Seberang Perai Utara police chief Anuar Abdul Rahman said police were alerted to the incident after mosque congregants found the man unconscious at Masjid Jamek Sungai Puyu.

He said a team from the Butterworth police station was immediately dispatched to the scene.

“Upon arriving at around 11am, investigators found a man lying unconscious in the mosque’s prayer hall.

“Initial checks showed no sign of foul play on the victim’s body. Medical personnel later confirmed that the victim had died at the scene,” he said in a statement late last night.

The body was sent to Seberang Jaya Hospital, where a post-mortem confirmed the cause of death as coronary atherosclerosis – a condition that restricts blood flow to the heart.

Anuar said the deceased was identified as Zulkifli Ahmad, 50, a retired soldier who lived in Pangsapuri Indah, Teluk Air Tawar.

He urged the public not to speculate on the incident and to respect the privacy of the family.