KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA: Police have arrested a 15-year-old girl for allegedly trying to kill her mother in a plot believed to have been hatched by her father's 25-year-old second wife, who has also been detained.

On Thursday, the girl allegedly smothered her mother, a Land and Survey Department staff, with a sarong laced with formic acid locally known as cuka getah.

Papar police chief Deputy Supt Nek Zaidi Zakaria said the second wife's involvement came to light after police read text messages between her and the girl.

He said the 38-year-old mother was asleep at their house at Kampung Beringgis, some 20kms from the city, at about 11.30pm on Thursday when she felt a burning sensation on her face.

Dept Supt Nek Zaidi said the woman managed to fend off her attacker and was shocked to discover that it was her own daughter.

With the help of other family members and neighbours, the woman was rushed to the hospital and she lodged a police report the following day. She suffered minor injuries.

Police first picked up the girl and subsequently the second wife who is from the northern Kota Marudu district.

He said initial investigations showed that the second wife had given the girl the formic acid on Nov 9 at a shopping centre here and had subsequently sent her several text messages urging her to kill her mother.

The motive for the murder attempt remains unclear but it is believed that the police are looking at the possibility that the second wife was driven by jealousy into persuading the daughter to kill her mother.