Singaporean man found dead days after car plunges into ravine in Penang

GEORGE TOWN, PENANG: A 29-year-old Singaporean man, who was reported missing after attending a wake, was found dead in a ravine in Penang on Tuesday (12 March).

Malaysian authorities said he was suspected to have been involved in a road accident before plunging 45 meters into a ravine.

Mr Chew Wei Fung, as identified by the New Straits Times (NST), was reported missing on 9 March.

Penang’s Fire and Rescue Department assistant fire superintendent Muzzamer Mohd Salleh said they received an emergency call at 1pm.

Subsequently, firefighting teams from Jalan Perak and Paya Terubong Fire and Rescue Stations were deployed to the incident site near Jalan Paya Terubong, which is one of the main roads on the island.

Assistant Fire Superintendent Muzzamer Mohd Salleh stated that the victim may have been involved in an accident before his vehicle careened off the road.

“However, his body was found outside the vehicle so he may have been thrown out or he came out of the crashed vehicle by himself,” he added.

The deceased, found with injuries covering his body, was handed over to the police for further investigation.

George Town district police station inspector Shahrul Nizam Abdullah said maintenance workers initially discovered the victim on a new highway project in the vicinity.

These workers noticed a car in the forested area while conducting their duties.

According to a family member, the 29-year-old was driving his girlfriend’s Proton Persona before he went missing.

The last communication with the victim occurred around 1 am when he informed a relative that he was en route to Alor Vista near Relau.

Mr Chew’s mother also joined the search and rescue team in Penang, NST reported.

“Fung, mummy will take you back to Singapore. Fung, you heard me?” she was heard calling out for her son.

“Follow mummy back to Singapore. Mummy (will) bring you home. Fung!”

This unfortunate incident marks the second fatal road accident involving a Singaporean in Malaysia in recent days.

On Monday, another Singaporean man was among two individuals who lost their lives in a collision between a trailer lorry and a tour van in Sabah.