Wife-beating suspect has been married 9 times, has 11 children. Targets female civil servants

POLICE confirmed that the suspect in the case of severely beating his wife and causing her to have a miscarriage in Sungai Petani, last week, had been married nine times and had 11 children.

Kedah Police Chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah said the 43-year-old suspect is believed to still have three wives, while his latest marriage to the victim took place in southern Thailand.

According to him, investigations found that the suspect had his own modus operandi by targeting women with permanent jobs, especially among civil servants.

"If we look, this suspect is looking for partners with permanent jobs, mostly government employees," he said in a press conference at the Kedah Police Contingent (IPK) Headquarters, today.

In addition, police also found that the suspect has several past criminal records, most of which involve violence against his wife and girlfriend.

Among the offences recorded are those under Sections 325, 323, 318 and 506 of the Penal Code.

Cases that have been recorded are a case of injuring his wife in Johor Bahru in 2021, which saw the suspect sentenced to 10 years in prison, but is currently in the appeal process in court.

According to Adzli, the suspect was successfully arrested at 4.45 pm yesterday at a boarding house in Alor Setar after being believed to be hiding.

This morning, the suspect was brought to the Sungai Petani Magistrate's Court and was granted a seven-day remand order to assist in the investigation.

Police also seized a Mercedes-Benz, four mobile phones, and an iron and clothes hanger believed to have been used in the incident.

"In this latest case, the victim, who is also his 39-year-old wife, is also a civil servant and is believed to have been the subject of repeated abuse over the past few months.

"The victim was reported to have suffered serious injuries, including broken left and right ribs, a broken spine and bruises all over her body. Even more heartbreaking, the victim also claimed to have suffered a miscarriage as a result of being beaten by the suspect," he added.

The police are now completing the investigation under Section 326 of the Penal Code for causing grievous bodily harm, which provides for a prison sentence of up to 20 years, in addition to a fine or whipping if convicted.

Last Thursday, a 39-year-old woman who is also a civil servant was reported to have been seriously injured after being beaten by her husband at their home in Bandar Amanjaya, Sungai Petani. – April 29, 2026