The family’s spokesman Fred Agenjo said they were “immensely” happy with today’s decision but felt that the lack of testimony from Alex Johnson and Luna Almaz during the inquest into her death had left many questions unanswered.

“The family is of course strengthened by this verdict,” Agenjo, who is Smit’s uncle, told FMT.

“It’s been a tough two years and we are not there yet, but this is an excellent first step. We hope this will be the first step to getting the Johnsons subpoenaed and ultimately to justice.

“We hope they will realise the family will not rest until justice has been done for Ivana.”

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur this morning set aside the coroner’s ruling that Smit had died of “misadventure”, saying her death was caused by “persons known or unknown”.

Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah also directed the Attorney-General’s Chambers to instruct the police to investigate the cause of her death.

Smit, 18, fell from the couple’s condominium unit in CapSquare Residences on Dec 7, 2017. Neither Johnson nor Almaz attended the subsequent inquest although they maintained their innocence in an interview with a British tabloid.

The police initially classified the case as sudden death, but it was reopened following the family’s claims of foul play.

Smit moved to Malaysia when she was three and lived in Penang for most of her life.

Her grandfather Hendrik, with whom she stayed in Penang, also welcomed the court decision, voicing hope for a detailed investigation by the police.