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POLICE in Johor have confirmed that the skeletal remains of six individuals found inside a destroyed house in an oil palm plantation in Kangkar Pulai are believed to be victims of murder, following forensic examinations and subsequent arrests.
Johor Police Chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the remains, which bore clear signs of burning, were discovered on 9 January after a 48-year-old local man went searching for his family, from whom he had lost contact for three months.
He explained that the man believed the location had been used as a residence by his estranged wife and their children after the couple separated. The man lodged a police report at 1.28pm on the same day.
“The Iskandar Puteri District Police Headquarters received a report from the man, who was searching for his wife and children, regarding the discovery of human remains inside a burnt house,” he said during a press conference at the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters.
According to Datuk Ab Rahaman, post-mortem examinations confirmed the presence of at least one adult victim and one or more child victims among the remains.
“The remains were found in a non-dispersed condition, and based on pathology and post-mortem reports, the deaths are estimated to have occurred approximately three months ago,” he said.
Initial investigations identified the six victims as a 35-year-old woman, believed to be the mother, her four children comprising three daughters aged five, nine and 17, and a two-year-old son, as well as an adult man aged 29, who is believed to have been the woman’s male companion.
Acting on intelligence gathered during the investigation, police arrested four local suspects, three men and one woman aged between 19 and 35, in the Iskandar Puteri area at around 4pm on 21 January.
Datuk Ab Rahaman said checks revealed that all suspects had prior criminal records, while initial urine tests showed that three of them tested positive for methamphetamine.
“The relationship between the suspects and the deceased adult man and woman was that of friends, and they had previously been involved in drug abuse,” he said.
He added that the woman’s children were not attending school and that the location of the house was isolated, situated about two kilometres from the main road, adjacent to a temple and far from other residential areas.
The investigation papers were referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers, which decided to charge two male suspects under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
“The charges against both suspects will be read at the Johor Bahru Magistrate’s Court on 4 February. If convicted, they may face the death penalty or imprisonment of not less than 30 years and not more than 40 years, along with not fewer than 12 strokes of the cane,” he said.
The remaining two suspects were released on bond.
Datuk Ab Rahaman urged the public to refrain from speculation or the dissemination of unverified information that could interfere with police investigations or court proceedings.
“Members of the public who have further information are urged to come forward to the nearest police station or contact the investigation hotline,” he said. - February 3, 2026
