Disclaimer: This article mentions murder and other graphic details that may be distressing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
Malaysia has had its fair share of eerie and unsettling discoveries, but some cases stand out for their sheer grimness. Whether it was a homicide or a natural passing, what’s truly haunting about some of these cases is where the bodies were found.
Here are nine chilling places where bodies were discovered in Malaysia.
1. In a luggage bag tied with red rope in Cheras
According to Berita Harian, police discovered a body stuffed in an abandoned suitcase with a foul smell near a large drain in Taman Cheras Perdana on December 10, 2024. Residents had reported a suspicious blue suitcase tied with a red rope, surrounded by flies and maggots.
The victim was a foreign male with no visible injuries except a broken nose. He was wearing green floral shorts and a silver ring with the word “love” on his right finger, as reported by Kosmo. There are no new updates so far, however, Harian Metro reported that the cause of death cannot be confirmed and is pending lab results as of December 11, 2024.
2. Surrounded by tissue boxes in an apartment in Sarawak
A Canadian woman, Tan Onn Har, was found dead in her apartment on Jalan Matang, Sarawak, with her body already decomposing. A local woman reported the discovery after noticing a foul smell coming from the unit below her home on December 13, 2022.
When the police got inside, they found the 82-year-old’s body lying among scattered tissue boxes. By then, it was already infested with maggots, and her face was badly disfigured, as reported by Berita Harian.
The medical team from Sarawak General Hospital (HUS) who arrived at the scene confirmed the victim’s death. Initial investigations found no signs of foul play, nor were any sharp or blunt objects found at the scene.
3. In plastic containers wrapped in plastic bags at a Segambut apartment
A shocking triple murder in Kuala Lumpur came to light when police found 3-year-old Cheah Kai Sze and 7-month-old Cheah Kai Wen stuffed into separate plastic containers, wrapped in big plastic bags, inside a room on September 26, 2016, as reported by The Straits Times.
Their dad, Cheah Hing Soon, was also found lying in the master bedroom of their apartment in Taman Sri Sinar, Segambut. The investigation was initially targeted at the 35-year-old mum who had gaps and lapses in her story to the police and was later arrested.
However, despite extensive investigations, the tragic case of the Cheah siblings remains unsolved, with no other arrests or updates reported and the perpetrator(s) unidentified.
4. In a locked cupboard of a Penang flat
2 Nepalese men who lived at a flat in Georgetown, Penang, had no idea they were staying under the same roof as their housemate’s Indonesian girlfriend’s corpse for 3 days, as reported by Harian Metro. The victim, who worked as a factory operator, was believed to have been murdered on March 11, 2018.
It wasn’t until one of them noticed a foul smell and decided to check the master bedroom. After forcing the door open and breaking into a locked wardrobe, they found the 25-year-old, Santi Restauli Simbolon, sitting lifeless inside.
The 2 men have since been detained to assist in the investigation, and so far, the police have identified the suspect as a 27-year-old Nepalese man and are actively working to track him down as of March 14, 2018, with no further updates since.
5. In a Damansara condominium’s water tank
A 43-year-old auto parts salesman was found dead in a water tank at a Bukit Damansara condominium on May 12, 2015. Residents had been complaining about strange-smelling water for days before management discovered his decomposed body, as reported by China Press.
The autopsy ruled out drowning, but the cause of Chuan Wan Chooi’s death is still a mystery, and the case remains unsolved.
6. In an oil drum filled with cement
Anthony Kevin Morais’ body was found on September 16, 2015, stuffed into a sack, tied up, and shoved into a drum. The suspect then allegedly cemented the drum before dumping it into a swamp in Subang Jaya, as reported by Berita Harian.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that Morais was abducted by 5 men on Jalan Telawi, Bangsar, based on CCTV footage obtained by the police.
According to CNA, the High Court found 6 people guilty on July 10, 2020, including former pathologist Colonel Dr. R. Kunaseegaran and 5 others, and sentenced them to death by hanging.
However in a new update reported by Harian Metro on March 13, 2025, the Federal Court was told that there’s no evidence linking Kunaseegaran to Kevin Morais’ murder since he was never at the crime scene or proven to share intent with the other 5 accused.
7. In a bathtub filled with cement
On December 3, 2023, police received a report about the dead body of a woman buried under cement in the bathroom of their rental home after the tenants had left, according to the statement by Selangor Police.
The investigation revealed that the homeowner had rented out their place in Kampung Pandamar to 2 foreign men for 2 years, from August 2019 to October 2021.
The victim was later identified as an Indian national and was said to be the girlfriend of the main suspect, Mandeep Singh, a 27-year-old Nepalese man, as reported by BERNAMA.
Even with all the efforts to track him down, there haven’t been any public updates confirming Mandeep Singh’s arrest or any closure to the case.
8. In a container that arrived from Bangladesh
On October 10, 2022, authorities at Penang Port discovered a decomposed body inside a container that had been shipped from Chittagong, Bangladesh, on October 6.
The container, which came from the BM container depot in Sitakunda, was transported on the ‘Sawasdee Atlantic’ and arrived in Penang 3 days later, as reported by Dhaka Tribune.
The ship was carrying goods to Malaysia, but the specific container was reportedly empty when sent.
There haven’t been any updates on the case since then, or at least no public information is available regarding its resolution.
9. Stored in a chest freezer of a man’s Taman OUG home
On November 12, 2024, the body of a 77-year-old woman was found after she was killed by her son, N. Deanesh, as reported by BERNAMA. According to Harian Metro, he allegedly did it because he wanted her to “go to heaven.”
He then kept her body in a chest freezer for 3 years. Reports also say that he was the one who called the police to surrender and turn himself in.
And that’s the end of the list, folks! Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Also read: Unveiling Asia’s 8 Most Notorious Female Serial Killers You Might Not Have Heard Of
