DNA tests done for murder-arson case

BANTING: The remains of suspected murder-arson victims Chia Tee Nang and Lim Mai Shak will only be released to their family after the results of DNA tests are received.

The bodies of Chia, 73, and Lim, 68, were burnt beyond recognition and the tests are needed to confirm their identities.

Their remains and those of their two grandsons are currently being kept at Banting district hospital, where post-mortems were conducted on all four of them.

Chia, Lim and their grandsons – Chia Yuan Bin, three, and Ryan Chia Zeng Xi, 10 – were allegedly murdered and set on fire at their home in Tanjung Sepat near here in the early hours of Wednesday.

A 12-year-old grandson, who managed to hide from the attackers, escaped unhurt.

According to hospital spokesman Shahul Hameed Abdullah, DNA samples will be collected and sent to the Chemistry Department.

“The remains will be released to relatives only after the department’s report is ready, and this could take between two and three weeks,” Shahul Hameed told reporters at the hospital’s forensic department.

DNA samples were also extracted from the deceased couple’s two sons, who were at the hospital with their wives and other relatives, for matching purposes.

The two men and their wives, who are all deaf mutes, stood vigil at the hospital accompanied by two cousins while the post- mortems were being conducted.

The two brothers each lost a son in the tragedy.

Relatives, still in shock over what happened, declined to speak to reporters.

One of them asked for some private time for their family to grieve and to come to terms with their loss.

When contacted, Selangor police Criminal Investigation Department chief SAC Fadzil Ahmad said police had not made any arrest yet.