Man in Malaysia charged with murder of pregnant girlfriend who was allegedly stabbed and burned

KUALA LUMPUR: A 20-year-old man in Selangor, Malaysia was on Thursday (Jun 1) charged with the murder of his pregnant girlfriend whom he allegedly stabbed and burned last Monday.

Local media previously reported that the accused and the 21-year-old victim had an argument over hiding an out of wedlock pregnancy. 

According to the New Straits Times (NST), the accused was charged in the Sungai Besar Magistrate’s Court under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the death penalty.

The court set the next mention of the case for Aug 3. 

According to Bernama, Sabak Bernam district police chief Agus Salim Mohd Alias said last Thursday that the accused, who was a former college student, had taken the victim into a car and argued with her before hitting her on the head. 

He said the accused then allegedly beat and stabbed the victim with a kitchen knife and slashed the victim’s stomach. 

According to NST, the accused removed the fetus before burning the victim’s body. The victim was believed to be around four months pregnant. 

The following day, the accused returned to the scene at an oil palm plantation on Jalan Sungai Limau, Sungai Besar with a barrel filled with gasoline. He allegedly disposed of evidence including items belonging to the victim around Jalan Lama, Kuala Selangor, according to Bernama. 

“According to the preliminary investigation, the victim’s body is believed to have been burned twice with the aim of disposing of evidence – namely at around 10pm (May 22) and (May 24) at around 7am – before it was found by the public,” Mr Agus was quoted as saying by Bernama.

He also said that the victim’s body was 60 per cent burnt. The accused was later arrested at a residence around Sungai Besar at 1.45pm on last Wednesday, he added.

Mr Agus said checks revealed that the accused had no criminal record. The couple was believed to have known each other since last year.