GEORGE TOWN: Family members of the double murder in Air Itam here are still reeling in shock over the death of the father and daughter.
Met outside the Penang Hospital Forensic Unit here, they said the death of their loved ones had left them feeling traumatised.
Khadijah Ibrahim, 62, said her brother, Zulkifli, who died alongside his daughter, contacted her minutes before his death.
"He called me at 12.47pm, saying that he just had a meal. He said he had food somewhere and drink at another place, which was quite strange. We chatted briefly. He had never contacted me at such times.
"Before we could talk any further, he said there was an incoming call. He said there was some issue. I believed the call was from his daughter.
"My mother called me at 1.09pm to say that my brother was gone (had died). I could not believe it," she said when met.
Khadijah said Zulkifli was the third of 10 siblings and they are extremely close.
"He was well loved by all. He never raised his voice at anyone. He was always soft-spoken. He worked as a driver for a Chinese towkay. Even his boss loves him for his sense of honesty and always being punctual," she said, adding that Zulkifli was a former soldier.
Khadijah said the last time she met Zulkifli was on Nov 2, when he came to fetch her for a kenduri in Alor Star.
"At that time, our cousin prepared seri muka. I took some to eat but Zulkifli scolded me. He said he wanted all for himself. I found it strange but that feeling is indescribable," she added.
Khadijah said her brother suffered from a heart illness and underwent an operation several years back. She said a doctor had stated that his heart was only functioning at about 20 per cent.
"We thought we would lose him then but he pulled through. Now, he has left us for good," she said.
Zulkifli's brother Zamri, 46, said he met his brother in Tanjung Tokong two days ago.
"We were shocked to learn about his death. I did not expect to bury my brother so soon," he said, adding that he did not know the suspect.
It was reported yesterday that a 30-year-old woman and her 62-year-old father were stabbed to death by a 32-year-old man at the apartment.
Speculation has been rife that the suspect had sought to pursue the mother of three, but she had purportedly rejected his advances. An argument then ensued.
When her father tried to break up the fight, the suspect stabbed both the father and daughter to death before turning the knife on himself.
Police are conducting a thorough investigation into the double murder. The suspect was remanded a week from today for investigation.