UiTM claims slain student 'willingly entered suspect's car'

The MARA University of Technology (UiTM) today denied the claim that Nursyuhada Johari, a female student at its Permatang Pauh branch in Penang who was allegedly murdered, had been kidnapped from campus grounds by the suspect as reported.

In a Bernama report, UiTM Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs, Prof Datuk Dr Abdullah Mohammed Said said the victim had met up with the 25-year-old suspect outside the campus before she willingly entered his car and moved to a different location.

"The victim was not kidnapped on campus grounds as reported," he told reporters after attending the UiTM Mentor Minister Session with Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal with the One Malaysia UiTM Student Representative Council (MPP) 2014/2015 session here Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Abdullah said, UiTM had contacted the victim's family to help in the funeral rites.

Yesterday, Nursyuhada was killed when her throat was slit by the suspect at the side of the North-South Highway heading south near the Bukit Gantang R&R area near Taiping.

She was later sent to the Kuala Kangsar Hospital for treatment, but died around 2pm.

Her father, Johari Hashim, 55, had said that the suspect had been harassing his daughter ever since she was in Form Five. The victim had known the suspect as they were from the same village.

He said the suspect had wanted to be romantically involved with Nursyuhada but she refused as it was believed that the suspect was a drug addict.

The suspect has been remanded by police for a week beginning today to facilitate investigations.