KUALA LUMPUR – The motive behind the assault on sports journalist and Deputy President of the National Press Club (NPC), Haresh Deol, is believed to be related to a personal issue, authorities said.
Brickfields district police chief, Hoo Chang Hook, confirmed that the male suspect arrested in connection with the attack is a 37-year-old unemployed individual.
He also urged the public to refrain from speculating further and to allow the investigation to conclude.
“The suspect is unemployed, and the motive appears to be personal. The case is still under investigation, and we request that no further speculation is made until the investigation is completed,” he said briefly.
Earlier, Hoo reported that police had detained the suspect in the early hours of the morning in connection with the assault on Haresh, who was attacked earlier that day. The suspect has been remanded for three days.
The 37-year-old was arrested by the Brickfields Criminal Investigation Department (JSJ) at around 2 am.
“A remand application for the suspect was granted for three days until November 28 by the Kuala Lumpur Magistrates’ Court,” Hoo added.
“We are classifying this case as criminal intimidation and causing intentional harm under Section 506 and Section 323 of the Penal Code.
“Section 323 carries a punishment of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to RM2,000, or both, while Section 506 provides for a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both,” he explained.
On Tuesday, Haresh, who is also the co-founder of news outlet TwentyTwo13, reported that he had been assaulted while heading to his car, with another individual filming the incident on a mobile phone.
In a post on social media platform X, Haresh stated that he had filed a police report regarding the incident.
Following the report, police launched an investigation to identify three men believed to have been involved in the attack, which took place on Jalan Maarof near the parking area of a shopping centre, while Haresh was walking along the sidewalk towards Jalan Telawi. – November 26, 2025