SUNGAI BESAR: An argument to conceal an out-of-wedlock pregnancy between a young couple turned deadly when a 21-year-old woman was brutally murdered at Jalan Sungai Limau here last night.
The victim, who was a waitress at a restaurant here, was stabbed to death in the abdomen and had the fetus removed before her body was burned in the 8.10am murder.
The case came to light when members of the public found the charred remains of the victim at an palm oil plantation here.
Sabak Bernam district police chief Superintendent Agus Salim Mohd Alias said police have arrested a 20-year-old man to facilitate investigation into the case.
He said preliminary investigation showed the suspect had just completed his studies at an institution of higher learning here.
"The suspect and the victim were a pair of lovers who were in a relationship for about a year.
"The victim is believed to have been about four months pregnant," he told reporters at the Sabak Bernam district police headquarters here today.
Agus Salim said during interrogation, the suspect admitted to going out with the victim using a car belonging to his family the night before.
"The suspect beat the victim until she felt unconscious before he stabbed her in the abdomen using a knife to remove the fetus.
"The suspect later proceeded to burn the victim by dousing her with petrol. The suspect visited the murder scene again last night in his attempt to destroy the remaining evidence."
Agus Salim added that urine test from the suspect returned negative for drug use.
A background check conducted on the suspect showed that he did not have past criminal records.
The suspect is also believed to have committed the offence on his own.
Police are hoping to complete the investigation soon before handing the case over to the Deputy Public Prosecutor's office for further action.
"We will obtain remand order from the magistrate's court in Kuala Selangor today to remand the suspect for six days until May 29," he said.
Agus Salim said that the victim's remains are now at the Sungai Buloh Hospital for post-mortem and the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.