Setting fire to vehicles at random and in large numbers has become a new phenomenon for revenge.

Bukit Aman Crime Investigation Department (CID) director Mohd Bakri Zinin said those who resorted to such an action thought they were being “smart” by targetting vehicles which did not belong to their rivals.

“This is a challenge to the police in tracking down the identities of the suspects because they do not target their rivals’ vehicles.

“Otherwise, it will be easier for the police to connect the culprits to the victims,” he told Bernama .

However, he said the scope of the police investigation was wide and with the cooperation from the public, surveillance, as well as recordings from closed-circuit television cameras, the culprits could be traced.

“Members of the public are regarded the best ‘spies’ for the Royal Malaysia Police to provide information to resolve car burning cases,” he added.

Mohd Bakri said although the culprits did not take revenge by hitting back at the rivals concerned, they felt happy to be able to make other people angry.

Besides revenge, another motive identified by the police so far, included  rivalry among warlords, jealousy and pressure.

Lately, many incidents of car burning were reported by the media, with the latest reported last week in George Town, Penang, involving seven cars which were parked on the third floor parking of Flat Taman Jade, Bukit Gambir.

Early last year, 26 motorcycles and a taxi which were parked at a parking area at Desa Mentari Sunway, Petaling Jaya, were set ablaze, believed due to rivalry between two groups.

Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur Crime Investigation Department head, Ku Chin Wah, was reported as saying that 23 cases of vehicle burning, involving luxury cars, were reported in March last year.

In April 2010, six cars were destroyed in a fire at a car dealer’s shop in Taman Saujana Megah, Batu Gajah, Perak.

- Bernama