SIBU: An unmarried woman died after sustaining five fatal stabs, one in her neck, three in the chest and one in the stomach in a robbery on Saturday night.
Chew Ming
The incident at 8.30pm occurred at the Tg Maling jetty behind the old Lau King Howe Hospital.
The lone woman, 41-year-old Chew Ming, was robbed and murdered when she sat on a motorcycle while waiting for a ferry to cross the Rajang River to reach her home at Sg Sadit after work at a saloon as usual.
The last ferry was at 8.30pm, and from 8pm no one would use the ferry as the route from the jetty passes through a very dark stretch without any street light.
The victim’s motorcycle and helmet were thrown into the river, and police recovered them after noticing the handle of the motorbike in the water.
They also found a pair of shoes belonging to the woman at the jetty where the robbery was believed to have occurred.
A knife, believed to be the robbery weapon, was found in a bush and the victim’s handbag nearby.
Several thousands of ringgit collected from the day’s business placed in the bag was missing.
But her gold necklace and a mobile phone were still with her.
It was unclear whether the culprit had pushed the woman’s bike into the river to prevent detection or it fell into the river during the scuffle.
Her shirt was in good condition, and police did not rule out the possibility that the woman was raped in the incident.
Members of the public found her lying in a pool of blood on the dark road, a short distance from the jetty.
She was still breathing when they found her.
CRIME SCENE: Chew Ming used the ferry daily to commute to her place of work.
Rescue 991 rushed her to hospital but she succumbed to the severe stab wounds at 9.25pm even as doctors attempted to revive her.
A Rela member, who was patrolling nearby, told The Borneo Post that a woman alerted him to check after she heard sounds like people fighting in the dark lane when she rode past the road.
The enforcement personnel noticed a man on a motorcycle riding out from the dark lane but did not jot down the plate number as he did not sense anything amiss.
A ferry skipper said it was normal to see fights taking place at the jetty as they happened very often.
Police believed the crime could have been committed by one or two persons.
They cordoned off the crime scene and screened the vicinity for weapons.
As at press time, the police are hot on the heels of the suspect(s), who is still at large.
A forensic team from Kuching went to the jetty before dawn the next day to search for more clues, causing the ferry to delay its operation, which usually starts at 6am, to 9am.
Later at 10.30am, police found new leads – a beer can with blood stains on it and a love story book when the team led by ASP Yeoh Chun Shyan returned to the crime scene.
It was learned that the victim loved to read story books on romance.
Sources said she could be reading a book when the culprit struck.
Chew Ming left behind her parents and four siblings.
She left school after Form Three and worked in several hair salons.
A younger brother, who requested anonymity, while shedding tears described the act as cruel and inhumane.
The family hoped police would arrest the culprit as soon as possible and bring him to face the law.
The brother said Chew moved back to her parents’ home at Sg Sadit here eight years ago after renting a house at Tong Sang Road in town.
Ever since, she had been using the ferry as the route was shorter.
“Chew Ming moved back because she wanted to take care of our parents who are aging,” he said.
Besides that, she also wanted to save on the rent to pay electricity and telephone bills at her parents’ home.
He also said that their father has a heart problem and mother is suffering from osteoporosis.
Chew Ming not only wanted to take care of the old folk but also loved to eat at home, he said, as she felt eating at home with her family was meaningful and healthier.
Being the eldest daughter in the family, Chew Ming took care of all the household chores and food for the family.
Her grieving 63-year-old father recalled how she cared for them, her siblings and their kids.
“She loved kids very much. She bought her siblings’ children shirts for Chinese New Year and also visited children’s home often,” the father said.
Chew Ming had a good relationship with her family members and friends, and she was very generous to all she knew.
The brother said she loved to grow vegetables and fruits in the orchard, and rambutan was her favourite.
He said she would go fishing, sometimes with the children, three times a week after work.