Man in Malaysia allegedly starves to death in condo after landlord locks door

[UPDATE Aug 14] 

An autopsy revealed that the man died after suffering a heart attack instead of starvation, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan told Sin Chew on Sunday.

"The case is still classified as a sudden death report as the police have not found any criminal elements so far," Hussein explained. He said the police are currently collecting more evidence, and urged the public to contact them if they have relevant information.

Meanwhile, the landlord refuted claims of locking the tenant in his home, saying that she had called him over 30 times to check on him.

However, he did not answer either the phone or the door, so she thought he had moved out and went on to lock the unit.

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His body, just skin and bones, was found by neighbours in July.

A man in Malaysia allegedly starved to death in a condominium unit after his landlord locked the doors, Sin Chew Daily News reported on Friday (Aug 11).

The deceased's family has hired Han & Partner's Phang Soon Mun and Darren Ee to engage in legal proceedings against the landlord.

"It is believed that the owner locked the unit because the deceased did not pay rent for three months," Phang explained in an interview with Sin Chew.

The deceased, who was a private hire driver in his 40s, couldn't seek help from others because he had no money to pay for mobile phone service.

It is unclear if the landlord knew the man was inside the house when he locked the door.

Even if tenants couldn't pay rent, landlords should refrain from locking apartment doors as such an act could potentially be dangerous and lead to death, the lawyer said. 

Additionally, it's also an act of false imprisonment, Phang told Malaysian publication Nanyang Siang Pau.

"If the tenant defaults on rent, the landlord can obtain a court order through the court, or deal with it through small claims court," he explained further. "The tenant should not be locked out."

"We have just taken up this case and will file it in court as soon as possible to seek justice for the deceased," he added.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com