Northeast district police chief Che Zaimani Che Awang said police investigations showed the 41-year-old man, who worked as a prepaid card sales agent, had left Penang and was hiding not far from the state.

“I urge him to surrender himself to assist with investigations,” he said here today.

“We have identified the location where the man, his wife and their youngest son are believed to be hiding following the incident.”

Zaimani said the condition of the girl, who suffered third-degree burns to her arms, ribs and chest, was improving, but she was still being warded at the Penang Hospital.

He said that based on statements by the victim and two other siblings staying with their grandmother, the suspect was hot-tempered and often beat the four siblings, including the youngest son.

In the 1am incident, the 41-year-old father was said to have returned home from work hungry, and found that the food cooked by his 38-year-old wife had been finished by the children.

He woke his children, who were sleeping in the living room, and hit them, and allegedly splashed a bowl of hot water on the girl.

In an unrelated case, police detained nine men, aged 20 to 40, in connection with a brawl at an entertainment centre on Jalan Penang here early today.

Zaimani said the men were detained by personnel from the Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7) of the northeast district police headquarters at the centre at 3.45am.