IPOH — A 51-year-old man has been formally charged with the murder of a fellow resident at a care centre in Jalan Chemor, Tanjung Rambutan. Soo Kim Keong appeared at the Magistrate’s Court here on Thursday, where he was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for the killing of 28-year-old Chong Mun Long.

The incident traces back to September 3, when Chong was found unconscious following an altercation at the care facility. He was promptly taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead on September 17 at approximately 9:17 p.m. A post-mortem report dated September 18 cited pneumonia secondary to a blunt head injury as the cause of death.

Soo was detained by police at the care centre on the night of September 18, around 11 p.m. Due to concerns about his mental state, the deputy public prosecutor requested that he undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Magistrate Norizan Riduan ordered that Soo be sent to Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta for the assessment, which is scheduled for report submission on October 30. No plea was recorded during the hearing since the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

Authorities have not released further details about the circumstances leading to the altercation or the nature of Soo’s mental condition. The investigation and legal proceedings are ongoing.