She thought her nightmare was over when the man who allegedly threatened to splash acid on her face was arrested. But the 29-year-old tailor is now gripped with fear after being told that a senior MCA politician was trying to get the suspect out on bail.

"The police told me that an MCA politician is trying to arrange the RM3,000 bail for this man," said the woman who only wanted to be identified as Tan.

"I am very scared, I can't sleep at night, wondering what he would do to me if he were back on the streets again."

Tan, who hails from Kulim, Kedah, told a press conference yesterday that the suspect had claimed to have been hired by someone to disfigure her and he knew her whereabouts.

Recounting her ordeal, Tan said she received about 20 threats via her mobile phone on July15.

She said the man had threatened to splash acid on her face and send others to rape her if she did not pay RM1,200.

Tan agreed to pay the sum but alerted the police, who arrested the suspect along Jalan Kulim the next day.

Bad record

However, she was shocked when the police told her later that a politician from Perak had wanted to post bail for the suspect.

"The police told me that he (the suspect) had a bad record. He used to rob and con women. He's going to be out soon, who will be responsible for me?" she lamented.

It is learnt that the suspect was allowed the police bail after five days in remand. Unable to raise the money, he was said to have contacted the MCA politician through a relative in Perak.

When contacted, chief inspector Adli Saad from the Kulim district police headquarters confirmed that he had received a call from a person who wanted to post bail for the suspect but refused to identify the caller.

He said the suspect, who is in his 50s, was charged under Section 385 of the Penal Code for instilling fear of causing grievous hurt and extortion. He is currently being held at the police headquarters in Alor Star.

Also present at Tan's press conference - which was organised by Keadilan - was party vice-president and Lunas state assembly representative Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Penang deputy chief Cheah Kah Peng, state social bureau woman secretary Teng Fui Wah and Kulim divisional Youth chief Chu Mao Nian.

'Protect people, not criminals

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Saifuddin said if the allegation that an MCA leader had intervened in the matter proved to be true, it would shame the party further as it has already been tainted with reports of triad links.

He said political parties should "protect the people and not criminals". The Keadilan leader added that his party would study the details of the case further and decide if it should lodge a police report.

Meanwhile, Cheah questioned why the suspect was charged under Section 385 and not 387, which carried stiffer penalties.

"Under Section 385, the crime is not bailable and he can be arrested without a warrant. If found guilty, he can be whipped, fined and jail up to seven years," said the Keadilan leader, who is a lawyer.

"If he can be kept behind bars, we can at least protect Ms Tan or women like her from serious crimes," he added, referring to the brutal rape and murder of Canny Ong recently.

Cheah also noted that there was a clear breakdown in protecting witnesses and this would discourage victims from cooperating with the police.

He said the alleged perpetrators are often released on bail pending trial, while the victims go into hiding, feeling insecure because the court case is fixed months or years later.