In a morbid turn to the Tanjung Sepat arson that saw an elderly couple and their two grandsons perishing in the dawn fire, evidence has emerged that they were murdered and the house torched probably to conceal the heinous crime.
- Stab wounds found on bodies
- Viral video with shocking revelations
- Only survivor and sole witness of the incident – 12-year-old boy, another grandson of the elderly couple
- Boy claimed a masked robber entered their house, attacked and killed grandparents with a parang when confronted
- Robber then set fire to the house before escaping
- Boy came out of hiding from the toilet and fled the house
- Close friends of elderly man for over six decades devastated
- Worst incident in Kampung Tanjung Sepat history
An elderly couple and two of their grandsons who were thought to have died in a fire in Tanjung Sepat, Sepang, today are believed to have been murdered and their bodies torched, according to police.
The couple were identified as Chia Tee Nang, 73, and his wife Lim Mai Shak, 68. Their grandsons Chia Yuan Bin, three, and Ryan Chia Zeng Xi, 10, were cousins.
Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief SAC Fadzil Ahmat said the police found stab and slash wounds on three of the bodies.
All four victims are believed to have been murdered and then burned.
He added that the case was being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Recounting the facts of the case, he said police received a distress call around 5.50am, with firefighters alerted and arriving shortly after.
Investigators then discovered signs of arson, finding traces of accelerants around the fuel tank of the family car.
The car was believed to have been used to set the wooden house on fire.
Fadzil said the suspicion of arson prompted investigators to examine the bodies more closely, leading to the discovery of the wounds.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Osman, who was at the scene, said the bodies of the elderly couple were found in the living room while those of the boys were recovered from different bedrooms.
He said the actual cause of death could only be ascertained after the post-mortem, which is expected to be carried out tomorrow.
The fire burned the 80 ft by 80 ft single-storey wooden house on Jalan Tepi Laut to the ground.
It is learned that another grandson, aged 12, managed to escape from the house and was taken to hospital. He is the elder brother of Ryan Chia.
However, he was in a state of trauma and was under treatment at the Banting Hospital.
In a video that is going viral on social media, the 12-year-old boy, believed to be the sole survivor and witness of the incident, claimed a masked intruder entered the house and murdered his grandparents and brother before setting the house on fire.
“I saw him kill my grandparents,” the boy was heard saying.
He revealed that he was hiding in the toilet throughout the ordeal and managed to escape the fire when the intruder left.
The one minute, 37-second video clip shows the boy, on a bicycle, speaking to an unknown person on what transpired. The house can be seen burning in the same footage.
The boy alleged that he saw his grandparents being attacked by a masked robber, who was armed with a parang, prior to the fire.
The boy said his father was at work when the incident happened. His grandparents and the other two children were asleep in the house when the robber entered.
He said the robber slashed his grandparents when they confronted him. The man then set the house on fire before escaping.
The boy claimed he was hiding in the toilet near the back of the house. He fled the house the moment the robber left.
“We will record his statement after he feels better. He is still traumatised by the incident,” Kuala Langat district police chief Superintendent Azizan Tukiman said.
The blaze, now believed to be arson to cover up murder, has shaken the friends of the family and other villagers.
Speaking to some of the residents, the New Straits Times reported that one of Chia’s close friends for over six decades, who wanted to be known only as Wong, was in tears as he sat near the completely destroyed house, watching family members search for belongings that could be salvaged.
“This is unfair and senseless. There was no need to set fire to the house. I have lost a brother today. We have known each other since we were very young. We grew up together here and we watched each other progressed in life from being bachelors to grandfathers. I am devastated,” Wong was quoted as saying.
According to Wong, it was routine for Chia and his childhood friends to have supper together, which they had been doing for the past five decades.
Another good friend of Chia, who declined to be named, said they last saw each other last night for some drinks and parted ways at about 11pm.
“We would normally get on our motorcycles and head to a nearby coffeeshop after dinner to spend a few hours together. Every night, without fail, about 10 of us childhood friends will gather and talk about everything under the sun.
“But from today onwards, everything will change forever. We will miss his presence. He was a cheerful and chatty person,” he was reported as telling the daily.
He had accompanied Chia’s two sons and family members to identify the victims’ bodies.
Reportedly, he was awakened by the Kampung Tanjung Sepat’s fire alarm which alerted villagers of the fire at about 5.30am.
“I rushed out of my house and saw many of my neighbours. At that time, I did not know it was Chia’s house and I thought it was just a minor fire.
“It was only later that I found out that Chia had died, along with his wife and their grandsons. I was dumbfounded,” said the close friend.
Kampung Tanjung Sepat village head Tai Hoo Chong said the incident was the worst in the community’s history.
“The voluntary fire brigade activated the siren and I was told it was Chia’s house. I rushed here but the fire was too intense. I have never seen a fire this big in our village.
There was no way for us to rush in to save the family,” Tai was quoted as saying.
Earlier report: Dec 13, Nine People Killed in Two Fires: Old Folks’ Home and Arson at Family Home