A 17-YEAR-old student due to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination has been arrested for allegedly stabbing his mother and elder brother to death in a violent pre-dawn incident believed to have been driven by academic stress and persistent family tension.
The incident occurred at approximately 5am on Thursday at a single-storey home in Taman Rambai Mutiara. According to police, the teen entered the bedroom of his 51-year-old mother, a schoolteacher and single parent, and attacked her with a folding knife.
Melaka Police Chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said the suspect’s 21-year-old brother attempted to intervene but was also fatally stabbed. Both bodies were found in the living room.
Another sibling, a 13-year-old boy, was seriously wounded in the attack but is now in stable condition and receiving treatment at Hospital Melaka.
“The motive stems from pent-up resentment and emotional stress. The mother and elder brother were said to have often scolded the suspect,” Dzulkhairi said during a press briefing at the Melaka Police Contingent Headquarters.
“There were stab wounds to the neck, waist and back. The suspect has confessed to the attack, and based on our findings, there are no other motives,” he added.
Present at the briefing was the state’s Criminal Investigation Department chief, Assistant Commissioner Leow Kian Heong.
Following the attack, the suspect allegedly tried to conceal the weapon by hiding the folding knife in his school bag, which was later discovered outside the house. He also reportedly discarded his bloodied clothes in nearby bushes.
“When officers arrived, the suspect was found sitting outside the house in a dazed state, as if detached from the events. It appeared as though he had not committed the acts himself,” said Dzulkhairi.
Police believe the family had frequent arguments, with neighbours confirming regular loud disputes in the household.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from a neighbour’s home showed no other individuals entering the house during the time of the incident. Footage also captured the suspect attempting to dispose of evidence.
The teenager is currently in custody, and the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Earlier, it was reported that the victims — the mother and her eldest son — were discovered in the living room, while the youngest son was found covered in blood in the house's garage. - June 12, 2025
