Abroad
Man, 51, believed to have fallen from hotel rooftop in Kedah, M'sia after carving birthday message for his child
The man, a teacher at a middle school, was apparently not a guest at the hotel.
April 14, 2026, 07:02 PM
A 51-year-old man in Kuala Muda, Kedah in Malaysia was found dead after he allegedly fell off a hotel rooftop on Apr. 13.
Malaysia police received a report that morning about the incident.
A man's body was found in an alley behind the hotel, according to Kwang Wah Yit Poh.
Not a hotel guest
Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was not a hotel guest.
He arrived at the hotel by car at approximately 8am and checked with the hotel staff about the opening hours of the rooftop swimming pool.
The hotel’s rooftop swimming pool is open to the public, with an admission fee of RM15 (S$4.84).
Hotel staff claimed that they saw the man on the rooftop around 9am, before he allegedly fell off.
Carved birthday message for his child
Investigations also revealed that before the incident, he apparently used a stone to carve a birthday message for one of his children on a wall in the rooftop area.
The message was said to have expressed deep sorrow and reluctance to leave his family.
The man was reportedly a teacher at a middle school.
His wife, who is also an educator at a vocational college, reportedly rushed to the scene after being informed of the incident.
She was overcome with grief, and her colleagues who were present with her supported her.
The couple has four children.
Dealt with mental health issues
The deceased reportedly dealt with mental health issues and sought psychiatric treatment since Apr. 6.
He had apparently expressed suicidal thoughts to his colleagues days before the incident, but he was not taken seriously.
The police have classified the case as a sudden death.
The deceased's body has been sent to the mortuary for further investigations.
Helplines
If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:
National mindline.sg Hotline: 1771 (24 hours)
National mindline.sg WhatsApp: 66691771 (24 hours)
SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
Top photo from Kwang Wah Yit Poh
