By Jason Gerald John

MALACCA - The murder of 18-year-old Yap Wai Seng, whose body was found in a car boot on Friday, may be related to an allegation that he had raped his former girlfriend.

Yap's cousin, Wong Li Lian, 23, said she called Yap on the evening before he was killed after being told by her father that he was having problems.

"It was about 5pm when I made the call," Wong said.

"When I asked him what was his problem, he said his ex-girlfriend told her new boyfriend that he had raped her.

"The girl had broken up with Yap some three weeks ago after being in a relationship for about a month. Soon after that, Yap said she was seeing his best friend.

"I was shocked to learn about this and told Yap to come over to my house that night and go for a drink to talk about the matter further.

"However, I cancelled the appointment as I had some other engagements to attend to. I then told Yap to meet me on Friday.

"That was the last time I spoke with him," Wong said at a funeral parlour in Bukit Cina where Yap's body was kept yesterday.

At 1.15am on Friday, police found Yap's body stuffed inside the boot of a car, which had stopped about 150m from a roadblock in Lebuh Ayer Keroh.

Four youths in the vehicle, one of them believed to be the boyfriend of Yap's ex-girlfriend, were arrested.

Police later picked up two others -- Yap's 18-year-old ex-girlfriend and her brother, who is in his mid 20s.

All of them have been remanded.

Malacca Tengah police chief Assistant Commissioner Salehuddin Abdul Rahman said Yap was believed to have been strangled at a house in Semabok on Thursday night.

Yap's grandmother, Law Koon Chan, 60, said her grandson had gone out for a drink with a girl on Thursday night.

"I met the girl at the funeral parlour this morning and I was told that Yap had received a call from the brother of his ex-girlfriend about 11pm for a meeting.

"Yap then left the girl and went to meet his ex-girlfriend's brother at his house in Jalan Johor in Semabok.

"The next thing I know is that he has been killed," she said.

Yap will be cremated at the Chinese crematorium in Jelutong tomorrow.