SERENDAH, MALAYSIA: The burning body of a woman, believed to be a murder victim, was found near a pile of rubbish in Kampung Koskan near here yesterday.

The yet-to-be-identified woman was found by some people who were passing through the secluded area at 8.45am.

"When police arrived, the body was still burning. We believe whoever burnt her, had done it not very long before being spotted by a passerby," said Hulu Selangor police chief, Superintendent Norel Azmi Yahya Affendi.

Police are still trying to determine the age and race of the victim, adding that no identification documents were found on her.

Supt Norel, however, was puzzled as to why no one had seen the body earlier or the person or persons responsible for burning the victim.

"The road might be a little secluded, but is often used as a shortcut by people travelling between the few housing estates nearby and to the Rawang Memorial Park.

?Either the killer was very daring or maybe passers-by thought the person was only burning some rubbish," Supt Norel said.

He said police did not rule out the possibility that the woman could have been murdered elsewhere before her body was dumped there.

He urged anyone with information regarding the murder to contact the Hulu Selangor police station at 03 60642222.

Sources revealed that the victim was blindfolded, her legs tied up and her mouth stuffed with an unknown substance.

The body was taken to the Kuala Kubu Baru Hopital for a post mortem.

The Star/Asia News Network