Couple's 'bomb' joke delays Penang-Jakarta flight

An Indonesian couple who joked that they had a bomb in their hand luggage paid for their folly which caused a two-hour delay of an AirAsia Indonesia flight from Penang to Jakarta yesterday.

Kawan Tambunan, 48, and Wahyuningsih, 47, were arrested and charged in court today for criminal intimidation that resulted in Kawan having to pay a RM1,000 fine.

After boarding the aircraft at 5.55pm at the Penang International Airport, the couple told a flight attendant they had a bomb in their hand luggage which they refused to place in the overhead compartment, said Southwest District Police Chief Supt Anuar Omar.

The fight attendant alerted the airport authorities and the police arrested the couple, he said.

"We believe the bomb scare was just a joke and police checks revealed that the bag only contained medical supplies for a heart condition. It had nothing to do with a terrorist threat," he told a press conference today.

Kawan and Wahyuningsih were charged in the Balik Pulau court today under Section 506 of the Penal Code and Section 10(3) of the Aviation Act. They pleaded guilty and Kawan was fined RM1,000.

Police have confiscated their passports and all of their belongings for further investigation, said Anuar.

"We want the people to know that causing a bomb scare at the airport, especially on a flight, is a serious offence as we are currently facing a lot of threats, especially from terrorists like IS (Daesh)," he said.

Anuar said it was the third bomb scare at the airport this year, and all the offences were committed by Indonesians.