A 43-year-old man in Alor Setar, Malaysia is suspected of killing and setting fire to his 68-year-old mother on Sunday (2 March) after an argument over the television.
Kota Setar District Police Chief, Siti Nor Salawati Saad, confirmed that police received a call at 7.48am reporting that a man was causing a disturbance.
Officers rushed to the scene and arrested the suspect, finding his mother’s charred body inside the house.
According to the suspect’s 14-year-old daughter, she overheard an argument between her father and grandmother between 7 and 7.30am.
“Hearing her grandmother scream for help, the witness quickly left her room and rushed out of the house to ask a nearby neighbour for help,” Ms Saad told Astro Awani.
Source: Sinar Harian
The neighbour attempted to intervene but was threatened by the suspect, leaving her no choice but to call the police.
The neighbour’s son explained that before the incident, the victim had woken up for sahur — the pre-dawn meal during Ramadan — and asked the suspect to turn off the television so he could take his medication.
Afterward, the victim turned off the television, hoping her son would comply, but this only seemed to enrage him further.
It is believed that the suspect then beat his mother with a hard object before setting her body on fire.
The suspect has been remanded for seven days, starting Monday (3 March), and is currently under investigation for murder.
Source: Astro Awani
Police discovered that he holds an identification card for his mental disability.
It is understood that the suspect did not have a mental illness from birth.
He had previously worked as a security guard but developed mental health issues in 2019, reportedly due to family problems.
Despite his condition, the neighbour’s son told Sinar Harian that the suspect did not cause any trouble for the villagers.
The day before the incident, he even took his mother on a motorcycle to eat and visit the bank without any issues.
Also read: Son in India allegedly kills mother for not letting him play online games
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Astro Awani, Sinar Harian.