KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 — A man and his father have been arrested over the murder of a 37-year-old e-hailing driver, whose body was found in Taman Pandan Perdana, Ampang, on June 22.

Ampang Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Azam Ismail said police initially classified the case as sudden death after receiving a call from a medical assistant at Hospital Kuala Lumpur at 7.16pm that evening.

Police later confirmed the death at the scene, but a post-mortem at Ampang Hospital revealed necrotising soft tissue infections caused by skin and skeletal injuries, indicating foul play.

The victim’s body was discovered inside the home of one of the suspects, and the case was reclassified as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

According to The Star and New Straits Times, the 36-year-old suspect is the victim’s best friend, and was arrested along with his 73-year-old father.

"We believe unpaid debts led to the murder,” Azam said, adding that police seized a bamboo cane and pliers believed to be linked to the case.

The arrests took place between June 26 and 28, and both suspects tested negative for drugs and have no prior criminal records.

The younger suspect has been remanded for 14 days from June 27 to July 10, while his father is remanded for 13 days from June 29 to July 11.

Those convicted under Section 302 face the death penalty or up to 40 years in prison with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane.