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Police have remanded four individuals over the alleged murder of an 18-year-old Rohingya refugee in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
The victim was found dead with stab and slash wounds to his neck at a workers’ dormitory near a Muslim cemetery in Taman Desa Kujid, Kampung Pok Boh, in the early hours of Sept 19.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said police were alerted to the discovery at 12.12am.
Preliminary investigations found the murder occurred at the dormitory, which was located near the cemetery.
Officers later raided an unnumbered house in the area, based on information received.
Four Arrested, Police Investigations Are Ongoing
Four individuals aged 22 to 38 were arrested during the raid – a Malaysian man believed to be an employer, and three Rohingya nationals, including a woman.
A Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck and four mobile phones were seized.
None of the suspects have prior criminal records.
All four have been remanded for seven days to assist investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which covers murder.
The motive for the killing has not been established.
Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact the Kota Bharu district police headquarters operations room at 09-7752200, or any nearby police station.
Cased Comes Amid A Rise In Hostility Against Rohingya
Anti-Rohingya sentiment surged from late May, after social media posts falsely accused the community of dumping waste from a cattle slaughter during Eid al-Adha, sparking an online petition calling for the government to resettle Rohingya refugees elsewhere that drew nearly half a million signatures before removal.
Fortify Rights has documented a broader pattern of online hate speech, harassment and threats targeting refugees and stateless persons in Malaysia, including calls for Rohingya to be expelled from the country.
The hostility has had real-world consequences – more than 100 Rohingya refugees were evicted from a village, and schools attended by refugee children were temporarily closed.
Malaysia’s human rights commission, SUHAKAM, expressed deep concern over the growing hostility, discriminatory rhetoric and online attacks directed at the Rohingya community.
Malaysia has long been considered a safe haven for Rohingya fleeing persecution in Myanmar, with an estimated 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the UN refugee agency in the country.
Police have not linked the Kota Bharu killing to this wider trend, and the motive remains under investigation.
READ MORE: Firdaus Wong Tells Malaysian Muslims: You Cry For Gaza, But You Dehumanise The Rohingya Next Door
READ MORE: Rohingya Refugees Keep Getting Framed By Fake News – Why Do We Keep Falling For It?
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