The body of Bill Kayong, the PKR Bekenu candidate shot dead by an unidentified individual at a traffic junction in Miri yesterday morning, will be laid to rest on Friday.

According to Persatuan Dayak Sarawak president Captain Collin Imran Abdullah, Kayong's body will be laid to rest at the Batu 1 Muslim Cemetery after Friday prayers.

"Before the funeral, his body will be kept at his house for two days in a row, beginning from tonight, for the traditional Iban wake," Collin Imran said.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Douglas Uggah Embah expressed his condolences to the deceased's family and urged all parties to cooperate with police in their investigation of the murder.

"Police have formed a special task force to investigate the case and we hope that the criminal responsible will be brought to justice," Douglas said in a statement today.

His fellow Deputy Chief Minister James Masing, who was on a working visit to Miri, hoped that the perpetrator would be apprehended as soon as possible, lamenting that the incident has marred Miri's image.

"I will visit the deceased's family at noon and pay my last respects," James said.

Sarawak CID chief Dev Kumar said the Bukit Aman Crime Scene Investigaton (CSI) team would arrive later today to conduct an inspection of the crime scene and the victim's car.

"What is sad is that no eyewitness has yet to come forward to help with the investigation. We appeal again to road users who were at the scene of the incident to contact us at the Miri police district headquarters operations room at 085-433730 and 085-433400," Dev Kumar said in a statement.

Those with information about the case, can also directly contact the investigation officer in charge of the case, ASP Lee Chee Keat, at 012-3436388, he said.

- Bernama