Family Wants Justice, Heavy Sentence For Those Responsible For Istiqomah's Murder

JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- The family of Istiqomah Ahmad Rozi, 33, a woman teacher whose remains was found stuffed in a rubbish bin in Alor Gajah, Melaka, last December, wants justice and a fair punishment imposed on those responsible for her murder.

The victim’s husband Mohd Yusof Mokhtar, 35, said although he accepted what happened, he was demanding a heavy sentence as the murder of his wife was very cruel and inhumane.

"My hope, if possible, I want a sentence commensurate with the crime. If possible, death by hanging. I want justice for my wife, it’s not right. She was loyal to her husband and loved her children very much.

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"She was a good person, if there was anything, she would seek my permission. I want justice for her, it’s very cruel for them to do such a thing,” he told reporters at his house in Taman Kota Masai here today.

Mohd Yusof said their children, Naura Auni, nine, Muhammad Naufal Amzar, six, and Nayla Aisya, four, know about their mother’s death and seemed to understand what happened and have grown quiet, especially the eldest.

Meanwhile, the victim’s mother, Saleha Ya, 58, shared that the last time she met her daughter was during a holiday in Morib, Selangor just two days before she was reported missing and that there was nothing different about her then.

According to her, she and her husband, Ahmad Rozi Latimin, 64, who live in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, underwent DNA tests at the Seri Alam and Alor Gajah district police headquarters during the period her daughter was reported missing.

"She loved helping people, if the person had no money, sometimes she would pass them some money, and she used to send money to her aunt for months,” she said, while Ahmad Rozi said her daughter’s remains would be brought back and buried in Kampung Kubang Badak, Pasir Mas, Kelantan soon.

"We are now waiting for the completion of the autopsy at the hospital, we don’t know when, but when it’s done, we will take her body directly to Pasir Mas for burial,” he said.

Alor Gajah district police chief Supt Ashari Abu Samah had confirmed Istiqomah as being the unidentified woman whose body was stuffed in a rubbish bin in December earlier today after results of a DNA test taken by Istiqomah’s mother on Aug 2 revealed a match.

A couple, 36 and 37, were arrested in Perak three days later and their interrogation led to the discovery of other parts of the victim's body, namely the finger bones and the head, about six kilometres from where the victim's body was found.

The police have also said that the case was being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

-- BERNAMA