KUALA LUMPUR: A unemployed man was charged at the Selayang magistrate's court with the murder of an elderly woman, who was the owner of his rented house, two weeks ago.
Mohamad Amirul Arshad Zainudin, 22, nodded his head to indicate he understood the charge which was read to him in front of magistrate Chai Guan Hock today.
No plea was recorded. Murder cases are under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
The charge stated that Amirul had murdered Hong Kee Ing, 70, at a parking lot in Jalan E4/1, Taman Ehsan near Gombak near here between 8.30pm on Nov 22 and 9.50pm on Nov 23.
The charge is under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death penalty or jail of between 30 to 40 years and no less than 12 strokes of the rotan, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Nor Hakimi Mohamad Rosedin did not offer any bail. Amirul Arshad was unrepresented.
The court set Jan 16 for mention pending further developments in the case's forensic, chemistry and post-mortem reports.
The media had reported yesterday that a man would be charged in court for the murder of a senior citizen who was found stabbed in a car.
Acting Gombak district police chief Superintendent Noor Ariffin Mohamad Nasir was quoted as saying that eight people were detained.
He had said one of them was expected to be charged, while four others would become prosecution witnesses, and the remaining people may be released.
The police had said the motive of the murder was due to the suspect being unhappy about the rental rate imposed by the victim.