The finding of a mutilated body, 20-year-old Curtin University undergraduate Mu Thsun Vui, inside a rented house in Desa Senadin, Miri yesterday has struck fear among hundreds of undergraduates from various parts of Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei, the peninsular and even foreign countries.

Second year student Mu - who was from Sandakan, Sabah -  was said to have been brutally beaten to death in his rented house, not far from the university.

Established in 2002, Curtin University is jointly owned by the state government and Curtin in Perth, Australia. It has a diverse, roughly 5,000-student population, many of whom are staying nearby the campus.

Sarawak DAP secretary Alan Ling said that following the alleged murder of the student, the second in the past three months, has caused fear among undergraduates.

The first reported murder in the vicinity occurred on Oct 22, 2013.

“I received calls from outstation students and parents after yesterday's incident, and many parents are feeling very worried on their childrens' safety.

“A series of break-ins have occurred in the Senadin and Permyhaya areas, which are within the vicinity of the campus.

“These rampant thefts have caused fear among the undergraduates,” said Ling to Malaysiakini .

Ling, who is the Piasau assemblyperson, said the incident could have been avoided if the local police force had shown an efficient performance.

He revealed that in on Oct 22, 2013 a similar case occurred and the local police claimed to have set up a special taskforce to probe the matter but as far as he knew, the case has yet to be solved.

'Failure led to rampant thefts'

“The failure to solve past cases, whether they are trivial or serious, had led to rampant thefts in these areas,” he said.

It is noted that the deceased (Mu) had come back to the state on the night of Jan 1 for his English summer course, and had been to classes for the following two days.

Ling said that the incident is believed to have occurred on Saturday night as his body was found out by his housemate who came back from Johor Baru on Sunday afternoon.

He immediately reported the case to local police.

Ling said he had contacted inspector-general of police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar ( right ) and CID chief Hadi Ho Abdullah requesting for their immediate attention as well as the sending of an experienced team from Bukit Aman to assist the investigation.

“This demand is legitimate and the IGP has granted it in view of the bad security in Senadin and Permyjaya and now two lives have been lost due to break-ins, the latest being 20-year-old bright student Mu.

“The culprits must be brought to justice and this should be the last case.

“The police must show determination and results to erase fear and restore public confidence, failing which Miri will be badly affected in terms of becoming an education hub.

“Security is the key component and main concern for parents to decide which university to send their children to,” he added.