JOHOR BARU, May 24 — A pair of lovers have been detained after a local man was slashed to death at a restaurant in Jalan Aziz Awab, Kluang Baru, near Kluang, last night.

Kluang acting police chief, DSP Abdul Razak Abdullah Sani said the 44-year-old victim was believed to have worked as a salesman.

"We received a report on the incident at 10.26pm yesterday after receiving a call from a witness who saw the victim being slashed with a machete at the restaurant,” he said in a statement here today.          

According to the witness, the victim was drinking with several friends at the restaurant before being approached by four men on two motorcycles.            

"One of the suspects headed towards the victim with a machete and slashed him on the back of the neck. All the restaurant patrons and witnesses fled the scene.

"After being slashed the victim tried to flee towards the main road but was stopped by the suspect in front of an advertisement shop and slashed again, this time on the buttocks, left arm and both hind parts of his legs were nearly severed,” he said.

The victim was sent to Enche’ Besar Hajjah Kalsom Hospital but died while receiving treatment.

Following the incident, a 47-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman, believed to be lovers, have been detained to facilitate investigations.

"The man works as an air conditioning serviceman while the woman is a full-time homemaker,” he said.

Both suspects tested negative for drugs and have been remanded for seven days from today.

According to Abdul Razak, the motive for the killing is still under investigation and the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code. — Bernama