger brother’s house, here.
He was then rescued by the police who took him out of the area.
Sulaiman, who had been staying at the kongsi house since four months ago, worked at a restaurant in the MCT tower building, One City, Subang Jaya.
Sulaiman, who is also a Malaysian citizen, said his action in coming forward was to reveal what had actually happened at that time because the report on the incident had viralled on the internet and resulted in misunderstanding against him, including from acquaintances and relatives.
In the media report prior to this, a foreign national was said to have started the fire at the kongsi house.
Sulaiman explained that the kongsi house was provided by his employer for the workers at the restaurant and he that he wore a glove when cooking.
He also lodged a report at the Police Station at USJ 8, Subang Jaya on the actual incident.
"Actually, I myself was unaware that there was a commotion at the temple the previous night, so I went to my kongsi house as usual on Monday," he said. — BERNAMA