GEORGE TOWN, Oct 28 — A school security guard, who confessed to the brutal rape and murder of a 17-year-old schoolgirl in Teluk Kumbar on Sunday, had a criminal record.

The 20-year-old suspect was nabbed earlier this year for being in possession of a roll of ganja but police did not press charges against him.

“He was caught with a small amount of ganja but the offence was too small for us to press charges,” southwest district police deputy chief DSP Siti Nor Salawati Saad said yesterday.

“Not everyone gets charged in court. It was not a big case. All we can say is that he has a criminal record.”

State criminal investigation chief SAC Datuk Zakaria Ahmad confirmed police had wrapped up its investigations, following the suspect’s confession, and the case papers will be submitted to the deputy public prosecution’s office “by this week”.

He added that the onus was on security firms to check the background of their employees.

“Security companies must screen their employees.”

The victim Intan Suraya, was found with her throat slit, by her father Mawardi Abdul Hak in her room at the family’s flat. Police later revealed she was raped before she was murdered.

Intan Suraya was a fifth former at SM Teluk Kumbar while the suspect worked at SK Teluk Kumbar, 3km away.

Police believe the crime was motivated by jealousy.

The suspect worked for Kota Baru-based Natika Securiforce Sdn Bhd.

According to the Security Services Association of Malaysia website, the firm’s directors are Che Nasiah Che Omar and Mohammad Atif Naddeem Kamal.

Efforts to contact representatives of the company were unsuccessful.

State education director Shaari Osman expressed shock over the incident, saying the department was conducting an impact assessment on the students to ensure they were not affected by the murder.

“This should not have happened and I cannot understand how a person with a criminal record was hired as a security guard,” he said.

“We are doing everything we can to keep things in order.”

He said the department would issue a directive to school administrators to “keep an eye” on guards at their premises.

Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan declined comment when contacted.