Justice Latifah Tahar acquitted Kong Fong, 69, after ruling that the prosecution had failed to establish its case.

Kong was accused of killing Tan Yew Ching, 43, at a rented unit in Taman Serdang Utama, Seri Kembangan, on Oct 8, 2021.

“It is undeniable that the injuries sustained by the deceased led to his death,” Latifah said, noting that Tan died from massive blood loss caused by 55 slash wounds, most of them to his upper body.

She added that more than half the wounds were defensive in nature, indicating that Tan had tried to fend off a knife attack.

The judge said pathologist Dr Nadiawati Abdul Razak had testified that in such circumstances, traces of an assailant’s skin would normally be found under the victim’s fingernails.

However, Latifah said there was no evidence linking Kong to the crime, as neither his fingerprints nor DNA were found in the unit or on the victim.

“The room was small, and it would have been impossible for the attacker not to sustain injuries during such a fight,” she said, adding that Kong showed no injuries on his limbs when police arrested him several days later.

The judge also highlighted gaps in the prosecution’s case, noting that 21 individuals were present in the unit that evening.

“The accused person was not among them,” Latifah said, noting also that the prosecution had failed to call several individuals seen on CCTV recordings to testify.

Lawyers Farhan Read and PG Cyril appeared for Kong while deputy public prosecutor Parvin Hameedah Natchiar appeared for the prosecution.