Yesterday was octogenarian Ong Chock Meng's last Chinese New Year celebration with his six children.

A group, believed to be burglars,made sure the 87-year-old would remain just a memory.

Early today, Ong was found beaten to death near the stairs of the first floor of his rented, two-storey terrace house in Taman Seri Sentosa in Klang. Two of the rooms upstairs were found burgled.

A preliminary examination found several bruises and the face and head of the octogenarian who was also beaten up and robbed during the Thaipusam holiday last month.

South Klang police chief ACP Azman Abdul Razak said a nine-inch long knife and a screw driver were found near the victim's body. The man's walking stick was found on the floor of his bedroom.

In a statement, Azman said Ong had been renting and staying alone in the house over the past 16 years while his children stayed in nearby areas.

The victim's third son, aged 60, said his father's neighbour called about 7am to inform him that the main door of his father's house was ajar since very early in the morning.

He said he rushed to the house, only to see the front door forced open and the grille lock broken.

"I was shocked to see my father lifeless on the floor upstairs. My father was also robbed during the Thaipusam holiday last month and beaten up," he said when met here.

According to him, about RM1,000 kept in the house and a mobile phone belonging to his father were missing from the house.

"I never expected the Chinese New Year celebration with my father yesterday would be our last with him."

The body was sent to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital Klang.

- Bernama