Unemployed Man Charged After Interior Designer Is Found Stabbed 20 Times in Malaysian Apartment

A 50-year-old unemployed man was charged with murder in Malaysia after an interior designer was found dead with 20 stab wounds inside an apartment in Bandar Sri Damansara.

Lim Wah Siong appeared at the Petaling Jaya Magistrates’ Court on October 2, 2024, where the murder charge was read to him in Mandarin. He nodded to indicate that he understood the charge, but no plea was recorded because the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

The victim, Muhammad Sharqawi Abu Bakar, was 36 years old. According to reports, his body was discovered in an apartment on Persiaran Meranti, with injuries including stab wounds to his hands and head.

Police said their investigation suggested that the suspect had allegedly entered the apartment intending to commit a robbery. The victim reportedly returned home unexpectedly, and a confrontation followed. Investigators believe the struggle ended with the designer being fatally stabbed.

Authorities had arrested three men, aged between 50 and 61, during a raid at a Kuala Lumpur condominium in September 2024. Police said the men were housemates and that one was believed to be involved in the killing. The other two were arrested as part of the investigation.

The charge against Lim was brought under Section 302 of Malaysia’s Penal Code, which provides for severe penalties upon conviction. The court scheduled a further mention of the case for November 8, 2024, to allow for the submission of chemical and post-mortem reports.

The case shocked the local community and highlighted the danger that can arise when a suspected burglary turns into a violent confrontation. Lim was charged but had not been convicted at the time of the report; the allegations must be established through the legal process.

Source: Malaysia