Serious charge: Arasan (in red shirt) and Utes at the Magistrate’s Court in Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: A piece of land in the middle of a plantation here was believed to have been abandoned for years before becoming the home of six murder victims whose skeletal remains were found recently.
According to a local farmer, who only wanted to be known as Woo, the victims, which include five from the same family, had moved into one of the now-burnt abandoned houses in the gated area about two months ago.
“A previous owner built the houses and a private temple for himself and his family.
Secluded property: Police tape sealing the front gate of the area with the abandoned houses.
“This place was somewhat of a vacation home for them, and the previous owner would come here from time to time.
“However, after his passing about 10 years ago, the place was left mostly abandoned and was later sold to someone else,” he said yesterday when met at the site where the victims’ remains were found on Jan 9 this year.
The 89-year-old, who owns a durian orchard nearby, said the victims mostly kept to themselves and did not go out much.
“From the outside, I could see over a dozen people living there, including children, who I believe did not go to school.
“I do not know how they were able to live there or whether they were renting from the new owner.
“I spoke to one of them once or twice and learnt that they sometimes sold karang guni (scrap and second-hand goods) to earn a living,” he said.
Woo said he was shocked when he found out what had happened.
“I did not hear any commotion or see any fire coming from that place and was shocked by what had happened,” said the grandfather of more than 20 grandchildren.
At least three houses could be seen, including one which had clothes hanging outside.
Woo said one of the houses was previously occupied by the former owner’s workers, who looked after the place when he was away.
Also spotted at the site was an animal shed, which Woo said had previously housed cattle reared by the former owner.
The gated area, estimated to be about 0.40ha, is located in a remote area in Kangkar Pulai, about 3km from the Skudai-Pontian road.
The narrow and uneven road leading to the murder site is surrounded by oil palm plantations, orchards and farms.
Earlier, two brothers were charged at the Johor Baru Magistrate’s Court with murdering one of the six victims whose skeletal remains were found in Kangkar Pulai.
The accused, R. Arasan, 32, and R. Utes, 36, nodded after the charge was read out before Magistrate Nabilah Nizam yesterday.
No plea was recorded.
According to the charge sheet, the duo caused the death of a 28-year-old man at an unnumbered house in an oil palm plantation in Kangkar Pulai.
The court fixed April 6 for the next mention and submission of the post-mortem, toxicology and DNA reports. No bail was allowed.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the skeletal remains of six murder victims were found in a house that was destroyed by fire in Kangkar Pulai.
The victims included three children and a teenager.
