A 71-year-old elderly farmer has been remanded for seven days to assist investigations into a shooting incident that left two men and a Vietnamese woman dead outside a restaurant in Kota Tinggi.
The remand order was issued by Magistrate Nurkhalida Farhana Abu Bakar at the Kota Tinggi Magistrate’s Court, allowing police to continue investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
The suspect arrived at the courthouse at around 9am on Sunday with his hands handcuffed. Authorities confirmed that he will remain in custody while investigations proceed into the fatal shooting.
Earlier, Johor Police Chief Ab Rahaman Arsad said the District Control Centre (DCC) Kota Tinggi received information about the incident at 1.30pm on the day of the shooting.
Investigations revealed that two men and one woman, all foreign nationals aged between 37 and 63, were shot dead at the scene using a shotgun. Police confirmed that all three victims died on site.
Following intelligence gathered, police from the Kota Tinggi District Criminal Investigation Department and the Johor Contingent Special Investigation Division arrested the suspect at around 2pm on the same day. A Benelli M Super shotgun believed to have been used in the shooting was also seized.
Authorities noted that the suspect has no prior criminal record, and the firearm involved was legally licensed under the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM). However, the motive behind the shooting remains under investigation.
Police said early findings do not indicate links to organised crime or terrorism, although they have not ruled out the possibility that the incident may be related to personal debt disputes. The case continues to be investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of 30 to 40 years, along with possible caning if not sentenced to death.
