Police are investigating financial difficulties as a possible motive behind the murder of five family members in Kuantan, with the suspect believed to have turned the weapon on himself.

KUANTAN: A financial motive is suspected in the murder of five family members at the Cerating Damai housing area here this morning.

Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

“It is understood that the suspect had no record of mental illness,” he told reporters at the scene.

The incident occurred at about 7 am, involving two girls aged three and four, their parents aged 32 and 28, and their 55-year-old grandmother.

Yahaya said the 32-year-old man is believed to have injured his wife, mother and two children with a sharp weapon, and is suspected to have then turned it on himself.

The parents’ bodies were found in a bedroom while the grandmother was discovered in the kitchen.

The bodies of the five victims were removed from the residence at about 12.45 pm and taken to Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital for post-mortem.

Two of the victims are expected to be buried today while the remaining three will be buried tomorrow.

A neighbour, Saripah Jaya, 60, described the family as friendly and said the suspect would often greet her husband when he was outside their house.

“His mother also frequently jogged around the neighbourhood,” said Saripah, who has lived in the area for over 20 years.

“It was raining heavily this morning, and I did not hear any commotion or sounds of fighting.”

Another resident, Tengku Fakri Tengku Aziz, 41, said he was shocked by the tragedy and never expected something like this to happen so close to their home.

He added that this is the first such incident in the neighbourhood and that he noticed a crowd gathering in front of the house while on his way to Kemaman, Terengganu.

 The Sun Malaysia