Did DJ's ex-lover murder his mum?

It is a court case which has gripped the Malaysian media over the past week. A popular Malaysian radio DJ has had to reveal his sexual orientation in a murder trial. The victim? His mother. The suspect? His former lover. Benson Ang rounds up the week's proceedings.

The two men met around Chinese New Year in 2011 through Mr Tan's elder brother.

Back then, Mr Tan found Lim to be mature and independent, reported Sin Chew Daily.

They started dating a month later. Lim also moved into Mr Tan's family home at Taman Sri Segambut in Kuala Lumpur around that time. The one-storey building had been home to the Tan family for more than 30 years, reported The Star.

They also went on several trips together to Singapore, China, Hong Kong and so on.

But two or three months into the relationship, the two men started quarrelling. At times, they argued as often as three times a week. In court, Mr Tan reportedly painted Lim as a suspicious lover who got jealous easily.

Lim would look through his phone messages and once even entered his office, he reportedly said in court.

"(Lim) said that was the way he loved me, but I couldn't take it."

Once, Lim suspected Mr Tan of having an affair with another man, although this was not true.

The two ended up in a fight that left Mr Tan with a bleeding forehead.

Mr Tan said: "It (the relationship) wasn't healthy. It was anything but healthy, seriously."

Nonetheless, they were willing to continue the relationship.

Some weeks before the fatal attack, their relationship deteriorated even more.

They had several arguments, with some revolving around Lim asking Mr Tan to move out of his family home and in with him.

Mr Tan did not want to, reportedly saying that he loved his family and would not move out as long as his mother was in the house.

There was also tension between Lim and Madam Lai.

Although the woman was supportive of the relationship, she quarrelled with Lim on Nov 25, 2011.

Lim had apparently accused her of not treating him well and not respecting him. Eventually, Mr Tan called off the relationship.

On Nov 30, he demanded that Lim move out and return his set of keys.

It was the last time he saw Lim before his mother's murder, reported The Star.

Mr Tan's interpretation

Mr Tan has said that Lim was likely to have murdered Madam Lai.

The Star reported that in court, Mr Tan said the suspect was most likely Lim.

This inference was based on the suspect's movement, height, hairstyle and shoes, which were similar to Lim's.

But the defence argued that Mr Tan had incorrectly identified the attacker's shoes, jeans and hairstyle due to the poor lighting and quality of the CCTV footage. Most people walked in the same manner, the counsel added.

Mr Tan disagreed, saying everyone has a different gait - some walk purposefully, while others walk lightly.

Mr Tan reportedly said: "I know this man because we lived together."

He also insisted that the shoes worn by the suspect were the same ones which Lim had bought on a trip to Taiwan when they were together, reported Sin Chew Daily.

He apparently said: "We like sport shoes from Giraffe and Adidas."

Mr Tan pointed out that the family dog did not bark when his mother was stabbed as the suspect was known to the family, reported China Press.

The counsel countered by saying the dog did bark once - after the suspect left the house.

But Mr Tan insisted the dog was startled because it had heard Madam Lai scream during the murder.

High Court judge Kamardin Hashim fixed Feb 17 to 21 next year to resume the trial.

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Lim is charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death sentence if convicted.

The night of the murder

On Dec 1, at about 9.45pm, Madam Lai was stabbed to death.

CCTV footage, from within the house, showed Madam Lai opening the house's gate as she was returning home.

The suspect, who wore a jacket, jeans, sport shoes, gloves and a black helmet, walked up to her, reported Sin Chew Daily.

Grabbing her from behind, he pulled her to the courtyard and stabbed her repeatedly in the abdomen.

She fell to the ground twitching and a pool of blood formed. She covered her wounds with her hands, but her arms went limp soon after.

The suspect then removed Madam Lai's keys, opened the gate and left the scene.

The family dog followed him to the gate, but did not exit. It also apparently barked at the suspect after he left.

After discovering his mother's death, Mr Tan reportedly called Lim.

Lim claimed to be at home, said Mr Tan. Lim also claimed he was not aware of Madam Lai's death.

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