Man detained to assist in murder probe after body found by roadside in Johor, iron rod seized

Police have detained a local man believed to be mentally unstable to assist in the investigation into the murder of an elderly man found lying covered in blood by the roadside in Permas Jaya, Masai, Jertih on Thursday. — iStock pic

First Published: Saturday, 17 Oct 2026 9:42 AM MYT

JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 17 — Police have detained a local man believed to be mentally unstable to assist in the investigation into the murder of an elderly man found lying covered in blood by the roadside in Permas Jaya, Masai, here on Thursday.

Johor Bahru Selatan (JBS) deputy police chief Supt Ng Swie Chait said police received information from the public regarding the discovery of the 67-year-old victim at about 4.54pm.

He said the victim was found with several serious injuries to his arms, head, and face.

He added that a post-mortem conducted by a forensic pathologist at Sultan Ismail Hospital confirmed the cause of death was multiple blunt trauma to the head.

“The motive and cause of the incident are still under investigation,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Ng said that acting on information, a police team from the JBS District Police Headquarters Criminal Investigation Department detained the 47-year-old man in front of an eatery in Bandar Baru Permas Jaya at 6pm on the day of the incident.

According to him, the arrest was made following a viral video on social media showing a local man behaving suspiciously by the roadside at the scene.

He said police also seized an iron rod and a portrait photo from the suspect.

Meanwhile, checks revealed that the suspect had two prior records related to criminal and drug offences.

Ng said the suspect, who tested negative for drugs, has been remanded for seven days starting today. The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

Members of the public with information regarding the incident are urged to contact the JBS police headquarters hotline at 07-2182323. — Bernama