SINGAPORE - A 30-year-old Malaysian man was charged on Saturday morning (June 16) with the murder of a compatriot during a fight in Geylang.

Sasitharan Ramasamy, 30, was charged in the State Court with causing the death of Nelson Nathan Selvaraja, 29, on Friday between 7.47am and 8.18am.

Sasitharan, who was wearing a blue and grey T-shirt, did not show any emotion as the charge was read out.

The charge sheet did not state the relationship between the duo. Chinese evening paper Shin Min Daily News reported that they were believed to be friends and staying at the lodging house where the fight took place.

The victim was found in a third-floor unit at 218 Geylang Road, a four-storey building that houses a coffee shop on the ground floor and residential units on the upper floors.

He was believed to have suffered head injuries, though it was unclear whether these were the cause of death.

Sasitharan has been remanded at the Central Police Division and will be back in court on June 22 at 9.30am.

He faces the death penalty if convicted of murder.