KOTA BARU: A drug addict set his home ablaze after failing to get RM2 (S$0.84) from his mother and the fire spread to three surrounding houses.

In the high drama incident here, Ridzuan Razali, 34, demanded RM2 from his mother, Kamariah Hamzah, 67, in the morning but she refused.

An angry Ridzuan then assaulted her, forcing her to seek medical treatment before lodging a police report.

At 4.30pm, two police constables arrived at the house to detain him but he warded them off with a parang before fleeing to the back of his home in Kampung Sireh.

While the police were calling in for backup, they saw smoke billowing from the house and the fire and rescue department was summoned.

In the confusion, the suspect fled his house and sought refuge at a nearby hawker stall where he ordered a dish.

While he was eating his mee, passing neighbours spotted and confronted him.

A fight ensued, resulting in the suspect being captured and the police was called in to detain him.

When met at the scene, his father, Ibrahim Sulong, 72, a pensioner, was fuming that his son had resorted to such an action.

"He is my step-son and for a long time, we tolerated his addiction. My son is a doctor, a doctor of pill kuda (amphetamine stimulant pills). How could he do this? He beat up his own mother."

Ibrahim said his son had in the past threatened to burn down the family home during his bouts of anger but nobody took it seriously.