Week Commentary: What's Going On?

When something bad happens, it is quite natural for us to ask the questions: What happen?; How could it happen?; Why it happen?
Sometimes the answer may not be obvious but it is there in our society, the underlying frustrations, sorrow, unhappiness or just some demented souls that would be able trigger a violence, in a short spurt of aggression.

A woman today died a gruesome death because a simmering pain and anger for whatever cause or reasons to incite the worst in the man who killed her; her own brother-in-law.

The victim a 43 year-old Mordiah Hamden was doused in petrol and set in flames by her 33 year-old brother-in-law at her house at Kampung Tupong Ulu on Friday night.

According to the story, the victim's 35 year-old brother known as Salleh said there were four other family members in the house including his father, an aunt, his 33 year-old sister and her husband.

Recalling the incident, Salleh said he was taking a hower when the lights in the house were suddenly turned off and then followed by his elder sister's scream of pain.The wwhole family was shocked when they dsicovered the victim engulfed in flames where they immediaately came to her aod with a basin of water to douse the flame.

The woman who suffered 70 percent burns on her body died several hours later after being taken to the hospital here.

The 33 year-old suspect whom had fled earlier from the scene on a motorcycle surrendered himself to the police and is currently being held in custody for murder.

It is learnt that the suspect had a temper problem however according to Salleh the suspect never showed his aggressiveness, but instead keep matters quietly.

Although there were some reports that a dispute occurred prior to the incident, it was never confirmed and that nobody knows for sure what really happened and what was the real motive of the attack.

What is more frightening is that this thing could happen within a family constitution and that such an incident makes us feel unsafe of even the people around us or the person we trust. The person who lives under the same roof, probably share the same meal and enjoy the same interest and hobbies could be a criminal next. How frightening could that be?