A man in Malaysia's Sabah state allegedly set his wife on fire during an argument while they were drinking wine at their house. According to the South China Morning Post, the incident occurred on Saturday during an argument between the couple while drinking tapai, a local alcoholic drink.
Police investigations found that during their verbal argument which got out of hand, the wife challenged the husband to set her on fire. He then reportedly doused his wife with petrol before lighting a match. The couple's 16-year-old daughter tried to put out the fire on her mother's body before getting help from her uncle. She also managed to take her two younger siblings out of the house.
The woman was taken to a clinic for initial treatment before being referred to the Keningau Hospital for further treatment. However, the 41-year-old woman died from her injuries on Sunday at the Keningau district hospital, 16 hours after the incident.
''The victim was confirmed dead by the Keningau Hospital at 1.41 pm on Sunday,'' Keningau district police chief Superintendent Yampil Anak Garai said.
Meanwhile, the husband, 50, has been arrested for murder and is being investigated. The police chief said that the husband had earlier threatened to set his wife on fire. He has been remanded until February 9 for further investigation.
In a similar incident in New Delhi, a 32-year-old woman was set on fire by her husband for fighting with him over his drinking alcohol. The husband, Narender, poured kerosene on his wife Banita and set her on fire, an officer said. According to police, Binita was upset with her husband over his drinking habit and the couple often fought over the issue.
