KUANTAN: Initial police investigations into the murder of a family of five at the Cherating Damai housing area here on Tuesday morning (Feb 17) suggest financial difficulties may have been the motive.
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the case is still being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
"It is understood that the suspect had no record of mental illness," he told reporters at the scene on Tuesday.
The bodies of the five victims were removed from the residence at about 12.45pm and taken to Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital (HTAA) for post-mortems.
Two of the victims are expected to be buried on Tuesday, while the remaining three will be laid to rest tomorrow.
Meanwhile, a neighbour, Saripah Jaya, 60, described the family, including the suspect, as friendly. She said the suspect often greeted her husband when he was outside their house.
"His mother also frequently jogged around the neighbourhood. It was raining heavily this morning, and I did not hear any commotion or sounds of fighting," said Saripah, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years.
Another resident, Tengku Fakri Tengku Aziz, 41, said he was shocked by the tragedy.
"I never expected something like this to happen so close to our home. This is the first such incident in this neighbourhood," he said, adding that he noticed a crowd gathering in front of the house while he was on his way to Kemaman, Terengganu.
The incident, which occurred at about 7am, involved two girls aged three and four; their parents, aged 32 and 28, whose bodies were found in a bedroom; and their 55-year-old grandmother, who was discovered in the kitchen.
Yahaya said the 32-year-old man is believed to have injured his wife, mother and two children with a sharp weapon, suspected to be a knife, before turning it on himself. – Bernama
