A senior citizen was arrested for allegedly splashing hot water on his wife's face when she refused to go out and buy a powdered drink mix, at a house in Bachang here, on Sunday.

State CID chief ACP Raja Shahrom Raja Abdullah said the 61-year-old man was detained at the house about 4pm Monday.

He said the incident allegedly occurred when the trader, who wanted to brew a drink but had apparently run out of the powder mix in their home, had asked his wife to go to the shop and purchase it about 2am on Sunday.

"The man was enraged when his wife refused to go to the shop and splashed hot water on her face," he said when contacted here Tuesday.

He said the 49-year-old woman, who was scalded on the cheeks, was being treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Melaka Hospital.

A report was lodged at the hospital's police beat base around 6am Sunday.

The man has been remanded for four days starting Monday to assist investigations.