TAWAU: Police obtained a four-day remand against a Chinese couple allegedly sending a bomb threat email to cancel their flight from Tawau to Kuala Lumpur.
Magistrate Don Stiwin Malanjum granted the remand order Tuesday following an application by Inspector Hasniah Hadi, to facilitate investigations under Sections 506 and 505(b) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
The pair, aged 28 and 29, were arrested at a hotel room in Semporna at 8pm on Sept 22, a week after arriving in Malaysia.
A Vivo X200 Pro mobile phone believed used in the incident was also seized.
A 49-year-old AirAsia security officer lodged a report on Sept 20, upon receiving an email at the airline’s headquarters stating that a passenger wanted to cancel the flight scheduled for 6.40pm on Sept 23 from Tawau to Kuala Lumpur, claiming there was a bomb on board.
Concerned for the safety of passengers, crew and the airline, the officer alerted police.
Investigations revealed the woman had allegedly sent the threat through the AirAsia “Chat With Bo” application after failing to get a response to her earlier request to change seats.
The woman admitted that she acted after reading on a Chinese portal that such statements could prompt quicker replies from the airline.
Defence counsel Jhassary P. Kang, representing the couple, urged the court not to remand the man, arguing he had no knowledge of the email.
The couple had been scheduled to continue their journey to Beijing on the same day as the Tawau-Kuala Lumpur flight.
