KUALA LUMPUR – The main suspect in the Dec 22 explosion in Nilai is believed to have built improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to take revenge against his ex-girlfriend, police revealed.
Nilai police chief Johari Yahya said the 62-year-old suspect admitted to making the bombs after harbouring a grudge following their breakup five years ago.
“We are still interrogating him as he is undergoing treatment, but he is in stable condition. He admitted making the IED out of revenge,” Johari was quoted as saying by Berita Harian.
Johari added that while the suspect’s statements were inconsistent due to his health, witness testimony supported the revenge motive. Neighbours told investigators the man had suffered depression after the breakup and often spoke obsessively about his former partner.
Police today secured a seven-day extension of his remand, from Jan 4 to Jan 10.
The suspect was found in a weakened state with burn injuries after the blast near apartments in Nilai.
He had been hiding in a forest before a tip-off led to his arrest, during which police seized a motorcycle and several homemade explosives.
The explosion reportedly occurred while the suspect was moving one of the devices inside a vehicle.
Subsequent raids uncovered 31 IEDs in a nearby shophouse, which were destroyed on site by the bomb disposal unit. – January 3, 2026