The bodies of Sim Hun Khong, 47, and his girlfriend, Tan Soo Sim, 35, were found at 3.50pm after a neighbour lodged a police report on the foul smell coming from the couple’s unit.

The couple, who worked as a factory operator and clerk in an advertising company, had been staying together since five years ago and were planning to get married.

Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief ACP Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid said police found two letters in Mandarin in the unit and believed the couple took their own lives as they could not settle over RM100,000 owed to Ah Long.

A neighbour, who wanted to be identified only as Wong, in his 30s, said the last time he saw them was on Wednesday.

“They rarely mixed with the residents here.

“Several neighbours had started complaining since Thursday about a foul smell coming from their unit.

“We were suspicious of the smell and reported it to the flats management before a resident lodged a police report.”

Nik Ros said police had to break down the front door of the couple’s unit as it was locked from inside.

Their bodies were found sprawled on the bed in the master bedroom.

“Two charcoal stoves were also found beside their bed.

“It is believed they died from inhalation of the smoke from the stoves.

“The maggots on the bodies indicate that they had died for more than three days,” he said.

He said the bodies were sent to Seberang Jaya Hospital. For now, the case has been classified as sudden death but investigations are still on-going.