KUALA LUMPUR — Six human skeletons, including those of a family of five, were discovered in a burnt-out house located in a palm oil plantation in Kangkar Pulai, Skudai in Johor last month. The remains are believed to have been there for over three months.
Johor Police Chief, Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad, explained that the husband of one of the victims filed a report at the Iskandar Puteri District Police Headquarters on January 9, after discovering the skeletal remains while searching for his wife and children, who had been reported missing, Bernama reported.
“The 48-year-old complainant had received information that his wife and children had been staying at the house, which is situated far from the main road and lacks electricity and water. He then took it upon himself to search for his family members,” he said in a press briefing at the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters today.
Following the discovery, forensic pathology teams from Sultanah Aminah Hospital and the Johor Police’s forensic division conducted an examination and autopsy of the remains found in the house, which is located near an abandoned temple.
The investigation revealed that the six victims consisted of a 35-year-old woman, a 19-year-old female teenager, two young girls aged nine and five, a two-year-old boy, and a 29-year-old man.
Ab Rahaman stated that police are still investigating the timeframe of when the victims went missing.
“Following further investigation and intelligence gathering, police arrested four local suspects, three men and one woman, aged between 19 and 35, around Iskandar Puteri on January 21 to assist with the investigation.
“Checks revealed that all the suspects had prior criminal records, and urine tests found that three of them tested positive for drugs,” he added.
When asked about the motive behind the killings, Ab Rahaman said that the details would be revealed during the court proceedings.
The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, along with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.
Ab Rahaman confirmed that the investigation has been referred to the Johor Attorney-General’s Office, with two male suspects set to face murder charges at the Johor Bahru Magistrate’s Court tomorrow. Meanwhile, the other two suspects have been released on police bail and will be used as prosecution witnesses. — February 3, 2026