A fire occurred at the family home of Customs senior assistant director in charge of the Goods and Services Tax, Nor Azman Mat Jini, yesterday morning. ― Pictures courtesy of Putrajaya Fire and Rescue Department

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 24 — A Customs Department senior officer, who narrowly escaped a fiery death from an arson attack at his house, is in charge of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and was previously threatened over a GST case.

Police sources said several men with “Datuk” titles angry with Customs senior assistant director Nor Azman Mat Jini are behind the attack.

“The group of ‘Datuks’ are angry with him over a GST case and we are now looking for them,” one source told Malay Mail.

The attack was the second involving a senior Customs officer — department deputy director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim was gunned down in broad daylight in 2013, also in Putrajaya.

To this day, no one has been charged with Shaharuddin’s murder although over 40 people were arrested and quizzed, but police believe that he was killed because of his operations against smugglers and a car syndicate.

The 3.30am incident took place at Nor Azman’s family home in Precinct 11 here where he lives with his wife, daughter and son-in-law.

Meanwhile, Customs director-general Datuk Seri Subromaniam Tholasy extended his sympathy to the family of Nor Azman, but said he would not comment further on the incident until a full report is issued by the Fire and Rescue Department.

“I can’t talk much because I am also still waiting for the Fire Department report. So far the police told us that it is suspected arson. We have to wait until the report comes out to know the truth,” he told Malay Mail.

The Customs Department has submitted its initial report on the cause of fire to the police and at the moment, investigations are pointing towards arson.

Subromaniam, who had just come back from visiting Nor Azman’s family, said he knows the victim personally as the latter had served in the enforcement department prior to his transfer.

“I have known the victim many, many years since he was working as an enforcement officer. Only recently he got transferred... I sympathise with him and family,” he said.

Putrajaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Rosly Hassan told Malay Mail that a hammer and a lighter were found in the vicinity of the house — believed to have been used to set the house on fire.

The Customs Department has submitted its initial report on the cause of fire to the police and at the moment, investigations are pointing towards arson.