Malaysian man pleads guilty to setting Singaporean family’s front door on fire, no injuries reported
A Malaysian man pleaded guilty on Monday (4 May) to setting a Singaporean family’s front door on fire for S$2,500.
He had also locked the unit’s gate with a bicycle lock, preventing the family of seven, including two young children, from leaving.
Nearly two years after the incident, he surrendered to Malaysian police.
Source: Court documents via Shin Min Daily News
Malaysian man given S$400 deposit in Singapore
According to Shin Min Daily News, Vellu Pillai P Sivakkumar, a Johor Bahru (JB) resident, was facing financial difficulties in late 2023 and had been looking for odd jobs.
Shin Min Daily News reported his age as 32, while CNA identified him as 33.
In late November 2023, he received a text from an unknown person offering him a job to lock the door of a housing unit and set it on fire.
Sivakkumar initially rejected the offer, but later agreed after he was promised S$2,500, including a S$400 deposit.
The next day, he entered Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint and met an unknown man, who handed him an envelope containing the deposit.
Defendant uses petrol bottle to set fire to front door of Singaporean family
A few days later, Sivakkumar was given the target unit’s address. He also bought a bicycle lock as part of his preparations.
At about 4.25am on 8 Dec 2023, the defendant made his way to the Tampines unit after siphoning petrol from his motorcycle into an empty water bottle.
He had also changed his clothes and put on a mask to avoid being identified.
Source: Court documents via CNA
While approaching the unit from the stairs, he opened an umbrella to further shield his face.
After checking that he was at the correct unit, Sivakkumar used the bicycle lock to secure the gate, preventing those inside from leaving through the front.
He then poured the petrol from the bottle onto the door and gate before setting them alight.
Source: Court documents via Shin Min Daily News
CNA reported that the fire spread so quickly that Sivakkumar was startled and had to move back from the flames.
Before leaving, he took a photo of the burning door and sent it to the unknown person who had assigned him the task.
At about 5.10am, he returned to JB.
Door fire subsided by itself without causing injury
At the time, seven people were living in the unit: a 41-year-old Singaporean man, his wife, his sister, his parents, and his two children aged three and nine.
Just before 4.42am, the man’s father woke up to use the toilet when he smelled something burning and heard a noise that sounded like a loud explosion.
He then saw that the front door was on fire and woke the family.
The victim’s wife checked CCTV footage from outside the unit, which showed Sivakkumar setting the door ablaze. She then called the police.
By the time officers from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived, the fire had died down.
The officers safely brought the family members out. No one was injured.
Victim owed money to people he allegedly scammed, received threats
As a result of the fire, there were scorch marks on the door and floor of the unit.
The digital locks on the door and gate were also damaged, with repair costs amounting to about S$4,000.
The 41-year-old victim had also run into financial difficulties after owing money to several people.
He had allegedly scammed several people, who then demanded repayment with interest and sent him threats.
However, he was unsure whether the fire was linked to his debts. Sivakkumar also did not know whether debt collectors were behind the act.
The police are investigating the victim for the alleged scam offences.
Defendant said he needed money for pregnant wife’s medical fees
Nearly two years after the incident, Sivakkumar turned himself in to police in JB on 4 Sept 2025.
He was handed over to SPF by Malaysian police that same day.
On 4 May 2026, Sivakkumar pleaded guilty to one count of mischief by fire with intent to cause damage to property.
He was unable to compensate the S$4,000 in damages.
Sivakkumar’s lawyer said he committed the offence as he needed money for medical expenses, with his wife pregnant at the time.
The lawyer sought leniency, noting that Sivakkumar had pleaded guilty and did not bear malice.
The judge adjourned sentencing to 22 May, when a second charge of wrongful confinement will also be taken into consideration.
For mischief by fire, Sivakkumar faces up to seven years’ jail and a fine.
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Featured image adapted from court documents via Shin Min Daily News.
