KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib fears tourism in the city would be affected by a “bomb threat” city hall had received.
“We at City Hall are not affected by the threat but I worry that tourism in the city would be tarnished because of such threats,” he said.
Ahmad Phesal said the letter, which was received by his office last Thursday, was not addressed to him, but to City Hall.
“I believe it was more an extortion instead of a threat. RM20 million was demanded to be deposited into four separate local bank accounts or the Twin Towers would be bombed.
“The threat was to bomb the Twin Towers if the money was not banked in, not the City Hall building.”
The mayor said he did not suspect someone working in City Hall to have sent the letter.
“The letter was most probably sent by an outsider because it was funny that the person provided four separate accounts for the ‘ransom’ to be banked in.
“The enforcement department is working closely with the police to get to the bottom of this.”
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Tajuddin Md Isa confirmed the report was lodged by City Hall on Wednesday. Tajuddin had also ruled out any connections of the threat to a terror attack.
“The case is being investigated for criminal intimidation by anonymous communication under Section 507 of the Penal Code.”
No arrest has been made.
