4 Chinese nationals plead not guilty to kidnapping S'porean man, 72, for S$1 million ransom in M'sia
They were all denied bail.
Four Chinese nationals were charged and pleaded not guilty in a court in Penang, Malaysia after being accused of kidnapping a 72-year-old Singaporean man in July 2026. The incident allegedly took place at Penang International Airport. If convicted, the suspects could face between 30 to 40 years in prison and potential caning. According to The Star, the four allegedly conspired to abduct and confine the Singaporean victim, Quek Aik Teng, at the airport.
The Malaysian and Singaporean police collaborated to rescue the man on August 7 in Kedah, Malaysia. The victim had traveled to Malaysia independently on July 26 and his family in Singapore received alarming information on August 4, including audio and video messages of him blindfolded, handcuffed, and beaten. The kidnappers demanded a S$1 million ransom from the victim's family.
Following the rescue, two suspects were killed during an exchange of gunfire, and six others were detained. The lawyer for three of the accused requested bail, but the prosecutor opposed it, emphasizing the severity of the crime. The judge denied bail for all four suspects and set the next hearing for October 15.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
