Man in Malaysia allegedly starves to death in condo after landlord locks door

His body, just skin and bones, was found by neighbours in July.

A man in Malaysia allegedly starved to death in a condominium unit after his landlord locked the doors, Sin Chew Daily News reported on Friday (Aug 11).

The deceased's family has hired Han & Partner's Phang Soon Mun and Darren Ee to engage in legal proceedings against the landlord.

"It is believed that the owner locked the unit because the deceased did not pay rent for three months," Phang explained in an interview with Sin Chew.

The deceased, who was a private hire driver in his 40s, couldn't seek help from others because he had no money to pay for mobile phone service.

It is unclear if the landlord knew the man was inside the house when he locked the door.

Even if tenants couldn't pay rent, landlords should refrain from locking apartment doors as such an act could potentially be dangerous and lead to death, the lawyer said. 

Additionally, it's also an act of false imprisonment, Phang told Malaysian publication Nanyang Siang Pau.

"If the tenant defaults on rent, the landlord can obtain a court order through the court, or deal with it through small claims court," he explained further. "The tenant should not be locked out."

"We have just taken up this case and will file it in court as soon as possible to seek justice for the deceased," he added.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com

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