Two Singaporean men, aged 26 and 29, and a Malaysian woman, reportedly aged 33, are accused of being involved in the murder of a Malaysian man, 25, in Johor Bahru during the early hours of Friday, Oct. 27, 2023.

China Press reported that the older Singaporean man, who is facing two charges, pleaded not guilty to them and was granted bail of RM12,000 (S$3,446) -- RM7,000 (S$2,010) and RM5,000 (S$1,436) for each charge, respectively.

However, he was out of remand on Oct. 30 and his next court hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 13.

He wore a black shirt and arrived in court in Johor Bahru on Monday morning.

The first charge stated that the Singaporean man was suspected of driving under the influence of drugs, causing a Singapore-registered car to crash into the fence of the Johor palace at around 5:35am on Oct. 27.

If found guilty, he may be jailed between seven and 10 years and fined between RM30,000 and RM50,000.

The second charge stated that he was suspected of consuming drugs and can be sentenced to jail for up to two years or fined RM5,000.

The accused pleaded not guilty after both charges were read out and interpreted in court.

His lawyer then cited past cases and asked for more lenient bail conditions.

Bail was granted after the two separate charges were heard by two judges, one for each charge.

The accused is to report to the police once a month and was required to have two bail guarantors.

Background

The Malaysian man was allegedly attacked outside a KTV nightclub in Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru, at around 3am on Oct. 27.

The Malaysian man attempted to escape but was chased and stabbed multiple times by a man.

The victim was reportedly found with "stab marks" on his chest, stomach, ribs, shoulder, back, fingers and cheek.

He eventually succumbed to his injuries, and his body was subsequently covered with a piece of white cloth.

The man who allegedly stabbed the victim escaped.

The Malaysian police were attempting to locate the murder suspects when they were alerted to a "suspicious" Singapore-registered Audi sedan.

The vehicle, driven by a Singaporean man and carrying two passengers — another Singaporean man and a Malaysian woman — skidded into the opposite lane and crashed into two oncoming cars before finally colliding with a portion of the Johor palace's gates.

All three were arrested on suspicion of the murder of the 25-year-old Malaysian man.

The police seized a knife and three cell phones, amongst other items.

The trio all tested positive for methamphetamine.

The father of the Malaysian man who died said his son was wrongfully killed.

Media reports stated that the Malaysian woman was allegedly involved with the deceased and one of the Singaporean men.

Top photos via China Press Johor YouTube