RANAU - A man suspected of having mental health issues stabbed his nine-year-old brother at their home in Kampung Kinapulidan here on Thursday.
The 19-year-old man stabbed his brother with a knife at 5.40am and the victim succumbed to his injuries about six hours later in the Ranau Hospital.
Ranau district police chief Simiun Lomudin said the police received a distress call on the incident at 11.27am on the same day.
He said initial investigations found the boy was stabbed by his own brother in his stomach while in the living room of their home.
"The suspect stabbed the victim with a knife and the boy was rushed to the hospital by their neighbours for treatment after the incident.
"However, the victim was pronounced deat at 11.10am while receiving treatments at the Ranau Hospital,” he said when contacted on Saturday.
Simiun said the suspect was caught on the same day at the scene of the incident.
"Police are still investigating the true motive of the incident and did not reject the possibility of the suspect having mental health issues.
"The case was classified as murder and was investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code,” he said.
He said the public with information on the incident could contact the Ranau district police headquarters (IPD) to aid investigation.