A woman, believed to be the second wife of a septuagenarian 'Datuk', was hacked to death by two suspected hired killers at a house in Taiping last night.

The victim, identified only as Habibon, 68, died on the spot during the attack about 7.30pm in the master bedroom of their home in Taman Lake View.

She sustained slash wounds to the neck.

Earlier, the 'Datuk', identified only as Ikram, and Habibon had received a close female relative, aged 78, and her 57-year-old male worker at the house.

Declining to give the full identities of the Datuk and the deceased, Taiping police chief ACP Harith Kam Abdullah said: "As soon as the two guests entered the house, two masked men wearing full-visored helmets rushed into the house.

"One of the masked men tied up the victim's husband with the female guest's shawl while the other threatened the worker with a machete to the neck," he told reporters today.

"At that juncture, the masked men forced the victim into the bedroom and after a while, escaped from the house.

"Subsequently, the worker went into the bedroom to check on Habibon, only to find her lifeless and bloodied body. Her jewelleries were scattered on the bed," he said.

Demanded money

Harith said the police found a machete outside the house, which was believed to have been dumped by one of the killers.

In a related development, he said Ikram's relationship with the female guest was "very bad" and that she had turned up at the house to demand money, alleging that the 'Datuk' had neglected her welfare and that of her ailing son.

Habibon's body was sent to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital. Harith said the two guests had been detained to facilitate investigations.

"Currently, we are unable to ascertain the motive of the murder, whether it was robbery or family conflict," he added.

- Bernama