THE lifeless body of a man was discovered inside his vehicle in the parking area of the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh on Tuesday, sparking an immediate police investigation.
The grim discovery was made around 1:30 p.m. after members of the public noticed a foul odour emanating from the car. The deceased was found in the driver’s seat of a Nissan Almera, his face pressed against the steering wheel.
A witness, 24-year-old Zuhair Kamarudin, recounted that he and his friend, Khairul Ikhwan Abdol Shah, initially believed the smell came from a dead cat. “We came to eat at a nearby shop and caught a whiff of something foul, like a dead cat, but we didn’t find anything. After finishing our meal, we noticed a car with a flat front right tyre. When we looked inside, we saw someone in the driver’s seat, and the skin appeared severely deteriorated,” he said.
Zuhair added that the car’s engine was off and that several personal items, including photographs, liquor cans, and cigarette butts, were scattered on the passenger side. He and his friend quickly alerted the authorities.
Police and fire service personnel arrived at the scene shortly after and are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death while working to remove the body from the vehicle. A survey of the area by Sinar Harian at around 2 p.m. confirmed the ongoing recovery efforts.
Assistant Commissioner Christopher Patit, Chief of Police for Central Melaka District, stated that an official statement regarding the case will be issued in due course.
The incident has raised concerns over public safety in the area as authorities continue to determine the cause of death. - January 13, 2026
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