SUBANG JAYA, Malaysia: A security guard investigating the source of a foul smell had a rude shock when he opened a car boot and saw a badly decomposed body inside.

Ridwan Dollah, 27, who works at the Serdang Perdana Apartment in Seri Kembangan, said he was approached by a cleaner yesterday morning about a foul smell coming from a white Proton Wira.

"At about 10.30am, I cut the cloth that was used to tie down the boot cover and saw a leg covered in maggots," he said, adding that he immediately contacted the police.

Initial forensics inspection showed that the victim had been dead for almost a week.

Subang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar said the body was sent to the Serdang Hospital for a post-mortem expected to be conducted today.

"A family from Kuala Lumpur, whose daughter, in her 30s, has been missing for almost a week, is expected to come to identify the body tomorrow (Wednesday)," he said, adding that police had identified the owner of the car and would be calling him up for questioning. -The Star/ANN