Son of Murdered Retiree Describes Crime as ‘Shockingly Cruel’

JITRA: The heartbreaking case of Sabari Baharom, a retired officer from Felcra, has taken a devastating turn as his son revealed his acquaintance with one of the suspected murderers. Sabari’s body is believed to have been disposed of in the Sungai Padang Terap river, stirring outrage within the community.

Muhammad Amir Hakimi Sabari, aged 25, expressed his shock and grief over his father’s tragic death, calling the act “shockingly cruel.” He disclosed that he had known one of the suspects, a contractor who had been working on a neighbor’s house located directly across from his father’s home for the past five months.

“I know the individual involved, and what he has done is utterly appalling and heartless,” Muhammad Amir stated to reporters on Monday, September 30. He was present at the site near Sungai Padang Terap, anxiously awaiting news from the police about the ongoing search for his father’s remains.

He explained that his father frequently interacted with one of the suspects, often greeting each other and engaging in brief conversations as his father passed by the construction site. “The suspect is an outsider, not from our village. My father always treated him kindly,” he shared.

As the youngest of three siblings, Muhammad Amir articulated the deep distress felt by his family upon receiving updates from the police. The family remains hopeful that the search efforts will lead to the discovery of Sabari’s body soon. “We will continue to perform solat hajat until we can find my father’s body. I sincerely hope that those involved in the search can find a way to locate him, especially given the current flood conditions,” he added.

Earlier, the police chief of Kedah, Comm Datuk Fisol Salleh, confirmed that Sabari, aged 62, was believed to have been thrown into the river with his hands bound and mouth taped shut by two male suspects. However, the search for his body, which was reported missing since September 4, has yet to yield results.

The breakthrough in the investigation came with the arrest of two local male suspects, aged 26 and 38, last Friday, September 27. The community remains in shock over the brutality of the crime and is eagerly awaiting further developments from law enforcement. – Bernama