Family drama at final farewell for Tg Sepat murder-arson victims

TANJONG SEPAT: It was an atmosphere enveloped in sadness as more than 400 people attended the funeral of the four family members who were murdered before being torched at their wooden home last Wednesday.
Relatives including the sons of the deceased couple Chia Tee Nang, 73, and Lim Mai Shak, 68, were seen weeping as their remains along with their two grandchildren Ryan Chia Zeng Xi, 9, and Chia Yuan Bin, three, were led into hearses prior to the funeral procession at 11am today.
The funeral rites which begin at 10am was held at the couple's second home in Taman Pelangi, here.
The remains will be cremated at the Fu De Funeral Park, here.
It is learnt throughout the three days of mourning, the couple's daughter who is mute was not allowed to pay her last respects to her parents by their relatives.
A relative who refused to be identified said the decision was to avoid confrontation within the family which could have turned ugly due to her presence at the funeral.
The suspect believed to be the daughter's boyfriend is expected to be charged for murder and arson at the Teluk Datuk magistrates' court at 2pm.
The four victims were killed in a pre-dawn fire which also razed their wooden home to the ground.
While the police had initially classified the case as arson, the case was later reclassified to murder following the discovery of slash wounds on the bodies of three of the victims.
The suspect, a 38-year-old furniture worker who was also deaf and mute, was nabbed in Taman Pusat Kepong last Friday.