Myanmar Man Charged with Murdering Compatriot in Johor Bahru

A 38-year-old man from Myanmar, Maung Aye Tun, appeared before the Magistrate's Court in Johor Bahru today, facing a charge of murdering his compatriot. The accused, however, did not understand the charge read out in Bahasa Malaysia.

The indictment alleges that Maung Aye Tun caused the death of Aung Than Soe, also a Myanmar national, at the lower level of a factory in Taman Universiti, Skudai. The incident reportedly occurred between 11:30 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. on June 27.

The prosecution is proceeding under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death penalty or a prison sentence of 30 to 40 years, along with at least 12 strokes of the cane if the death penalty is not imposed.

Earlier reports indicated that a foreign man was found lying in a pool of blood in Taman Universiti on the morning of June 28. The 33-year-old victim was taken to Sultanah Aminah Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on July 4. An autopsy revealed the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.

Following the investigation, police reclassified the case as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code. Subsequently, 11 individuals were detained, including eight foreign nationals aged between 26 and 41, in the Skudai, Taman Bukit Indah, and Iskandar Puteri areas, as well as in Ayer Keroh, Melaka, and Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

The court has ordered the appointment of a Burmese interpreter for the accused, and the case has been adjourned for mention on August 4.