SUNGAI PETANI: Friends and neighbours of the husband and wife who were murdered in Kampung Belau, Merbok, near here, are still in shock and find it hard to accept the tragedy, which is considered unprecedented in the area.
Hashim Abdul Aziz, 66, said the villagers never expected that the family, known to be very kind and friendly individuals, would be struck by such a tragic incident.
According to him, the victim, Zikri Abdul Rahman, 65, was a friend and neighbour who was very well-liked by the villagers and had never caused any problems, often going to the mosque for congregational prayers.
"He was the kindest person and never got angry with anyone. Every day, he came to pray at the mosque, and sometimes after prayer, we would chat over a drink at the hut in front of his house," he said when met at the scene near here Thursday (March 26).
Hashim said the last time he met the victim was on Sunday (March 22) at the mosque, but after that, the victim was no longer seen, raising questions among friends.
"That Sunday afternoon was the last time we saw him. We thought his absence was perhaps due to him being unwell or busy with the Aidilfitri celebrations.
"I called the deceased several times yesterday, but there was no answer. We were puzzled because he is usually easy to contact. Moreover, his clothes were still on the clothesline. Even his wife, who works at a school, hadn't been to work since Tuesday," said Hashim.
Concerned neighbours, suspecting something amiss, went to his house to check on the family.
Hashim said they smelt a foul odour coming from inside the house and immediately reported it to the police.
"Police arrived to find the couple dead in the kitchen before discovering the body of the wife's son, with slash marks on the neck, on the upper floor of the house," he said.
Meanwhile, the victims' relative, Muhammad Khairil Afif Abdul Manaf, 25, said he did not expect the suspect, who is the son of Zikri's wife from a previous marriage, to act in such a manner.
"The last time I saw him was last year. He rarely leaves the house, and we hardly ever see him because he has been suffering from depression for the past few years.
"He (the suspect) spends most of his time in the room and rarely mingles with the villagers. Sometimes he looked stressed," he said.
In the incident, the police found the bodies of Zikri, his wife Suraya Man, 53, and the wife's 29-year-old son (the suspect) inside their house after receiving a report from the public about a foul smell coming from the area.
The bodies of the husband and wife, who had been dead for more than 48 hours, were found in the kitchen, wrapped and covered with a carpet and clothing, while the suspect's body, covered in blood with slash marks on the neck, was found on the upper floor of the house.
All the bodies were sent to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar for post-mortems, and the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code. - Bernama
