MARANG, Jan 26 ― The suspect who is believed to be linked to the death of a woman whose body was found in undergrowth by the roadside in Kampung Alor Gali here last Thursday, is a close family member.
Marang district police chief DSP Mohd Zain Mat Dris said the hearing-impaired victim Zarina Mukhtar was last seen with the 59-year-old male retiree on the morning of January 16 in Kampung Rhu Renggeh here.
“Investigations revealed the victim had boarded a bus from Kuala Lumpur to return to Terengganu on the night of January 15. It was said that she had gone to Kuala Lumpur in search of a job but was duped.
“For now, we cannot ascertain where the victim had got off the bus but we believe the suspect had picked her in Kampung Rhu Renggeh, as a member of the public saw the victim in the suspect’s vehicle,” he told a press conference at the Marang district police headquarters here today.
He said the police did not rule out the possibility that the victim had been dead for over 36 hours before her body was dumped in the bushes.
However, Mohd Zain said the police are still investigating to determine the motive and cause of Zarina's death as there were no signs of injuries on her body.
In addition, he said the suspect who was arrested yesterday evening in Jeli, Kelantan is believed to be the only individual involved in the case.
In a statement yesterday Mohd Zain said Zarina, 57, was identified based on matching fingerprint records kept by the National Registration Department and through the Malaysia and Singapore Criminal Record Registration Division (D2) at Bukit Aman Police Headquarters.
The body was found by passers-by with no stab wounds or cuts and there were no signs of a struggle or blood stains at the location.
This morning the Marang Magistrate's Court issued a seven-day remand order on the suspect to assist the investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code. ― Bernama
