SHAH ALAM, July 19 — Former television newsreader Zalina Shaharah Azman, 58, who was reported missing since November last year, was not well known by her neighbours and kept to herself.

Mohammad Bokhari Shariff, 76, owner of a tahfiz centre next to Zalina Shaharah’s house in Section 3 here, said he had never met the woman since he moved in several years ago.

“The house was being renovated into what seemed to be an office, but it came to halt last year before the police came to see me seeking information on her going missing,” he said.

Mohammad Bokhari, who has lived in the residential area for over 40 years, said he only knew that Zalina Shaharah bought the house because the original owner told him that the house was sold to his relative, who is also a television personality.

“But I think she never lived there, I only noticed that there was a black luxury car always parked at the house and I think the car belonged to the homeowner,” he told the media here today.

A check around Zalina Shaharah’s house found that the residential area was deserted with the construction of a fence still uncompleted.

One of the neighbours in front of Zalina Shaharah’s house who declined to be identified said the broadcast journalist’s son had come to her house last year to ask if he had seen his mother at the house, but did not comment further.

Meanwhile, a woman (who also declined to be identified) said her mother, who lives next door to Zalina Shaharah, did not know that the house was owned by a television personality until the news surfaced last night.

Yesterday, Shah Alam district police chief ACP Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim said in a statement that they received a report from her son, Mikhael Norman, 33, regarding the disappearance of his mother on November 29 last year.

Zalina Shaharah was reported missing when Mikhael tried to contact her on November 24, 2021 to inform her that the complainant’s grandfather had been admitted to the hospital, but failed to contact her.

“On November 29, 2021, the complainant and his uncle arrived at his mother’s house in Section 3, Shah Alam and found his mother’s car at home,” he said.

He said an inspection at the house of Zalina, who is believed to be living alone, revealed that the house was messy but the owner was not at home. — Bernama