A neighbour, Halijah Ahmad, 63, who lives on the same floor as the suspect, said the 31-year-old man likes things to be clean and tidy and has cats as pets at home.

“He had a chubby figure, but for the past one or two months he lost weight and has become very thin. He also looked a mess. I asked him why he looked so thin and he said he was sick and needed to go to the hospital for treatment,” she said.

Another neighbour who only wanted to be known as Din said that there were many stray cats in the condominium area, but lately the number had been decreasing.

“Residents are not allowed to keep pets, but based on my observation there are many residents who do not follow the rules,” he said.

Halijah said that about two weeks after talking to the man, she smelled something bad but thought it was just the smell of rotten shrimp shells that had not been removed from an upstairs unit that was used as a homestay.

“I reported it to the management and when they went upstairs, there was no smell at all. The smell actually came from the carcasses placed in a white box in front of the suspect’s house,” she said.

Halijah said the apartment management and the home owner later filed a police report.

Cheras district police chief Zam Halim Jamaluddin said a report was received on March 13 and investigation papers have been opened.
Yesterday, the animal rights group Malaysia Animal Association said a home owner had made a gruesome discovery of skeletons, organs and cat carcasses in an apartment rented from him.

The act came to light after the neighbours in the condominium complained about a foul stench emanating from the house.