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Murder of Bill Kayong

SOLVED2016Kuala Baram Bypass, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On the morning of 21 June 2016, Bill Kayong — also known by his Muslim name Mohd Hasbie Abdullah, a 42-year-old social activist and member of the People's Justice Party (PKR) — was shot and killed at a traffic light intersection near a shopping mall in Kuala Baram Bypass, Sarawak, Malaysia. He was seated in his Toyota truck when a gunman shot him in the neck with a shotgun; he died at the scene from two gunshot wounds. Kayong had campaigned for the rights of the Dayak people, including native customary land rights, and had unsuccessfully contested the Bekenu seat in the 2016 Sarawak state election.

The killing prompted a large public reaction, with residents suspecting political motives and PKR leaders, including party president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and lawyer Baru Bian, publicly mourning Kayong and calling for justice. Around 5,000 people attended his funeral.

The Royal Malaysia Police classified the death as murder and formed a special task force. Nine suspects were initially arrested, and within weeks two men — Mohamad Fitri Pauzi, a bouncer, and Lie Chang Loon, a pub owner — were charged with murder and abetment of murder respectively. Three further suspects were later sought: Datuk Stephen Lee Chee Kiang, a plantation owner; his personal assistant Chin Wui Chung; and karaoke operator Koong Siang Ming. Chin surrendered in August 2016. Lee fled to Australia and was later located in China and deported to Malaysia in December 2016, where he was charged with abetment of murder.

The murder trial of the four apprehended men began at the Miri High Court in January 2017. The prosecution alleged Lee, Lie and Chin orchestrated the killing and hired Mohamad Fitri and the still-missing Koong to carry it out over Kayong's political activities. In June 2017, the court acquitted Lee, Lie and Chin for insufficient evidence, but ordered Mohamad Fitri to answer for the murder charge. The prosecution's appeal against these acquittals was later dismissed by the Court of Appeal in April 2018.

Mohamad Fitri testified in his own defence in May 2018, claiming he had bought the shotgun for hunting. On 10 August 2018, Justice Ravintharan N. Paramaguru rejected this defence, finding Mohamad Fitri had premeditated the killing, and convicted him of murder, sentencing him to death by hanging.

Mohamad Fitri's subsequent appeals were dismissed by the Court of Appeal in February 2020 and by the Federal Court in March 2022, upholding his conviction and sentence. After Malaysia reformed mandatory death penalty laws in 2023, Mohamad Fitri sought re-sentencing, but the Federal Court rejected this plea in September 2024, and he remains on death row as of 2024.

The fifth suspect, Koong Siang Ming, was arrested in China in July 2021 and repatriated to Malaysia, where he was questioned and released on police bail. As of 2024, no further updates had been reported in his case. In January 2023, Kayong's grave was reported vandalized, prompting a police report.

Key facts

Victims
Bill Kayong
Date
2016
Location
Kuala Baram Bypass, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2016-06-21

    Bill Kayong is shot dead at a traffic light intersection in Kuala Baram Bypass, Sarawak.

  2. 2016-07-15

    Mohamad Fitri Pauzi and Lie Chang Loon are charged with murder and abetment of murder respectively; seven other detained suspects are released.

  3. 2016-08-18

    Suspect Chin Wui Chung surrenders to police in Miri.

  4. 2016-08-29

    Chin Wui Chung is charged with abetting Kayong's murder.

  5. 2016-12-12

    Datuk Stephen Lee Chee Kiang is located in China and deported to Malaysia.

  6. 2016-12-14

    Lee is charged in court with abetment of murder.

  7. 2016-12-30

    The case is transferred to the High Court.

  8. 2017-01-05

    Murder trial of four defendants begins at the Miri High Court.

  9. 2017-06-06

    Lee, Lie and Chin are acquitted without their defence being called; Mohamad Fitri is ordered to enter his defence.

  10. 2018-05

    Mohamad Fitri testifies in his own defence.

  11. 2018-08-10

    Mohamad Fitri Pauzi is convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging.

  12. 2018-04-10

    The Court of Appeal dismisses the prosecution's appeal against the acquittals of Lee, Lie and Chin.

  13. 2020-02-18

    The Court of Appeal dismisses Mohamad Fitri's appeal against conviction and sentence.

  14. 2021-07

    Fifth suspect Koong Siang Ming is arrested in China after five years on the run.

  15. 2021-07-16

    Koong arrives in Miri escorted by Malaysian police.

  16. 2021-07-26

    Koong is released on police bail.

  17. 2022-03-15

    The Federal Court unanimously rejects Mohamad Fitri's final appeal, upholding his conviction and death sentence.

  18. 2023-01

    Kayong's grave is reported vandalized; a police report is lodged.

  19. 2024-09-26

    The Federal Court rejects Mohamad Fitri's re-sentencing plea, confirming his death sentence.

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People

  • Datuk Stephen Lee Chee Kiang

    ACQUITTED

    Charged with abetment of murder; acquitted in 2017 without defence being called, acquittal upheld on appeal in 2018.

  • Lie Chang Loon

    ACQUITTED

    Charged with abetment of murder; acquitted in 2017 without defence being called, acquittal upheld on appeal in 2018.

  • Chin Wui Chung

    ACQUITTED

    Charged with abetment of murder; acquitted in 2017 without defence being called, acquittal upheld on appeal in 2018.

  • Bill Kayong

    VICTIM

    Social activist and PKR politician shot dead on 21 June 2016 in Sarawak, Malaysia.

  • Koong Siang Ming

    CHARGED

    Fifth suspect sought for alleged abetment of Kayong's murder; arrested in China in 2021, repatriated, questioned, and released on police bail with no further reported updates as of 2024.

  • Mohamad Fitri Pauzi

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of the murder of Bill Kayong and sentenced to death by hanging in 2018; conviction and sentence upheld on appeal through the Federal Court.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Kuala Baram Bypass, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

4.2764, 113.9878

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Sarawak indigenous rights activist and politician Bill Kayong was shot dead at a traffic light in Kuala Baram Bypass, Malaysia, on 21 June 2016. Following a lengthy investigation and trial, one man was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, while three alleged masterminds were acquitted; a fifth suspect was arrested in 2021 after years on the run.
Where did the murder happen?
Kuala Baram Bypass, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Who was convicted?
Mohamad Fitri Pauzi (Convicted of the murder of Bill Kayong and sentenced to death by hanging in 2018; conviction and sentence upheld on appeal through the Federal Court.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
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Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Bill KayongWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSIn Malaysia, how protecting native forests cost an activist his lifeThe Guardian · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSSarawak police seek eyewitnesses to Kayong's murder, pledge full investigationmalaymail.com · 2026-07-10