KOTA KINABALU: "He agreed to end it, but he asked for RM7,000. Mama already paid."
These were the words of the son of a woman whose body was butchered into seven pieces and thrown at a dumpsite at the Indah Permai shop-houses in Sepanggar here on Thursday (Feb 12).
Speaking in a TikTok live broadcast, the son said the ending of the engagement between his mother and the man was the start of the conflict that ended in his mother’s tragic death.
He said that throughout the two to three months of engagement, his mother’s relationship with the man was often marred by arguments due to differences of opinion and a lack of understanding.
"When the quarrels became frequent, Mama decided not to continue. He came to meet the family and agreed to break it off, but asked for RM7,000. Mama already paid," he said.
In the live broadcast, the son revealed that after the engagement was broken off, he had advised his mother not to have any further contact with the man, even as a friend.
"However, even though the relationship had ended, the man continued to harass my mother. He did not use just one phone number, but contacted her using six different numbers.
"I asked her to completely distance herself from that individual. My mother agreed and said she would follow my advice and do what was best for everyone," he said.
The son explained that his mother had met another man and they married in early Jan.
Speaking about the day before the body was recovered, the son said that on Wednesday (Feb 11), his mother attended a gathering before returning home. Later that afternoon, she went out again to meet "someone" for certain matters.
"At around 5pm to 6pm, my mother could no longer be reached. Phone calls and messages went unanswered, and her phone was no longer active.
"We began to worry because Mama would usually call if she was late. My brother did not sleep that night, trying to call her every half hour until morning.
"The next day, the family was informed about the discovery of a woman’s body. Our hearts sank when we saw social media posts showing parts of the victim’s body. I recognised my mother’s hand," he said.
Two suspects, a 71-year-old man believed to be the former fiancé and his 19-year-old son, were arrested in connection with the murder. Police confirmed that jealousy was the motive.
