Man beaten to death in fight over burst balloons

JOHOR BARU: A 46-year-old marketing executive was beaten to death in a fight over a bunch of burst balloons in a hotel near Stulang Laut here.

Johor Baru (South) deputy OCPD Supt Rupeah Abdul Wahid said police received a report of a fight at around 10am on Sept 3, involving the suspect who is a tourism advisor, and the victim.

She said that initial investigations revealed that the victim had been drinking with his friends at a nearby pub between 9.30pm on Sept 2 and 1am on Sept 3.

She said that after the session, the group headed towards the car park and had to walk past an exhibition hall that had been rented out for a tourism expo.

"The victim burst a few balloons and pulled down a banner that was put up for the programme," she said in a statement here on Monday.

Supt Rupeah pointed out that the suspect, 40, who was drinking nearby, saw the victim allegedly vandalising the items.

"The suspect shouted at the victim, which led to a heated argument between them.

"Things then got physical and the suspect punched the victim's face several times, seriously injuring him," she said.

Supt Rupeah added that the victim was pronounced dead at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital at around 5pm on Sept 3.

Police arrested the suspect, who is one of the committee members for the tourism programme, at the hotel on the same day.

She said the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.