Remains of family of 5 found in burned Johor home; 2 men to be charged with murder

Six human remains — including five from a family believed to have died more than three months ago — were found in a burned home at an oil palm plantation in Skudai, Johor last month. 

The victims include three young children aged two, five and nine, all of whom did not have school records, according to police. 

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday (Feb 3), Johor police chief Rahaman Arsad said the husband of one of the victims lodged a report at the Iskandar Puteri district police headquarters on Jan 9 after discovering the skeletons while searching for his wife and children, who had been reported missing. 

"The 48‑year‑old complainant had received information that his wife and children had been living in the house, which was located far from the main road, without electricity or water supply," Rahaman was quoted by Bernama as saying. 

Following the discovery, forensic pathologists conducted an examination on the remains in the house, which is located near an abandoned temple. 

Investigations revealed that the six victims were a two-year-old boy, two girls aged five and nine, a 17-year-old girl, a 29-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman, reported The Star.  

While police have identified the man's 35-year-old wife, they are still tracing the identity of the 29-year-old man, according to the publication. 

Four local suspects — one woman and three men between the ages of 19 and 35 — were arrested on Jan 21 to assist in the investigations.

"The four suspects have no familial ties with the victims. They were friends who allegedly took drugs together with one of the missing adults," said Rahaman, reported The Star. 

Checks revealed that all the suspects had previous criminal records, and their urine samples tested positive for methamphetamine. 

Rahaman said the investigation has been referred to prosecutors, with two male suspects set to be charged with murder. 

The remaining two suspects, who were released on police bail, will be called as prosecution witnesses, he added. 

If found guilty of murder, the suspects face the death penalty, or a jail term of between 30 and 40 years, along with at least 12 strokes of the cane. There have been no judicial executions carried out in Malaysia since 2017. 

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com