A 34-year-old man terrified his parents when he set their home in Kampung Selamat, Penang on fire after flying into a rage over not having any food to eat yesterday.

The suspect’s 63-year-old father managed to extinguish the flames before the fire spread and then called the police.

Seberang Perai Utara police chief, ACP Noorzainy Mohd Noor, said: “Police arrested the suspect who was still at home and in the compound found a rubber hose with burn marks and a jug with traces of petrol, all believed used to set the house alight in the 4pm incident.”

It is believed the man siphoned petrol from his father’s motorbike before throwing it all over a wall in the front portion of the house and starting the fire with a lighter.

“His mum noticed what he was doing and woke his father up from his nap in time to put out the fire,” said Noorzainy, adding there have been two police reports made by the suspect’s parents who became scared after he kept blowing his top not long after being released from prison.

"His urine test detected drugs and he is now on remand for four days for an investigation under Section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire," Noorzainy said.

- Bernama