KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — British national Samantha Jones was reportedly detained for allegedly stabbing her husband, John William Jones, to death in Langkawi.

Hong Kong-based daily South China Morning Post (SCMP) quoted Langkawi police chief Supt Mohamad Iqbal Ibrahim as saying investigators found a 12-inch kitchen knife stained with blood in the couple’s home where John, 62, was found dead yesterday.

He said police were called to the scene after Samantha, 51, summoned her neighbour to call an ambulance. Her husband was pronounced dead when the medical officers arrived.

He also said a stab wound was found on John’s chest, and police have classified the case as murder.

"She confessed that she stabbed her husband in the chest during a heated argument but this is still under investigation,” Iqbal was quoted as saying, referring to Samantha.

She was taken to court today, which then allowed for her to be remanded until Tuesday.

Iqbal also said that John was a former firefighter who moved with his wife to the tropical island 11 years ago under the Malaysia My Second Home programme, which grants foreigners long-staying visas.

Murder carries a mandatory death sentence by hanging but Malaysia’s government recently announced plans to abolish the death penalty for all crimes.