SEREMBAN - Police have arrested a man to assist investigation into an arson case at the iconic Then Sze Koon temple here.
Seremban district police chief Asst Comm Thiew Hock Poh said the suspect, 24, was arrested in front of a restaurant in Temiang at around 12.15pm on Monday (Jan 22).
“We also seized a cash box belonging to the temple as well as clothes worn by the suspect as seen in a CCTV recording we obtained from the temple,” he said.
ACP Thiew said that the suspect would be remanded tomorrow.
Five statues of Taoist deities and a century-old bell were destroyed in the 4am blaze at the temple’s main prayer hall on Sunday (Jan 21).
The fire was spotted by a resident of a neighbouring house who immediately alerted the Fire and Rescue Department.
A temple committee official said CCTV recording showed that a man was loitering in the area just before the fire started.
Then Sze Koon is also known as the Centipede Temple and is a popular tourist destination here.
The main building was constructed in 1863 and several additions were made after that.
The bell dating back to 1863 – the second year of the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor during the Qing Dynasty – is believed to be a gift from a devotee.
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