Chinese tourist fined in Malaysia after fake bomb threat over seat change

A Chinese national was fined in Malaysia after pleading guilty to sending a fake bomb threat in an attempt to draw an airline’s attention to her request for a seat change.

The woman, identified as 34-year-old Liu Jinqi, had been scheduled to fly from Tawau, Sabah, to Kuala Lumpur on September 20 before continuing on to Beijing, according to The Borneo Post.

Court proceedings revealed that Liu had tried multiple times to contact the airline—through its website, email, and service counters—after being unable to change her seat.

Frustrated by the lack of response, she turned to the airline’s in-app chat system and typed the words: “human service emergency bomb dangerous.”

The message was picked up by staff and immediately reported to police, leading to her arrest at a local hotel.

When asked to explain her actions before Magistrate Dayang Aidaku Amira Aminuddin, Liu—speaking through a court interpreter—insisted she had only wanted her complaint addressed. “I used the word ‘bomb’ so that my message would get immediate attention,” she said.

Her lawyer urged leniency, noting that she had cooperated with authorities and regretted the incident, which he argued was not intended to cause alarm.

However, prosecuting officer Assistant Superintendent Jeffrey Kadisun countered that the act was of “high public interest,” stressing that even false threats can spark panic and endanger lives.

Liu pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal intimidation under Section 506 of Malaysia’s Penal Code. She was fined RM5,000 (about US$1,050), with a default sentence of three months in prison if she failed to pay. She settled the fine on the spot.

Authorities, cited by NST, stressed that Malaysia treats all bomb threats—real or fake—with utmost seriousness, particularly in aviation, where such claims can disrupt operations and public safety.