Police received a phone call at 5am this morning (Tuesday, 5th October) with some dreadful news. A member of the public had found a body in a high-end condominium at Kelawei Road, Penang.
Sources say the deceased is Ewe Swee Kheng (尤瑞庆), the president and group managing director of Ewein Bhd. Additionally, he was a key witness to the undersea tunnel case involving former Penang Chief minister Lim Guan Eng.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Soffian Santong confirmed Ewe had fallen from the Palazzo condominium early this morning and died on impact. Sin Chew Daily reports the incident occurring at 2am, with the deceased falling 17 floors into the swimming pool. Aside from that, Soffian did not disclose any further information. Police have stated that they are still investigating the case. Currently, Ewe’s body has been sent to the mortuary of the Penang General hospital for an autopsy.
The 53-year-old was a well-known developer. Ironically, his first project was the same Palazzo condominium where his body was located. Ewe was also involved in the Penang undersea tunnel project, which was later investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2018. He was arrested and brought in to assist in the case, however, although the trial is still ongoing, he had yet to be called to the stand.
The ongoing trial against Lim charges the former minister in the High Court with four counts of soliciting bribes and abuse of power. According to the case, he had asked a developer for a 10% cut of profits from the project and sought RM3.3 million in kickbacks for appointing a developer for the project. MACC has confirmed Ewe was a prosecution witness and mentioned that they have already been informed of his death. Meanwhile, Ewein Bhd. maintained that the company and its subsidiaries were not involved in the project.
His peers described Ewe as a visionary developer and his loss has saddened many. As it stands, the public is still waiting on the police report to find out what truly happened.
Sources: China Press, The Vibes, Malay Mail, Malaysia Chronicle, Malaysia Now
