Samantha Jones, 51, was detained Thursday after her husband John William Jones, 62, was found with a stab wound to his chest on the floor of his house in Langkawi.

The couple had lived for the past 11 years on the island which attracts millions of tourists to its beaches every year.

At a court appearance yesterday, a magistrate ordered that her remand be extended until Oct 30, local police chief Mohamad Iqbal Ibrahim told AFP.

He added that the police investigation was nearly complete and he expected Samantha to be charged soon.

Samantha is suspected of having killed her husband after an argument, according to police. A bloodstained, 30cm knife was found on the floor of their bedroom following her arrest.

Under current laws, she will be sentenced to death by hanging if found guilty of murder, which carries a mandatory death sentence in Malaysia.

However, the government recently pledged to abolish the death penalty for all crimes. Lawmakers still have to approve the changes.