PARIT BUNTAR, March 19 — Police are hunting down the main suspect in the murder case of a Myanmar national who died from slash wounds in a shophouse in Pusat Bandar Fasa 2, here yesterday.

Kerian District Police Chief, Supt Omar Bakhtiar Yaacob said in the incident which occurred between noon and 1pm, the victim, Nyi Tun Oo, 32, was found dead covered in blood by his housemates with slashed wounds on his neck.

Omar Bakhtiar said early investigations by the police found that the victim was believed to have been murdered by his housemate known as Zaw Naing, 32, with a meat cleaver after an argument.

"The suspect then ran away with the weapon, before discarding it in a drain in front of a government agency office about 50 metres from the scene,” he said when contacted here today.

Omar Bakhtiar said the victim was believed to have arrived in Malaysia two months ago and worked in a factory in Parit Buntar together with the suspect and eight other people living in the shophouse.

"The motive for the murder is still investigated as police faced difficulty communicating with the witnesses because of the language problem.

"The eight occupants in the shophouse which was turned into a hostel have been brought to the Kerian District Police Headquarters to help in the investigations,” he said.

Omar Bakhtiar said the body of the victim had been taken to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh for a post-mortem. — Bernama