Debt burden believed to be motive for teacher slashing wife in Penang

GEORGE TOWN – The failure to manage mounting debts is believed to have driven a teacher to slash his wife in an incident at Taman Tunas Muda, Sungai Ara, last Wednesday.

Southwest District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Sazalee Adam said initial investigations revealed that the 30-year-old man had taken bank loans for stock investments and was also burdened with installment payments for items purchased through e-commerce platforms.

“So far, we believe the couple’s quarrel stemmed from financial problems. However, further investigations are still ongoing,” he said when contacted on Friday.

Sazalee denied claims that the suspect was indebted to unlicensed moneylenders.

“The allegation that the suspect owed money to loan sharks is not true. All loans were obtained through legitimate financial institutions,” he added.

He added that the victim, the suspect’s 28-year-old wife, is currently in stable condition.

“The victim is still recovering and unable to speak much. Police recorded her statement yesterday (Thursday), while the suspect has been placed in the Psychiatric Ward of Hospital Jalan Perak for mental health evaluation,” he said.

Earlier, Sinar reported that a female teacher sustained injuries to her neck after being slashed by her husband, who then slashed himself leaving him seriously wounded, in the same incident at Taman Tunas Muda, Sungai Ara, early Wednesday morning.

The incident, which occurred around 6am, was noticed by the victim’s mother after hearing her daughter’s screams from the upstairs room of their double-storey terrace house.

The victim’s mother rushed upstairs to find her son-in-law on top of her daughter (the suspect’s wife).

As a result of the incident, the wife suffered neck injuries but remained in a stable condition, while her husband, also a teacher, was in critical condition with severe injuries to his neck and left wrist. He is currently receiving treatment at the Penang Hospital.