Alleged killer was close to my family, says daughter of murdered couple

KOTA BARU: A man who allegedly murdered a married couple and their son, and injured the couple’s daughter at a house-cum-hardware store at Taman Bahagia in Wakaf Mek Zainab here yesterday was “close” to the family.

Kha Xing Rhuu, 15, the daughter who was injured in the incident, said the suspect for whom a manhunt has been launched by the police, had worked with her father for the past four years.

She was met by reporters after she was allowed to leave the Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II to attend the funerals of her parents and younger brother who were killed in the incident in Bachok.

In the incident which took place between 1.30pm and 2pm, Kha Eng Ni, 42, and wife, Chua Joo Seok, 43, were repeatedly stabbed while son, Kha Zee Hanz, 13, was bludgeoned with a hammer. All three died on the spot.

Xing Rhuu said: “At the time of the incident, I had returned from school with Zee Hanz in a van when the suspect barred my brother from entering the house but instead, ordered him to fetch a file from the van.

“At that moment, I stepped into the house and was shocked to see my father lying in the living room in a pool of blood.

“As I immediately telephoned my friend, I saw my brother being dragged into the house by the suspect. I shouted at the man and pleaded with him not to harm my brother but he proceeded to hit him on the head with a hammer. I could not do anything because things were happening very fast.

“Then, he rushed towards me and also hit me with the hammer but I was lucky because he was not accurate.”

She said while a neighbour sent her to the hospital, the suspect escaped in the family’s pick-up truck. --BERNAMA

Source - © New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd