Villagers near an abandoned house in Kampung Batu 4, Pedas, where a woman’s body was discovered in a bag, said the prime suspect had claimed he returned to the property to clean it.
Several residents said they had seen the 51-year-old suspect, nicknamed “Adik,” days before the body was found and did not suspect anything unusual.
Rahim, 63, a villager who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Adik visited his home on Dec 11.
“I was trimming trees when he came to greet me. We chatted since we hadn’t seen each other in a long time. He said he was back to clean his mother’s house, which had been vacant. I suspected nothing as he seemed normal,” Rahim said.
Rahim added that Adik spoke about his personal life, saying he had long been separated from a previous partner and recently married a woman from Sarawak. “I suggested he bring his wife to stay at the family home, but he told me she was often away or overseas,” he said.
The villager said Adik, the youngest in his family, had suddenly reappeared in the village after a long absence. “We were all shocked by the news of the body and his arrest,” Rahim added.
Rahim also recalled seeing the suspect days before the incident having drinks at an eatery near a fishing pond close to his home. “He even asked for a quotation to build a fence for his mother’s house. A grass cutter also reported seeing a Proton Saga at the location at 8am on Dec 12,” he said.
Authorities reported that the body was found at a house belonging to the suspect’s late sister, near his mother’s property.
Police have linked the discovery to a missing person case reported in Ampang, Selangor, on Dec 15. Investigations suggest the woman may have been killed in Ampang following an argument with one of the suspects. Two individuals have been arrested in connection with the case.
