Driver in M'sia dies, just skin and bone after landlord locked him up in condo for failing to pay rent

Raul Dancel
The Straits Times
August 13, 2023

A ride-sharing driver in Petaling Jaya was found dead – reduced to just skin and bone – after his landlord allegedly locked him up inside his condominium unit for failing to pay three months' worth of rent.

The man, who is said to be Chinese in his 40s, was found dead late in July by a neighbour at Mutiara Damansara town in Petaling Jaya, Sin Chew Daily has reported.

His family is now suing his landlord.

Their lawyer, Mr Phang Soon Mun, told Sin Chew that the landlord had the condominium unit’s door chained because her tenant had not paid rent for about three months.

The man inside was unable to seek help, as he had no money to top up his phone, said Mr Phang.

But the landlord told Sin Chew she thought her tenant had already left the unit when she had the door chained on July 2.

She said she did not get someone to forcibly open it to check whether the tenant might still be inside, but that she did try calling her tenant 30 times to check up on him.

He was not answering, and she left it at that, she said.

She said she did not understand why the man, if he had indeed been locked up inside the unit, did not attempt to look for a way out.

He had many ways to leave, even if the door was chained, she said.

She added that the balconies on the living room and the kitchen were near those of the adjoining unit.

There were also many people who were passing by the unit who would have heard him shouting for help.

Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan told Sin Chew on Sunday an autopsy showed the tenant died of a heart attack, not of starvation.

“The case is still classified as a sudden death report, as the police have not found any criminal elements so far,” he said.

He also appealed to members of the public to come forward should they have information about the case.

Mr Phang, the lawyer, said that, as a rule, landlords should not be detaining their tenants who were behind on their rents.

“If the tenant defaults on the rent, the landlord can obtain a court order through the court, or deal with it through the small claims court, and the tenant must not be locked out,” he said.