Sepang police chief Norhizam Bahaman said the 36-year-old had been freed from remand following the NFA classification by the deputy public prosecutor.

He was previously reported as saying that police would apply for a remand order for the man, after a police report lodged by the operators, a married couple, over the July 22, 2024 incident.

He said the suspect, from a different agency, was known to the couple.

Norhizam also confirmed that the man was linked to a part-time tour guide who claimed she was threatened with death and beaten by a fellow Malaysian tour operator at a rented house in Japan on Jan 24.

However, the man was not the same person involved in the incident in Japan.

Harian Metro reported the woman as saying that the operator slammed her head against a bed frame, pulled her hair and stomped on her with his boots, leaving her covered in bruises.

The woman said she lodged a police report in Japan and reported the matter to the Malaysian high commission in Tokyo.

She filed a report at the Sepang police headquarters and underwent medical examinations upon returning to Malaysia.