Istiqomah only had business dealings with murder suspect, say cops

PASIR GUDANG: The main suspect in the murder of Istiqomah Ahmad Rozi, 33, only had business dealings with the victim, say police.

Alor Gajah OCPD Supt Ashari Abu Samah said the suspect, a 37-year-old ex-teacher, and Istiqomah had known each other since they were in teacher’s training college.

Supt Ashari said preliminary investigations showed that the suspect and victim had business dealings.

“However, a probe is ongoing to discover the actual motive behind the murder,” he said.

Mohd Yusof Mokhtar, 35, a factory worker, told Malay-language daily Sinar Harian on Monday (Aug 12) that he hoped this would correct any misconception about his late wife.

“I want justice for her because she should not have been treated like that.

“My wife was very loyal to me and loved our four children very much. My eldest daughter still misses Istiqomah and now keeps to herself.

“I told her that even if Mama is not around, her grandparents and I will always be there for her and her siblings.

“She and her brother sometimes call out for their mother and this breaks my heart. But I have to be strong for my children’s sake,” he said when met at his house in Taman Kota Masai here.

Meanwhile, Istiqomah’s father Ahmad Rozi Latimin, 64, told Sinar Harian that he last spoke to his daughter after a family holiday in Morib, Selangor.

“The person who did this to my daughter should face the appropriate punishment,” he said.

Meanwhile, Istiqomah’s mother, Saliha Ya, 58, said she hoped that the hospital in Melaka could expedite any processes so her daughter’s body could be brought back to Kelantan for burial soon.

Istiqomah, a SK Kota Masai 3 teacher, was reported missing and did not return home after leaving for work on Dec 26, 2023.

Police later confirmed that a report was lodged about her disappearance on Dec 28.

On Monday, Supt Ashari confirmed the dismembered body found in a rubbish bin on Dec 31 was Istiqomah.

A team of police officers from the Johor and Melaka police contingents managed to track down two suspects, a married couple and detained them in Chemor, Perak on Aug 4.

However, the 36-year-old female suspect was released on police bail on Monday.