KOTA KINABALU: A 50-year-old crane operator, believed to be suffering from mental illness, was found dead underneath a Murut longhouse at the State Museum in Sembulan here yesterday.
Police carrying the body of Tsen.
Tsen Lai Fook from Sandakan, had allegedly hanged himself underneath the longhouse when his body was found around 1pm.
According to the victim’s friend, John Loh, 48, he had known Tsen for more than 10 years and believed the victim had been suffering from mental illness for the past six months.
“He (Tsen) claimed to be hearing strange voices in his ears.
“He called me and said that he could not take it any more. He asked me to come to the museum as he wanted to end his life.
“I tried to talk him out. I was worried and immediately informed the police,” he said when met at the scene.
Loh said he then went to the museum to look for his friend, he was shocked to find him hanging underneath the longhouse.
“He had sought numerous medical treatments, the last time was in Singapore, but he said the voice kept disturbing him,” said Loh.
Prior to his death, Tsen was seen carrying a rope when he walked into the heritage village section of the museum around 11am.
“I saw him walking in with a rope wrapped around his arm but I did not suspect anything as I was entertaining some customers,” said Osmani Lapius, 29, who was behind the ticketing counter at the entrance of the village.
City police chief ACP Ahmad Sofi Zakaria, who was at the scene, said initial police investigations dismissed any criminal elements in Tsen’s death and police have classified the case as a sudden death.
Tsen’s body was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for a post-mortem.