Plantation worker arrested for killing wife out of jealousy
Prior to the incident, the 27-year-old suspect went to look for his wife around the workers’ quarters and found her with another man behind a mosque not far from where she was killed. Supt Stanley Jonathan Ringgit, Miri deputy district police chief
MIRI: An Indonesian man was arrested for allegedly murdering his wife out of jealousy at an oil palm plantation in Kuala Baram here around midnight yesterday.
The body of the 24-year- old woman identified as Ria from Makassar in Sulawesi, Indonesia was only found around 6am yesterday during the morning roll- call in front of the quarters.
She was found lying face down on the ground in a semi-nude state.
In a press conference held yesterday at the Central Police Station, Miri deputy district police chief Supt Stanley Jonathan Ringgit said police believed the motive of the murder was jealousy.
“Prior to the incident, the 27year- old suspect went to look for his wife around the workers’ quarters and found her with another man behind a mosque not far from where she was killed.
“The other man managed to run away upon being spotted by the suspect,” said Stanley.
It is believed the woman had also tried to run away but was chased down by the husband, who then stabbed her in the chest using a ‘ Badek’ knife which caused her death.
There were two stab wounds on the deceased’s chest.
Fellow plantation workers, who were stunned upon discovering the dead body in front of their quarters during the roll- call yesterday, alerted their management who rushed to the scene.
Upon arriving, the management recognised Ria and went straight to the couple’s quarters located not far from where the body was found.
“When the plantation manager and a few workers went inside to check on the suspect, they found him still sleeping in the room.
“He was immediately apprehended before being handed over to police,” Stanley said, adding that a ‘Badek’ knife, believed to be the murder weapon, was found in the husband’s possession in the quarters.
It was learned that no valid documents were found on the suspect or the deceased.
The woman’s body was subsequently taken to Miri Hospital for a post-mortem, while the suspect has been detained for 14 days under Section 6(1) (c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Police are investigating the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Yesterday’s murder was the third in the city so far this year, with police solving all three cases with the arrest of the main suspects and recovery of murder weapons.