KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Police have arrested four people on suspicion of vandalising the home of Environmental Action Association representative Pua Lay Peng’s home with red paint last month.
The police said a joint team raided a home in Damansara, Selangor, yesterday and arrested the four men aged between 20 and 31.
“Three of the suspects confessed to direct involvement in the case. All four also admitted to involvement in secret society activities via Gang 24 and that they received instructions from a certain individual,” the police said in a statement.
The raiding officers also seized a katana, a mobile phone, and the car believed to have been used during the attack.
One of the suspects also has a criminal record, the police added.
On June 26, Pua’s home in Banting, Selangor, was splashed with red paint by unidentified individuals.
The incident was witnessed by the activist’s sister.
The motive of the attack was unknown at the time but Pua expressed suspicions that she was being targeted for her activism against illegal plastic waste dumping in Malaysia.
In 2018, China banned plastic waste imports and forced the industry to divert shipments to other countries including Malaysia where illegal operators have since mushroomed.
While the plastic waste is meant for recycling, they have been found to either be dumped or illegally incinerated instead.
