Years of sibling rivalry ends in murder

KOTA KINABALU: Sibling rivalry which started from childhood ended tragically with murder at a middle-class suburban house here.

Chaw Cheng Hong, 26, was allegedly stabbed to death by his 23-year-old brother during a heated argument at their Taman Reservoir house in Luyang at about 5.20pm Tuesday.

Their shocked parents blamed the tragic death of the elder brother to years of endless arguments and fights between their only two children that dated back to their early childhood.

Cheng Hong, who was in his final year of masters degree programme at University Malaysia Sabah here, was apparently stabbed by his younger brother who holds a diploma in business management at least five times with a kitchen knife.

Kota Kinabalu police chief Asst Comm Ahmad Sofi Zakaria said the younger brother had been detained to facilitate investigations for murder.

He said when police arrived after receiving information about the quarrel, the victim was lying on the floor while the younger brother was sitting on the sofa.

ACP Ahmad Sofi said the parents had apparently rushed home after being informed by one of the brother about their quarrel.

The 58-year-old father, a businessman, said that his sons were always at odds with each other since the younger one was about three-years-old.

He said there were several incidence in the past where quarrels between the two ended up with injuries to either one of them or both.

The mother, who works for a bank, said that most of the time the fights between the two brothers were over petty issues and she believed that it was due to jealousy and unhappiness.

According to the parents, they were planning to separate the children by sending the younger son to further his studies in Kuala Lumpur.

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Oh God...tell me about sibling rivalry.

Perhaps there must be a reason, although it is superstitious to me, that people of the last generations (the Malays) used to keep their babies stump after it falls off because it is said that by doing so, it help them to feel love and respect of one another during their lifetime.