ALOR GAJAH: The family of murdered teacher Istiqomah Ahmad Rozi hope police will expedite the process of claiming her remains.
Her 35-year-old husband, Mohd Yusof Mokhtar, acknowledges that police were still in the midst of detailed investigations into Istiqomah's murder, and had to wait for the results of DNA analysis on her head and fingers from the Chemistry Department.
He said the family was closely following reports on the case, including on news websites.
"That is what I have read (news that Istiqomah's remains cannot be claimed just yet and that police were waiting for the DNA analysis report)... I am just waiting for the call from police there (in Melaka).
"I haven't gotten any information yet... I hope the process (of claiming the remains) will be expedited," he said when contacted via WhatsApp.
Meanwhile, district police chief Superintendent Ashari Abu Samah said the results of the DNA analysis would be known by next week at the latest.
Only then, he said, could the remains be claimed by the family.
He said the head and fingers were the latest body parts to be found after the arrest of the main suspect, a 37-year-old man who was an acquaintance of the victim while in university.
"Police are still waiting for the results of the DNA analysis as well as orders from the state prosecutor before we can release the body from the hospital.
"We estimate that this can be done next week, but if we get the (DNA) report earlier, I will announce it," he said.
On Jan 6, it was reported that a headless body which was also missing the arms and legs, was found in a rubbish bin on the side of Jalan Alor-Gajah-Tampin, near Kampung Tanjung Rimau Luar, Pulau Sebang, about 2pm.
The identity of the victim could not be established, with forensic pathologists only able to state that the victim was a woman who was in her 20s or 30s.
A DNA comparison test was made with two cases involving people who were reported missing over the previous month but did not get any results.
After eight months, police on Monday said they had positively identified the body as that of Istiqomah, 33, who was last seen on Dec 26, with her family lodging a report the following day.
A comparison of DNA taken from the body and Istiqomah's mother led to the confirmation.
A week earlier, serious crimes division policemen from the Melaka police headquarters, working with Johor police and the Alor Gajah police, had detained the main suspect and his wife, aged 37 and 36, respectively, in Chemor, Perak.
Their arrests led to the discovery of more body parts.