NIBONG TEBAL- Police believe the explosion that occurred near the Nibong Tebal Barisan Nasional (BN) operations room was a planned work of mischief to create tension in the state.
Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said it was planned by a group well-versed in using the improvised explosive device (IED), placed in a heap of garbage at the ceramah site.
"Police found two IEDs in the rubbish heap and from our investigation, we believe they were not meant to cause injuries, but to create fear and trouble.
"We are further investigating the incident to track down those involved," he said after visiting the scene of the explosion today.
Abdul Rahim said that after the first explosion, police including a forensic team who went to the scene at about 3am, found another IED which they immediately detonated.
He said the two IEDs had been timed by the culprits to explode at different times.
In the 10.15pm incident, a 35-year-old security worker was injured by flying debris from the explosion.
At that time too, Penang Gerakan chief Datuk Teng Hock Nan was giving a ceramah (talk) at the site which was attended by more than 3,000 people.
Abdul Rahim said the cigarette pack-sized explosive was not life threatening and the victim was only injured on his right calf.
He disclosed that Penang police had set up a special team headed by their CID chief, SAC Mazlan Kesah to investigate the incident and so far, they had recorded statements from seven witnesses.
Abdul Rahim said police viewed the incident seriously and warned that stern action would be taken against individuals out to create chaos in the state.
"There is a closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) near where the explosion occurred but it has been found to be not functioning and we are investigating the case under Section 6 of the Explosives aCT 1957," he added.
-- BERNAMA
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