JOHOR BARU • A 31-year-old oil and gas engineer is believed to have been killed in Johor Baru after getting into a love dispute.

It is understood that Mr Tan Chuen Take, who worked in Singapore and lived in Taman Dato Chellam in Ulu Tiram, had tried to court another man's girlfriend.

He had reportedly gone missing on June 26, a day after CCTV footage from his residential area showed him leaving his house around 5pm. It was the last time anyone reported seeing him, The Star reported yesterday.

Johor police chief Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said a 22-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man were arrested in Taman Indahpura in Kulai at 3am last Friday.

He said the arrests led to the discovery of the victim's body at around 6pm. It was buried in a remote forest near Kulai, beside the northbound lanes of the Second Link expressway.

"The couple abducted the victim without asking for a ransom from his family, and we believe that the motive for the abduction and murder was jealousy and revenge," Datuk Wan Ahmad said on Saturday.

The highly decomposed body was sent for a post-mortem examination and DNA tests to confirm his identity, China Press reported yesterday.

Investigations into the female suspect's involvement in the crime are ongoing, Mr Wan Ahmad said.

He added that the police are looking into the possibility of more suspects being linked to the case. He said the couple have been remanded to help with investigations.

A source said Mr Tan's body was found with wounds and burn marks, indicating the possibility that he had been tortured before his death, according to China Press.

Mr Tan, who was from Penang, was the only son among five siblings and started working in Singapore about two years ago.

When he could not be found or contacted, his employer in Singapore lodged a police report in the island republic.

At the time the report was made in Singapore, Mr Tan had not shown up for work and had not applied for leave.

His elder sister, Tan Siu Mei, 36, told Malaysian media that the family sensed something was amiss when he did not reply to any of the family's calls or WhatsApp messages on June 25.

His father, Mr Tan Yong Chun, said his son was filial and would call him daily, according to The Star.

He did not put much thought into it when his son stopped calling as he assumed that he was caught up with work.