KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 — Singer and YouTuber Muhammad Nidza Afham Mokhtar was found dead yesterday after going missing close to midnight on August 13.

His body was found around Jalan Tepi Sungai, Sungai Kolok, near Sungai Klang at 7pm and identified by his next of kin at the location.

Here is what we know so far about the case.

Who is Muhammad Nidza?

Nidza first appeared on a reality TV show I Can See Your Voice 3 ,which premiered in 2020 on TV3, before launching his single Ternyata Bukan Aku.

He gained prominence when his cover of Indonesian pop band D'Masiv’s song Rindu Setengah Mati went viral in 2020, getting almost 7 million views to date.

What did he do next?

Nidza leveraged this success to build his audience on YouTube, with over 42,000 subscribers to his channel, as well as the Spotify streaming service that lists 13,214 monthly listeners at the most recent.

He also had a TikTok account with over 79,400 followers.

What happpened here?

This is the chronology of events, according to South Klang district police chief assistant commissioner Cha Hoong Fong.

  • August 13, 7.54pm — Nidza left his house at Bandar Puteri, Klang to Sultan Sulaiman Stadium, Klang for a run using an e-hailing application.
  • August 13, 9.04pm — His girlfriend called him and but could not get through to this phone.
  • August 13, 11.53pm — His location showed that he was at Kota Bridge, near the Majlis Bandaraya Diraja Klang (MBDK).
  • August 14, 4.22am — His family lodged a missing person’s report

Is there foul play?

Authorities are still investigating, but Nidza’s sister suspects a robbery gone wrong as his cash and bank card were missing from belongings recovered with his body.

The proximity of the case to another missing person incident, Johor teacher Istiqomah Ahmad Rozi who was later identified as a murder victim whose body was decapitated and dismembered, has also fuelled public speculation of crime.

Nidza’s body has been sent to Hospital Shah Alam where the forensics unit is conducting an autopsy.