S’porean Dies After His Car Plunged into a Ravine in Penang; Second S’porean Death in M’sia in 2 Days

A 28-year-old Singaporean man who went missing after attending a wake in Penang was found dead in a ravine on 12 March, said the Malaysian authorities.

Mr Bennedd Chew Wei Fung was travelling in George Town from the Farlim neighbourhood to his home in Relau when his car plunged about 50m into a ravine while he was driving along Jalan Paya Terubung.

He had informed his friends via WeChat around 1am on 9 March that he was on the way home after the wake, and was believed to have been involved in a road accident after that.

Reported Missing on 9 March, Found on 12 March

After their conversation at 1am, Mr Chew’s friends were no longer able to contact him.

He was then was reported missing on 9 March by his close friend three days prior to the discovery of his body.

“The victim was found by some workers who were doing maintenance works at a new highway in that area and happened to see a car in the forest,” said George Town district police station inspector Shahrul Nizam Abdullah.

He added that the man’s body was found outside his car, and the workers immediately contacted the authorities.

The Penang Fire and Rescue Department was alerted to the incident at 1:10pm and arrived there about an hour later.

“It is believed that the victim was involved in an accident before the vehicle plunged into the ravine. However, his body was found outside the vehicle, he may have been thrown out or the victim came out of the crashed vehicle by himself,” said Penang Fire and Rescue Department Assistant Fire Superintendent Muzzamer Mohd Salleh.

“The victim was found with injuries all over his body and the body was handed over to police for further action,” he said.

The victim’s body is now at Penang General Hospital and an autopsy will be performed on him today to determine the cause of death.

Mr Chew’s Family

The victim’s family was present during the body retrieval.

According to Malaysian media outlets, Mr Chew’s mother was visibly distraught and was heard pleading with her son.

“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!”

Singapore Man Died in a Road Accident on 11 March

Just a day before Mr Chew’s body was discovered, a Singaporean man was killed when a tour van collided with a lorry in Sabah.

There were seven people in the van, including an 11-year-old girl.

Two victims – a 60-year-old Singaporean man and a 40-year-old Vietnamese woman – were killed. Three, including the van driver, were seriously injured while the remaining two, including the 11-year-old girl, sustained minor injuries.

The lorry driver was unharmed.